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- [00:00]
Andrew Morrison
Voiceover coffee shop episode 73.
- [00:03]
Jenna Birmingham
Welcome to the Voiceover Coffee Shop where we give you a glimpse into the world of the biggest voice actors in the industry over a delicious cup of coffee. And now, here's your host, voice actor Andrew Morrison.
- [00:21]
Andrew Morrison
Hi there. My name is Andrew Morrison and welcome to the Voiceover Coffee Shop where we start our day with some of the finest names in voiceover. If you'd like to get to know more about me, feel free to check out my website@AndrewDMorson.com in this episode we have my very good friend Jenna Birmingham. Jenna is an award winning voiceover talent, one of the most creative and talented producers I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and one of the most interesting minds in the industry. We chat about the production side of VO tier 3, automotive and women in car commercials. And no matter where you're listening to this episode, I've added a little game to this one comment. How many times you think I made an automotive reference in my questions? Bet you can't catch them all. How you doing, Joe?
- [01:06]
Jenna Birmingham
I am doing really well.
- [01:08]
Andrew Morrison
Good. Thank you for coming on.
- [01:10]
Jenna Birmingham
It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.
- [01:13]
Andrew Morrison
So how do you take your coffee in the morning? How do you, what, what fuels the start of your day?
- [01:17]
Jenna Birmingham
Laughter Fuels my feels. The start of start of my day. And I am, even though I'm supposed to drink something warm, I start drinking my peach flavored tea. So.
- [01:27]
Andrew Morrison
Laughter like, do you watch standup comedy when you first wake up or.
- [01:30]
Jenna Birmingham
No, my dogs normally, when they're, when the dogs are normally running to the door outside, there's, you know, there's no traction on our floor so they just are slipping and sliding and climb up to the door and I can't open the door because their noses are pressed against it. And it's like you'd think after living in this house with these dogs for over 18 months that they would have figured out door by now and yet they don't. So, you know, you kind of got to laugh at it.
- [01:54]
Andrew Morrison
So you live in like an America's Funniest Home Video skit.
- [01:57]
Jenna Birmingham
Oh, my. Yeah, I, I don't watch as much TV as I used to now that I've got, I have a senior and two puppies. So between the three of them, I, I don't, I just don't watch as much tv. I just watch them mess with each other and it's pretty entertaining.
- [02:11]
Andrew Morrison
Awesome sauce. So how did you start in voiceover?
- [02:18]
Jenna Birmingham
Honestly, it really wound up being a decision to do it but when I was younger, I always, I wanted, I wanted to be an actress. I wanted to be an entertainer. When I was younger, I been singing and dancing. Not that I'm a good dancer, but I would always had that kind of personality when I was younger. And then, you know, I'd be watching cartoons and it's like, you know, I wanted to be a color kid or My Little Pony or the princess from Voltron or you know, a transform like. And I, I didn't know that it was, you know, there was people that actually did that as a job. I just assumed that they actors that got lucky enough to do this kind of stuff. And so I, I just focused on like being an actress. And when I was younger I did lots of acting camps, theater drama. I played a couple instruments. And so I had, you know, musical education in that as well. I was in several choirs growing up, California State Honor Choir. So I really kind of got a lot of my education with acting and stuff as a, as a kid, all through school. And then I wound up momming. That just wound up being the way that my life went. And then I was stationed in Italy at the time. And one of my girlfriends who's a producer in Hollywood movies, she's like, you know, I hate that you've really kind of given up on acting and you know, being, you know, working on a screen, but, you know, maybe you should think about doing voiceover work. And I was like, yeah, thanks, that's nice, you know. But then it simmered there for several years and finally we were stationed in Hawaii like several years later on the opposite side of the planet. And I was just like, you know, I want to, I want to do it. And I was broke. So it was like they have microphones at a radio station. So I have marketing and promotion skills. So you know, I timed it right and I got in, in the promotions department. And you make yourself available and you always say yes when you're working at a radio station. So there was one day the production director came up, asked me if I could read or, or asked me if I could read. And I was like, you know, it's been a minute, but yeah, I think I can, I can read. So he pulled me in and I did a 10 second sweeper for McDonald's return of the Tarot Pie. And know it played on the stations. And the other.
