The Off Air Voiceover Podcast

Well Episode 8 was supposed to be the last one, but we had so much fun chatting to everyone and took so much away we figured we'd do one bonus episode to reflect on Season 3, what we learned and and what we take away for the future   Another big thankyou to all of you that were part of this great season, were super grateful and of course thanks to all our subscribers, listeners and supporters, it means the world to us ❤️     See you for Season 4....   Michael & Jen      

In our final episode of season 3 *sniff* we are joined by animation casting legend, Kristin Paiva! For anyone lucky enough to work with, or meet Kristin, you’ll know what a genuine and joyful person she is and she brought all that energy and more to the podcast. In this episode she shares her journey from working as a casting and voice director for Disney to launching the incredible Paiva Institute and how she plans to support underrepresented voices and future directors in the industry. We chat about the challenges of casting, commons mistakes Voice Actors make, and the magic that can be found. We also discuss the importance of originality in voice acting and how improv can help Voice Actors across all genres, amongst much, more more. This is a hugely informative episode and hopefully will bring you a laugh or two too. Thank you to Kristin for being so incredibly generous with your time and sharing of your experience, we are extremely grateful! Our final Voiceover of the Week winner is the wonderful @katenieland for her hilarious portrayal of Winnie Winnington in the new Paw Patrol, excellent work Kate 👏🏻 go check it out. Our final thanks goes to you for joining us this season. For every like, share, review and affirming comment you’ve sent our way we are hugely humbled and grateful, thank you and until we see you again, happy voicing. Michael and Jen xx   Michael can be found at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen can be found at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com Kristin can be found at https://www.paiva.productions/ Kate can be found at https://www.katenieland.co.uk/  

🚨Episode 7 has arrived!🚨   In this episode, the penultimate of season 3(!), we chat with the wonderful Donald Pirie, a seasoned voiceover artist, voice director and casting director, and delve further into the intricacies of casting in the gaming industry, particularly his experience working on AAA titles He shares his processes for casting games and animations of all sizes at @bigmouthaudio, the importance of collaboration and being great to work with, And of course what makes an audition stand out - for all the right and the wrong reasons! 😬    We discuss the important role that voice actors play in building worlds and creating immersive experiences for players, and why strong acting skills and versatility may help you succeed. Also, if you ever needed the motivation to post on social media, Donald shares a casting story that got us both determined to create more content! Huge shoutout to the extremely talented and all round legend @rhiannonmouahall for her voice acting in Void Crew! Great work Rhiannon!   See you for the finalè next week....   Jen can be found at www.jenlawtonhunt.com Michael can be found at www.manchestervo.co.uk Donald can be found at https://www.donaldpirie.com   Rhiannon can be found at https://www.rhiannonmoushall.com/     

Welcome to episode 6! Our longest episode at 90 mins, whats in here is packed full of useful takeaway information for Voice Actors of all levels   Rolf took the time to chat to us in a really candid way, nothing was off the table and we really enjoyed listening to his thoughts and opinions about the industry and what he feels Voice Actors need to know to make a success of their career in these evolving times.  It’s absolutely not one not to miss! Does he give his clear opinion on how to make the most out of the platform?  Yes Does he discuss things that could be better? Yes Does he tell us about how and why AI is on there?  Yes Does he give some actual facts and stats about how AI is being used and what the future is looking like?  Yes We hope you enjoy the information shared in this episode and thanks again to Rolf for being great with his time, information and just generally being a great person to chat to   Shoutout to our VO of the Week this week Susie Coleman for her epic trailer voice on new game Mortal Shell 2!  Excellent work Susie See you next week!   Jen can be found at www.jenlawtonhunt.com Michael can be found at www.manchestervo.co.uk You can visit Voice 123 by going to the their website www.voice123.com Susie can be found at https://www.susiecoleman.org.uk/   

Hello!   Welcome to Episode 5!   This week we were joined by the fab Rachel and Jonny from Mighty Giant, an animation and motion Design company from Manchester.   As many VO’s source work from companies like Mighty, we felt it would be great to chat to them about what their process is like on a project and how they factor voice into it Through this they shared some really great insight about working with their VO's and Jonny and Rach discuss what they do with the enquiries they get, (they get alot!) and give their opinions on the question many of us wonder as to what happens when they get those marketing emails!   To top it all off we chat about the importance of building good relationships with people you work with, (a message consistent across this season) and of course, AI! Big shout out to Phil Rowe as this Weeks Voiceover of the Week for his performance is the video game Out Of Sight.  Excellent work Phil, thoroughly enjoyed your performance!   If contacting animation and motion design companies is part of your marketing strategy, this is definitely one to listen to!   Thanks again to Jonny and Rach for taking the time to chat with us and the insights shared, definitely learned a few things! See you next week 👌   Michael can be found at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen can be found at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com Mighty Giant can be found at https://www.mightygiant.co.uk Phil Can be found at https://listen.philrowevoice.com/

