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

From closet booth to NFL sidelines—Queen Noveen didn’t just break into voiceover, she built her own lane.

In this episode, she joins George the Tech to share how viral moments, relentless hustle, and smart social media turned into real bookings—including the San Francisco 49ers, NASCAR, and NFL Honors.

But it wasn’t smooth. Along the way, she faced noisy apartments, blanket booths, online trolls—and figured it all out in real time.

If you’ve ever wondered how VO careers actually take off today…this one’s a must-listen.

Learn more at: www.queennoveen.com/

Timeline

00:00 – Soundcheck Promo
00:21 – Handling online hate
00:45 – Meet Queen Noveen
01:52 – Closet studio beginnings
02:59 – Juggling early jobs
04:20 – Moving from Connecticut to LA
05:15 – How voiceover found her
06:36 – Dealing with noise interruptions
08:44 – The “blanket booth” era
13:50 – Upgrading to a real home studio
15:51 – Self-directing vs. being directed
17:06 – Going viral on TikTok
20:58 – Managing comments & negativity
24:27 – Learning mic technique the hard way
26:32 – The story behind “Queen Noveen”
28:12 – Turning social media into bookings
29:19 – NFL Honors + 49ers breakthrough
29:54 – NASCAR opportunity chain reaction
31:24 – Inclusion, opportunity, and pushback
34:13 – Australia TV interview experience
35:43 – Editing yourself on camera
38:13 – Launching Ready. Cue. Announce!
39:59 – Curriculum + how it started
44:16 – Who the program is for
46:52 – Measuring student success
49:03 – How to enroll
50:28 – No “get rich quick” promises
52:16 – Wrap-up + community

What do Saturday Night Live, The Golden Girls, and modern voiceover studios have in common?

Ed Moskowitz has worked on all of them—and his biggest lesson after decades in the industry is surprisingly simple: don’t overcomplicate your audio.

In this episode, Ed walks George through his journey from scrappy theater kid to mixing some of the most iconic shows in TV history. Along the way, he shares wild live-broadcast stories (yes, including the Macy’s Parade), the evolution from boom mics to lavs and RF, and why today’s tech sometimes makes things harder—not better.

They also dig into Ed’s current voiceover setup (refreshingly minimal), his philosophy on signal chains, and what actually matters when you’re trying to sound professional.

If you’ve ever wondered how the pros really approach audio—this one’s packed.

Timeline

00:00 Pro Audio Soundcheck Intro
00:33 Meet George and Ed
02:49 Ed’s Theater Roots
04:52 Hollywood Sound and SNL
06:37 Studio 8H Sound Design
09:56 Snakes, Soldering, and Travel
12:35 Macy’s Parade War Stories
16:51 Union Work and Sync Playback
19:24 Sitcom Factory to Golden Girls
24:36 Golden Girls Sound Crew
25:56 Larry Sanders Breakthrough
31:16 Booms, Lavs, and RF Evolution
37:32 Leaving Set for Voiceover
41:32 Inside the Booth
42:05 Mic Collection Talk
44:06 Signal Chain Basics
46:25 Analog Control Philosophy
48:34 Live Sound War Stories
53:58 Voiceover Growth Path
58:29 Sennheiser Prototype Story
01:02:58 Noise Reduction and Plugins
01:09:48 Tech Updates Headaches
01:12:27 Wrap Up and Where to Find

Can your audio quality make or break your voiceover career?

In this episode, George the Tech sits down with legendary demo producer Chuck Duran to talk pro audio, modern VO demos, and why your home studio might be the biggest factor in whether you book or get passed over.

Chuck shares his journey from music roots and moving to LA at 13, to a decades-long friendship with Jess Harnell that unexpectedly launched his career producing voiceover demos. Along the way, he reveals why great reads aren’t enough if the audio is bad, how commercial production has evolved into story-driven sound design, and why he now produces demos 100% remotely—so your real studio sound is front and center.

You’ll also hear how custom scripts, simple signal chains, and clean mic technique beat over-processed “radio sound,” and how VO Buzz Weekly’s demo spotlights can help talent get seen by agents.

If you’re a voice actor, this episode could change how you think about your studio, your demos, and your career.

 

00:00 Audio Makes or Breaks 00:56 Meet Chuck Duran 02:24 Origin Story in Music 03:04 Frampton Spark and First Guitar 04:31 Moving to LA at 13 06:02 Meeting Jess Harnell 08:18 Roger Rabbit Breakthrough 09:14 Building a Better Demo 12:01 Why Audio Quality Matters 13:42 Demo Demolition Win 15:15 Modern Demo Production 16:59 Raw Audio Costs Jobs 19:59 Soundcheck and Fixes First 20:42 Commercial Production Trends 21:28 Sound Design Tells Story 22:42 Stacy Personal Story 25:18 Custom Demo Copywriting 28:48 Adapting to Industry Shifts 32:27 Remote Demo Business Model 33:33 Studio Quality Matters 36:15 Demo Spotlight Series 41:01 Representation Through Process 41:54 Where to Get Started 43:05 Final Thanks and Wrap

What are the real fundamentals of great voice acting—and where should beginners start?

In this episode, George the Tech talks with respected voiceover coach Martha Kahn about the core skills every actor needs. She shares her ABC approach to script analysis—Audience, Backstory, and Character—to create more authentic, conversational reads, along with practical techniques for marking scripts, building rhythm, and avoiding repetitive delivery patterns.

Martha also discusses the importance of consistent vocal warmups, common pitfalls like “instant demo” promises, and a smart training progression—from commercials to narration to animation. Plus, she offers practical advice on building audition stamina and developing real-world experience before pursuing agency representation.

Whether you're new to voiceover or helping a young actor get started, this episode offers clear, practical guidance from an experienced coach. 

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:05 Starting the VO Process
02:19 ABCs Audience Backstory
05:01 Character and Script Markup
06:52 Practice Rhythm and Musicality
08:44 Slating Like a Pro
09:47 Warmups and Plosives
12:56 Avoiding Coaching Scams
14:36 Which Genres to Start
18:01 Auditions and Online Casting
19:54 Handling Rejection and Growth
22:33 Kids in e-Learning Work
25:21 Range, Demos, and Closing
28:11 Contact and Farewell