Voice Acting tip of the month:

Think Body First.

The best thing about my workplace?

I can put my feet up.
And as a result...
Make my work BETTER.

This week, one of the projects I've been working on is a series of business lectures.
The tone is relaxed, informal and assured.
And the quickest way of obtaining that adjustment in my performance?

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲. 🕺

My home studio set up doesn't mean I just choose between standing (typically better for more physical, character roles) or sitting (for more longform projects).

In this instance, I wanted the breath in a particular part of my body.  Because the easiest way to 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 laid back... is to BE laid back.

I can also adjust the eye-line of my script accordingly so that I can keep my neck straight and unconstricted, as if I was talking to someone directly opposite.

Eye line issues are probably my single biggest pet-peeve when visiting external studios.  So often the script is placed on a table mount at 40 degrees, meaning you're looking DOWN onto the word and constricting your throat slightly as a result.

This is totally surmountable to a professional, but it creates a small obstacle to performance that could so easily be fixed!

Naturally, as PROFESSIONALS, we never want to kick up a fuss about such things during a gig.  We want to be easy to work with so that clients ask us back for more.

But a little bit more flexibility in the spaces you put us might go a LONG way.  Just saying.

And other voice actors appreciate a more flexible recording space?

Behind The Scenes:

Why I’m Looking to Long Form Narration.

This is what a pivot looks like…

Two years ago, I’d not touched audiobooks. This week, I’ve just commenced by 30th audiobook. And I have another 9 already on the slate for this year.

A huge thank you to Penguin Random House, Podium Entertainment, Spotify, WF Howes and all the other producers and authors who have taken a chance on me.

I still record commercials, corporate and video game projects every week. But I wanted to dig a little deeper into why I’ve incorporated long form into my business.

1) The frustrated theatre kid.

Until Covid, I was onstage a minimum of three productions every year for over a decade.

Theatre is my first love - storytelling in its purest form. But my voice acting career has made me golden handcuffs, where the price to take time out to tour regularly would just be far too great.

Audiobooks scratch that itch. And offer a huge variety of ways to do it.

2) A change in marketing channels

Having built my business on freelancing sites, then direct emailing, having more of my work now come via social media triggered taking. Audiobooks seriously.

My first 10 books were all inbound enquiries, demonstrating a greater alignment between the content I put out and what I’m asked to do.

3) The effect of AI

*sigh*

But of course!

In short, a lot of the more elementary e-learning and corporate work I built my business on is susceptible to AI. I still record such projects on a regular basis, but my focus is on higher end projects where the real value of a human narrator is needed. That simply isn’t the case with more disposable/low budget content.

4) I made it work for me

I quickly found out that there’s a significant disparity between US and UK rates for most audiobooks. The former makes it viable for me to do them consistently, the latter simply doesn’t.

So being able to access the US market by building relationships with US-based producers has been game changing. Hence my recent trips to LA, New York and Atlanta to double down on them.

5) A gap in the market

If you measure the number of voice actors who match my demographic who say they want to do video games vs audiobooks, the number is going to be heavily weighted towards the former.

I still compete in that genre because I love collaborating on games… but there are big opportunities for male narrators, especially in the growing ‘romantasy’ genre, and I’m here for it. Especially when I can bring a following of over 750 000 with me.

So yeah - that’s why there’s been a bit of a shift in focus with my content and messaging over the last few months.

Same actor.
Same skills.
Same passion.

But I’m always listening to what the industry is telling me, and thought it worth sharing on here.

A New Look for Naturally RP Voiceover!

A brand that speaks to everyone...
Speaks to no one.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.
𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹.
𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺... 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹.

But if you have the same messaging as everyone else yet expect exceptional results... that's where the madness lies.

An artist is only as ever as good as their work. And having been nominated for over 30 awards in the last seven years, and seen my income and client base grow year on year, I know mine is good.

But I wanted to refresh my branding to reflect that seven years of growth.

I'm more certain of who I am, what my strengths are and the work I want to bring into the world. SoI have to give HUGE thanks to James and Fliss at Musselwhite Photography Ltd. They did precisely what you'd hope when working with a top-draw creative:

Take my ideas.
Listen to them.
And then make them far, far better.

And for those asking about the orange?

It's a perfect contrast to my favourite blues.
It's putting colour quite literally into the corporate.
And my first ever professional stage role was a play called... Blue/Orange.

If that's not a sign, I don't know what is.

Favourite Writing of the Month:

Warhammer Skulls

💀 Skulls for the skull throne! 💀

Last week saw 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗸𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘀, the annual showcase of upcoming video games set in Games Workshop's Warhammer universe.

It is a franchise close to my heart, having grown up painting space marines.  I feel especially fortunate every time I get to narrate a book or play a game character set in a universe I grew up with.

And this week saw another first for me - voicing a Warhammer trailer for the upcoming 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗖𝗬: 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝟰𝟬𝗞 game.

It was a delight working on this with the team, throwing around a bunch of different deliveries and even recording some of the background voices.

And what makes it extra special is that the style of game - proper old school strategy - is a genre that's genuinely one of my favourites.

A huge thank you to Pere Revert for getting me onboard the project and Hinrich Völksen and his team for entrusting me. I look forward to sharing more in the future as we move to recording some in-game voices.

The Emperor Protects!

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Thanks again for reading, and until next time, Honey and I wish you a wonderful month!