This week I've enjoyed voicing projects for clients in Nairobi, New York, France and the UK, using a variety of accents for their projects.

I've also begun a new video series, Authentic Accents, with Karen Strassman (see intro below). Among other subjects, we address the mid Atlantic accent from a UK base and a US base. We also discuss  "global accents" (which are so popular in voice work today) and how to create a blended international accent  which is an accent from nowhere in particular.

​I’ve met writers - really good ones - who have a fear of the blank page. As a voice artist I have my own version of this. Despite voicing for years, I bump up against fear of the blank audio file.
 
I actually have a whole routine I go through, especially for challenging projects. Like an athlete preparing for an event, I warm up my body (sometimes I hang upside down like a bat!), warm up my voice, prepare the script, make tea and enter the sanctuary of my voice studio.
 
Yesterday, I was prepping a technical read for one of my favourite clients (I do have favourites!) I wanted to do a really good job and I noticed some jitters creeping in.
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I mentioned to my friend Karen, who is also a voice actor, the absurdity of having fear of the blank audio file at this stage in my voicing career and asked her how she dealt with it. Her response was genius:
 
“I like to think of myself as a potter who throws a lump of clay on the wheel. I do a first pass or two of the script to get the clay ready and then I fine tune it from there.”
 
 
 

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Many of the businesses I voice projects for have been adversely affected by Covid. I am conscious of wanting to ensure my quotes align with clients' budgets so that we can all continue to thrive during this challenging time.

Today, I invoiced a client I've enjoyed working with for more than a year. He emailed me back almost immediately, saying: "Dear Susannah, your invoice seems low in relation to what I would have spent had I found a less than perfect voice as yours." He then proposed I re-invoice him at a considerably higher rate.

His message was not only a kind acknowledgement of my work, but a recognition of the value he places on the work  voice artists do in general. At our best, we put not only our talent, but also our heart and soul behind a company's message. And that, just like clients who haggle in the "wrong" direction, is PRICELESS.



 

We're putting LOVE on billboards in my city, Christchurch as we approach the anniversary of a mass shooting that took place here last year:

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/put-love-on-every-billboard-in-christchurch​

If we overfund the project (and we intend to!) we want to put a billboard up in Australia too.

I reached out to a wonderful client of mine based in NSW, David Benhamou, to get his advice on where a billboard might live in Oz. He suggested lighting up the Sydney Opera House with it... why not?

Dave also generously donated to our Give-A-Little page.

I am so blessed to work with directors like him who not only create beautiful work but also work from the heart.





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