- [04:41]
Andrew Morrison
I haven't been to Hawaii in a minute. I, I even forgot about terabies.
- [04:46]
Jenna Birmingham
Most people don't even know what they are. I know, but you know, the Other production or not production. The other program directors for the stations heard me, and they went to him and said, whoever she is, use her more. So I got in the habit of going in and I would ask questions, you know, like, what are you doing in my voice with that, you know, line EQ thing? And why am I talking off axis? And just, you know, not every time I'd go in and record, but, you know, often enough so I could kind of learn what I'm doing. And then it was, hey, just go in the other studio and record yourself. And then it was, go ahead and pick a music bed and go ahead and put that under. You can do that, right? Yeah, of course, I'd never done it, but sure, yes, I could do it. And I had had one of the morning show guys, he had already been teaching me how to use Cool Edit, so. And soundforge. So I already had the basics of editing that I had been learning while doing the promotion stuff. So at one point, he just started handing me, you know, the. The production orders, and he's like, just, you know, be sure to put some sound effects on that one. You can do that, right? Yes, I could do my. My early production work. I was very proud of it at the time. Hearing it now is kind of cringy, but at the time, I was incredibly proud, and it was good for me, and it was good enough for air. So that was. I fell into production. And while I was doing that, I, you know, started doing some freelance voiceover stuff. And, well, it was voice. It was on voices.com at the time. I had a free account, and it was a very different platform than it is now. The algorithms were nowhere. I mean, this was back in 2007, 2008, so it was nowhere near what it was. And the Internet was not exactly the resource that it is now either. So I didn't know to not make my own demo. When I submitted it for consideration for a voicey, I got to be. I was a finalist for Best New Voice. And Joan told me that if I hadn't made my own demo, I would have won it. Yeah, like, I probably would have won it. And I was like, so that was a lesson. And, like, I remember that one. But, you know, and it was, you know, I did some touristy, you know, come visit this town kind of little. Little voiceover jobs. And then we were. I was a Navy wife for 12 years, and when my husband at the time got out of the military, we were getting ready to move back to California. And I had spoken to several of the big companies, radio stations, rather, in Sacramento area. And they're like, come on in, we just want to meet you. Loved, you know, just to have that important, but we'd love to have you. And that was 2008, and in three weeks time from me leaving Hawaii to getting to California, they're like, yeah, we're actually having to fire people now. We're no longer hiring. And, you know, one of the guys that was interested in me, he really wanted my voice and he's just like, just hang with me, just hang with me a little bit longer. We could. And By January of 9, he was let go and wound up moving to SoCal to work at a different, you know, radio station company. And, but I stayed in contact with him. I stayed, you know, I kept in really, and Facebook was becoming more at that point and just kind of kept tabs with him. And I had also, before I left Hawaii, I had worked with Ron Jacobs on his Internet radio station. And that also gave me the opportunity to produce people like Joe Cipriano, who was doing liners for his station. So that was another contact that I managed to just keep in contact. We're not like best friends or anything, but you just, you know, you keep, you keep touch you with, with people and voices. And so while we were in California, I didn't completely give up on voice or production, but I wasn't really doing it. I would do the occasional phone system for somebody or, you know, occasionally do some quick narration or whatever, but I really wasn't doing a lot of work. And then I got divorced in 2016, and I was like, you know, I really need an income and I really miss radio and I really, really miss doing voiceover work. So, you know, I, I started kind of, you know, fiddling around with that, getting myself situated and started. And then I got a phone call a little bit after that, like, I think a year later, and it was the guy who was trying to get my voice in 2008. And he said, I know you still do voice work, but do you still do production? And I said, you know, I'm rusty, but yes, I, I, I'm sure it'll come right back. And he's like, okay, because there's a job that's coming up. There's about five women in the country who can voice and produce, and they all have jobs. So, you know, if you can do it, that'd be great. And I was awesome. And he was the first person to ever call me a unicorn. So, like, yes, the answer is yes. And So I went back to school. I went to two different colleges. I was majoring or I was going for the certificate program for radio production at one college, and I was simultaneously going to another college for music entrepreneurship. So I was getting through that as fast as I could just to brush up production skills and stuff and just, you know, get back in a studio, even if it was a college studio, not a station, but just the studios there. And then the, you know, I was doing voiceover kind of part time in the midst of all the school, and then I got the phone call that the job was ready, and, you know, I just got to apply for it, and I applied for it, and I didn't get through the screening system on the. On their website. And then he was like, where were