I’ve got some cool news to share – I’m in a new video about the incredibly fun board game called Daybreak, from game designers Matt Leacock (designer of Pandemic) & Matteo Menapace.
Each player takes the role of a different world power—China, Europe, United States, and the Majority World—with a simple collective goal: reach zero emissions before you hit 2°C warming or put too many of your communities in crisis.
I had an absolute blast being part of the project, from the moment the director, Richard Reininger, first taught me how to play the game, to the actual gameplay with fellow cast members Kai Liu, Lauren Lewis, and Rahul Vohra. It’s such a cool game because it leaves you feeling optimistic about the future, as in “yes, we can save the Earth!”, but also shows just how much work we -as a collective human species- are going to have to put in.
Stepping in front of the camera for this one was a great time. And to my fellow voice actors out there, a reminder that on-camera acting isn’t all that different from voice acting – I’m still inhabiting a character, telling a story, and getting people pumped up about something I love. Plus, I got to flex my gamer muscles (not literally – I promise there is no flexing in this video).
The video is your go-to guide for playing Daybreak. Trust me, this game is SO MUCH FUN, and the video’s got all the info you need to dive right in. You can check out the ‘Daybreak’ tutorial video right here:
I played in an absolutely delightful one-shot of Call of Cthulhu written and run by the legendary keeper Scott Dorward. The 3-part series features three strangers riding the night bus in the wee hours who run into something strange in Penge. Will the passengers become heroes or murderous psychopaths in the dangerous road ahead?
What a treat to play Mr. Ratburn for Tonies’ new release of Arthur! This Toniebox features a full cast, and I was so excited to be cast as the voice match for Mr. Ratburn not only because I grew up watching the show on PBS, but also because he’s now a gay icon.
Mr. Ratburn married his partner during an episode in 2019.
You can see and hear a sample of the Arthur Toniebox on the official website. You can’t hear Mr. Ratburn in the sample, but if you or anyone you know orders this one maybe you can record a snippet for me!
Prompt: “In a world of super-powered people, your own ability to keep all insects 30cm away as a force field made you mediocre at best, until one day, as you are about to sign your lease with the director of your bank’s branch, you both cant seem to be able to shake hands.”
Booked! A Holiday Commercial with a Sing-Along Jingle!
I was ecstatic when I found out I’d been chosen for this year’s “ZooLights” holiday spot by the Phoenix Zoo! Not only did I get to do my signature energetic read with a huge bright smile, I got to sing a Christmas jingle and be a total dork!!! It was especially exciting because it was my favorite audition of the last month. Which goes to show you – if you love it, they’ll hear it!
I was lucky enough to record in studio at Polarity Post Production in San Francisco. But that’s not even the best part – I actually got to share the booth with another wonderful human. And we got to sing together!!
But my favorite thing about this whole story is when I learned my 7-year-old niece saw the commercial and very enthusiastically shouted “THAT WAS UNCLE DANNY?!” then proceeded to run around the house singing “Wow wow wow whoa whoa wow wow….”
Now I can’t wait to head home for the holidays and sing along together! And eat cookies… lots of cookies!
I’m so grateful for the Phoenix Zoo, my agents at Stars, and everyone involved in the production – it was seriously a treat!
Last weekend I attended a conference dedicated to voice over in video games called Get Your Game On Los Angeles. Presented by the Voice Over Network, the conference was an all-day event with incredible presenters who are well-established in the video game industry, including voice actors, casting directors, and voice directors. Suffice it to say, the day was jam packed with content and impossible to unpack in a single article.
The final panel of the day featured an array of the day’s speakers who were all asked “What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring voice actors?” Here are their responses:
7 tips for video game voice actors
1. “Don’t Give Up!”
— Andrea Toyias, Casting & Voice Director at Blizzard
Simple, yet powerful, and something we all probably need to hear from time to time. And coming from the Senior Casting Director at one of the biggest video game companies in the world, I think it’s safe to say this advice is universal and needs to be heard by everyone from the beginner to the seasoned VO veteran.
