This entertaining pre-recorded panel was early Sunday at 9AM on the Fan Track channel. The moderator, Renee Cooper from the Anime Track, was leading this group. The panelists were Cara Ricketts, Danielle McRae, Anairis, Quinones, and Tiffany Witcher.
Although these ladies got in to the field by different means, they all agreed: get a good mic. There is nothing worse than having a bad mic and a good voice. It will make all the difference in the world. You also need to take care of your voice. If you have to have to do a part that has a lot of exertion sounds (grunting, screaming, etc.), you are probably going to want to rest your voice the remainder of the night or the next day. Working out also helps. Not only do you feel better, it helps with breathing.
Voice acting can be rough. There is going to be rejection. You have to remember that sometimes you voice may not be “that” voice. They may be looking for a certain sound. That’s ok. If this is a career you truly want, just keep plugging along.
When most of them started, it was hard because they were Black. Their voice was used more for “Black” voice rather than their quality of their work. Being a woman made this process even harder. Women, especially Black women, have a hard time in the industry. Ricketts talked about doing other voice styles (Asian, etc.) and feeling now like some kind of poser. It appeared that all of these women started their voiceovers in the gaming industry and transitioned over. Most of them still do gaming voiceover work but are now recognized for their amazing talents and work in other media.
These ladies had great insight to share with all of Dragon Con fandom. If this is a field you are interested in, you definitely need to go to the replay and check it out.
