SFV #009: A Producer's Journey to Being a Voice Over Artist
08/12/15 • 33 min
Roger Leopardi started out in the music business. He and his brother were recording artists known as MVP with a popular single in 1991 called Do It To Me. Because of contracts and bad management, MVP didn't end up taking off.
As Roger was leaving the music business he met his wife and decided to get a "regular" job. He worked in retail for years but always wanted to work for himself. When he decided he could not work retail ever again, a customer who Roger had always helped with programs like Pro Tools came back into his store and Roger asked him, "How come you've never asked me if I wanted a job?" He got an interview with an ad agency the next day.
Roger began his career producing commercials at this ad agency in Fort Lauderdale. He learned the environment and increased their productivity, making 30 - 50 commercials per day. There were about three voice over actors that he worked with on a daily basis. He built relationships with the them and eventually the voice actors started to tell him that he had a good voice that was popular right now.
With this encouragement and the need for growth, Roger told his bosses that he was never going to be satisfied. They never had to pay him a dime over what he was making at that moment, as long as they gave him the flexibility to pursue his voice over career.
Years later, Roger now lives in Los Angeles as a successful voice over artist.
Want to get your voice over career started? Visit SixFigureVoice.com for articles, advice, and much much more that will help put you on the fast track.
Roger Leopardi started out in the music business. He and his brother were recording artists known as MVP with a popular single in 1991 called Do It To Me. Because of contracts and bad management, MVP didn't end up taking off.
As Roger was leaving the music business he met his wife and decided to get a "regular" job. He worked in retail for years but always wanted to work for himself. When he decided he could not work retail ever again, a customer who Roger had always helped with programs like Pro Tools came back into his store and Roger asked him, "How come you've never asked me if I wanted a job?" He got an interview with an ad agency the next day.
Roger began his career producing commercials at this ad agency in Fort Lauderdale. He learned the environment and increased their productivity, making 30 - 50 commercials per day. There were about three voice over actors that he worked with on a daily basis. He built relationships with the them and eventually the voice actors started to tell him that he had a good voice that was popular right now.
With this encouragement and the need for growth, Roger told his bosses that he was never going to be satisfied. They never had to pay him a dime over what he was making at that moment, as long as they gave him the flexibility to pursue his voice over career.
Years later, Roger now lives in Los Angeles as a successful voice over artist.
Want to get your voice over career started? Visit SixFigureVoice.com for articles, advice, and much much more that will help put you on the fast track.
Previous Episode
SFV #008: Voice Over and Video Games
Kyle McCarley has been a Los Angeles voice actor for about six years. He is represented by 90210 Talent in Los Angeles and DB Talent in Texas. He regularly works in anime, cartoons, video games, audiobooks, commercials, podcasts, radio plays, learning software, and phone promts.
After taking classes in Burbank and getting a home recording studio set-up Kyle started reaching out to industry professionals, producers, audio books, and video game creators to book work on his own before he found representation. He believes that you have to be willing to do the work, because the business side of the industry is at least 80% of this career.
Listen to hear his insight on the industry and his great advice!
For more great information visit SixFigureVoice.com!
Next Episode
SFV #010: An American Idol Star's Journey to Voice Over
American Idol's Blake Lewis opened up to our hosts Tyrone Jackson and Alyson Steel. Blake was always a fan of voice over as a kid. Growing up in Bothell, Washington, he was always mimicking people-- he had a knack for impressions and sound effects. When he got into high school Blake found out that beat boxing was a legitimate skill and he dove in head first. Blake believes that beat boxing, voice over, sound effects and singing all bleed together because they are all ways of using the same instrument - the human voice! Right out of high school Blake started touring with bands and it wasn't until a friend at a video game company asked him to come in to record some voices that he started to think about voice over as a career. Just as that was happening, he got on American Idol. After all his musical success, Blake is now expanding into voice over once again. He has a huge range and no filter, which makes him uberly fun to be around, but he needs his coach to reel him in for commercial voice over. Alyson Steel coaches him in setting the boundaries and playing within those boundaries. He is learning how to use the attitutudes from his characters in his normal speaking voice to help color his commercial reads. Blake Lewis is launching his voice over career and so can you. Visit SixFigureVoice.com to learn how. Download Blake's latest album Portrait of a Chameleon from his website here: BlakeLewisOfficial.com
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