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Hello! And welcome to my very first blog post on my shiny new website, sarahkate.co.uk. I'm thrilled to have you here.
Since this is the beginning of my website's journey, I thought I would reflect that in this post and think back to Christmas of 2021, which is when I decided to give the crazy world of voice acting a go. So, whether you are someone in a similar situation or just a bit curious, read on.
It all began in lockdown, like many things did! I had a crazy obsession with Critical Role. Before that time, I had played a Dungeons and Dragons one shot at a friend's birthday party and had fallen in love. So, to accompany my day job I would always have the latest Matt Mercer escapade on in the background.
To this day, I'm still not sure whether it was Laura Bailey's Jester, Marisha Ray's Laudna or something totally different that sparked something in me. For years, I had been a lover of acting, having run my own Children's Entertainment Company and previous to that, completed a diploma in Performing Arts. I thought, in the midst of working from home, how can I bring all of these passions together?
Well, the TikTok algorithm heard my call and as if by magic, LaurensVoices popped up on my For You Page. Lauren shared a story of how she was sat on the couch with her mum, chatting about how she didn't enjoy a certain audio book narrator. She showed her set up, and documented how she worked her jobs, which made all of it super accessible.
And so, Sarah Kate Voices was born.
And I'd like to pass on that baton to you! So, without further ado, here are my top resources for those right at the beginning of their journey.
An incredible website for beginners, with hundreds, if not thousands of paid and unpaid casting calls posted daily. At the beginning of your voice acting journey, I would highly recommend having a scroll through at the different projects on there, looking at profiles and just having a big ol' explore. It's free to use, and perfect for a bit of research.
Bill is a very successful voice actor and coach who makes tons of fantastic videos to help newbies and existing actors in the industry. From performance, marketing, audiobooks and equipment he covers it all. My biggest advice would be to binge watch is videos! Every second on his channel is a golden nugget of industry knowledge and the best part is, it's all free!
I would highly recommend exploring the plethora of voice acting related videos available on YouTube beyond Bill too. Some great channels I would suggest are Joe Zieja and Improve Your Voice.
Community Support
There is a fantastic community on X and Discord full of VA's who are super supportive and friendly. Should you have any questions you can be sure to find someone who would be happy to help, and they're also just great platforms for general research and keeping up to date with the industry. Here are some of my favourites:
Casting Call Club on Discord - a lively community that actively posts casting calls, with channels for gear and audio talk, feedback, and more.
Voice Acting Club - similar to CCC's Discord server, the VAC community also share classes and workshops, indie rate guides and loads more casting calls.
Ben Kramer - Ben is an American Voice Actor, also known as the "Hey Voice Actors" guy! Not only does he frequently posts great motivation, but also daily questions for voice actors. From advice to just a simple hello, on his threads you can find responses that give a really great insight into things like resumes, show reels, and even things like cold remedies!
These are my top three resources for anyone interested in getting started with voice acting. I hope this introduction has piqued your interest and provided a valuable first glimpse into this exciting world!
Whether you're drawn to animation, video games, adverts, or audiobooks, these resources will help you understand the basics and develop your skills. And remember, the best way to learn is by doing, so don't hesitate to jump in and start practicing.
Stay tuned and be sure to follow me on social media for updates on my future blog posts, where I'll be covering topics such as equipment, how I audition and much much more.
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