2. “Play the character honestly.”
— Dave Fennoy, Actor
Dave urges us to remember that “our characters don’t have scripts.” We, the actors, get to read our lines over and over again, but each time the character says it, it must be as if for the first time. And playing a character honestly comes down to strong acting.
3. “The craft (and working on the craft) is a spiritual journey. Come back to your own power.”
— Tom Keegan, Casting Director & Motion Capture Director
You should love the learning process. It is full of self-discovery and personal growth. The actors who best connect with their characters are those who have learned to connect with themselves.
4. “Let go of the shit you can’t control!”
— JB Blanc, Actor, Voice Director
Focus instead on what you can control: be on time bring your director something to work with play the role & be the character Everything else is out of your hands. The performance that you bring to the table is just one part of the larger puzzle.
5. “Everything you bring is unique to you and special to you. Believe in what you have.”
— Mark Estdale, Voice Director, Casting Director, Owner of OM & Vault 501
Don’t make the mistake of trying to be who you think other people want you to be. When you do that, you leave behind the one thing that sets you apart from everyone else – yourself.
6. “Celebrate. Look ahead and celebrate the opportunities you are going to get. Nobody is guaranteed anything. Celebrate every audition. Celebrate the moments.”
— Neil Kaplan, Actor
In addition to letting go of what you can’t control, do yourself a favor and stop dwelling on what isn’t happening for you and shift your focus to the positive, to the little things you achieve every day. Okay, so maybe you didn’t book the part, but you got the audition! Celebrate that!!
7. “There are other actors who sound like you. But there are no actors who sound like you who also think like you, who feel like you, who emote like you, who have had the same life experiences as you. So put your alchemy together and create your own gold!”
-Neil Kaplan
So, what’s missing from video game auditions?
Andrea Toyias revealed that the number one thing missing from auditions right now is (drumroll, please)….
Acting.
Read that again, and let it sink in.
ACTING.
Storytelling.
Truth.
Among the hundreds of auditions she receives, she says less than 10% have good acting! And you’d be sorely mistaken if you think that the need for good acting only applies to the lead roles, she says, “because even if you’re an orc, troll, demon, or goblin, video games are about the human experience.”
Well, there you have it. Good voice acting –surprise, surprise– requires good acting.
Last month, we sent our school mailing list a “Super Bowl scavenger hunt” to aid our students in watching the year’s biggest commercials with a critical eye. We received many responses, and I wanted to share some of the biggest take-aways.
The all-time favorite commercial was the Twilight Zone promo featuring Jordan Peele. The spot was intriguing from the get-go, and the storyteller voice-over took you on a journey into the unknown.
The choices for most memorable ad were the Google translation commercial and the Kia Telluride commercial. The writing for both spots was sincere and thoughtful and the voice over matched it perfectly. The Google script featured a unique, reassuring, international voice, while the Kia commercial conveyed vulnerability as strength through the voice of a young boy. Although the deep, (often announcery) voices tended to dominate the Super Bowl ads once again, it was the raw, unique, and vulnerable spots that stood out as most memorable. It’s curious that the spots that went against the stereotypical, masculine sports-fan were the ones that stuck with us.
Otherwise, there was a lot of variety: many of the reads were warm and friendly, smoky or sensual, high energy or announcery, and there were even a handful done in character.
The biggest observation that nearly everyone spoke about was the glaringly uneven ratio of commercials voiced by men versus women. We counted 35 spots voiced by men and only 10 voiced by women. That’s right, less than one third of the voice over was performed by women. One might argue that it makes sense in an event with a predominantly male audience, however a recent Forbes article states that “in 2017, the NFL estimated roughly 45% of football fans were female, [and in 2018] women constituted about 49% of the 108 million-plus people who watched the game.” Half of the audience is women, which raises the question: if there is equal representation in the audience, why isn’t there equal representation in the voice over?
