1. FOR ALL THE VIEWERS READING, PLEASE KINDLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
My name is Chris Johnson and I am a professional Voice Actor based in Los Angeles. I have been involved with Voice Acting for the last 11 years.
2. PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY.
In 2014, I was working at an advertising agency and gave a presentation to a client. I was approached afterward and asked if I had ever thought about doing Voice Acting...which I had not. Two days later another person asked me the same question, out of the blue, so I started to ask myself if I SHOULD be thinking about it. I was in a band at the time and wasn't a stranger to performing, but pursuing something like Voice Acting never crossed my mind. I did a little research and found a 4 hour "Intro to Voice Acting" class which I decided to give a shot. I immediately fell in love with it and started taking more and more classes from there.
3. WHAT MADE YOU GET STARTED IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY?
When those colleagues brought up Voice Acting in the span of a couple days all those years ago , I think it sparked something in me that I had never fully explored. I knew I had always loved music and singing so my involvement with that was a no-brainer, but I had never let my mind explore the possibility of using my voice in animation or commercials or anything else really. I knew it was a job that existed, but it always seemed like something other people did for a living and while it seemed like a lot of fun...that was for them, not me. It turns out, it was definitely for me, I just needed that initial synchronistic spark
4. PLEASE SHARE A MOMENT WHERE YOU FELT YOU WANTED TO BE INSPIRED TO
BE A PART OF THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY.
This whole journey has been inspirational, but if I want to take it back to when seeds were planted...one of the first times I remember being fully aware of a Voice Actor's performance was when I watched Aladdin when I was around 10 or 11 years old. I remember sitting on my couch, being completely enamored by the scene when the genie is first released from the lamp. Robin Williams cracking jokes at break-neck speed while the animations did their best to keep up was pure magic. I remember rewinding the VHS countless times, trying to memorize all the beats and quirks of his delivery. While it didn't dawn on 11 year old me at the time that I wanted to do that, in hindsight it was definitely a moment in time that drew me in and planted the seeds that would take root many years later.
5. PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN THIS INDUSTRY AND
HOW YOU OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES.
This industry is very challenging on many levels, some you can foresee and others that pop up along your journey. You are a one-person business in this industry, responsible for not only your own performances and craft, but also your own marketing, invoicing, networking, technical setup and know-how and everything else it takes to run a successful business. This can certainly be an uphill battle. I was fortunate to have worked in the corporate world and dealt with invoices, client interactions, contracts and networking...but I did not have an acting background. I knew this would be a large hill for me to climb, so when I started out, I didn't look for work for the first couple of years. Instead, I took class after class after workshop after workshop so I could develop my skills and make sure I was "ready" when I started looking for work. You have to take an honest look at yourself and your skills early on and work on the areas where you may need some extra support.
Once I eventually transitioned out of the corporate world and began doing Voice Acting full-time, I also found challenges I didn't expect. One was getting used to working alone every day. I had worked with colleagues in an office for years and going from that, to locking myself in a padded room by myself all day...was an unexpected adjustment
6. JAPAN IS KNOWN FOR SO MANY GREAT ICONIC VOICE OVER PEOPLE, SUCH AS
CHARACTERS FROM ANIME OR MOVIES AND DUBBED TV SHOWS. WHO IS
SOMEONE INSPIRATIONAL THAT YOU ADMIRE IN THIS INDUSTRY?
I am very happy to find myself inspired by so many people in the industry, both people I have admired for years and people I get the chance to work with on various projects. My formative media years were in the 90's, so I was a big fan of some of the original Nick Toons on Nickelodeon like Doug, Rugrats, and Ren and Stimpy. So Voice Actors like Billy West, E.G. Daily, and Christine Cavanaugh are an inspiration. Nancy Cartwright and Hank Azaria from the Simpsons also stand out and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the amazing Mel Blanc entertaining me with hours of Looney Tunes. Oh...and Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario and countless other Mario Brothers characters...I could really go on for pages on this one.
7. IS THERE ANY PROJECT OR PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH OR
COLLABORATE WITH?
Collaborating with any Voice Acting royalty from my childhood would be absolutely amazing and some of the amazing Voice Actors I have met and worked with thus far have also made the work so fulfilling. I tend to answer "everyone" to this question not as a dodge, but there are so many talented folks in this industry and you never know who you are going to have great chemistry with, so I just keep the doors open to any and all opportunities and feel fortunate when my path crosses with others.
As far as a particular project, I would like to be part of something that lives on beyond my career. Whether that be an iconic animated character in a video game or a TV show or an impactful advertising campaign, it would be really fun to have a performance impact people beyond my time.
8. PLEASE TALK ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF WORK YOU ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSED
ON.
I pride myself on being versatile. I have done commercial work, video games, audiobooks, eLearning, on-hold messaging, promos, corporate tutorials, narration, etc. So I am perpetually focused on putting myself in front of people and projects who think my voice and performances can be a fit, no matter the Voiceover genre. I am always learning, evolving and developing as an actor.
9. PLEASE TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT.
There is a constant buzz in the entertainment industry. There are always so many amazing projects that are at various stages of development and it gives the industry a certain life and energy that can be a lot of fun to be a part of. There are so many talented creative people, striving to tell stories that excite them and can teach us so much about ourselves both individually and collectively. Being at a point in time that makes it technologically possible for people to consume these stories in so many ways, is very exciting.
