Growing up, I absolutely loved watching cartoons and other forms of animation, as well as playing video games. As I grew older, I became more interested in the mechanics behind these awesome creations. Don’t get me wrong, I still love animation and video games and come across new ones every now and then.
When the pandemic first began, I started watching Matt Groening’s “The Simpsons”, and recently I watched the latest installment of JG Quintel’s Close Enough. As for video games, I love playing single player story games such as the Uncharted series and fighting games like Super Smash Bros.
As I looked into the behind the scenes work of these mediums, I developed an interest in the art of voice acting.
This month, I got the amazing opportunity to talk with Deb Doetzer, an experienced voice actor who for two decades has been working in voiceover, theatre, and improv.
An adjunct faculty member at both DePaul University and Columbia College, Deb teaches voiceover in the radio and theater departments respectively. Additionally, Deb has been cited as the “Best Voiceover Coach” in Chicago by Backstage Magazine.
Throughout her career, Deb has worked on many commercial and video game projects. For commercials, these include Blockbuster Video, SC Johnson, and Ford. For video games, these include Red Faction, Watch Dogs, and Injustice: Gods Among Us. Deb’s voice work from Injustice: Gods Among Us can be found on YouTube. This is only a glimpse of what Deb has worked on.
In the interview, we talked about several topics, such as breaking into the industry, how one can perfect their craft, and what best practices one should inhabit heading into the game.
One of the sections that particularly stuck out to me was our conversation about how the industry is shifting as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry will likely implement more remote work, and Deb has already experienced this firsthand. She has been submitting auditions virtually, and has even landed a role in Disney’s animated series The Owl House. Production for pretty much all animated series occurs in Los Angeles, but with more online practices being utilized, production teams could hire any voice actor from around the world!
This will really change the game for future generations of voice actors.
We also talked about recording voice demos and how to construct one that showcases your strengths. Deb’s recording demos can be found on her agent’s website, and be sure to tune in to the next season of The Owl House on Disney+ and Hulu!