George the Tech sits down with Heidi Rew, full-time voice actor, on-camera actor, podcast host, and co-owner of Atlanta Voiceover Studio, to talk about her unlikely path from childhood performer to radio personality to working voice actor and studio owner.

Heidi shares why persistence often matters more than raw talent, what she learned from losing a nine-year client, how Atlanta Voiceover Studio grew from a tiny recording space into a major VO training resource, and why making a demo before you're ready can set you up for failure instead of success.

Timeline

00:00 Sponsor: Full Compass + GTT Sound Check
00:57 Meet Heidi Rew
02:00 From Childhood Performer to Voice Actor
05:00 Performing Without “Performing” for the Microphone
07:00 Self-Consciousness, Confidence, and Getting Out of Your Own Way
11:30 Paying Her Own Way Through College
12:30 Internships and Finding Radio
14:00 The Many Jobs You Do in Radio
16:15 The “Redneck Home Shopping Show”
18:30 Meeting Mike Stoudt and the Road to Voiceover
20:00 Building a VO Career While Working in Radio
23:00 Why You Can’t Compare Your Voiceover Journey to Someone Else’s
24:30 Talent vs. Persistence: Who Actually Builds a Career?
25:30 Leaving Radio and Going Full-Time
27:00 How Atlanta Voiceover Studio Started Almost by Accident
29:00 From Recording Space to VO Training
30:30 You Don’t Need to Be the Biggest Expert to Be a Great Teacher
33:00 Learning to Let Go of Auditions
34:30 Big Wins, Long-Term Clients, and AutoNation
35:30 What Happens When a Nine-Year Client Disappears?
37:00 Balancing VO, Acting, and Running a Studio
38:30 The Business Mistake Heidi Wishes They Had Avoided
40:00 Growing Atlanta Voiceover Studio — Then COVID Hit
42:00 How Virtual Training Changed the Business
44:00 Surviving the Financial Ups and Downs of Creative Work
45:00 Hiring, Delegating, and Building a Flexible Team
48:30 What Atlanta Voiceover Studio Offers Today
52:30 How Do You Know When You’re Ready for a Commercial Demo?
54:00 Where to Learn More About Heidi and Atlanta Voiceover Studio

George talks with UK-based voiceover engineer and demo producer Henry Willard about the rise of virtual engineering and why more actors are bringing their own engineers into remote directed sessions. Henry explains how having someone handle recording, playback, timing, and client requests can free the actor to stay where they belong: in the performance.

They also explore Henry’s approach to creating authentic commercial demos, why overproducing auditions can backfire, the never-ending battle with mouth noise, common home-studio mistakes, and the realities of producing audiobooks by hand in an increasingly automated world. And because two audio engineers can only behave themselves for so long, there’s plenty of talk about Pro Tools, headphones, plugins, noise reduction, Macs vs. PCs, and keeping your processing chain simple.

Timeline

00:00 Sponsor and Sound Check
01:00 Meet Henry Willard
03:00 Running an Audio Business with Two Young Kids
05:00 The Reality of Working from a Home Studio
07:00 Why Voice Actors Are Hiring Their Own Engineers
10:00 What a Virtual Engineer Actually Does
11:00 Henry’s Start in Remote Recording
14:00 How COVID Changed the Voiceover Workflow
16:00 Building a Freelance Voiceover Engineering Business
19:00 Getting Into Voiceover Demo Production
20:00 Making a Demo Sound Authentic—not Overproduced
22:00 Music Choices That Can Ruin a Demo
24:00 Henry’s “Palette Call” for Building Personalized Demos
27:00 Why Demo Spots Need a Beginning, Middle, and End
28:00 Mouth Noise, Perfectionism, and Over-Editing
29:00 Mac vs. Windows for Voiceover Recording
34:00 How Much Mouth Noise Should You Actually Remove?
35:00 RX Mouth De-click and the Problem with Overprocessing
37:00 Alternatives to RX and When Your Headphones Are Too Good
39:00 Fix the Room and Mic Technique Before Adding Plugins
40:00 The Wrong Mic, the Wrong Input—and Other Common Mistakes
43:00 Henry’s Approach to Audiobook Production
46:00 Punch and Roll vs. Continuous Recording
49:00 AI Proofing vs. Actually Listening to the Audiobook
51:00 Why Henry Takes a Premium Approach to Audiobook Editing
53:00 Henry’s Favorite Tools: Pro Tools, Editus Keys, and Headphones
58:00 Keeping Plugins Simple
59:00 Waves NS1 and Noise Reduction
1:00:00 Apollo C-Vox and Real-Time Noise Reduction
1:02:00 More Audio Geekery—and an Invitation to Pro Audio Suite

Voiceover veteran Thom Pinto joins George the Tech for a trip through more than four decades of VO—from cutting quarter-inch tape in radio to voicing trailers for The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Uncle Buck, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and more.

