“The Superbowl of Voiceover” – VO Atlanta is a place for voiceover professionals to connect with other talent, learn about the many different facets of the industry, and even take their career to the next level.
The 2023 conference took place March 23-26 and marked the 10th anniversary of the event. It also marked the first year that CSM’s very own J. Michael Collins and his wife, Anna Collins, served as the event’s owners. JMC and Anna both felt they had a “sacred responsibility” to make sure the event “continues to be a rewarding and growth-enhancing experience for talent.”
With training and discussions on business and marketing, management and agent representation, commercial, animation, among many other topics, and keynote speaker Debra Wilson present, attendees had a wealth of educational programming to take advantage of. JMC and Anna also chose to bring back programming on audiobooks, Spanish, and kids’ VO to promote inclusivity in the industry.
The CSM crew showed up and out for VO Atlanta 2023 in general, but also as speakers for the conference’s programs:
- Stefan Johnson led sessions using his expertise as a voice actor and influencer.
- CSM’s Head of Casting Aya Maruyama presented on how international talent can break into the U.S. market and set themselves up for success!
- Natasha Marchewka shared insight for the Kids Program as a voice actor, mom, and coach.
- Brigid Reale delivered powerhouse presentations on how to best organize your VO business and increase your productivity, or in other words, “Get Your ISH in Order.”
- Brad Hyland spelled out the ABCs of voiceover success and best practices to grow your business, as well as how to streamline your auditions.
- Dan Friedman offered guidance in his “Surgical Strike Script Analysis” session on how to look into the deeper, underlying messages behind the surface of a script; he also served as the leader for the Team Challenge.
- JMC himself presented in a few sessions as a voice actor, coach, and demo producer.
- Our fearless leader Celia Siegel even led a session as a master of branding and talent management!
Apart from the many learning opportunities at the conference, VO Atlanta is also a chance for voiceover artists at all stages in their careers to come together and build a network. JMC points out that while talent are often hired by agents, managers, and casting directors, you can also get a lot of work from fellow talent, too. It helps to have friends in the business, and conferences like VO Atlanta are the perfect place to start.
VO Atlanta also gives voice actors a forum to find their fit in the industry and start building their authentic brand. Whether you’re just starting out and don’t know where to begin, or you’re an industry veteran looking for new parts of the business to explore, VO Atlanta “is a place to discover your brand and discover who you are,” according to JMC.
Next year’s festivities will take place March 7-10, with super early bird priced tickets on sale now. If you’re ready to get a head start on building your authentic brand and finding your place in the industry, schedule a free 15-minute consultation with Celia.
At CSM, branding is our passion, and we’d love to help you grow as a voiceover professional with the stellar brand to match. We look forward to seeing you next year at VO Atlanta, and hearing from you much sooner than that!
