Maria Pendolino

Celebrating The New Disabled Voice Actors Database

January 26, 2023 by Maria Pendolino

Here at Blue Wave Voiceover, we are committed to presenting voices that look and sound like America. We’re proud to feature talented voice actors on our roster that span the generations and come from diverse backgrounds. When we talk about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as a country, one thing that is frequently left out of that conversation is Accessibility for disabled people. Many disabled advocates have called for the phrase to be rewritten as “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility” (DEIA) in order to truly be inclusive.

To that end, we’re proud to be a partner and champion of a new resource for both voice actors and voice seekers in our little production universe here.

Introducing The Disabled Voice Actors Database

On December 3, 2022, in honor of the International Day of Persons With Disabilities, voice actor and Blue Wave Voiceover collective member Maria Pendolino supported the launch of The Disabled Voice Actors Database. This database serves as a central dashboard that empowers casting directors and other voice-seeking industry professionals to source high-quality, talented voice actors who also happen to be disabled.

This database is important for a number of reasons. Studies have shown that people living with a disability still make less money and have higher unemployment rates. Even with its digital embellishment, the society we live and work in leaves little room for any interpretation that isn’t physically or mentally “able-bodied”.

Unfortunately, this is a theme that continues throughout the world of entertainment, including voice over acting. Although the industry may often cite inclusivity and progressinve-ness as values, so often disabled voice actors are looked over for parts — even when these parts involve the portrayal of a disabled character!

A New Beginning for An Important Disability & Accessibility Resource

Maria and The Disabled Voice Actors Database founder Nick Germain made it their mission to make sure that there would never be another easy excuse to pass over disabled voice talent. Inspired by similar databases serving the LGBTQIA+ community (QueerVox) and People of Global Majority (aka BIPOC/POC) (PGM VO List), they created Version 2.0 of The Disabled Voice Actors Database.

Like so many good ideas, the database started as a Google Sheet, but it wasn’t long before it outgrew those rows and columns. The Disabled Voice Actors Database 2.0 exists as a sophisticated AirTable that is free to join and only visible to vetted voice seekers. Other voice actors that were instrumental in making the Database come to life were Satauna Howery, Tony Jackson, Tyler Berman and Lindsay Sheppard — a hard working team of volunteer steering committee members.

Steering committee member Tyler Berman said “To accurately cast and give voiceover talent a chance to go out for both disabled (and more importantly) typical characters is why I feel this will help break the stigma of voiceover actors with disabilities only being able to voice disabled characters. You see on-screen actors with disabilities perform both types of characters all the time so why not voice over actors? You only hear their voice and the voice actor could be very capable for the role.”

How To Search For Talent With The Database

In order to protect the privacy and well-being of the voice actors in the database, The Disabled Voice Actors Database is only visible to vetted individuals. In order to pass the vetting process, an applicant must be in a position to seek out and hire voice talent, and must also be willing to provide a fair wage and humane and reasonable work process, which may need to include accommodations.

It’s easy to request to be vetted — simply visit www.disabledvoiceactors.com and follow the button labeled “Voice Seeker Access Request”. Once we’ve done our due diligence we’ll send you your login credentials along with a short tutorial on how to best use the database.

How To Join The Database As A Disabled Voice Actor

In order to make sure our database helps as many voice actors as possible, we’ve made it free to add your name. The only stipulation is that if you’re under 18, you’ll need to ask your parent or legal guardian to add you to the database.

If you have any questions or comments about this new endeavor, The Disabled Voice Actors Database volunteer steering committee would love to hear from you at disabledvoiceactors@gmail.com.

Why HR Is An Important Part of Running a Successful Media Company

January 25, 2023 by Maria Pendolino

If your lifelong dream has always been to run a successful media company – like producing commercials, working with voiceover artists and actors, then chances are that you didn’t lay awake at night dreaming about processing payroll and running exit interviews. Dealing with all of the nuance that comes with running a business and employing people isn’t sexy – but it’s critically important. And it can be very expensive – and even legally daunting – if you get it wrong.

Now, don’t get us wrong — we’re not saying that HR and People Ops isn’t a noble profession. It’s just not always the first thing that people think of when they imagine a future where they’re coordinating big-name TV commercials, being on an international film set, and drafting television ad copy for a Superbowl Spot.

But guess what — HR is an important part of every field, including showbiz. Yup, it’s HR’s world out there, and we’re just living in it.

Why is HR an Important Part of Running a Media Company?

