Women’s Resource Day: Finding Work in Interactive and Voiceover

More than 130 members learned how to break into lucrative interactive and voiceover work at the Women’s Resource Day: Finding Work in Interactive and Voiceover program on April 29. Organized by the SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Women’s Committee and held at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the event brought together prominent interactive and voiceover professionals to share first-hand information about working in the audiobooks, commercials and animation industries. Attendees also enjoyed a catered networking lunch.

Casting director Ivy Isenberg, performance director Tom Keegan and SAG-AFTRA members Debra Wilson, Cissy Jones, Gwendoline Yeo and Janina Gavankar described working in video games and how the skill requirements and processes differ from theatrical or TV projects. The objective of performance capture is to record and digitize nuanced movements such as facial expressions and body language that is used later to animate a character. Since the actor’s look, age, race and ethnicity are not visible in the final production, the potential exists for any performer to portray any character or even multiple characters.

Moderated by voiceover actor Lori Alan, the second panel focused on how the performance experience and required skills of voiceover work differ from on-camera work and the distinctions between voiceover for animation, audiobooks and commercials. Panelists included talent agent Luanne Regis; SAG-AFTRA National Director, Organizing Steve Sidawi; and voiceover performers Kyla Garcia, Amy Rubinate, Kimiko Glenn and Sara Cravens. 

Panelists explained that voiceover performers are often alone in the booth, and that they may be provided only a few lines at a time rather than an entire script. When voicing animation, a performer might only see the initial artwork of a character, leaving the rest to the actor’s imagination and improvisational skill. Regis advised performers to make each role their own, saying, “The specificity is what is going to make you stand out.”

Attendees also learned that the processes involved in voiceover and performance capture work are collaborative, and they were advised that aspiring performers should familiarize themselves with the production process and the companies involved. In the same vein, performers are encouraged to build relationships of their own with developers and, in the case of audiobooks, should also network directly with publishers. Most importantly, these fields rely on performers to be the ultimate storytellers, so let your imaginations fly!

Attendees left with invaluable insider tips for launching a career in voiceover and performance capture, and an understanding of the importance of continually strengthening vocal and improv skills. Both the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and Los Angeles Local offer free classes and panels covering several industry-related topics, including voiceover and improv. Click here to see a list of Los Angeles Local events.

Top photo: The first panel at the April 29 Women’s Resource Day event was moderated by SAG-AFTRA National Director, Voiceover Katie Watson. Panelists included a casting director and a performance director who described how interactive work differs from theatrical and TV projects.