Thom shares stories from the golden age of LA voiceover, explains how he’s stayed relevant as the industry has changed, and talks about his current focus coaching documentary and docuseries narration. George and Thom also dig into what today’s talent needs to succeed: versatility, self-direction, a dependable home studio, and auditions that sound polished without sounding overproduced.

Timeline

00:00 Zoom, Tech Changes, and Old-School Stories
13:00 Meet Thom Pinto
19:00 From Radio DJ to Production Director
21:30 Discovering Ernie Anderson
22:00 Working with a Voiceover Legend
27:00 The Golden Age of LA Voiceover
28:30 Getting Signed and the “Bean” Nickname
30:00 How Casting and Auditions Have Changed
35:00 Versatility, Longevity, and Staying in the Game
39:00 Bill Ratner and the Art of Working Fast
42:00 Thom’s Brief On-Camera Career
44:00 How Thom Became a Voiceover Coach
46:30 Buzzy’s and the Classic LA Studio Era
48:00 Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and the Movie Trailer Years
50:30 Filling In for Bill Ratner
53:00 What Today’s Successful Voice Actors Have in Common
54:30 Why Voiceover Is Harder Today
56:00 Why a Professional Home Studio Matters
57:00 Don LaFontaine and the Home Studio Revolution
58:15 Bo Weaver: Remote VO Before It Was Normal
1:00:00 ISDN, ipDTL, Source-Connect, and Adapting to New Tech
1:03:00 Coaching Becomes a Bigger Part of Thom’s Career
1:06:00 Finding His Lane in Documentary Narration
1:07:30 Voice vs. Interpretation
1:10:45 Coaching “Primetime Narrators”
1:13:25 What Thom Hears in Audition Audio
1:15:00 When Processing Makes an Audition Sound Too Polished
1:18:15 Stop Editing the Life Out of Your Read
1:20:00 How Much Comping Is Too Much?
1:21:55 Where to Find Thom
1:22:15 Final Wrap and Thanks

 

 

Many voice actors know the term conversational read—but fewer understand what actually makes a performance feel authentic.

George welcomes Hugh P. Klitzke to discuss the evolution of conversational voiceover, the changing casting landscape, and why coaching has become more important than ever. Hugh shares his unconventional path into voiceover, lessons learned working behind the scenes at a New York talent agency, and how those experiences shaped his teaching philosophy.

They also discuss Hugh's popular Open Studio coaching sessions, the value of letting performers observe real coaching in action, and why creating genuinely helpful free content has become one of the strongest ways to build trust in today's voiceover community.

Whether you're a newer talent or several years into your career, this episode offers valuable insight into developing stronger performances—not just better recordings.

Episode Timeline

00:00 – Introduction and podcast setup

03:10 – Hugh's musical background and unexpected path into voiceover

10:45 – Working behind the scenes at a New York talent agency

18:20 – Why Hugh eventually began coaching actors

26:40 – Leaving the agency and launching his own coaching business

33:15 – Building the Conversational VO brand

40:30 – Why conversational reads are harder than they sound

49:05 – The philosophy behind Open Studio

58:20 – Helping experienced voice actors solve performance problems

1:08:15 – Creating free educational content that provides real value

1:15:40 – Final thoughts and where to learn more

In this episode of the GTT Performer Friendly Podcast, George Whittam talks with voice director, casting professional, producer, writer, actor, and VO coach Andy Lerner about the intersection of performance, audio, and modern voiceover.

Andy shares how he moved from engineering and comedy radio production into directing and coaching, including his work in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe during COVID. He also offers practical advice for newer voice actors on training, rejection, improv, mic placement, and avoiding overly edited, lifeless auditions.

Timeline

00:00 — Sponsor Message
00:31 — Sticking With Acting
01:49 — Meet Andy Lerner
03:29 — VO Atlanta Highlights
05:55 — Bridging Tech And Talent
08:34 — From Engineer To Studio Builder
14:02 — Comedy Commercials Era
15:19 — Edgy Ads And Changing Norms
18:09 — Joining SpongeBob During COVID
22:01 — Directing A Legacy Franchise
26:48 — Remote Workflow And Cast Praise
29:01 — Fans, Conventions, And Voicelings
33:27 — Neurodiversity In The VO Community
35:54 — Showrunner Role And ADR Pickups
38:56 — ADR Fixes Explained
39:50 — Why Andy Coaches Newbies
42:41 — Handling Rejection Gently
44:50 — What Casting Wants
47:44 — Be 401, Not 400
50:13 — Training Before Voices
51:29 — Mic Placement Mistakes
53:21 — Stop Over-Editing
01:00:08 — Workflow And Software
01:03:14 — TwistedWave Special Paste
01:06:05 — Know Your Genre
01:09:42 — Workouts And Where To Find Andy
01:12:22 — If You Feel Cringe, Quit
01:13:49 — Stick With It Anyway
01:15:23 — Final Thanks And Wrap

What makes a voiceover audition feel bookable — and what makes casting hit pause?

