Pay to play sites are exactly what they sound like: you pay a membership fee to be able to access the auditions listed on that particular site. Membership fees vary based on the site, and some have different membership levels. Some take commissions on the jobs you book. There are a lot of mixed feelings about P2P. Some people hate them, some people love them, and apparently, they’re illegal in certain states? So DO YOUR RESEARCH PEOPLE. I’m going to break down the pros and cons of the four sites I tried out over the last year. I was fortunate that I booked at least one job on each of them, making back the money I originally put into the memberships.

It should be noted that most of the jobs I do on P2P sites require a home studio and for me to engineer the projects myself, which is also sort of a con, as I am not a big fan of engineering. But with a little research and practice, you too can enjoy worrying about whether your levels are going to peak when you raise your voice the tiniest bit, or if the lawn mower next door will be audible on your recording.

Just kidding. It’s really not that bad, especially if you can get good equipment, and once you do it enough, you won’t think about it too much. But it is an added thing you’ll have to think about. (Big shoutout to the engineers out there. You guys are rockstars).

My overall impression of pay-to-play: I greatly prefer working through my agents. Partly because I hate negotiating fees. I like the reassurance that someone who really knows the industry is making sure my jobs are legit, safe, etc. The rates are almost always much better through my agents. Fortunately, I haven’t had any bad experiences with P2P (pay-to-play). I’ve been paid for every job, and the people/companies I’ve worked for have been professional and pleasant.

Voice123.com

I’ve had the most success with V123. They definitely send the most auditions every day (sometimes I get up to 20-25 auditions from them. Average is probably between 5-10 daily). They are also the easiest to register on. If you can pay, you can play. You don’t need a professional demo to be a member like you do for the other sites I’m on. They do not take commissions on jobs. But they do have many different membership levels (aka the more you pay the better chance you have of getting “good” auditions).

Pros of V123

• High quantity of auditions
• No commissions
• Wide range of auditions – commercial, video games, e-learning, industrials, website explainers, animation…there’s some of everything
• Anyone can pay to play
• I like their interface, and they’re continuing to improve it. I like that you can see if people have favorited you, and I’m hopeful they are still working on you being able to see which auditions people have liked.
• There are lots of jobs that say “Looking for a rate” so you can list whatever you would charge for that particular job. (this is a pro AND con for me lol).

Cons of V123

• Noticeably low rates for many projects (not all, but many)
• I get many auditions from them at night (like 10 pm or later) and then they expire within 12-14 hours, so unless I record at weird times, I can miss out on a lot of good auditions.
• The membership levels make me a little uncomfortable. If you want to pay over a thousand dollars, you can get auditions before anyone else! No thank you. Pick the level that works for you I guess.
• I get quite a few auditions that I don’t fit the specs for. Pay attention to what the client is looking for so you don’t waste your time.
• You have a sort of ranking that is based on how many clients like your auditions, which affects what invitation group you are in. Higher ranking means earlier invitations.

Bodalgo

Bodalgo is an interesting one. They’re based in Germany, so most of the jobs are European countries looking for native English speakers. It’s a lot of corporate/business videos, which are not usually looking for a bright, energetic, youthful voice, so it wasn’t great for me, but it might be perfect for you!

Pros of Bodalgo

• No commissions
• One membership level. Everyone pays the same price to see the same auditions at the same time.
• Everyone is vetted before they are listed as a member. Ideally this means the quality of voice actors on the site is higher than other sites.
• They have a rate calculator that the clients have to use to list their rates, so the rates tend to be slightly better than V123 overall.
• They have their own Source Connect alternative – Bodalgo Call. I’ve never used it, but if you don’t have Source Connect, it’s nice to have the option.

Cons of Bodalgo

• As I said earlier, it’s mostly Corporate VO, so this was a con for me, because that’s not my wheelhouse. But that could definitely be a pro for you.
• English is frequently the second language of the clients who are hiring, so sometimes this means audition notices are difficult to decipher and there can be many grammar mistakes/spelling issues in the actual copy, which then you have to try to correct as you audition. Although to be fair, this happens on the other sites occasionally as well.
• You have to audition for these super quick. You can see how many people have auditioned so far, and it gets over 100 really fast.
• Because many of the clients are in Europe, if they need a directed session, time zones can get complicated.

