Voice Over Commercial Auditions Casting and Information

Slice of Voice Over Life. Vanessa Hart.

They say to be successful, we must find people who are doing what we aspire to do and find out how they found their success. Our “Slice of Voice Over Life” series looks at a typical day in a voice actor’s life, their techniques and marketing strategies as they build and expand their career.

-Tracy Pattin

Vanessa Hart is an accomplished actor and voice actor who has recorded over 500 commercials for such clients as McDonalds, Target, Cadillac, Lee Jeans and Dillards. Her hundreds of corporate clients include Planet Hollywood, Ballys, Liberty Mutual and Real Networks. She has also voiced promos for A&E, Lifetime and Bravo. In the audiobook arena Vanessa has done dozens of books and her publishers include McGraw-Hill, Random House, audible and Blackstone and she was an Audie finalist in 2008. Vanessa was also a Voicey finalist in 2009.

TJP: How did you get into VO?

VH: I was taking a pre graduation class at U of MN about how to be a working actor. They had pros from the Minneapolis area tell us about options other than stage work. One day an agent came in and talked about voice-overs and a light bulb went on for me. Within a year I had an agent, my first union card and first national campaign – McDonalds – which I got for the absurdly simple reason that I could get the copy in within the needed time without sounding like a legal disclaimer. I was hooked.

TJP: What is a typical voice over day like for you?

VH: The good & bad here is that I never know exactly what the day will bring. Often I will have phone patch and ISDN sessions scheduled – so those are firmed up the day before. My day starts with checking emails to see if anything changed for the day and also to check for new auditions that need to get in right away. If I’m working on an audiobook or long narration the next thing up is editing what was voiced the day before.  Then auditions, scheduled sessions and recording the pages for audiobook or narration that were prepped the evening before. Throughout the day I work in follow-ups, marketing, billing and coaching or coaching preparation. Also, there is my own continuing education: privates, seminars, research, etc. And finally, the end of day ritual . . . load up my FTP, send “your audio is up” emails & prep pages and/or scripts for the next day.

In part 2 Vanessa talks about how the voice over industry has changed since she began. And she gives advice to beginning voice actors and the more experienced.