New classes start July 15!
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Voiceover coaching
I've worked with some of the best voiceover actors on the planet.
Let me help make you one of them.
If you're an actor, I don't have to tell you how competitive the commercial voiceover field is. And yet, despite the many thousands of talented actors out there, most agents and casting directors will tell you that it's rare to find even one who can interpret commercial copy correctly and consistently. Or deliver it with the kind of artistry and confidence ad agencies are looking for.
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Well, no wonder. Actors are given little to no direction when auditioning (apart from the usual "more conversational," "not announcer-y" or one of several other equally useless phrases). Moreover, they have little insight into the intentions of the ad agency who supplied the copy. The result is a guessing free-for-all in which no one but the ad agency knows what the "right" choice was, or why an actor did or didn't book the job. Even agents and casting directors are in the dark in this regard, since they're never actually in the room when final casting decisions are being made. Only someone experienced in actually making those decisions for many years and for many types of products would know such things.
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Someone like me, for instance. :)
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That's right, as a former advertising creative for over 25 years, I was directly responsible for picking the actors for every commercial I wrote. So I can reveal the hidden code to commercial acting that is largely unknown to most of the industry. And because I'm a voice actor myself with hundreds of radio and TV commercials to my credit, I can explain it in a language you understand, actor to actor. Once I do, you'll be able to translate that vapid, "selly," or confusing copy into text that's clear and purposeful – the way the ad agency envisioned it. And deliver it with the same truthful conviction and rich nuance you bring to your film and stage work. In short, you can go back to being an actor again – more importantly, a working actor who's booking a lot more often!
To find out about my rates for private coaching, feel free to contact me. For information about my group classes, see the notice below. To learn more about producing a professional voice demo, please visit my Production page.
Copy Decoding
with John McKinney
Mondays, July 15- August 19, 20242
2-4 pm Eastern Time
A revealing, 6-week online course in copy interpretation and performance.
This class is primarily lecture and audio-visual based, with limited actor participation each class.
For advanced actors only. Class size is limited.
$375 for the series
$75 per class
Due to the popularity of this class, reserving ahead is recommended.
Class dates
Monday, July 15
• Industry overview (how VO casting actually works)
• Commercial acting basics
• The 4-step breakdown
• The 3 basic roles (announcer, character, testimonials)
Monday, July 22
• Basic copy architecture
• Setups & payoffs
• Advanced announcer technique
Monday, July 29
• Commercial concepts, explained
• Adding layers and nuance
• Video demonstrations and workshops
Monday, August 5
• Mastering concepts, cont'd. (Performance workshop)
• Product categories and genres
• Other considerations and metrics
Monday, August 12
• Special categories – Retail, promos, beauty, corporate, etc.
• About brands and "brand personality"
• Image brands (video samples)
Monday, August 19
• Exploring characters (performance workshop)
• Announcer-character hybrids
• Animation
Special Note: Classes will be recorded so that anyone who signs up for the full series can access the recording of the class they missed. (Up to two missed classes. After three absences or more, no further recordings will be provided.)