Think Like a Producer Series:

"How to Secure Voiceover Jobs With Marketing Firms"

An interview with Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company - Part 2

In Part 2 of this interview, Female Voiceover Artist Debbie Grattan chats with marketing executive Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company, Inc. about how voiceover artists can capture the attention (and business) of marketing firms.

As a vice president with Villing & Company, Inc., a marketing communications firm based in South Bend, Indiana, Scott Tingwald’s responsibilities range from developing public relations and marketing plans for clients to managing accounts in the higher education and financial niche markets.

DebbieG VO Pro: How frequently do you need to go outside of your personal rolodex for new voiceover talent?

Scott Tingwald: We have several go-to people at voiceover talent agencies where we can easily secure at least a half-dozen candidates. We also like working with independent voiceover actresses such as yourself, when we know the voice and quality we're getting is high caliber.

About four-to-five times a month we go through the process of identifying a voiceover actor for a job.

DebbieG VO Pro: Do you ever have to go outside of the box, such as Google or pay-to-play sites, where voiceover actresses and actors pay to be listed?

Scott Tingwald: We’ve been lucky in that we haven’t had to do that. I still like the fact that we work with voiceover talent and voiceover agencies who we know will get back to us quickly with the appropriate range and who can set up a session without a lot of additional effort.

DebbieG VO Pro: Do you receive unsolicited voiceover demos?

Scott Tingwald: Rarely, and since you bring it up, it’s a bit surprising. We certainly get a lot of people contacting us about freelance print and design work, but we rarely receive voiceover queries.

I would think a cold call introduction is a good way to go if you’re looking to get your voiceover name out there — as long as it is done right, that is, not too invasive. I prefer e-mails over phone calls, and links versus file attachments.

DebbieG VO Pro:: Do you prefer to work with voiceover actors that have their own studios or do you have a studio set up as part of your agency?

Scott Tingwald: It varies. In this day and age of digital technology, a couple hundred dollars of soundproofing will get you good quality. A phone patch is a huge plus, but we wouldn’t rule somebody out because they don’t have it.

Here again, we look for consistency. If we need to go back for new tracks, it has to sound consistent every time. As long as we feel we can get that, that is the biggest qualifier.

DebbieG VO Pro: Have you ever had talent not be able to deliver?

Scott Tingwald: We certainly have had times when something we got from a voiceover talent wasn’t what we wanted. When we’re trying to get a certain voice, we need to have somebody from the agency monitoring and directing the session, but even then, we sometimes realize later it’s not exactly right.

DebbieG VO Pro: What voiceover trends and opportunities do you see?

Scott Tingwald: Videos. If I were a voiceover actor, that is what I would be focused on. Show your strength in this new video medium, with strong two-to-three minute videos that have a range of emotion and excitement. There’s a particular skill at knowing how to get into something, drive it along for three minutes, and entertain people.

Radio is still part of the mix, but if you can show that you were part of this awesome viral video that got millions of hits, that is something I would say is a unique, valuable skill.

Be sure to read Part 1 of this interview which discusses how to distinguish yourself through voiceover demos.

Debbie Grattan is a professional female voiceover actor who has been doing voice over work for over 20 years. She's a "go to" artist for many production companies and recording studios across the US. Check out her voice demos, voice actor bio and recording studio specs for more information.

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Think Like a Producer Series:

"How to Secure Voiceover Jobs With Marketing Firms"

An interview with Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company - Part 2

In Part 2 of this interview, Female Voiceover Artist Debbie Grattan chats with marketing executive Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company, Inc. about how voiceover artists can capture the attention (and business) of marketing firms.