Perhaps the uniqueness and vulnerability that we saw will continue to evolve in voice over throughout the course of the year. Maybe at the next Super Bowl we’ll hear even more of what we already know: that women can sell to sports fans, that soft-spoken men can raise our spirits, and that unique voices can inspire us.
Since 2014, The SOVAS (The Society of Voice Arts and Sciences) has hosted an awards ceremony similar to the Oscars, Emmys, etc. to acknowledge outstanding voiceover performances across a variety of media. The 4th Annual Voice Arts Awards will be held Sunday, Nov 5.
I’ve collected links to all of the nominations that I could find and also created a youtube playlist and vimeo album if you just want to click play watch them all in one go. For demo nominations I linked to the actors’ personal websites where there demos can be found. I posted the nominees for Spanish VO and for Audiobook Narration by genre, but did not look for any direct links to them.
2017 Voice Arts® Awards Nominees
Outstanding National Commercial – TV or Web, Best Voiceover
Outstanding Spoken Word or Storytelling – Best Performance
Jock Blaney – Raging Skies
Brian Blessed, John Rhys-Davies, Anthony Daniels, Sylvester McCoy, Elizabeth Counsell, Jill Freud, Russell Boulter, and a full cast. The Cat of Bubastes
Brian Blessed, John Rhys-Davies, Christina Greatrex, Jill Freud, Jack Farthing, Cathy Sara, and a full cast. In the Reign of Terror
Ed Asner, John Wesley Shipp, David Gregory, Maddy Burns, Phil Carroll, Bill Burrows – Powder Burns: An Original Western Audio Drama Episode 6: Psalms for a Broken Man
Kris Keppeler – Life With Cap’n-Putting the Boob in Boob Cruise
John Wesley Shipp, David Gregory, Florencia Lozano, Jeffrey C. Hawkins, Lance Roberts, Phil Carroll, David Howard Thornton, Barret Helms, Matt Locker, Maddy Burns, Bill Burrows – Powder Burns: An Original Western Audio Drama Episode 5: Some Amount of Dignity
Marcus Gregory Taylor – From the maxisingle “My Soul”
Outstanding Promo Demo Reel – Spanish Voiceover
Luis Villegas Arias
Salvador Camero
Ruben Raffo Corrales
Carola Parmejano
Sheldon Romero
Outstanding Animation Demo Reel, Best Spanish Voiceover
Antonio Fornaris
Valentina Latyna
Vicky Tessio
Outstanding Commercial or Promo Demo Reel, Best Spanish Voiceover
Angely Baez
Simone Fojgiel
Alfonso Lugo
Gabriel Saint-Genez
Adriana Serna
Outstanding Theatrical Movie Trailer – Best Spanish Voiceover
Diego Osorio “How To Be A Latin Lover” Splash TV
Diego Osorio Applebee’s Los Nuevos Hanhelds
Fabián Toro Discovery Theatre HD
Outstanding Narration Demo Reel, Best Spanish voiceover
Antonio D. Espejo
Antonio Fornaris
Nicky Mondellini
Juana Plata
Outstanding TV or Radio Commercial – Best Spanish Voiceover
Ruben Raffo Corrales Caja Piura
Ruben Raffo Corrales ONP
Christian Lanz Toyota “Santa” TV Commercial
Alfonso Lugo Mercedes Benz Clase E
Paola Poucel Aveeno Baby “Primer Momento”
Outstanding TV Promos – Best Spanish Voiceove
Diego Osorio FOX Deportes – NASCAR “We don’t Play”
Jonathan Ramirez NatGeo Mundo – Savaged Kingdom
Roberto Sanchez This Is Us Spanish Promo / NBC
Fabian Toro Dirty Jobs – Discovery Civilization
Outstanding Spoken Word or Storytelling – Best Spanish Performance
Antonio D. Espejo Witness of Martians
Jonathan Ramirez Gatorade – Counter Attack
Fabián Toro Atún, rey de los mares
Audiobook Narration – Biography, Best Voiceover
Alyssa Bresnahan A Portrait of Joan: An Autobiography
Ana Clements Did you hear me crying?