George the Tech sits down with Kim Hurdon of KH Casting for a deep conversation about the casting side of voiceover, especially in video games, animation, and remote audition workflows. Kim explains why human performance still matters most, why over-editing can hurt more than help, and how actors can avoid sounding processed, artificial, or disconnected from the role.

They also explore the post-COVID home studio divide, the value of hub studios and engineers, video game realism, effort sounds, PCAP, inclusive casting, NDAs, and why booking often comes down to fit — not just skill.

Timeline

00:00 Sponsor and Sound Check
01:07 Meet Kim Hurdon
02:19 Headphone Geek Out
04:39 Audition Mistakes: Editing, Breaths, Music, and Overprocessing
08:29 Kim’s Casting Origin Story
12:55 The Home Studio Divide After COVID
16:01 The Gaming Boom and AAA Workflows
18:38 Mics, Movement Rigs, and Remote Recording
21:59 Authenticity in Games and Inclusive Casting
25:01 Efforts, Levels, and Clipping
29:01 Hybrid Workflows and Hub Studios
30:57 The Laptop Mic Disaster
33:03 Building a Studio Checklist Mindset
34:52 Ensemble Sessions vs. Solo Sessions
36:26 PCAP Explained
38:21 Gameplay Lines and Alts
39:09 Booking Fit vs. Skill
41:36 Game Timelines and NDAs
43:49 NPCs and Long-Running Game Work
45:22 Favorite Work and Family
49:05 Zoom Auditions and CAVA
51:24 AI Laws and Advocacy
52:56 Conferences and Community
55:15 How to Book More
56:09 Coaching Without Overdoing
59:02 Where to Find Kim
59:15 Final Wrap and Thanks

In this episode, George talks with Jodi Gottlieb, a voiceover coach with more than 20 years of industry experience and a background working with major networks. Jodi shares how she coaches established voice talent who are ready to raise their game, especially in commercial auditions where subtle, natural choices can make all the difference.

George and Jodi discuss common audition mistakes, why dramatic pauses often work against you, how to use two different reads strategically, and what it really means to “show range” without ignoring the specs. They also explore the impact of AI on the voiceover industry — including Jodi’s concerns about lost opportunities and her belief that audiences can still hear the difference when a performance is genuinely human.

  00:00 Sponsor and Offer 00:31 Booth Mindset Tips 00:56 Meet Coach Jodi 02:56 Audio vs Video Podcasts 04:17 Remote Sessions Connection 08:23 Who Jodi Coaches 11:37 How She Started Coaching 15:46 Commercial Specs Myth 20:26 Disqualifying Reads 25:31 Directed Auditions Help 27:09 Demo Production Process 29:43 What Makes Demos Work 29:51 Demo Spots Under 10 Seconds 31:16 Variety and Money Voice 33:00 Audition Takes and Specs 35:59 Specs vs Reality in Sessions 38:02 Stop Over Editing Auditions 42:02 Separate Roles and Take Breaks 47:03 AI Voices and Industry Shifts 52:12 Calling Out AI and Audience Detection 56:26 Wrap Up and Contact Info  

George the Tech sits down with longtime client Sara Van Beckham to unpack what it takes to build—and sustain—a voiceover career across multiple genres.

Sara shares how acting training transformed her reads, why SOVAS sparked a major career reset, and how she transitioned to remote work long before it became the norm. She also gets real about vocal health, promo pressure, tech anxiety, and the standards that separate working pros from everyone else.

Timeline

00:00 Sound Check Promo
00:21 “Kind, On Time, Good” — The Core Formula
00:37 Meet Sara Van Beckham
01:52 Conferences & VO Community
02:42 SOVAS Wake-Up Call
04:22 Switching to Atlas Agency
06:51 From Wisconsin to Voiceover
08:55 Acting Training & Meisner Influence
11:39 NYC Audition Hustle
12:49 Going Remote (2013 ISDN Era)
14:14 Vocal Surgery & Recovery
15:06 Audiobooks as Daily Practice
18:44 Cracking the Promo Market
19:52 Landing ABC & Fast Turnarounds
21:12 What “Pro Turnaround” Really Means
21:59 “Kind, On Time, Good” Revisited
22:32 Self-Recording Promo Work
23:39 The Ephemeral Nature of Promo
24:57 Live-Directed Commercial Sessions
25:54 Campaigns Come and Go
26:45 Relationships with Engineers
28:06 Actors as Their Own Tech Team
30:31 Tech Anxiety & Triggers
32:13 Advocating for Yourself
33:39 Confidence & Professional Standards
35:34 Everyday Gear Setup
36:50 Tribooth Studio Setup
37:41 Closing Thoughts

George sits down with longtime client and voice actor Chris Fries to talk about what it really looks like to build a sustainable, high-level voiceover career.

