How did you find your way into VoiceOver?
I was working in theatre in Europe in the 80’s and needed to get resourceful about making money. A director I was working with at the time, Susan Macready, was doing some work for Radio Nederland Wereld Omroep (the Dutch equivalent of the BBC World Service), and offered to coach me. I thought I would be a natural, with my background in Theatre and English. I thought cold readings would be a piece of cake. Hhmm. I can laugh about it now. It took me a long, long time to get regular jobs. I was lucky in the beginning to land one or two jobs a year!
What do you love about your job?
I love never knowing what a session will bring. Who I’ll meet or how my voice will precisely perform. I always give myself little challenges to keep it interesting, like hit the right amount of nasal resonance from the first word and sustain it. Or ensure that your Mid-Atlantic accent isn’t getting lazy and falling into standard US.
What do you like least about your job and how do you deal with that?
New technology has brought so many changes to the VoiceOver industry. I deal less and less with people face to face these days. And more and more with files and formats. Learning more of the technical side while establishing my homestudio was challenging and (thank goodness) interesting. I like that, so that helps.
What performance advice do you have for VoiceOver talent just starting out? (Or for those with a good deal of experience, who are looking to move up to the next level?)
When you’re starting out you not only have to listen a lot to how others are sounding, you also have to really develop playing your instrument, your personal voice. It’s as individual as a fingerprint. Identify your vocal strengths and weaknesses. Sell your strengths and work hard to improve your weaknesses. Your clients will thank you.
Similar to the previous question, what business or practical advice do you have for VoiceOver talent just starting out? (Or for those with a good deal of experience, who are looking to move up to the next level?)
Get there early, and leave insecurity at the door, right next to your ego.
What’s your favorite way to find new business, and/or make existing clients extremely happy?
I make existing clients extremely happy by doing my homework- preparing the text, my voice and the desired vocal style. This means I cost them less studio time.
How important have you found coaching to be? Both in the earlier stages of your career and now?
As I mentioned earlier, I probably would never have gotten into the business if I no one had coached me. Not only did I need the motivation but I also seriously needed the technical know-how. How to make the right decisions, for example, about tone, timbre, accent, emphasis, and timing. How to really listen to and take direction from the client. How to deal with badly translated copy.
What funny/silly/impressive/ridiculous thing would people be surprised to learn about you?
I started my performance career as a mime -all body, no voice. Now I work at the other end of the performance spectrum as a voice artist -all voice, no body.
Lisa Sove
I was working in theatre in Europe in the 80’s and needed to get resourceful about making money. A director I was working with at the time, Susan Macready, was doing some work for Radio Nederland Wereld Omroep (the Dutch equivalent of the BBC World Service), and offered to coach me. I thought I would be a natural, with my background in Theatre and English. I thought cold readings would be a piece of cake. Hhmm. I can laugh about it now. It took me a long, long time to get regular jobs. I was lucky in the beginning to land one or two jobs a year!
What do you love about your job?
I love never knowing what a session will bring. Who I’ll meet or how my voice will precisely perform. I always give myself little challenges to keep it interesting, like hit the right amount of nasal resonance from the first word and sustain it. Or ensure that your Mid-Atlantic accent isn’t getting lazy and falling into standard US.
What do you like least about your job and how do you deal with that?
New technology has brought so many changes to the VoiceOver industry. I deal less and less with people face to face these days. And more and more with files and formats. Learning more of the technical side while establishing my homestudio was challenging and (thank goodness) interesting. I like that, so that helps.
What performance advice do you have for VoiceOver talent just starting out? (Or for those with a good deal of experience, who are looking to move up to the next level?)
When you’re starting out you not only have to listen a lot to how others are sounding, you also have to really develop playing your instrument, your personal voice. It’s as individual as a fingerprint. Identify your vocal strengths and weaknesses. Sell your strengths and work hard to improve your weaknesses. Your clients will thank you.
Similar to the previous question, what business or practical advice do you have for VoiceOver talent just starting out? (Or for those with a good deal of experience, who are looking to move up to the next level?)
Get there early, and leave insecurity at the door, right next to your ego.
What’s your favorite way to find new business, and/or make existing clients extremely happy?
I make existing clients extremely happy by doing my homework- preparing the text, my voice and the desired vocal style. This means I cost them less studio time.
How important have you found coaching to be? Both in the earlier stages of your career and now?
As I mentioned earlier, I probably would never have gotten into the business if I no one had coached me. Not only did I need the motivation but I also seriously needed the technical know-how. How to make the right decisions, for example, about tone, timbre, accent, emphasis, and timing. How to really listen to and take direction from the client. How to deal with badly translated copy.
What funny/silly/impressive/ridiculous thing would people be surprised to learn about you?
I started my performance career as a mime -all body, no voice. Now I work at the other end of the performance spectrum as a voice artist -all voice, no body.
Lisa Sove
and every ACCENT in between...
© Lisa Sove, VoiceOvers US-UK