Welcome to Season 3 Episode 4 - Increasing the Odds! In this week’s episode we’re joined by the wonderful Emily Jardine! Emily is an experienced Voice Actor, Coach, Audio Producer and Casting Director, and trust us when we say you’ll want to have a notepad and pen ready for this one. The voice over industry has evolved significantly over the past 15 years- in the time Emily has been in it. With the developments in home studios, amongst other things, voiceover has become far more accessible. It has also become far more competitive.  Emily shares a plethora of advice on ways to increase your chances of being cast and keep clients coming back for more. We discuss the role confidence and a positive attitude has on a voice artist’s long-term success in the industry and how for real success we should bring a little of ourselves to each role.  Thank you to Emily for (always) being so generous with all you share. We hope you find this episode as useful as we did.  See you next week!   Michael can be found at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen is at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com Camile is at https://voicedbycamile.com/  

Welcome to episode 2 featuring the fabulous Kathryn Vinclaire!   Not only is Kathryn a highly talented, multi award winning voiceover, but she’s also heavily involved in casting, specifically for indie games, setting up her own roster and networking event!   We discuss the challenges and opportunities in indie game casting, the importance of fair compensation for voice actors, and the need for better connections between voice actors and indie developers.   Kathryn shares her vision for her casting service, auditioning, and the impact of AI on the voice acting industry. We chat all about the significance of quality voice acting in games and the excitement of bringing characters to life!   So whether you want to be booked more in Games, or you're a dev looking to connect with more talented actors, this episode will answer those questions!   Also huge shout out to Pierre Maubouché for this weeks voiceover performance of the week, excellent work Pierre!   You can find more of Kathryns work on her website https://www.voiceovervinclaire.com/   Michael is at www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen is at www.jenlawtonhunt.com  

Season 3 has arrived! In this season we're focusing all about casting, whether that's for Video Games, Commercials or Corporate Videos, we're asking the questions to the people that book us about what they look for when hiring voiceovers, and we're grateful that we're joined by people well experienced in those jobs to help answer those same questions For our first episode of the new season, we chat about things we've learnt to increase your visibility, content ideas to get more eyes on your work, and just general chit-chat about other things that have been happening in the industry We hope you enjoy what's to come! Let us know if you’ll be listening! Cheers, Mikey & Jen   Be sure to check out Michael at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk and Jen at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com   

Helloooo!   Welcome to this one off, unplanned, no idea where we were going with it, Christmas Episode!   We decided to just hit record and we covered the year in general, ideas for the next year, future plans fo the Podcast, and Michael finally gets something off his chest....   Thanks to everyone who has been part of the podcast so far, be it guests or followers who share and interact with us, it means the world to us and have loved the journey   Hope you all had an excellent Christmas and we'll see you in the New Year...   Michael & Jen   Michael can be found at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen can be found at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com 

🚨🚨 SEASON FINALÈ🚨🚨   Cant believe we’ve got here already, the final episode of Season 2! But what a way to end the season by having 2 amazing people well known in the VO world, Hugh Edwards and Gina Thompson, who are highly involved in Video games Casting, aswell as the infamous One Voice Conference and of course Gravy for the Brain! In this episode we hear of Michael's VOX late night voice-note shenanigans for the podcast, and Hugh tells us about the state of the Voiceover industry (from his perspective) and where it’s headed with new and improved technologies We talk very candidly and openly about AI, where it’s at, how it could affect and the measure worth looking at so it doesn’t affect you. Very insightful stuff We learn why Gina loves casting and why she's always listening out for new voices to catch her ear.  Jen can't stop interrupting Michael with her many questions for their guests,  And we announce our final voiceover performance of the week for the series Lizzie Jobling! A banger of a finale, not to be missed. A huge thank you to our esteemed guests Gina Thompson and Hugh Edwards for generously sharing their time and experience with us. This was lots of fun to record as well as being super insightful on casting and what they look for in an artist   Thankyou also to everyone else who was involved in this Season including our amazing guests, those of you who contributed via DM’s and voice notes, and of course those we have met in real life that tell us how much you enjoy the pod, it really means the world to us   See you soon…….     Michael can be found at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen can be found at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com Lizzie can be found at https://elizabethjobling.com/  Hugh & Gina can be found at https://www.high-score.co.uk/ 

