1. FOR ALL THE VIEWERS READING, PLEASE KINDLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
My name is Ozzie Wilson. I am a self-employed voice artist. Charisma with Soul!
2. PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY.
In 2019, I was teaching full time, and I started doing audiobooks.
3. WHAT MADE YOU GET STARTED IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY? A friend of mine and myself decided to venture into voiceover. He wanted to do animation characters, and I wanted to do audiobooks.
4. PLEASE SHARE A MOMENT WHERE YOU FELT YOU WANTED TO BE INSPIRED TO BE A PART OF THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY. I have been inspired by Kevin Michael Richardson. He is an incredible talent and a friend. I would hear him in different TV shows and movies and it would fascinate me. Sometimes if wasn’t sure, I’d wait for the credits to roll at the end of a program just to see if it was him.
5. PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN THIS INDUSTRY AND HOW YOU OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES. Some of the challenges I face is keeping all the parts of this business going. The marketing is my biggest challenge because I do email and social media marketing and you must stay consistent and relevant. Also, AI voices have become more realistic and clients are more sophisticated. I have to attach AI riders to some of my contracts to make sure my voice is not used without my consent. Freelance voiceover sites don’t always protect the artists either.
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? Two artists come to mind: Michael Scott and Eli Harris-two artists who are killing it in animation!
7. IS THERE ANY PROJECT OR PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH OR COLLABORATE WITH? I would love to collaborate with many artists, the only one that comes to mind is my friend Kevin
8. PLEASE TALK ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF WORK YOU ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON. I’m currently focused commercial work and elearning.
9. PLEASE TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT. I enjoy the different types of media that actors can do. Some actors can work in film, broadcast television or internet on camera and off camera.
10. WHAT VOICE OVERS DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST FROM HOLLYWOOD? I admire Mark Hamill and Phil Lamarr.
11. WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE ACTOR? A voice actor has to know how to put emotion into their words in a way that feels realistic. A good voice actor also has to have the ability to follow a director’s lead and change focus when prompted.
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? All of my work has been in my own home studio. I would enjoy coming to a studio because I like to bond with people I work with, especially on an artistic level.
13. WHAT TYPE OF SPECIALTY IN VOICE OVER WORK DO YOU LIKE TO FOCUS ON, OR DO YOU HAVE SEVERAL TYPES? My specialties are conversational reads and Urban, mostly New York accents. I was born in New York City so I can relate to the vibe of the city.
14. WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VOICE OVER ACTOR? Not sure about all voice actors, but between projects I have a work schedule. I wake up to coffee and emails early in the morning, warm up my voice and knock out auditions. I’ll eat a bit and do some email marketing. I’ll work on that and knock out some more auditions if necessary. Midday, I try to do some voiceover related activities like read, listen to a podcast, watch a video or take a class. I’ll do some social media likes and then work on creative content.
15. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED IN VOICE OVER WORK? There’s so much to recommend. I would say take classes to get your instrument (voice) working well and keep learning. Also, find a quiet space to record and practice your craft. Lastly, delve into different genres of voiceover and if you find that you’re really good at a particular genre, go hard!
16. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE OVER ACTOR? A voice actor has to know how to put emotion into their words in a way that feels realistic. A good voice actor also has to have the ability to follow a director’s lead and change focus when prompted.
17. YOU ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE AS A VOICE OVER. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2025? WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU FOR 2025? I just finished a campaign for Sonny’s BBQ and I’m currently working on a meditation series.
18. CAN YOU SHARE ANY EXCITING PROJECTS THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON NOW? I have some things in the works, but I’m not at liberty to say!
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 https://www.ozziewilsonvo.com/ . You can also reach me at 832-492-6029
20. ANY LAST MESSAGE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE READERS ? Nowadays AI is boomin’…but when it comes to voiceovers… please Hire Human!
