FEATURING MORGAN
FOR ALL THE VIEWERS READING, PLEASE KINDLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
Hey everyone! I'm Varian. I'm a bilingual (mandarin),voice actor based in Oakland, CA/ Bay Area.
PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY.
Honestly, I thank covid quarantine for open- ing the door of opportunity for me. I've always loved voice acting...even when I didn't know it was a thing or that someone was behind a voice of a character I loved grow- ing up. I just never knew how to go about getting into it or learning about it, because I didn't know anyone involved in it. So when quarantine happened, Voiceover was one of the first few industries that pivoted to online and that opened the door for me and many others alike.
PLEASE SHARE A MOMENT WHERE YOU FELT YOU WANTED TO BE INSPIRED TO BE A PART OF THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY.
I don't know if there was one particular mo- ment. I've essentially wanted to be involved in voice acting and voiceover since I was a kid but being born into a family of educators and essentially an Asian household, creative endeavors were encouraged as a hobby, but never nurtured as anything more than that. However, I've always been stubborn and pas- sionate about things and people I love....so eventually I found my way to voiceover, but I wasn't actively looking or searching for a way in. For a very long time, it was out of sight, out of mind for me. The one thing that stayed constant and true, was my love for anima- tion....always loved it and still do, probably more now than ever before.
I knew I made the right decision to be in voiceover when even on my worst days, where nothing is clicking and I can't seem to get a read or character to work... whether in class or otherwise, I still feel excited and energized....like how one would feel when you have a really good workout session at the gym and you feel energized after a shower. That's how I knew....so I guess that helped with the inspiration.
PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN THIS INDUSTRY AND HOW YOU OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES.
So to reference my answer from a previous question, I had this notion that my transi- tion into voiceover would be relatively easy since I've had experience as an emcee and a product specialist and I speak a lot for a Varian David living. Let me say this...I WAS ABSOLUTELY WRONG! Yes, certain skillsets may translate and overlap but voiceover and voice acting is a craft all in itself...with so many subgenres that all have different skillsets that you'd have to learn and master. I learned this really quick, so I started to sign up for classes and dedicated myself to learning the craft. The one thing I also love about the voiceover industry is the community. It has, by far, THE BEST community I've ever been a part of. Ev- eryone is so giving and willing to help if you have questions or need guidance.
IS THERE ANY PROJECT OR PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH OR COL- LABORATE WITH?
Hahaha!! Do we have all day? Of course! Man...where do I start? Ok, let's start with actors I'd love to learn from and work with, Phil Lemarr, Khary Payton, Grey Delisle, Tara Strong, Eric Bauza, Bob Bergen, Dee Bradley Baker, Dante Basco (He's special because he was the first Asian I saw on TV that I related too on "Hanging with Mr. Cooper"...he had that hip hop swagger), Mark Hamil, Kevin Michael Richardson, Rob Paulsen, Maurice La- Marche, Frank Welker, Nancy Cartwright, Cree Summer, Michael Rosenbaum, Carl Lumbly.... This is just off the top of my head! Hahaha....