Voiceovers.com

I actually really like this one. They feel a bit more like an online agency. They’re not perfect, but they are doing some good things to help and protect the actors on their site.

Pros of Voiceovers.com

• They invite a small number of voice actors to each audition. If you get an audition from them, you fit the specs, and there are maybe 50 other people that the audition was sent to, instead of hundreds.
• They collect money from the client prior to you being awarded the job, so you are guaranteed to be paid. The client only gets the finished file once payment is guaranteed.
• Their auditions are very easy to navigate, and their interface is straightforward but robust as far as job info goes.
• Rates are a bit better here, although I’m starting to notice that some of them are low based on usage/location. They have a rate calculator that is required for clients to use as well, but sometimes the rates make no sense to me (they are minimum rates, so maybe they want voice actors to set a higher rate?). Fortunately, you can request your own specific rate on the audition as well.
• You do everything through the site – audition, messaging the client, uploading the finished file. Most of the P2P sites, once you are chosen for the job, the actual job moves off-site with you emailing the client directly. It’s nice sometimes to be able to do everything through the site.
• Their support team is very helpful. I’ve sent a few support emails, and they are quick to respond and work to make sure your issue is resolved.
• They vet each member, so you have to have a professional demo.

Cons of Voiceovers.com

• They take a 20% commission from all jobs. They sent an email a few months ago saying this was ending this past March, but based on a recent job I did, it has in fact, not.
• The number of auditions is pretty low. I probably get a couple a month? Sometimes it’s higher than that, but that’s unusual. Now, they just got started like, a year and a half ago, so maybe they’re just building their client base.
• They do have a “gold member” level, which I think pays more to get better auditions? Obviously I’m not a gold member so I don’t know exactly what that entails, but I know they get certain perks the regular members don’t get.

VO Planet

The last site I tried out was VO Planet. I’ve had the least success here, although I do like the site overall.

Pros of VO Planet

• They seem to have better rates overall. They appear to remove jobs that are listed below a certain rate.
• They are all about making relationships off site. So once you audition for something, everything else is done off-site. They essentially just host auditions.
• They don’t take commissions.
• They vet their members (so you need a demo). There is only one membership level.
• Wide range of auditions – commercials, website explainers, video game characters, audiobooks, etc.

Cons of VO Planet

• Fewer auditions, but not terrible. I probably get a few a week from them.
• To be honest, I like VO Planet, I just didn’t book much there, so not really any other cons.

Side Note: I’ve had people ask me about Voices.com. A quick google search will let you know that there’s a lot of controversy going on with them, so I stayed away. I wasn’t interested in that kind of experience. If you’ve had a great experience with them, let the people know in the comments!

I learned a lot over the past year, and as always, am happy to answer any questions you might have about my experience! Leave me a comment or send me a message through my contact page!

I want to start this post by saying I’m still very new to VO. I’ve been very fortunate to have some great success, so people are asking for advice, but I just started my fourth year of doing any VO work at all. I’m going to share how I got into VO, the steps I took, the people I talked to, the classes I attended, but the real answer is there is no specific way to get into VO. There are many avenues. The way I did it may not work for you. But I hope this helps give you some direction on what steps you could take next. Or maybe you’re not an actor and just reading because you’re curious. Welcome to you guys as well.

Also, this is going to be exceptionally long. I’ll try number the main points if you just want to skim those.

1. I was an actor first.

When I had my very first Funimation audition, I had been acting for about 14 years straight. Not on and off. Not occasionally. I essentially lived in a theater for 14 years. I went to school for musical theater. My degree is in musical theater. Unbeknownst to me, I had been working on my voice over career for 14 years through my work in the theater.

I have met many aspiring voice actors that have never once stepped foot in a theater or acted on camera, or sung in a choir, and that’s totally ok! But I think it’s important to remember that Voice Acting is just that – it’s acting. There is definitely a difference between loving anime and loving the work of voicing an anime. I don’t say that to discourage anyone, but I want to encourage those of you who have never acted to go audition for a play. Take a stage acting class. Film is also good, but truly, the stage is where you learn the craft of acting. You can spend all the time you want working through each detail of a scene onstage.