Human Resources (HR) is a critical and important part of running a media company. We often like to think of creative services as being their own world. As much as this may be true — trust me when I say that things can get weird in this industry — at the end of the day, it’s a business like anything else. Yes, we get the privilege of working in a field where we can express ourselves and take creative liberty, but at the end of the day we still have to do what every other business does, like pay taxes and follow labor laws.

So where does HR come into the mix? Someone smart and old once said, “no man is an island”. We would have to agree (though we’d also, politely, amend that quote to include all humans including those who aren’t men).

The truth is, anyone who forms a creative company on their own will quickly realize that they can’t do it all alone. When this realization dawns on them, they will have to get to hiring. Which brings us to our first reason why media companies need HR:
A proper HR approach helps you find the right people.

Hiring Creative People for Creative Projects

If you’re looking for somebody to help with a creative project, like a freelance voiceover artist, you’re going to want to look for somebody with specific skills and/or interests. For example, in the world of voiceover, it might be necessary to seek out a corporate narration voice talent who has experience targeting the Millennial demographic, or a voice actor who can sing at a professional level as well as speak. You might also be looking for someone from a specific background – like a talented African American actor.

Most likely, the first thing that you’ll do when you need to find a specific person is post a job ad. Congratulations, you just took your first step into the HR world!

Find an HR Subject Matter Expert!

An HR consultant can help you find the right people for your job — not just any person. Onboarding new talent is expensive, and it’s not a mistake that any company wants to make, no matter how small you are.
HR helps you stay up-to-date with labor laws

Anytime a company hires an individual, whether it’s as a contractor or employee, they are bound to local labor laws. This can become very complicated in the globalized world of remote work, so many folks without experience in HR may choose to work with a consultant to help them through the hiring process.

Good HR Helps You Retain Employees

We all know that it’s not true that “nobody wants to work anymore” — but certainly nobody wants to work for low pay and terrible conditions anymore, and can you blame them? Life is short and work can so often be challenging.

The problem is, sometimes it can be hard to know what exactly your employees are looking for. And people can be shy! Working with an HR professional can help you stay aware of where industry trends are headed towards so that you can stay ahead of the curve and remain a place that somebody wants to work. They can also help you ensure that employees are staying challenged and avoiding boredom, an often overlooked feeling that can motivate some employees to leave.

The bottom line is simple. If you’re in the middle of making big things happen as a media entrepreneur, don’t let HR considerations fall by the wayside. There’s a reason why you’ll find an HR department at every notable company.

Things Change Every Day

At Blue Wave Voiceover, we proudly work with media production companies around the world to help bring their content to life. We’re happy to provide freelance professional voice actors for commercials, industrial videos, narrations, political spots, and more! And we know that every company that we work with is different and might be dealing with changing local, state, or federal policies that apply to hiring and working with talent. We are always happy to understand your HR policies and procedures in advance to ensure that your session and shoot go smoothly. Get in touch today if you’d like to learn more about working with our talent voiceover artists!

Top Five Ways to Find Voiceovers For Political Spots

November 15, 2021 by Maria Pendolino

Looking for just the right voiceover for your political spots? It’s easier now, more than ever, to find voiceovers who can speak to the audience you’re looking to reach and hit the tone you’re looking to achieve. Working directly with a professional voiceover artist ensures you are working with someone dedicated to their craft and committed to delivering the highest quality audio performance so that your political spot stands out.

Home Recording Booths and Voiceover Microphones

Thanks to technology, you have access to professional voiceover artists all across the country who can deliver broadcast studio-quality voiceovers from their at-home recording studios, using sound isolation booths like StudioBricks and Whisper Rooms. Working with a professional with an at-home studio means you don’t need to factor in a commute time, coordinate studio schedules, or pay for renting studio space.

With high-quality recording studios come high-quality recording equipment. Professional voiceover actors record their voiceovers using high-quality microphones and recording equipment including the Neumann U87 and Sennheiser MK-416, Neumann TLM-103, Audio-Technica AT4040, Warm Audio WA87, or Rode NT-1 to make sure the files you receive meet (and exceed!) your highest standards.

Connect With A Talent Live to Direct Your Session

If you’re looking to direct a live session, not a problem! Many voiceover artists are familiar and comfortable with navigating platforms such as SourceConnect, ISDN, ipDTL, Phone Patch, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Zoom to ensure you can provide feedback and direction in real-time.