James Anderson Foster Fur Volk and Fuhrer: The Memoir of a Veteran of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
January LaVoy Bette & Joan: The Divine Feud
Nicholas Guy Smith Notes on Blindness: A Journey Through the Dark
Audiobook Narration – Science Fiction, Best Voiceover
MacLeod Andrews A Faded Star: A Faded Star, Book 1
R.C. Bray and Julia Whelan Solitude: Dimension Space, Book 1
John Malone Dredging Up Memories
Tom Taylorson Alien: Covenant
Adam Verner Mind War
Audiobook Narration – Mystery, Best Voiceover
Kathleen Early The Kept Woman
Lisa Flanagan The Unseen World
James Anderson Foster The Shadow of the Lions
John Arthur Long The Mean
Teri Schnaubelt The Broken Brooch
Audiobook Narration – Author Performance, Best Voiceover
Marcia Clark Without a Doubt
Jamie Lee Weddiculous: An Unfiltered Guide to Being a Bride
John Arthur Long The Mean
Neil deGrasse Tyson Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Joe Zieja Mechanical Failure
Audiobook Narration – Crime & Thriller, Best Voiceover
Scott Brick Dead City, Book 1
Marcia Clark Without a Doubt
Dion Graham The Force
Mikael Naramore Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?
Sean Runnette Breeds, Book 1
Audiobook Narration – Business or Education, Best Voiceover
Pamela Almand Cyber Crisis: It’s Personal Now
Drew Birdseye Idea to Execution: How to Optimize, Automate, and Outsource Everything in Your Business
James Anderson Foster The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die
Satauna Howery Index Funds and ETFs: What They Are and How to Make Them Work for You
Tom Taylorson The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Audiobook Narration – Children’s Pre-School (Infant to 12), Best Voiceover
Jenna Augen Beauty and the Beast
Lisa Flanagan WALL-E
Tucker Meek, Gabe Eggerling, Lisa Biggs, Talon Beeson, Holly Franklin, Finley Smith Wonder
Jay Preston The Lorax
Adam Verner The Terrible Two Get Worse
Audiobook Narration – Teens, Best Voiceover
MacLeod Andrews Ice Country: The Country Saga, Book 2
Caitlin Davies, Tristan Morris, MacLeod Andrews, and Chris Patton Legion
Khristine Hvam Fire Country: The Country Saga, Book 1
P.J. Ochlan Night’s Gift
Adam Verner York: The Shadow Cipher
Audiobook Narration – Classics, Best Voiceover
Pearl Hewitt The Secret Garden
John Lee The Red Sphinx
Sneha Mathan The God of Small Things
Catherine O’Brien Pride and Prejudice
Audiobook Narration – Fiction, Best Voiceover
Rory Barnett Honour
R.C. Bray 58 Minutes (Basis for the Film Die Hard 2)
Scott Brick The Last Tribe
James Anderson Foster The Shadow of the Lions
Audiobook Narration – Fantasy, Best Voiceover
R.C. Bray Lost Gods
Jeffrey Kafer Villains Rule
P.J. Ochlan Night’s Gift
Tim Gerard Reynolds The Red Sea: The Cycle of Galand, Book 1
Teri Schnaubelt The Three Brooches
Simon Vance The Wolf of the North, Book 1
Audiobook Narration – History, Best Voiceover
Brian Blessed The Cat of Bubastes
Brian Blessed In the Reign of Terror
Christopher M. Finan, Malcolm Hillgartner Drunks: An American History
Malcolm Hillgartner Dunkirk: The Complete Story of the First Step in the Defeat of Hitler
Simon Vance A Marriage of Inconvenience: The Persecution of Ruth and Seretse Khama
Audiobook Narration – Humor, Best Voiceover
Joe Barrett A Really Big Lunch
Abby Elvidge, David Wilcock Whatever Happened To Prince Charming?