Most of the time, especially at Funimation, they don’t have time to teach you how to act. They expect you to know what you’re doing when you get in there so that you can create the character and scene together. It’s a job. That doesn’t mean you can’t make mistakes and get direction; everyone does that. But you need to be an actor when you go into that booth, not just a fan.

2. I had to network

I am not a natural networker. I despise talking about myself. I’m trying to get better about this. Fortunately, I’m interested in other people, so I like asking what people do. This came in very handy when I was singing a Christmas Caroling gig with Jad Saxton and I asked her about voice acting, which I had seen on her Facebook. This first connection was what made me even look into working at Funimation. So be curious. Ask people what they do. Don’t just talk about yourself (although do that too!). You literally never know when some crazy connection might come up. It happens to me all the time.

3. I had to do research

This one sounds obvious to me, because I’m a natural researcher, but so many people don’t think of this right off the bat. I was not, in fact, invited to some secret Funimation audition after working with Jad as a caroler. I scoured the Column (Dallas/Fort Worth’s audition compilation) that came out every two weeks for audition notices. I was already checking it for theater notices, so I just made sure to pay extra attention to if Funimation’s name happened to come up. We have a couple of these compilation pages in DFW, and if you’re interested in performing of any kind, you definitely need to be aware of them. If you live in an area that has a bit of theater or performance opportunities, it’s likely there will be on there as well.

I was fortunate, because Funimation posted an open call in the Column that year, which I promptly signed up for. Sadly, this doesn’t really happen anymore. Now you have to email them to get on a wait list, and then you get invited to their open call. The demand is just that high right now.

4. I had to be brave

Picture this: a convention center ballroom filled with over 100 strangers who can give you a job. There are 39 other actors in your group sitting off to the side, giving you side eye, hoping you won’t take their job (there’s like, 20 groups over 4ish days, btw), and you have 90 seconds to get up on a little stage and convince these 100 strangers to give you a job by singing a cut of a song, and performing about 40 seconds of a monologue. If you go over 90 seconds, someone with a little stop watch calls out “TIME” and you have to stop your performance and thank everyone while walking back down the stairs in total silence. Sound terrifying? It is. Then imagine you’ve gone to this same audition four years in a row, and while maybe you’ve gotten some callbacks, you haven’t been hired yet. Once.

Being an actor can be incredibly challenging. You have to be absolutely ridiculously breathtakingly brave to be an artist. That’s why a lot of people don’t even try. Or they give up.

I walked into Funimation having never once done Voice Over. I had done exactly one audition in a studio, and it was for singing. I had never been recorded in my entire life. I remember being so nervous that I was going to make an absolute fool of myself. Then I took a deep breath and remembered I was an actor, and I could adjust to the medium with direction. So I did the audition.

I remember how I felt afterwards much more clearly the nerves before. I was ecstatic. I had never had so much fun in an audition in my entire life. I loved everything about what I had just done. I didn’t think they were going to hire me, but I was ready to work on this new thing to see if I could get hired the next time.

5. I had to be patient

So, a year goes by, and I am busy doing stage shows. I did a lot of shows that year, which was amazing. But I hadn’t heard anything from Funimation. Nada. Zip. Which was fine. I was planning on auditioning again with renewed excitement. And then, literally a year after that initial audition, I get an email from the Funi talent coordinator, asking if I was available to come in to audition for a new show they were dubbing: Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA, which was being directed by Kyle Phillips. I literally couldn’t believe it.

To be honest, I don’t remember that audition at all. I don’t remember meeting Kyle (SORRY KYLE), I don’t remember what I read, I don’t remember how I felt about it. I do remember I was so excited to be going back and getting another chance.

Kyle brought me in for my first ever session for that show. I remember he tried to get me to do a little girl voice, and I immediately was like “THIS IS THE END. I CAN’T DO IT”. But I must have done something right, because my next session, I was recording Nene Odagiri for “Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches”.