you? And I told him, and then he had to go search for me, and he found me. He's like, oh, you did apply. And he's like, he was upset that he didn't get it. I'm like, I'm not. I'm not the one that was filtering that stuff. Not my, you know, it's not my fault. And so he's like, you know, well, there's a couple of other production hubs. There's one in Philly. I can help get you in there. There's one in Dallas and one in Kansas City, but I. I don't really know those guys, so I can't really, like, get you in those. And I was like, if you just help me get through the filing, you know, the application process, I feel. I think I can, you know, get it on my own. And I was heard by my now boss, and I'm pretty certain I got the job for my voice first, my production skills second, and my writing third. But I still got the job. And, you know, my. So I've been working with a company for. Since September of 19, and we make about 2,000 plus commercial. I mean, individually, each of the producers make about 2,000 commercials a year. And I'm voicing over half of those. So for the day job, that's the volume that I'm working in. And then I do have some of my own freelance clients, and I'm on a couple of rosters. So while I'm working throughout the day, you know, I might get an audition or, you know, hey, we need this voice real quick. So my turnaround time is normally about 20 minutes for that kind of stuff. And, you know, because I'm already. I'm sitting here, I'm. I. My mic is right there, my everything is right There. So it's not like I have to run from the other room or run home or run from, you know, to get to a studio. I'm already sitting there. So you know that, that keeps me very busy. So you know, from 8 in the morning until 6ish at night, you know, I managed to bounce and juggle the production and the voiceover side of everything.
- [12:22]
Andrew Morrison
So what is a music entrepreneur degree? What, what goes.
- [12:27]
Jenna Birmingham
It's just a certificate program but basically it's, it's more. I mean you still. I learned Pro tools, I learned MIDI in that, in that course as well. But it's, it's much more of like the business side of the music industry, the behind the scenes stuff with the, with the music industry.
- [12:44]
Andrew Morrison
So has that certificate affected your, your voiceover career? Like knowing what goes on behind the scenes in the music side or was it mostly just production?
- [12:54]
Jenna Birmingham
It was the production part definitely helped with it being business. It is still business. So that can directly, I mean you can kind of pull those. Obviously building a street team is not necessary for voiceover, but I know how if I, if that becomes something that we need to start doing in the future. I've already got the know how for how to set up a street team. But yeah, so I mean some of the business stuff did, you know is if you tweak it can definitely be applied. But I, I was mostly taking it for the production side of that kind of thing because there were programs in that certificate program that they don't teach in the radio production program. So again it was just getting my hands on various production, you know, various daws and stuff to just get as, as to be as prepared as possible for what the future. Because I didn't know exactly what software they use here with Odyssey or any of that kind of stuff or you know, if I was going to wind up working for one of the other companies or a private, you know, you know, privately owned radio station group. I don't know what is going to be in the future. None of us do. But I want to be as prepared as possible for whatever that may be. So you know, it was, it was cool to get to learn some of the other things. I will likely never use MIDI ever again. Pro Tools. There's a chance it's. I don't need most of what Pro Tools has to offer, but I know how to use it. If I need to audition, I'm comfortable on audition. I learned on Cool Edit which became Audition. I do miss Soundforge. That was a program I really enjoyed. But you know, elements of that are in audition. So. So, yeah. So in terms of the musicpreneur. Musicpreneur, music entrepreneur, it was. It. It was cool to get to learn some of that stuff and some of it with the music background that I had from when I was younger. It. Some of it was kind of a review, but yeah, it was. It was. It was an interesting certificate to. To go through. I would. I would definitely encourage people to do a radio production certificate program. That one was really great because you don't just get to do radio production in most programs. You also get to just learn audio. So you'll sit there and be, you know, recording audio for film, you know, for some of your projects and some of the classes and stuff, and you might wind up. There's a broadcast class, so you get to learn how to use, you know, the teleprompter. Will I use that for radio? No, never. But it was cool to do that. Sounds cool to do. It is. And, you know, it's just kind of cool to see how other aspects of audio stuff works. And, you know, there are voiceovers that get used in news broadcasts. You know, I mean, there are little bits where that happens and, you know, and then there's normally at least one voice class in the requirement for that certificate program. But yes. I mean, if you can't necessarily. I mean, for people that are looking to get educated more in the field, check out. And it's a community college, so it's relatively affordable compared to going to a university for a full program. You know, it's. It's. It's a very. It's valuable. It's. It's another option out there if you. If you want to learn production and voice and that kind of stuff. So.
