It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday. And the most enduring Thanksgiving Day memory I have began when I was fifteen, and, well…it’s a story that honestly may never end.

Regardless of whether you’re on-camera or off-, engaging your imagination is required of you as a talent. Discover a key element that will assist you with every take, regardless of your skill level, and allow you greater spontaneity, expression and subtle, yet discernable, variety. Discover in this podcast: • The impact on your audience when […]

This is our final podcast offering in our month long homage to creepy storytelling and to Halloween. This is the remarkable result of gathering a few of my most talented friends a few years back after divvying up roles between the apple cider and donuts.   We hope you enjoyed these stories we’ve presented all […]

This is our third recorded offering in our month long homage to great storytelling and to Halloween. This podcast is the remarkable result of gathering a few of my most talented friends in our LA studio one crisp night a few years back after divvying up roles between the apple cider and donuts, which I […]

As a kid I fell in love with short stories in large part from hearing old radio theatre-style recordings that often played on the radio throughout October leading up to Halloween.  I especially loved Ray Bradbury’s “The Martian Chronicles”.  So much so, I adapted my own version of a few of his wonderful “Twilight Zone-ish” […]

Acting is very much like playing poker. If you intend to play, if you hope towin, you need to play your hand well, and, frankly, you need to risk.Yet, far too many talent kill a perfectly wonderful opportunities to createby second-guessing what little direction they are given. Perfectly capable,creative talent completely shutting down at the […]

Listen to Actors’ SOUND ADVICE co-founders, coaches, and seasoned voiceover demo producers, Kate McClanaghan and Jeff Finney discuss one of the most elusive and sought-after performance styles in the voiceover business.

As actors we’re generally expected to be versatile enough to play everything. Or at least that’s the general consensus regarding acting as a profession, and not simply from actors and their coaches. Of course, precious few rise to the occasion for the simple reason none of this work is all that easy. Mastering the skills […]

If you’ve been pursuing voiceover work on your own in America for the past decade or more, chances are you’ve been following a business model that concentrates almost strictly on securing work all by yourself, or DIY, by procuring jobs primarily through excessively low-paying sites like Fiverr, Upwork and a few Pay-to-Play (P2P) platforms. Nevertheless, […]

Summer is calling. We’re moments away from family reunions, vacations, and long weekends for the first time in a really long time for most of us! So, here’s a bit of advice that will keep you in good graces with your talent agents and potential clients: if you know the dates you won’t be available […]

Passion and instincts account for a great deal, but neither will get you anywhere unless you dedicate yourself to keeping your skills sharp, while relentlessly pursuing the work. It’s there to be had. Let’s assume you have a work ethic that won’t quit, and everyone says you have a remarkable voice. Terrific. Question is: do […]

Understanding who you’ve created your demos to service most is typically overlooked by both seasoned and novice talent alike. Yet, it’s the endgame, and why this should be your primary focus from the very start. Certainly there are no absolutes in voiceover but there are a number of elements you should consider when first pursuing […]

If the adage, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” holds up, then it stands to reason the habits we practice, whether by design or default, ultimately determines our strengths.  With that, I give you five habits to strengthen your performance abilities. 

Here are a few key industry insights to improve your bottom line, elevate your brand, instill confidence, and expand your small business as an actor, on- or off-camera!

You might be relieved to discover the best advertising… isn’t advertising at all. By that I mean the adage, “less is more” applies when it comes to art directing your graphics that will allow you to make your name known and associated with being a professional voice talent with taste and an elevated aesthetic.  Here […]

Typically training for the average actor and voice-over are categorizes into one of three camps: beginner, intermediate or advanced. Problem is: nothing in this business is lumped into those categories; you’re either a professional or you’re not, right out of the gate.

You build your professional reputation as a voice talent and as an actor by consistently delivering exceptional auditions. Lots and lots and lots of them. Which is why persistence and tenacity serve you so well to succeed in this, or frankly, any business.   So, how many auditions do you imagine it takes to land a single voiceover job? Five? […]

Voiceover demos, by definition, are a professional demonstration of what you do best and what you want more of. Yet many well-meaning, even experienced talent fall prey to many of the following misconceptions regarding what should and shouldn’t be included on your voiceover demos.

Let’s assume you have a work ethic that won’t quit, and everyone says you have a remarkable voice. You can have all the talent in the world, but it’ll die on the vine without drive and momentum. Your passion and instincts account for a great deal, but neither will get you anywhere unless you dedicate […]

You practiced, practiced, practiced… but still, no Carnegie Hall! So, what happened? Well, a number of things could be in play, or entirely absent from your auditions, as the case may be. Here are 5 reasons you probably didn’t book that last audition…