I learned at a young age the power of the human voice to engage, motivate and inspire. I grew up listening to classic children’s literature and poetry read aloud by my master storyteller dad, who also introduced me to the radio greats of the 1940s and ’50s — George Burns and Gracie Allen, Fannie Brice as Baby Snooks, Fibber McGee and Molly and others, whose voices, imprinted on me, can bring back a flood of feelings and images to this day.

I have formal training and experience acting in school, community and professional theaters, as well as a long career as an editor, newspaper reporter and freelance writer. My background and lifelong passion for both written and oral language make me uniquely suited to voiceover work.

I would welcome the opportunity to help you with your project. I offer my voice for these recording purposes:

• audiobooks, particularly books for children
• documentaries
• corporate training videos
• movie and game trailers
• commercials
• promos
• interactive voice response, voicemail, phone systems and on-hold messages
• e-learning courses
• interactive kiosks and audio tours

In addition, I offer skills in scriptwriting, copywriting and editing.

Voice Description

• warm, sincere
• folksy, down-to-earth
• intelligent, serious
• sensual, sultry, sexy
• dark, evil and powerful
• sophisticated
• authoritative
• accessible, informative
• clear, concise straight reads
• dramatic, comic
• character voices

Gender and Ages

• child
• young adult female
• middle-aged female
• senior female
• accents:
• North American English
• standard/BBC English, Cockney, Irish
• American Southern, Texas, New York and others

Experience and Training

• voiceover workshops, Ray Nakamoto, Nakamoto Productions, Sacramento
• voiceover workshop, Susan Hayward, Learning Exchange, Sacramento
• Shakespeare workshop, Jack Lynn and Charlie Holliday, Sacramento
• B Street Theatre Conservatory, Michael Stevenson and Jamie Jones, Sacramento
• Summer Training Congress, American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco: improvisation (Rafe Chase), Shakespeare (Drew Khalouf), speech evaluation and dialects (Lynn Soffer), Meissner technique (Francine Landes)
• Mountview Drama School, part-time acting classes, London, England
• B.A. theater, California State University, Fresno
• A.A. theater and journalism, San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton
• training-video scriptwriter, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento
• singer/business manager, Merry Measure, professional novelty quartet, Sacramento
• actor, various theaters, including B Street Theatre, Woodland Opera House, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Columbia Actors Theatre and Stockton Civic Theatre
• freelance writer of brochures, newsletters, ad copy, PSAs, press releases
• newspaper and magazine writer and editor since 1979

Contact

E-mail
janet@janetmotenko.com