Featuring Bruce Nix
it's a struggle during slow times. Believing in your talent and creativeness gets translated in the booth. I created a "My Journey" infographic that is outside of my booth to remind me that I have earned this place in my life and career, through hard work and training. You should still remain humble, while being confident in your abilities.
Another big one is competition-there are so many talented people in the industry. The challenge here is how to make yourself stand out in auditions, on social media and in person. I overcome this by continuously improving my craft, taking workshops, and staying persistent with auditions.
I see a lot of people that have been at this a few years, and get discouraged because they haven't made the "overnight" success they feel they should or deserve. These are most likely the people that have gotten into voice over thinking it is "easy" and someone told them they have a great voice and they should do it. I remember a voice acting coach and marketing expert, Paul Schmidt, saying "a good voice is to voice acting, is like a nice pair of legs is to running" It takes way more dedication and commitment then most people realize to get proficient. Dealing with rejection is part of the job, but I've learned to see it as motivation rather than discourage- ment.
Japan is known for many great iconic voice- over actors. Who is someone inspirational that you admire in this industry?
I could probably take up a whole issue on this question being so many people I admire in this industry.
I really admire Joan Baker and Rudy Gaskins for creating SOVAS and the work they put into the conference, the arts and the community is very admirable. They create so many extraordi- nary opportunities for voice actors that is truly commendable. When you attend SOVAS, you will see Joan out and about, talking and hug- ging with people all while keeping everything on time and running smoothly with a team of fantastic people.
Then there are people like Tim Friedlander, Carin Gilfrey and Matthew Parham, with The National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA), which if you are not familiar with them, The National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for and advancing the voice acting industry through action, education, inclusion, and benefits. NAVA actively champions voice actors' rights amid Al advancements by engag- ing with legislative bodies and Al companies to ensure fair compensation and consent. The organization promotes diversity and authentic representation by supporting initiatives like the Disabled Voice Actors Database and Voices of Color. Additionally, NAVA provides resources such as scholarships, legal aid, and educational events to support voice actors' professional development.
One of my goals is to voice a movie trailer, and I really look up to and try to learn from people that are leaders in this space like Brent Allen Hagel, Mark Rider, Gabe Kunda, Scott Rummell and Dave Fennoy. I particularly think my voice lends itself best to more mystery, suspense and horror type of films, so I always try and listen and learn from the people that do those like George DelHoyo, Redd Pepper and of course the legends, Don LaFontaine and Hal Douglas.
Another individual, is Christy Harst, founder of "Building Doors VO", which is a campaign advocates for equal opportunities in the voice- over industry, particularly within male-dom- inated brands like sports. It highlights female voice actors voicing ads traditionally done by men, urging brands and agencies to embrace gender diversity. By pushing for equal opportu- nities for both men and women, the campaign aims to foster industry-wide equity. As a father of two daughters, I really admire the work she is doing in this space to support equality.
Another goal is to be a voice in a Marvel or DC animation. I don't care if it is just grunts or me dying, to do that would harken back to my childhood days of reading comics and imagining those characters coming to life. Phil Lamarr is one that I enjoy listening to as Green Lantern, and Kevin Conroy as Batman, Tara Strong as Harly Quinn and of course Mark Hamill as the Joker is legendary.
I also admire the voice actors, who are sup- porting a family through a "day job", while pursuing this dream. It takes a lot of determi- nation and consistency to pursue this path and starting out in the beginning is especially challenging.