6. Classes

Now that I was truly in this thing, I knew I needed to take some classes. I had some very early success, but I wanted to feel confident going into the booth, not just like I was floundering around getting lucky with my reads. So I took the following classes over the next two years:

Chris Rager’s Sessions – I haven’t seen this one recently, but it was a fun class! We got a ton of booth time, with a bunch of guests teachers from Funi, and we talked about dubbing for anime and video games. Definitely a fun class to get you acclimated to working in the booth with a director.

Sonny Strait’s Dubbing Workshop – this is an excellent way to spend a weekend. Sonny really focuses on the acting side, and you don’t even get into the booth until the last day. You get a character demo out of this class, which can be a helpful starting point if you’re starting from scratch. He also has other classes listed on his site that I’m very interested in, so there’s a lot of opportunities here!

Kyle Phillips’ Workshop – this is my favorite class I’ve taken. I feel like it gives a really good overview of what you need when you’re starting out. You’ll learn a bit about how to use Protools (which honestly, if you’re going to do VO you’ll be doing stuff in your home studio, even if it’s just auditions), participate in a simulated audition, and then dub a scene. He gives you a “report card” at the end with honest and helpful comments on what you need to work on.

There are plenty of others that I haven’t gotten to yet; usually they’ll post on Twitter about their classes!

7. Audiobooks

Early 2019, I decided I wanted to start doing audiobooks. I was in a show with a woman who had been talking about recording, and I asked her how to get going (see, there’s that pesky networking point again). The great thing about audiobooks is that Amazon has this awesome site called ACX which allows audiobook producers (you) to narrate for authors who maybe don’t want to go through a traditional studio. This is both fantastic and complicated. It’s fantastic because you don’t have to have any experience. In fact, my first full length book I narrated, I didn’t even audition for. I had posted a snippet of me reading the opening pages of Jane Austen’s “Emma” and the author loved my sound for their historical romance novel set in England. ACX keeps things organized with uploads, and they require the client to pay you the contracted amount before releasing the book to the author. These books go straight to audible, which is awesome!

ACX is complicated in the fact that many of the authors looking for narrators are self published, and are therefore only able to pay much lower than industry standard rates. Another complicated factor is that you have to produce the entire book. You are not only reading, you are also engineering all the audio files, and making sure everything is up to ACX’s standard. This took some trial and error for me the first few times. I had to watch a zillion YouTube videos on how to use ProTools.

In the end, ACX is a great way to jump in to audiobook narrating, if you’re willing to be your own engineer.

8. Commercial Demo

So after a few years of going it alone at Funimation, I decided it was time to get an agent. I wanted to expand into other areas of VO, as I was feeling like this was what I really wanted to do and really enjoyed doing, and everyone kept saying “Commercials are where you’ll make your money!”

Going back to the networking point: my mom went to high school with a guy who is now the voice of essentially every movie trailer announcer you’ve ever heard. So we called him and asked what I should do next. See? Networking. That’s a common theme here. He said I needed to get a commercial demo done, and he recommended Chuck Duran at Demos that Rock.

I cannot stress enough how important your commercial demo is if you’re interested in a career in VO. I booked a national TV commercial last year because the client listened to my demo on my agent’s website and then called me in for a callback. If there’s one thing I can encourage not to scrimp on, it’s your demo. If someone is charging less than $500, it’s not gonna be good. And even that is really low. Now, you have to be ready with your skills. Chuck is a wizard, but he can’t make you something you’re not. I did a coaching session with Mary Lynn Wissner of Voices Voicecasting before I recorded my demo. We discussed each spot I would be recording (which were all written specifically for my demo, btw) and I got coached on how to differentiate each one based on the industry standard in LA.

Once I got the demo made, it was time to get an agent.

9. Agents

Another awesome thing that Chuck Duran does is he offers a marketing package that takes all the questioning out of trying to get an agent. He tells you who to talk to, when to email people, exactly what to say, how to format your CV…it’s fantastic. He gives recommendations for website designers, coaches, what agents to email. It takes 95% of the stress out of the process.