- [16:20]
Andrew Morrison
Yeah. So what goes into the actual production at a major radio distribution company? Like what. What goes into the actual production work?
- [16:31]
Jenna Birmingham
By the time it gets to me, normally most of the time it's already gone through legal, if it's a script that's coming from above. But for us, you know, there are times where we will be given a flyer for a restaurant sometimes, or a fly. There are still monster truck commercials out there because I've seen the flyers and they're. One of the guys I work with makes really great monster truck commercials. So sometimes we'll just get a, you know, or bullet points and then they're, you know, go ahead and write us a script and make a commercial. So sometimes it can be everything from writing to then casting it or voicing it, then finding your Music bed, finding sound effects, putting it all together, and then at that point it gets sent off to the client, the salesperson for approval. Then they send it back with any changes or they say it's good to go. And then we upload it into the system and then it plays whenever traffic has decided to plug it into play. I do not. Traffic people are, they're, they're puzzle wizards over there in the traffic department. So that part's, I'm so glad I don't, I am not that kind. I'm a, I am, I'm not a linear thinker at all. And, and there's just so much like puzzle work that goes on with what they do. So they're, they, they work. There's a lot of different aspects for radio in terms of, you know, different pieces of, of everything that goes together to getting a commercial on the air. So I really only know my piece.
- [18:01]
Andrew Morrison
Well, with your piece, like you, some, like, especially in November, you do a ridiculous, ridiculous amount of commercials in a month. So how do you kind of, how do you rev yourself up for like back to back production?
- [18:13]
Jenna Birmingham
Know that it's coming? Just, just knowing that it's coming. Because the first, the first November that I worked, I, after the first week of November, I was like, I don't think I can do this job because I didn't know that it wasn't always going to be like November. I, I, I'd only been there for, you know, a month and a half and I'm having to make 25 commercials today. Like, huh, like that's, that's an insane amount of commercials. And I would, you know, and at the end of those days, you're just kind of done mentally. I mean, there was the first, my first November, there was a day, I think I made 28 commercials. And at one point I just kind of was just done. And I went to one of the other producers studio, sat on her floor and I'm like, I'm done. She's like, you finished everything? I'm like, I don't know, but I'm done. And as we're sitting there a couple of minutes later, the same thing just washed over her. And she's just like, I can't hear anymore. I was like, yeah, that. And then, and one of the other producers comes from across the hall and he's like, I'm done. And we're like, really? He's like, I mean, I still have stuff to make, but I'm done. I can't, I'm done. And so we're all kind of sitting there. There winds up being about four or five of us and our boss walks by and he's like, oh, you're all here. And we're all just kind of glazed over and just, you guys should go home, go home, get some rest. Because, I mean, we were useless at that point. Like, we couldn't hear, we couldn't think creatively or anything, Anything. We were all, we were done and our brains were jello. And so knowing that there are going to be days like that in November, you, you're, you're a little bit more prepared for an onslaught. So, you know, you really need to get your sleep at night. You really need to be, you know, eating a little bit better and just the. It. The day winds up being a marathon and it's just really trying to stay focused. But at the same time, take your break, step away from the desk. Go. Don't listen to anything, Just, you know, kind of etch a sketch. Your brain, your breaks are really, really important. You may have 12 spots that you still need to make, but stepping away and getting your ears back really winds up being an important part of the crazy days that happen in November. And it normally picks up. It normally starts about three days before Halloween and it's the week before Thanksgiving. That by the numbers, has been the most insane every year. And making 25 to 35 commercials is expected. I mean, not, not like you got to do them, but you can expect your workflow to look like that. And the other thing with our commercials is it can be everything from a full commercial, like I said, you know, writing to on air. And sometimes it can be a donut, a tag inside a donut, outside of a donut. Sometimes I'll just, you know, be doing a, you know, half a conversation for one of the other producers or you know, a DJ endorsement or, you know, some, one of their things. And it's just a matter of slapping a bet on it. So it can count all of those things. It's not every commercial is a 60 second needs to be fully produced, you know, and it's 60, 30, 15, some, some blanks. So it's five second things, but still you've got 25 of them and at the end of the day you're done.