Not only do professional voiceover artists have their own studios, but they’re also ready to provide editing and post-production services to make sure the files you receive are ready to plug and play.

So where do you find reliable and professional voiceover artists to help you with your political spots? This task can feel overwhelming and time-consuming, but finding just the right talent doesn’t have to be! We’ve got the Top 5 Ways To Find and Hire a Political Voice Over Artist for your spots today!

Top Five Ways to Find and Hire Voiceover Artists for Political Spots

#1 – Visit a marketing collective like Blue Wave Voiceover

Connecting with a marketing collective like Blue Wave Voiceover connects you to an entire roster of freelance voiceover actors who look and sound like America today. The professional voiceover artists at Blue Wave Voiceover are committed to working with mission-driven organizations, advocacy groups, Democrat and progressive candidates, and campaigns across the country to deliver fast and flexible service. The Blue Wave Voiceover roster includes female, male and non-binary voices. You can also search voices to find performers who use a specific regional accent or dialect, voiceover talents that can deliver an authentic urban sound and even voiceovers that are bilingual and fluent in Spanish. A collective like Blue Wave Voiceover gives you options without overwhelming you with too many choices. Blue Wave Voiceover is also happy to provide free auditions of your script so that you can hear voice actors speaking your words. Email casting@bluewavevoiceover.com to audition your script today. There’s no obligation to hear auditions of your script.

#2 – Use Google to search for a specific type of talent

If you know what you are specifically looking for in your voiceover, Google can be helpful in finding it, especially if you are looking for a political voiceover talent who aligns with a specific value or belief. Pair your voiceover search with keywords for a specific regional accent, language, heritage, social cause, or issue to hone in on the specific type of voiceover you’re looking to incorporate in your ad.

#3 – Work with a licensed talent agency

Licensed talent agencies have networks of political commercial voice actors who are talented and experienced men, women, and children ready to bring your political ad to life and connect with the audiences you want to reach. With a vetted talent roster, you can choose from SAG-AFTRA and non-union talents who can deliver a wide variety of voices.

#4 – Ask for referrals from colleagues who produce political media

The classic phone-a-friend strategy goes into play here! Reach out to your networks and ask if they know of anyone or have worked with voiceover artists with experience voicing political commercials. They might know someone, or they might know someone who might know someone who could be the perfect fit for your next project or campaign! Word-of-mouth referrals are often a great way to ensure you connect with a professional who can turn around your project on time and deliver a high-quality file.

#5 – Post a casting notice on a freelancer site

Sites like Voice123, Bodalgo, and Actors Access can help you connect with a voice actor looking for their next opportunity. If you go this route, keep in mind that you may receive auditions and proposals from amateur voice actors who do not have professional at-home setups or a treated space to do the recording and deliver high-quality audio.

Working with a professional voiceover artist will ensure your political spot connects and resonates with the audiences you’re looking to reach. Bringing in a professional to deliver your compelling message with just the right tone, pitch, and professionalism will give your media the best chance at making a difference for your candidate and campaign!

Asian American and Pacific Islander Voiceover

August 27, 2021 by Maria Pendolino

According to The Pew Research Center, a record 23 million people in America trace their roots to more than 20 countries in Asia. This includes East and Southeastern Asian countries like China, Korea, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and others. However, when it comes to Asian American and Pacific Islander voiceover representation in the media, there has been a historical

“whitewashing” of characters with AAPI heritage. In voiceover specifically, this has recently manifested in situations like Allison Brie, a white actress, voicing a character of Vietnamese descent on the Netflix animated series Bojack Horseman. More recognizable, Hank Azaria, a white actor and voice actor providing for many years the voice of Apu, an Indian-American character on Fox’s hit animated show The Simpsons.

AAPI Voiceover Artists

At Blue Wave Voiceover, we’re focused on elevating authentic voices from the AAPI community to give voice to characters, issues and platforms that are uniquely theirs.

Do You Recognize Any of These Characters?

We’ve started to see an increase in representation in the media landscape as it pertains to stories about and starring Asian-American and Indian-American performers. Crazy Rich Asians, the feature film that premiered in 2018 and was directed by Jon M. Chu, highlighted a full cast of Asian American lead performers. We’ve also seen television shows breaking through like Nora From Queens starring Awkwafina, Beef starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, Kim’s Convenience and Fresh Off The Boat which highlight a uniquely Asian American experience, and films like Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings features Simu Liu as a Marvel superhero of Asian descent and Minari featuring Steven Yeun as part of telling the story of a unique take on the American Dream.

