Or why you might be a BAD person…

Nike’s latest commercial spot to celebrate the Olympics has polarised opinion in some circles.

This ‘winning isn’t for everyone ‘ campaign deliberately pushes back at traditional notions of sportmanship and team work, opting instead for something far more subversive.

Again and again, the question is posed - ‘Am I bad person’ - supplemented by a laundry list of deeply competitive, unpleasant and combative traits.

The choice of voice actor - Willem Dafoe, notoriously off the wall - is central to making the spot work. Few actors can pull off maniacal quite like him, and the read is the antithesis of the grounded, relatable everyman. The vocal pitch and inflection constantly varies, as does the emotion. Making the voice as slippery and unpredictable as the athletes they’re reframing s antiheroes.

Whether you love it or hate it, this return to Nike’s heritage has become a talking point because of its bold artistic choice. There’s enough playfulness in here that notions of ‘bad’ aren’t being discussed with total seriousness.

And the effectiveness is in its simplicity, going back to a very simple acting exercise - play the opposite. Simply by providing the opposite of what’s expected and committing to it, the spot stands out from its competitors.

Voice Acting tip of the week:

The biggest factor in my success (besides the voice)?

My recording studio.

Yes, you need to be able to act in order to book voiceover work.

But without a space that allows you to....

1️⃣ Act freely.
2️⃣ Deliver perfect audio.
3️⃣ Connect with clients worldwide.

Acting 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 simply won't be enough.

(It's an over-subscribed profession, apparently 👀)

I got my current studio built by Miloco Studios over lockdown.

That's why my hair is longer and I'm ten pounds heavier in the video.

But even when making it, I didn't fully realise just what a game changer it would be to my 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚.

Having a space where I can create content easily transformed my marketing output.

It encouraged me to shift from cold emailing to creating video.

And as a result, there have been over 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪𝗦 of me recording in it online.

So I'm pretty proud of it.

For 14k all in, it's been my single shrewdest investment.

(Beyond the three years of classical acting and countless workshops, obviously).

Behind The Scenes of the week:

Video case studies are a NIGHTMARE.

❌ You need client permission.
❌ You're stating the obvious.
❌ They take time to make.

So I guess that's 𝘞𝘏𝘠 I'm the only voice actor who has them on my website*.

I made seven case study videos two years ago, covering the processes behind different genres of voice project.

Looking at the different client needs.
Looking at the different workflows.
Looking at the different results.

And I did this for two reasons:

1️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁.

More clients hire voice actors directly.
They often don't have the knowledge more established producers have picked up.  So they need educating.

2️⃣ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁.

Each video gets not just my work, but also:

✅ My face...
✅ My voice...
✅ My studio...

Out into the internet. On BOTH my website and socials.

Having narrated countless case studies and explainer videos FOR THE VERY CLIENTS I WORK FOR, it seemed slightly insane to not embrace this format for my own work.

And all this was shot using my iphone, over ONE day to script, film and edit.

So yeah.  Case studies are a nightmare.
If you're a voice actor who shares my casting,
I STRONGLY advise not doing them at all.

Waste of time... 👀

Media Recommendations:

Every week, I share three podcasts, articles or interviews that I’d strongly recommend. This week…

1. Equity advice in wake of SAG AFTRA strike.

   SAG AFTRA have recently gone on strike due to a lack of agreement with various large game developers regarding performer rights and AI. While British Equity performers cannot legally strike, they have shared this guide on recommended action.

2. Is social where the spend is?

   An interesting post that suggests advertising spend for big brands is focusing more and more on social, yet many still fail to adapt their approach to fit the format.

3. The monopolisation of games journalism

   The Play Watch Listen podcast dives deep into the journalistic repercussions after more independent providers are bought up.

Favourite Writing of the week:

PROJECT TROY

Recording speeches from various media has been a tremendous outlet for me in the last few years as a result.

It's flexed imaginative muscles that aren't used as much in most voice jobs. And it's introduced me to a ton of great writing...

Many of my peers have expressed an interest in doing something similar.

On a project where there's no massive financial stakes involved.

So I thought, why not channel that into telling a bigger story on a larger scale?

Stories don't come much bigger than the Trojan War...

So here's announcing #ProjectTroy 😅

Know someone who might enjoy the newsletter? Feel free to point them here: https://www.naturallyrp.co.uk/newsletter

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