- [21:44]
Andrew Morrison
What's a donut other than a carbon? Things you do in a parking lot.
- [21:48]
Jenna Birmingham
Oh, those are fun. So basically from some other. Normally it'll be like a national thing. This happens a lot in automotive too. But you'll get basically a commercial where the, in the Middle, there's just a bed. So you've already got an existing voice in the front and the back. And then in the middle, it's just the music bed, which is why they call it a donut. And that's where your part of the voiceover winds up going in. Or you're the front and the back and someone else has their bit of voiceover. A lot of the times it winds up being someone who owns their own company and wants to have their spiel. And then, you know, we, we cut them up and put them inside the donut. So, yeah, that's, that's what a donut is. I love the minutes.
- [22:37]
Andrew Morrison
Yeah. So when you have like those days in November, how are you keeping your vocal health? The well oiled machine, when you're just back to. Back to back.
- [22:46]
Jenna Birmingham
Hydration. Hydration is huge. Hydration is key. And honestly, for me, sleep, sleep is very important because that's when your voice kind of heals from whatever damage you've done the day before. And I, I don't talk to a whole lot of family. I really, I don't really coach with people in November. I don't do workshops in November, partially because my brain is already done by the end of the day, but also because I need to say what I've got for the next day. So it's. And I can't be a woohoo girl anymore. That's not November. That's in my life. Unless it's a four day weekend. Then I can be a woohoo girl on Friday here, Saturday, and then I have time to recover. But yeah, hydration and rest. Vocal rest. And don't whisper. Whispering puts so much more stress on your vocal folds because you're pushing so much more air in there. So that's. I, I noticed a lot of people, they'll be like, I'm giving myself vocal rest. I'm like, you just might as well.
- [23:45]
Andrew Morrison
Have shout, not whisper.
- [23:47]
Jenna Birmingham
You might as well have just shouted right then. So, yeah, so just like I said, hydration. And if you're congested, if you happen to get a seasonal cold, just hope for the best.
- [24:06]
Andrew Morrison
So being in the cab of production, how does that affect how you fine tune your auditions? So is it just knowing like the read now or like how.
