Mark Rider VO: Be a GROWN UP! MAKE THE CALL!

I'm so happy today to chat with my friend, Mark RIder, as he shares his journey from radio to voiceover and his experiences in the industry.

Rider stresses the importance of having a diverse skill set and not limiting oneself to one genre and discusses the need for passion, talent, action, associations, and faith in order to achieve success.

He also highlights the significance of evaluating and communicating with agents to ensure a fruitful partnership.

The conversation concludes with a funny story about a plastic duck.

Bet you didn't see that comin'.

Paul SchmidtApril 30, 2024Comment

8 BRUTALLY Honest, NO Bullshit Truths About Voice Over for Beginners

Here are 8 Brutally honest, No B.S. truths about voice over that all new beginners need to know. It you had a room of 10 pro voice actors, I’d venture to say that 9 out of 10 would agree on these truths.

Are there are exceptions to all of these? Yes. But they are very rare. They are edge cases and by far not the norm.

Knowing these truths up front will save you years of sifting through hot garbage that is coated in snake oil, coated in sugar, and fried to a deep, dark brown.

So put your big girl panties on and listen up.

Paul SchmidtApril 25, 2024 Comments

Terry Daniel: "That Shit Sticks With You For Life"

Today we welcome voice actor, head of UVT Coaching, and my one-time coach, Terry Daniel. Terry discusses his journey in the voiceover industry and his experience as a coach. He shares how he got into coaching and the importance of training with coaches who are still booking voiceover work.

Terry also talks about the obstacles people face when starting in voiceover, including fear and impatience. He emphasizes the need for patience and hard work in building a successful voiceover career.

We also touch on the challenges of navigating the abundance of information and misinformation in the industry and Terry shares his experience with amusement park work and his goals for the future, including directing commercial sessions.

Paul SchmidtApril 24, 2024Comment

The UNFIXABLE MISTAKE You Cannot Make in Voice Over

There are metric tons of bad mistakes you can make in voice over. You can have no training or be undertrained. You can have a bad recording space or bad equipment. You can do your own demos. You can have a bad website.

All of those are fixable. No training? Start training. Bad recording space, bad equipment, bad audio? Totally fixable. Call Uncle Roy, George The Tech, Jordan Reynolds, or Tim Tippets. Bad demos? Work with a reputable demo producer. Bad website, work with a pro designer.

But there’s one mistake that is not nearly as fixable. Make this mistake and it will derail your voice over career for years.

What is it?

Paul SchmidtApril 18, 2024Comment

9 Engagement KILLERS to GET OFF Your Website NOW

Stop doing this dumb shit on your voice actor websites!

Today we’re going to talk about the nine engagement killers that after you watch this video you should be tripping over yourself to get the hell off your website. They’re like people repellent and you either need to remove them or I will hunt you down with a giant butterfly net and send you off to a special padded room with no microphone.

These website blunders will KILL any chance of prospects, producers, casting directors, the people who we want to hire us from engaging with your site, listening to your demos, and putting you in the “good” pile when it comes to hiring time for their next project.

So here are 9 engagement killers to remove from your voice actor website immediately.

Paul SchmidtApril 11, 2024Comment

8 CRUCIAL Questions BEFORE You Go Full Time in Voice Over

The decision to go full time in voice over or not may be the biggest decision you make in your career, and often one not easily made. There are so many things to think about and consider. It can be super confusing, overwhelming, and deflating – if you let it.

When I had this decision to make, I didn’t ask myself all these questions and it almost put me out of business.

Today, I’m going to give you my checklist of the crucial questions you’ll want to ask and answer when you’re considering going full time in voiceover, so that it doesn’t bite you in the ass, like it did me.

Paul SchmidtApril 4, 2024Comment

Emma O'Neill: Homeless Student, Yoga Guru, Top Voice Actor

In our chat today, Emma and I talk about her journey into voiceover, from discovering the industry to joining an agency and building her business.

She also discusses her experience of being homeless and living in different countries, which has influenced her acting. Emma emphasizes the importance of marketing services directly to clients and the limitations of pay to play platforms.

Emma's story showcases the significance of authenticity, perseverance, and building connections in the voiceover industry.

This is our interview with Emma O'Neill.

Paul SchmidtApril 1, 2024Comment

The Beginner’s SIMPLE Guide to Voice Over Training

You’re brand new to voice over and you think you want to become a voice actor. So how do you get started?

Your first real step will be to start training, but in order to do that, you need to understand the various types of voice over training available and that’s what I’m going to guide you through today, so that you can choose the kind of training that’s right for you and your level of interest and budget.

I’ll go through the different types of training and how much they cost, including free sources of training.

Paul SchmidtMarch 28, 2024Comment

Tina Morasco Dishing Audition GOLD - Voice Actors MUST WATCH

In this previously unreleased YouTube interview, I chat with Tina Morasco, an accomplished actor, voice actor, and head of casting at Sound and Fury.

Tina reveals her extensive background in the industry, her transition to coaching and casting, the importance of following the specs in auditions, and the role of AI in casting.

Paul SchmidtMarch 25, 2024Comment

The VO Pro Blog