Chris breaks down how commercial work became the backbone of his business, why promo is a completely different beast, and how trust—not just talent—keeps you booked on long-running campaigns.

They also get deep into studio design, workflow, and the gear choices that support fast, reliable sessions.

Timeline

00:00 – Sound Check Promo
00:22 – Three Traits of Voice Actors
01:00 – Ramble and Rapport
02:31 – Meet Chris Fries
04:04 – Booking Commercial Campaigns
06:42 – Why Chase Promo Work
09:12 – Session Workflow and Downtime
11:43 – Long Running Campaigns
12:42 – Becoming the Owl Character
16:16 – On Set Ad Libs and Improv
22:34 – Tech Talk and Gear Plug
24:42 – Building the Home Studio
28:05 – Treated Office Workflow
29:34 – Video Game Audio Standards
31:34 – Motorcycle Commute Era
35:02 – Booth Gear Breakdown
38:04 – Mic Switching and Cough Mute
41:12 – Desk Side Routing and Monitoring
43:28 – Phone Patch and TRRS Setup
46:21 – Set It and Forget It
47:50 – Coaching Origin and Process
52:19 – Travel Rig Upgrades & Farewell

What does it take to survive (and thrive) through every era of voiceover?

Studio engineer, producer, and VO talent Mark Graue joins George Whittam to share stories from radio hustle to Hollywood studios, working with legends, and building a career that adapted from analog tape to today’s digital world.

From a near-disastrous timecode session to landing VO work at Hanna-Barbera, this episode is packed with hard-earned lessons on engineering by ear, storytelling in demos, and knowing when to step away.

Timeline

00:00 – Audio service promo
00:22 – Cold-call spec spots: the original hustle
03:12 – Breaking into Cherokee Recording Studios
03:36 – The Van Halen spec spot gamble
04:39 – Building a Warner interviews archive
06:10 – The open audition that led to Hanna-Barbera
07:39 – Buying Studio 5 and going independent
10:26 – Moving to Burbank and evolving the business
12:47 – Surviving the analog → digital shift
15:09 – The timecode session disaster 
15:54 – Handling pressure when everything’s on the line
16:17 – Why great engineers use their ears, not just meters
17:13 – Storytelling secrets in voiceover demos
18:01 – Memories of Don LaFontaine
20:10 – The “voiceover gypsy” era
21:46 – Life beyond LA
23:45 – Travel, boundaries, and no mobile rig
24:37 – Coaching talent and modern home studios
25:32 – Gear graveyard stories
27:16 – Where to find Mark 

 

What happens when a seven-time Emmy winner realizes his audio isn’t good enough?

We’re re-releasing this episode with CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, Emmy Award winner, and New York Times bestselling author David Pogue to celebrate his new book, Apple: The First 50 Years, which recently debuted on the NYT Best Sellers list.

In this conversation, David joins George the Tech to break down how his echoey home office got upgraded to broadcast-ready sound—without a booth—and why most people misunderstand how to fix bad audio.

You'll also hear about his years covering tech for The New York Times, and why he’s turning down voice-cloning deals in the age of deepfakes.

If you record from home—or care about where tech is headed—this episode hits both.

Timeline

00:00 — Big Question: AI Utopia or Dystopia?

00:30 — Introducing David Pogue

03:30 — What He Actually Does Day-to-Day

07:00 — His Music Background (Broadway → Now)

10:00 — The Windsor Castle Story

16:30 — Why He Needed Help With Audio

18:30 — The Big Misconception: “Just Get a Booth”

21:00 — The Facebook Thread That Changed Everything

23:00 — The Actual Fix

25:30 — The Last 5%: Clarity VX

28:00 — Workflow Friction (Final Cut Issue)

31:00 — Broadcast Reality vs Perfectionism

34:00 — The Challenge of Great Audio + Great Video

36:30 — The “Perfect Zoom Background” Problem

40:00 — AI Tools He Actually Uses

43:30 — Deepfakes: Real Risk or Overblown?

47:00 — Turning Down Voice Cloning Offers

50:00 — AI Lawsuits + Ownership Questions

54:00 — Where to Follow David Pogue