- [24:17]
Jenna Birmingham
Okay, so in terms of when I do my read, when I get ready to send it, I do have to pay attention because my default with commercial, you're normally having to take all the air out because your copy is always long. So by default I just out of habit Just start going in and take an air out. And doing that to an audition isn't really the best thing to do. At least give the implant, you know, implication that there's breath there. You may. I mean, if you're gasping for air, yeah, get rid of it. But we are human, especially with AI being what it is right now. Keep a hint that you're a person. It's okay to have air in there. We do breathe. But that's one thing that's different for me in terms of my auditions. I don't spend a lot of time on them. I just don't. If they're asking for more than one take, then obviously I'm going to give it. But generally I'll do one. If it feels good, okay, I'll go with it. If it doesn't feel good, then I'll redo it. But I'm not spending any real time on them. It's. It's. You're getting what feels right, what my natural speech winds up being. I mean, the, you know, the, the copy does predetermine, you know, the mood of it and all that kind of stuff. But in terms of my approach with it, it's. You're getting it quick. I'd rather get my audition in as fast as possible and have it be pretty good. I'm not, you know, I want to be happy with it. Obviously. I love the times when my audition is, you know, we don't need to redo it. We're just going to use what you sent us. Obviously, that's awesome when that happens. But, you know, I just, I. I just trust what it feels like when I listen to it as I've recorded it, and if it feels good, I send it, and then I forget about it, literally. And then, like, sometimes, you know, then I'll. I'll hear back. But. And every once in a while. I don't know how you feel about this, but every once in a while, a newer person on the casting side will write me back and, oh, you know, we decided to go with another voice. I'm like, I don't even remember auditioning for you. Like, right. Why tell me I didn't get it. I. I don't. Who, what, what did I read? Like, right. So if I book it, then I go find it, I look it back up and I know what I did for them. But otherwise, yeah, it's gone. It's gone. And that's. The other side is if I question, like it when I was first starting out, if I send it off Sent it off. And if I questioned how it sounded, then I know I didn't do justice to myself. Because if I don't feel good about it, then I'm gonna think about it, and you can't. You'll go crazy if you think about every audition that you send. So as long as I feel good about what I sent, I'm happy with that. I'll be really happy when I book it, but I'm happy with what I sent, and I'm not going, oh, I should have done this, or maybe I should have done it this way or. Yeah, you know, and. And forget it. Yeah. And I mean, and I do like the times where it's, you know, send us two takes or three takes because it does give you a chance to, you know, play with it a little bit more. And, you know, maybe I'll use this side of my voice compared to this side. And, you know, maybe I'll add the vocal fry. And that's because that's a polarizing thing for some people, but it's also booking. So, you know, if I've got multiple takes, one will have it, one won't. It'll still be the same, but it's a little different. So. Yeah, I mean, there's. For the most part, though, you're. You're going to get my first or second go at it. I'm not going to sit there and do five takes for an audition. I want two takes that are great. Edit it, get it there, versus five takes and a half an hour later. Oh, they've already got all their submission number, you know, like so. And I'm used to doing things fast.
- [28:22]
Andrew Morrison
Yeah. And most of those production companies, like the, like for Odyssey, you. Those clients are actually owned by the production company. So how are you steering your career to find your own clients?
- [28:34]
Jenna Birmingham
Well, sometimes a client that I actually do their spot for with Odyssey, they will approach me. I've got a. Oh, it's like a. Just totally spaced. But they are. They do appliances and stuff like that. So it's an appliance store. So I did their spot for Odyssey and then they were like, know the client would really love if you could do their phone system as well. Okay. So I, you know, I, I'm their phone system too. And then sometimes you'll have a. A client that you read for on Odyssey, and then they'll be like, you know, we really love your commercial, but we're going to go buy some time with Iheart. Like, that's fine. Pay me and you can take it with you. And so, you know, we are allowed to do that. And then in terms of other, like my clients, I'm a voice of an island in Florida and they've been a client for a couple of years now. I love, there's. There's so much fun to work with. Our, our directed sessions are more of just a social 45 minutes and then 15 minutes of oh yeah, we, we're here to work. And but for them, they were one that it was, it was kind of serendipous. I had done their spot for Odyssey and they wound up finding me somehow and they, they approached me independently for a five minute spot for. In the stadium during one of the bowl games and their actual website and then also their commercial that they were going to be airing on ESPN nationally. So I got all that. It just happened to also be an Odyssey radio commercial. And they didn't know that it was me because I hadn't recorded. I had just gotten the production order for the radio spot and I had made it. And it was kind of in limbo when I did the directed session for the commercial. And I was like, now I want to go back and redo the radio spot, because now I know what the. Exactly what they want. And the radio spot wound up