Remember that networking point? My dad sings with a guy who has been in VO for years. He happened to sit next to my mom at an event, and they started talking. She naturally talked about me trying to get an agent, and he very kindly offered to listen to my demo and send it to his agent if he thought she would like it. She did. I signed with The Campbell Agency a week later. The day I signed I had my first audition, and a week after that I had booked my first commercial job. A week after that I had booked a national TV commercial.

This isn’t everyone’s story. In fact, when I first met with my agent, she told me “Some people don’t book anything for the first year. It can take time.” Remember point #5? Be patient. It’s not clear how to break into this industry. I’m still trying to figure out how to navigate at Funimation, and I’ve been there for over three years now. I’ve recorded seven commercial spots since August (still blows my mind, btw) and the second I step out of the booth, I have to stop myself from thinking “what if that’s the last time?”

If you’re still reading, thanks! This is just the beginning of my story, and I hope this time next year, I’ll have a brand new post filled with exciting new things to share. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments! I’m always happy to help if I can!

At the beginning of 2019, I was lucky enough to be working on Season 2 of Ace Attorney at Funimation! This show has been so much fun to work on, and of course we always hope for more seasons of every show we do! (Ok, but seriously, looking at you Overlord Season 4! Where you at?). Voicing Franziska has taught me a lot, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to shout “Objection” and call people “foolish fool” all the time?

Can we also talk about how I celebrated my three year anniversary at Funimation in September this year? I can’t believe it’s already been three years! I’ve gotten to voice some fantastic characters! Head over to my anime page to hear some of these awesome ladies!

I did a bunch of shows onstage this year, including a murder mystery melodrama (Ravenscroft), a children’s classic with the best score ever (The Secret Garden), and a hilarious farce where a reviewer called me and my scene partner “dense” (accurate), and they hoped it was a character choice (Anything Goes). So. Winning.

I started recording Audiobooks this year! You can check out samples over on my audiobooks page, and of course, you can find them all on audible! I’ve got more in production right now, so keep an eye out for those in 2020!

In August, I signed with the incredible Campbell Agency for Voice Over! So exciting! I’ve been working on projects through them for the past few months, and it’s been amazing to get into the commercial side of VO. I love it more with each recording session! I can’t wait to share the projects I’ve been working on! I’ve got some EXCITING news that I can’t share yet, but I’m literally dying to tell everyone.

I can honestly say that Voice Over is my favorite form of acting that I’ve ever done. I don’t know what it is. I love being in the booth!

And the most recent news, I recently signed with Campbell for On Camera as well! Woohoo!

To close out the year, I’m Christmas Caroling again with the Goode Time Carolers of Dallas!

This will be my 5th year caroling, and I love it! I missed doing it last year, and I’m so thrilled to be back. We’re all ready to spread Christmas cheer this season! Head over to the website if you’re in need of some ambassadors of the spirit of the season for your Christmas party!

In non-acting related news, I’m coming up on my one year anniversary teaching with VIPKid! This is the best “survival job” I can imagine. These kids are so smart, so funny, and so sweet. I get to teach kids from 4 years old to about 14, and each class is interesting in different ways! They work incredibly hard and I love learning about China and their culture as we talk in each class. I’m always willing to talk about this awesome job if anyone is looking for more work that you can schedule yourself, do from home in your pajamas, and not have to turn down auditions for! Leave me a comment if you want to know more!

It’s amazing how much we do in one year! Here’s to an equally exciting 2020! Thanks for checking in!

Into The Woods
Book by James Lapine  & Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim 
April 4 – April 29th 2018
James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece… and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching. The story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results. Rated PG-13

Click On Date You Want To Attend Into The Woods

1st Weekend

Apr 13, 2018 @ 08:00PM

Apr 14, 2018 @ 02:00PM

Apr 14, 2018 @ 08:00PM

2nd weekend

Apr 20, 2018 @ 08:00PM

Apr 21, 2018 @ 02:00PM

Apr 21, 2018 @ 08:00PM

Apr 22, 2018 @ 02:00PM

3rd weekend

Apr 27, 2018 @ 08:00PM

Apr 28, 2018 @ 02:00PM

Apr 28, 2018 @ 08:00PM

Apr 29, 2018 @ 02:00PM

Hope to see you there!