10. WHAT VOICE OVERS DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST FROM HOLLYWOOD?
There is a lot of great work being done. In the movie space, I admire the Voiceover work from films like Toy Story, Shrek and Her. In the commercial space, branded work by the likes of Jon Hamm for Mercedes is really well done and as I mentioned earlier, I do have a soft spot for all of those great cartoons of the 90's and early 2000's that entertained me when I wasn't even thinking about Voice Acting. When the character and work shines through and you are just entertained, you know they are doing a great job.
11. WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE ACTOR?
Contrary to popular belief...it is not all in the voice. The reality is, that this industry has the need and the space for all types and qualities of voices. I always tell people that it is a lowercase "v" in voice and a capital "a" in acting. Acting is the foundation. If you have the most amazing smooth and rich voice, but don't deliver believable and connected performances, it likely isn't going to work out. A good Voice Actor will put in the time and work to learn the craft. The learning never stops either, so it is also important for Voice Actors to continually be open to their own evolution and open-minded to try new things. \
Also, persistence. I tell new and upcoming Voice Actors that there are times when persistence is more important than skill. Even for people who are incredibly talented, there will be times where no matter what you do, it feels like you can't book a job. It makes you question your talent, your path and can be very mentally taxing. Finding ways to persist and power through those moments, is key.
12. NOW IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, EVERYTHING IS DONE BY REMOTE WORK. DO YOU
ENJOY THIS PROCESS, OR DO YOU PREFER TO SHOW UP AT THE STUDIO?
Being able to record from your home booth is very nice. It allows me the flexibility to quickly turn things around for clients and with today's technology, I can connect with studios around the world to do a session. It saves time and makes work more efficient in many cases.
I also enjoy going to a studio. It is nice to network with others, chat with your engineer and get out of your own space. One of the main benefits of going to a studio is that I can really just focus on my performance. If I am at home, I am worried about the technical setup, making sure the internet is behaving, my pre-amp settings are dialed in, that Source Connect is loading....all things that can distract from the job you are hired to do. Going to a studio, where you have amazing professionals handling all the tech, allows you to focus on the acting...and it can be very freeing.
13. WHAT TYPE OF SPECIALTY IN VOICE OVER WORK DO YOU LIKE TO FOCUS ON,
OR DO YOU HAVE SEVERAL TYPES?
The genres in which I am hired the most are commercials, corporate narration, and eLearning...however, I have done work in all sorts of genres. I really enjoy more character-driven work, so whenever I can be part of projects like audio dramas or video games, it is always a fun time. It is important for me to remain versatile, so I do like to focus on many different niches.
14. WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VOICE OVER ACTOR?
Outside of days when I have paid job sessions to do, auditions run my daily schedule. I will wake up and begin to review the auditions I receive from my agents or from people I have networked with directly. I will then begin to work my way through those. I would say, on average, I normally have 10 or so auditions a day. Some days there are more and some days there are less. On the days when there are less auditions, I will also work on my direct marketing, invoicing and other, less sexy, business tasks.
15. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED IN VOICE
OVER WORK?
First and foremost, take advantage of your free resources. There is so much available for free today like social media accounts of working voice actors, Q&A’s you can find on YouTube, Discord servers for new talent, interviews like this one...pretty much, you need to be a sponge so you can learn about the industry and if it is even something that you want to be doing. Then, if it IS something that you want to do, just like anything else you need to learn how to do it. That means classes, workshops, coaching sessions...and plenty of them. Contrary to some social media posts I see, Voiceover is NOT a "get rich quick" scheme. You have to put in the work and know that this is a long-term investment. Invest your money on yourself and your development in the beginning and don't go out and buy thousands of dollars worth of equipment just to find out 2 months later that it's really not for you.
16. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE OVER ACTOR?
A persistent dedication to craft and a willingness to learn, evolve and adapt.
17. YOU ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE AS A VOICE OVER. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS
FOR 2025? WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU FOR 2025?
The exciting (and potentially terrifying) part about this industry is that sometimes, you don't know what is right around the corner. Sometimes you will have on-going projects but that big commercial or breakout role, may be an audition that you get next week. I like to focus on controlling the things that I can control...which includes making sure I am at the top of my game, that my materials are current and updated, and that I am being honest with myself. That way, when those opportunities do present themselves, I know that I am ready to give it my best shot.
18. CAN YOU SHARE ANY EXCITING PROJECTS THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY
WORKING ON NOW?
I have some regional commercial work that is running across the country currently and I am working on some eLearning material for some pharmaceutical clients. I do have some other work that I am barred from discussing via NDA agreements, but I hope to be able to discuss those very soon!
19. IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HIRE YOU FOR ANY VOICE OVER WORK, CAN YOU
PLEASE LIST YOUR WEBSITE AND HOW PEOPLE CAN REACH YOU?
My website is the best way to get in touch with me: http://www.vocalcj.com
It has all of my demos front and center, as well as examples of previous work I have done.
20. ANY LAST MESSAGE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE READERS ?
I encourage everyone to support human voices for all voiceover projects. With the advancement of technology and artificial voices, companies can sometimes think it may be more "cost effective" to use these artificial means of expression. The nuance and human connection in Voice Acting is what makes this industry so special. It is why performances strike a chord in us and why 11 year-old me was captivated by Robin Williams as the genie in Aladdin. I encourage everyone to stand behind human voices whenever possible.