🚨🚨 New Episode🚨🚨 We didn't know what to call this one at first.   Bauer Power The Big One But inspired by our guest Simon, 'Being Human' is perfectly fitting In an industry first, we have 3 guys join us who make up a team of 8 excellent folks over at Bauer.  So If you want to work in Radio, Paul, Simon and Tom provide candid insights in what they look for and how it works In true fashion of the pod, its honest and informative and we talk all things radio ads from production, working with voiceovers and the ever popular AI We hope you find this episode as enjoyable as we did recording it, there are so many useful bits of information to take away from it and we loved having them on board.  At the end of it all, Being Human, and yourself, is what counts the most Shout out to Danny Cowan (https://www.instagram.com/dannycowanvo/) who is our voiceover of the week for his excellent continuity work, well done Danny! Also apologies for Michaels audio in the last 10 mins, turns out his interface needs changing 🙄 See you next week for the finalè   Michael can be found at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen can be found at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com Simon at https://www.instagram.com/simongmusic/ Tom at https://www.instagram.com/dj.tomas_/ Paul at https://www.instagram.com/paulday1/     

🚨🚨New episode! Noble steeds at the ready!🚨 Have you seen the post that's going around about the fact the word "freelance" comes from the medieval term for a mercenary warrior? (swipe to see the original Xpost)   Well, this week's episode is all about wielding the basics when it comes to being a creative freelancer. We talk about the pitfalls, what we like to do and what we suck at. It can definitely feel like a battle sometimes but united we stand and divided we fall, and all that.   We raise our swords(mics) in respect to the voice of this weeks' Voiceover Performance of the week Hannah Gardiner! https://www.instagram.com/hannahgardinervoice   She smashed it out of the park with a powerful ad for Oxfam, nice one Hannah 👌   Join our freelance army and listen now wherever you get your podcasts. Like to see your podcasts happening? We got you, head to our youtube channel and make sure you give us a follow.   We now have a website for the Podcast!  You can find us at https://www.offairvoiceoverpodcast.co.uk   Hannah Can be found at https://hannahgardinervoice.com/ Michael can be found at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen can be found out https://jenlawtonhunt.com

🚨🚨 New Episode🚨🚨 A touch gullible? Us too.    Things are tough at the moment for a lot of people - in and out of the voiceover industry- and when times get tough the scam artists come out to play. In this episode we shine a light on some of the common scams going round, and perhaps make you aware of some of the lesser known ones too! Red flags at the ready, an episode not to be missed for those trying to keep their businesses and personal information safe.   Who's made it to the Gameshow host league? Let us know! ⬇️   One of us has, the other is still waiting to be called up...   Shout out to the super talented Kathryn Vinclaire for her excellent performance on the Euro Womens 2025 Promo - That was our Voiceover of the Week 👌 Remember you can now watch our episodes on our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@OffAirVoiceoverPodcast   You can find Michael directly at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen is at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com

🚨🚨Episode 2 - Gimme 5🚨🚨   Why Gimme 5?    Well! Michael started exploring blog ideas via ChatGPT and one thing it brought up was '5 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Voiceover'  So naturally as working Voice Actors we thought we'd look into it and give you our hot take! We discuss the decline in cable TV viewership v. the increase in commercials via streaming platforms, and the potential impact on the voiceover industry. Michael also thinks Jen’s got her tea flask and picnic blanket packed for the Oasis reunion. 🙄 And as an episode first, we reveal this weeks’ voiceover read of the week! As always, get involved on the socials and don't forget each episode is now filmed, and you can find it on Youtube by following us at https://www.youtube.com/@OffAirVoiceoverPodcast  For voiceover enquiries you can find Michael directly at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk  & Jen at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com  !!NOTICE!! The first 17mins and 30 Secs we had to revert to the backup Zoom audio as we had a problem after exporting, so apologies for the quality difference for the first half

Welcome back for Season 2!   Coming out of a slow Summer and emerging like a butterfly from a chrysalis as we enter the wonderful, and often chaotic, premier of season 2 of the Off Air Voiceover Podcast! But whats different? Well, if you like your videos weve gone full video episodes for this season which you can see on our YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/@OffAirVoiceoverPodcast so make sure you subscribe to stay on top of the action 😉.  No chapters No Edits Expect chats about industry happenings, woeful knowledge of history and laughs about…well most things. We’re super chuffed to be back and hope you enjoy the episode. Let us know how your summer has been and anything you’ve got coming up! Thanks for listening Mike & Jen   As always you can find Michael on his website https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Jen can be found at https://www.jenlawtonhunt.com 