I am very pleased to announce that I have been cast as Mrs. Claire Holmes in Brick Road Theatre’s production of The Secret Garden! This show has one of the most beautiful scores I’ve heard from any stage, so you definitely don’t want to miss it! Check out the full cast list, and then details on how to get your tickets below!

About The Secret Garden:

This enchanting classic of children’s literature is reimagined in brilliant musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of ‘Night Mother. Orphaned in India, 11 year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his invalid son Colin. The estate’s many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the “Dreamers”, spirits from Mary’s past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden’s compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

Get tickets HERE 

*What a cutie, right?*

You can get all the details over at Funimation’s website (just click HERE).

Regalia: The Three Sacred is currently available for pre-order, and will officially go on sale on September 5, 2017.

See below for information on how to get tickets and more show details!

TICKETS

To order tickets by phone please call Theatre Mania at 1-866-811-4111.

Or just click on the performance you want to attend below.

If you have any questions feel free to contact us at info@stolenshakespeareguild.org

Visit Stolen Shakespeare Guild on Facebook!

Fort Worth Community Arts Center in the Sanders Theater, 1300 Gendy St. Fort Worth.

Ticket Prices

SSG uses flex ticket pricing. Take advantage of our early bird discounts.
1st Weekend: Adult $18.00 / Senior 65 and up, Student ID, Teacher ID, or Military ID $16.00 / Matinee $16.00
2nd Weekend: Adult $20.00 / Senior 65 and up, Student ID, Teacher ID, or Military ID $18.00 / Matinee $17.00
3rd Weekend: Adult $22.00 / Senior 65 and up, Student ID, Teacher ID, or Military ID $20.00 / Matinee: $18.00

First Weekend

Friday, July 7, 2017 at 8:00PM

Saturday, July 8, 2017 at 2:00PM

Saturday, July 8, 2017 at 8:00PM

Second Weekend

Friday, July 14, 2017 at 8:00PM

Saturday, July 15, 2017 at 2:00PM

Saturday, July 15, 2017 at 8:00PM

Third Weekend

Friday, July 21, 2017 at 8:00PM

Saturday, July 22, 2017 at 2:00PM

Saturday, July 22, 2017 at 8:00PM

Sunday, July 23, 2017 at 2:00PM

This production is rated G.

Hope to see you there!!

Come on, who wouldn’t love hair like that?

You can check out the full cast announcement HERE.

On sale dates have not been announced yet.

More news from Funimation coming in the future! I’ll keep you guys posted!

Show Info:

**REGIONAL PREMIERE**

A homeless couple taking shelter in the ruins of a castle on a hillside in Ireland find a bag of money. Immediately, they are forced to make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.

Come early for a mini concert with local Celtic band, Heirloom! (https://www.facebook.com/fortworthceltic/?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser)

*This play is rated PG-13 for mild domestic violence.

Facebook Event Link

This is a fun one; interactive children’s theater wherein I play a harmonica loving, tator-tot eating skunk. You don’t want to miss it 🙂 Check out this quick promo video:

Skunks? Lizards? Parodies of Eagles Music? A Southern gal living in a Cowboy boot? What more could you ask for? THE OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN THE COWBOY BOOT is the newest offering from Billy’s Globe House. Perfect for all ages. Don’t let Scooter down by missing out on this great show! Perfect for all ages and we welcome Day Care, School and Homeschool groups. Tickets start at only $5!

Rated G

Opens August 13th 2016 (Click the performance you’d like to see to be taken to the ticketing website)

TICKET PRICES for the children’s show: Adults $7.00, Senior 65 and up $6.00, Children 12 and under $5.00, and Children 2 and under are free.

Saturday, August 13th @ 10:30 A.M.

Friday, August 19th @ 10:30 A.M.

Saturday, August 20th @ 10:30 A.M.

Friday, August 26th @ 10:30 A.M.

Saturday, August 27th @ 10:30 A.M.

Click on the show you want to attend to buy tickets or call Theatre Mania at 1-866-811-4111
Call 817-713-1835 for group rates!