The film Everything Everywhere All At Once made waves in the industry with a cast made up of mostly Asian actors including Michelle Yeoh. In a history-making moment, Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian actress to win an Academy Award for Best Actress, symbolizing the growing significance of AAPI representation and recognition in the film industry at large. Standout performances from Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu contributed to winning seven Academy Awards awards out of a total of eleven nominations. The massive success of Everything Everywhere All At Once has led to additional films and television shows featuring a majority Asian cast including Joy Ride, American Born Chinese, and Quiz Lady.

Just because visibility is increasing, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t still experiencing and struggling with stereotypes. For many years, there were probably folks in America who could have only identified Jackie Chan as an Asian performer that they recognized. Part of the problem is that white actors like Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and Emma Stone have been hired to portray characters with an Asian heritage – leaving the general American audience without the knowledge and access to the talented performers in the AAPI community.

We at Blue Wave Voiceover are Proud to Welcome and Highlight This Community

Throughout the pandemic in 2020 and beyond, there was a disturbing increase of hate crimes and events targeting the AAPI community – especially the elder AAPI community. The racists perpetuating violence and a false narrative blame AAPI people for the chaos we are going through in this situation, building a barrier between us, as well as interrupting many work opportunities.

We are proud to highlight talented voiceover performers from the AAPI community at Blue Wave Voiceover and are thrilled to have such talented voice actors on our team. If you are looking for an Asian-American or Indian-American voice performer to authentically represent their community in your creative, look no further than Brent Mukai, Trecia Lovering, June Yoon, Sura Siu, Anjali Kunapeneni, Evan Widjaja, Danish Farooqui, Mark Lee, or Cherie B. Tay.

The men and women on our roster offer such a wide range within their craft and are highly adaptable to settings that allow for a variety of performances and perspectives.

We Need a Culture That Enlightens Us

You’ve probably heard on more than one occasion that Asian and South Asian cultures predate American culture by millennia. As Americans, we’ve taken on aspects from their cultures that include exploring spirituality, our bodies, and our emotions. It’s just as important for us to highlight, promote, recognize and give credence to their cultures without appropriating or whitewashing their stories and narratives.

If you want to add a voice to your project that represents an authentic Asian or South Asian heritage, check through our catalog and listen to our voice actors’demos. You’ll almost certainly discover one with the tone you’re searching for. If you have any questions or would like casting assistance with your project, please contact us at casting@bluewavevoiceover.com . It will be our pleasure to provide you with all the information and voiceover samples that you need.

Happy LGBTQIA+ Pride Month from Blue Wave Voiceover!

June 16, 2021 by Maria Pendolino

The Blue Wave Voiceover collective is thrilled to raise our voices in celebration of and solidarity with LGBTQIA+ pride voice actors and people across the globe! This June – and all year-round! – we are joyfully celebrating and amplifying queer and trans communities and we are also continuing to fight every day for the liberation of all LGBTQIA+ people. We’ve seen real movement in 2021 towards more inclusive representation in VO and less cisheteronormative casting. But we recognize that there is still much work to be done to break down the queerphobic and transphobic barriers in voiceover and the performing arts. And we would be remiss not to acknowledge that 2021 has been one of the most dangerous years in terms of anti-trans legislation, attacks against the rights of trans youth, and fatal violence against trans and gender non-conforming people, particularly BIPOC trans women and femmes.

As a collective of voiceover artists who look and sound like America today, we Blue Wavers are extremely passionate about creating safer, more inclusive spaces for voice actors and people who identify anywhere along the beautifully diverse spectrums of gender, sexuality, and expression. We know this solidarity looks like advocating for LGBTQIA+ liberation in the present and also, remembering and uplifting the queer and trans activists of the past who paved the way.

This June not only marks another year of celebrating LGBTQIA+ people around the world and pressing for queer liberation, but it is also the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn – a queer bar that still proudly stands today in the West Village – and the queer and trans patrons fought back, igniting protests that lasted for days and launching the Gay Liberation Movement. On the frontlines were primarily trans women of color, drag queens, and butch lesbians including Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major, and Stormé DeLarverie. Half a century later, we owe these courageous advocates everything for the progress we have seen and the victories we have won. Of course, there is still a long ways to go so as we continue to fight for justice for people of all sexualities, gender identities, and expressions, we remember Marsha P. Johnson’s words, “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us!”

In celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride 2021, we pass the mic to our amazingly talented artists!