From the bright lights of TV fame to the oven light while making a fishfinger dinner for her kids....Kelly joins us to have an unfiltered talk all about screen acting and voice acting, setting a record with Soho Voices and shares the incredibly inspiring story of taking pen to paper with no prior experience and writing a series that is shaping to be something very very special.... Hope you enjoy it and if you do please consider supporting us by sharing, liking and/or following our podcast! See you next week! ----------------------------------------- You can find Kelly at www.kellycondron.co.uk Instagram @kelly.condron Join the community! Share, subscribe and come say hi over on Instagram @off_air_voiceover_podcast - we can’t wait to meet you! You can find Michael at www.manchestervo.co.uk Jens website is www.jenlawtonhunt.com Instagram @jenlawtonhunt Instagram @manchester_vo

Hello! Enjoying the voiceover rollercoaster? Whether you’re flying high or you feel like you’re still waiting to get on the ride, being a voice actor can be tough. We ALL feel like this at times but we don’t always share it in public, this can lead us to assume we’re the only one who struggles. In this week’s episode we share some of our personal challenges, insecurities and how we both struggle (and have struggled) with the dreaded Monkey Mind, including - Jen sounding like the queen once in a session - and Michael having an anxiety episode recording for Man City FC (Not because he supports Man United either...) Hopefully something will resonate with you and we can feel more connected as a community; through good times and bad. Hope you enjoy it and if you do please consider supporting us by sharing, liking and/or following our podcast! See you next week! ----------------------------------------- You can find Jen at www.jenlawtonhunt.com  Instagram.com/jenlawtonhunt Michael is at www.manchestervo.co.uk Instagram.com/manchester_vo

Hello! As many newcomers come into the industry and find a plethora of info to help them, we wanted to chat to someone who's on that journey to see how they're finding it, and maybe learn a thing or two ourselves along the way! So In this week’s episode we chat to (relative) newcomer Shiraz Engineer (@oratrixvo) about following your own path, self belief, pink cats and the elation of booking our first gigs....which gives us another Storytime with Michael. There's alot of them.   For anyone who’s new to the industry and want to hear how someone else is finding it too, or if you just fancy hearing a different perspective on starting out, this one’s for you. Names dropped in ep3: @garrytrezza @voicereelguy Delphine Koall (LinkedIn) and Dermot Daly https://dermotdaly.co.uk/ Please consider giving us a like and follow if you enjoy our pod so more people can find it and enjoy it too!   ------------------------------------- You can find Shiraz at  Instagram @oratrixvo   You can find Jen at www.jenlawtonhunt.com  Instagram.com/jenlawtonhunt Michael is at www.manchestervo.co.uk Instagram.com/manchester_vo

🚨Episode 2 of the Off Air Voiceover Podcast 'Level Up' has landed!🚨 On this week’s episode we discuss our plans to level up, the benefits of coaching, why AI may not need be feared, recent motivations and why Michael sweats anytime someone mentions Beauty and the Beast.... Let us know what you think! Nice one 👍   n this episode we also mention a few performance coaches who we’ve worked with personally (and recommend) including: @dianperryvo @stephanecornicard @tanyarichvo @richcraftvo and @vaudioaudio but because our chats aren’t scripted there are others who we’ve worked with and/or would recommend looking into, so drop us a message if you’d like more info!  ......................................................................................... The Off Air Voiceover Podcast with Michael Ashtiany and Jen Lawton-Hunt. Join us for banter, personal opinions, and stories about being Voice Actors in this epic and ever evolving industry. As Voice Overs we often work alone, but we don’t want any one of us to feel lonely. We love having a chat with other VOs at conferences and networking events and we wanted to replicate that energy in this podcast.  DON’T expect anything overly formal or to come out an expert, DO expect some friendly banter and honest, light hearted chat. Join the community! Share, subscribe and say hi! We can’t wait to meet you.   ------------------------------------- You can find Jen at www.jenlawtonhunt.com  Instagram.com/jenlawtonhunt Michael is at Manchester VO Instagram.com/manchester_vo #voiceoverpodcast #voiceovercommunity #voiceactor #creativepocast #TheOffAirVoiceoverPodcast

Welcome to the launch episode of the Off Air Voiceover Podcast!! In this first episode, we discuss One Voice, Nominations, the highs and lows of submitting work and a cheeky bit of Imposter Syndrome! As the launch of the podcast fell right around the nominations being released, we decided to talk about it, the process and the emotional side to being nominated....or not   Hope you enjoy!   M & J   ------------------------------------- You can find Jen at www.jenlawtonhunt.com  Instagram.com/jenlawtonhunt Michael is at https://www.manchestervo.co.uk Instagram.com/manchester_vo If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a review and dropping us a follow to help us grow the pod so more like minded people can find it!