resource for all us copywriters out there.  Instant voiceover gratification on tap, as it were, in one place.”

-Patrick Chapman, Copywriter

When/Why/How did you get into VO work?

Answered an ad: looking for ‘UK male voice with excellent sight-reading skills’ to record corporate/e-learning material.  Spent the first year of my VO career recording hundreds of hours of  business training.

What do you sound like?

Whoever you want, baby!  A Dublin producer has described my voice as ‘rich, cool, smooth and sexy’, which will do for me…

What was the weirdest gig you’ve ever done?

Radio ad in Dublin for a UK client.  Ad had to be on air in UK within twenty minutes of me stepping into the studio.  Client, ad agency creative director in the control room.  30 second copy with enough words in it to fill forty five seconds.  No pressure there, then…

What would be your ideal brief?

‘Hugh, we’d like you to be the voice of our BBC history documentaries for the next five years.  Please sign on this dotted line’.

What’s your poison?

a.m. - latte;

p.m. - Spanish red;

late night - Jameson

What don’t you leave home without?

Mobile, picture of my kids.

Do you scream during football matches or shout at your children?

Do I shout at my kids during football matches?  I have been known to let rip when Man Utd are contesting European Cup finals, but not at my darlings.  However, it is with some shame that I have to own up to occasionally getting a little bit cross with them.  My father maintains there is a streak of madness running through our family.

What makes you laugh / cry?

Laugh - My wife’s sponge cakes.

Cry - children starving.

Who do you enjoy working with or have you worked with recently?

Every job’s enjoyable in its own way.  Recently, working with Bernard Shaw in the UK, and Paul Lynch and Tommy Ellis in Dublin.  They all have such great ‘ears’ and a brilliant way of communicating what they’re looking for to their VOs.

If you suddenly lost your voice, what would you do for a living?

Direct and produce multi-lingual audio; write.

Hugh Barford

much less of a pain in the ass!”

-Trista Vincent, Copywriter

Copywriters: it is now possible to Digg, del.icio.us or Xanga your favourite voiceovers!  Just click on the little green “share” button on their personal profile page and virtually bookmark to your heart’s content.

Become the zen master… remain calm.

If you have little or no experience in the studio - as a rule, try not to say too much or crack too many jokes.  The nerves really show up then.  Just put your headphones on, be friendly and do your best.  As time goes by, you’ll feel more and more relaxed in studio.

As a voiceover, you need to constantly market yourself.  Or find ways and places to advertise on.  All successful businesses advertise to attract new customers.  You should do the same to get voice jobs.  Even if you have an agent.  I’ve already said this, but it stays true: the more people you have promoting you, the better.  So, trawl the web and register on as many directories as possible.

Studio time costs a fortune, so you’ve gotta make every second count. 

The biggest mistake voiceovers make when they go and record their demo is pitching up to the studio without having done any preparation.  Most depend on the sound engineers to provide the voiceover scripts for them.  So basically they’re using valuable studio time to find their feet with an unfamiliar script - something they could have done at home.

As a voiceover, you need an agent.  Get one fast!  The more people you have promoting you the better.

We’ve just started a series of interviews with voiceovers.  This is to give everyone reading the blog a taste of the voice over talent out there.  If you’d like to take part, drop me an email on info@piehole.co.uk

Feeling disheartened by constant auditioning?  Don’t.  

Remember, its the nature of the voiceover industry.  Instead of regarding it as yet another rejection, see it as an opportunity to market yourself.  If auditioning in person, take your business cards along to hand out or if done virtually, follow up with a thank you note.

Chances are, if they like your style, but your voice doesn’t exactly fit that specific brief, they’ll remember your cheery little smile/note and a) either hire you in future or b) recommend you to a friend.  And both scenarios mean future earnings!!