Joe Zieja Mechanical Failure
Audiobook Narration – Inspirational/Faith-Based Fiction, Best Voiceover
Brian Blessed The Cat of Bubastes
Brian Blessed In the Reign of Terror
Matilda Novak Just Look Up
Gene Rowley Sapphire Ice
Adam Verner Long Way Gone
Audiobook Narration – Non-Fiction, Best Voiceover
January LaVoy Bette & Joan: The Divine Feud
Sean Pratt The Death of Expertise
Tim Campbell Bedlam’s Door
Neil deGrasse Tyson Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Simon Vance What Is Populism?
Audiobook Narration – Metaphysical, Best Voiceover
Will Damron Satan’s Harvest
Todd Haberkorn Ghost Hunters: True Stories from the World’s Most Famous Demonologists
Todd Haberkorn The Haunted: One Family’s Nightmare
Ann M. Richardson Enfolded in God’s Arms
Sean Runnette Shadows: Nightlord, Book 2
Audiobook Narration – Self Help, Health & Fitness Best Voiceover
Drew Birdseye The Art of Less Doing: One Entrepreneur’s Formula to a Beautiful Life
Zak George Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution
Carla Mercer-Meyer The Buddha and the Borderline: My Recovery from Borderline Personality…
Allyson Ryan Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells us About Raising Successful Children
Dan Woren Undoctored
Audiobook Narration – Romance, Best Voiceover
Andi Arndt, Zachary Webber Take Me Back
Ava Erickson, Rob Shapiro Mr. Perfect: The Mister Series, Book 1
Ava Erickson, Sebastian York, Joe Arden Candy Boys: Hot Candy, Book 1
Zachary Webber, Andi Arndt The Hot One
Steve West Lord of the Privateers
Audiobook Narration – Short Story Anthology, Best Voiceover
R.C. Bray Diary of an Asscan: The Martian, Prequel
Scott Brick Empty Nest (Dead City Short)
Matt Godfrey Nightmares and Geezenstacks
Kirby Heyborne, Ray Chase, Donald Corren, Grover Gardner, and Cassandra Campbell Edgar Allan Poe: The Complete Audio Collection, Vol. 1
Elizabeth Wiley, William Dufris, Scott Brick, Peter Berkrot, R.C. Bray, Anna Parker-Naples, Eric Martin, Jeffrey Kafer, Sean Runnette, Caitlin Davies, Mike Ortego, Matt Godfrey Offbeat: Uncollected Stories
Outstanding Casting – Audiobook
Jesse Bickford and Bryan Barney Christodora
Philip Glassborow The Cat of Bubastes
Philip Glassborow In the Reign of Terror
Donna McKenna Powder Burns: An Original Western Audio Drama
Audio Engineering
Todd Busteed and Phil Horne In the Reign of Terror
Rob Jorgensen and Mark Drury The Cat of Bubastes
Fred Oliveira Mónica y sus amigos – Abducidos
Outstanding Production – Audiobook
Bill Heid The Cat of Bubastes
Bill Heid In the Reign of Terror
Bill Rauch, Blackstone Publishing and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival RIchard II by William Shakespeare
David Zindel Bette & Joan: The Divine Feud
David Zindel Lucy and Desi: The Legendary Love Story of Television’s Most Famous Couple
Radio Imaging – Demo Reel – Best Voiceover
David Brower
Cam Cornelius
Bob Glavin
David Kaye
Bev Standing
Radio Imaging – Demo Reel – Best Production
Allan Blackwell David Brower Radio Imaging
J. Michael Collins Bob Glavin Radio Imaging Demo
J. Michael Collins Kabir Singh Radio Imaging Demo
Eric Romanowski Steve Stone – Sports Radio Imaging Demo
Eric Romanowski Jen Sweeney – Top 40 Radio Imaging Demo
Outstanding Casting
Scott Cawthon Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location
Sheylla Goncalves Mónica y sus amigos
Ivy Isenberg Jeff & Some Aliens – Jeff & Some Colonists