And if you want to check out our LGBTQIA+ voice talents, search artist bios here.

Zia Amador (he/him)
“Being a trans and non binary voice actor is such a pleasure. Knowing that my voice can help be the representation that I so desperately needed as a queer teen means the world to me. Recently I had the honor of voicing a non binary character for an animation talking about coming out and the importance of being an ally. As part of this project I was asked to share my own coming out story! Something I love about being a trans voice actor is that the roles I get tend to be much more personal. It’s awesome to see us being represented more!”

Cherie B. Tay (she/they)
“I am so proud to be out and queer. To me, the word “queer” represents joy, fearlessness, and the pride in being comfortable with who you are.
This past year, I got to voice an animated short as a non-binary platypus! It was so well done, and I was honored to tell their story. I also voiced eLearning projects about LGBTQ+ inclusion in classrooms!
I wanted people to learn that who they love is not a thing to be shameful about. May we all find acceptance, kindness, and love!”

Allegra Verlezza (they/them)

“Being queer, genderfluid, and non-binary fills me up with so much joy and pride! As a gender studies student, I learned – in the very classrooms in which Audre Lorde taught decades before – that to “queer” something as verb means to trouble and deconstruct something, to destabilize and dismantle the power dynamics of something. And boy do I love queering voiceover and acting!
Recently, I voiced a project for a virtual Pride event where a bunch of LGBTQ+ voice actors voiced the same script of proposing to their partner and the video included all of our voices. I absolutely loved this symbolism that a “queer voice” doesn’t sound like just one voice – it’s a huge, diverse cacophony of voices!
I care very deeply about creating space in the voiceover industry – and everywhere – for LGBTQ+ talents, particularly those most marginalized in our community like BIPOC and TGNC actors, to be their fullest and freest selves. I believe queer and trans voice actors amplifying our authentic voices is a revolutionary act and I know there’s a future where we never have to compromise any part of ourselves to do what we love. Inside and outside of the booth, I fight to break down reductive binaries and harmful stereotypes because living beyond the made-up binary benefits us all!”

Congratulations Blue Wave Voiceover Winners!

May 20, 2021 by Maria Pendolino

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 20, 2021

2021 Pollie and Reed Awards – Winning Political Spots

Blue Wave Voiceover actors Christi Bowen, Debbie Irwin, Kabir Singh, Kesha Monk, and Maria Pendolino won awards from both the 2021 Pollie Awards and Reed Awards.

[New York, New York] – Today, Blue Wave Voiceover is thrilled to announce that political spots voiced by Blue Wave talents Christi Bowen and Kesha Monk have been awarded Pollie Awards by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC). Additionally, 2021 Pollie and Reed awards political spots voiced by Blue Wave talents Debbie Irwin, Kabir Singh, Kesha Monk, and Maria Pendolino have been awarded Reed Awards by Campaigns & Elections. Congratulations to the incredible creative firms who produced these spots as well as our extraordinarily talented voiceover artists!

Kesha Monk – “Day in the Life”

Silver Pollie Award (National) for Digital Creative – Stand Alone
Reed Award for Best Online Video for Ballot Initiative
Hamburger Group Creative, Stronger Than Communications

Christi Bowen – “Body Bags”

Gold Pollie Award (National) for Television: Digital Independent Expenditure – For State Legislature
J&Z Strategies, Progress Action Fund, Meidas Touch

Christi Bowen – “Deserve”

Bronze Pollie Award (Regional) for Television: Independent Expenditure Campaign – Special Election
J&Z Strategies

Debbie Irwin – “One For All Committee: Stages of Grief”

Reed Award for Best Use of Humor in a TV Ad (Democratic)
The New Media Firm

Maria Pendolino – “Jill Karofsky: Track Record Too”

Reed Awards for Best Use of Voice-Over Talent in a TV Ad and Best Use of Voice-Over Talent in an Online Video (Independent/Other)
The New Media Firm, A Better Wisconsin Together Political Fund

Blue Wave Voiceover is a collective of professional voiceover talents that look and sound like America today. With talents spanning the generations from Gen Z to Baby Boomer, the collective includes diverse actors from authentic backgrounds, including African American talents, Bilingual Latin and Hispanic talents, Asian American talents and more. To cast a voice for your project visit www.bluewavevoiceover.com or e-mail casting@bluewavevoiceover.com.

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For Additional Information:

Maria Pendolino, maria@bluewavevoiceover.com

646-820-1401