being fine. They still loved what I did on my own with the radio spot, but, you know, and they've, they've stayed my client since then, you know, and I just did an app for their app ad that they were doing. And then they've got some other streaming. Streaming stations that they're now doing the commercials. They're 15s for that one. So they've been my own client, even though they also wound up being a client from Odyssey. And so there's things like that that happen a lot. And with also with me having that area with like my appliances, I also have. I mean, I do try to with my freelance stuff to be mindful of those spots. So if I do get something from Odyssey that comes down for an appliance store and it's in that same market, I will try to get somebody else to voice it. And if I can't get someone else, then I'll do it. But I do try to honor my freelance relationships as well as my Odyssey relationships because I have a lot of repeat clients for both. I am all over Florida. So, like, it's. That's. That's the toughest one for me to navigate in terms of, okay, well, I've got this here and this one here and this one here and stuff. So yeah, yeah. So it's, it's, it's some juggling and paying attention with that. But the nice thing is, is Odyssey does realize that a lot of the producers and even some of the, the DJs and on Airtown, they also do voiceover stuff. So, you know, they're, they're pretty flexible with letting us do both and very understanding with that. But so far I haven't had any conflicts with one versus the other. And it's actually been kind of cool because a lot of the producers in the other production hubs, they know that I love doing automotive. So whenever they're like, oh, we need another auto, give it to Jen. Jenna will do the automotive. So, you know, I've gotten some, you know, dealerships that aren't mine, but I'm still voicing these other dealerships. I have one in San Diego I did recently, and they wanted a Southern accent, which is, I'm not, I live in Texas, but I am not Southern. I'm California girl. So it's like, but why do they, I don't know why they want Southern in San Diego. Maybe it's so they sound different than the other stuff. But I'm happy to do it. You know, I, I, it's just another one that I got to pay attention to. I'm already voicing this, you know, brand in San Diego. So, okay, San Diego's taken. So it's again, just kind of juggling and honoring all the different people that I voice for regularly.
- [33:07]
Andrew Morrison
So do you use in person marketing to add horsepower to your business? Like, like with the college classes that you teach on, like, production and stuff like that, does that ever lead to, to building relationships?
- [33:19]
Jenna Birmingham
I don't know yet, just because, I mean, it normally takes a few years to really get traction and recurring clients and stuff like that. So a lot of the people that I've, you know, done speaking or, you know, mentoring some of those, they're still new voices, relatively speaking. So it's still kind of too early to tell with some of them I have. I really, I'd love to know actually. Like, I mean, if there was a way to track that, that would be great. I know. In March, I'm going to be going to the University of North Texas for essentially Career day, but for the media department. So I'm looking forward to that. And then I'm also going to be teaching a class next semester. Just a day, you know, special thing for. I'm not ex. It's basically going to be beginning voiceover class because they actually don't have a voiceover class in the University of Texas or. Sorry, in the University of North Texas, they, in their, in their media program, they actually don't have a voiceover class. So I will be it for some of them. So, you know, I, and I don't. Most of what I do, I don't really do it with the intention of, you know, how is it, how is this going to benefit me later in terms of, oh, well, maybe this guy, this one will become a producer and then he'll give me, you know, he'll give me a job sometime or, you know, I mean, it's, I mean, you know how relationships work in VO in general. It's like you're on a project and they're like, hey, you know, we could really use, you know, like an Asian female voice. Do you know any. And it's like, I actually happen to, you know, because I have a little cheat sheet. So call her up. Hey, are you interested in doing a job? It's not great paying, it's only 125, but. And sorry, it's regional, but, you know, normally people say yes, you know, not necessarily because it's 150 bucks or something, but just to be thought of, you know, and referenced. I mean, and I've, I've gotten auditions the same way. Like, hey, they're looking for this. You interested? Sure. I audition. I get it. Or I don't get it. It's. It's still nice to be thought of by your peers when you're in a situation to bring someone else on or, you know what? I'm not a great fit, but maybe Jodina would be, you know, and shuffle that off her way, you know, so, you know, connections are very much, they're important. But I like my connections more for support and getting the chance to cheerlead for each other and just watch every, you know, watch each other grow on their journey and stuff like that. And, you know, I don't know. I. Beyond getting anything out of. Beyond that, that's icing, I guess I just, I. In. And in terms of direct marketing, I don't do near as much as I should, but I, I do do some. Yeah. When I, When I have a down, When I have down moments, I. Not down as in, but I can breathe for a second. I can get a couple emails out to, you know, this imaging guy here or this production house here, you know, so I, I'm happy If I get 10 out a week, which is nothing realistically. But if that's all I can have time budgeted to do that at least. Hey, I got 10 out better than none.
- [36:52]
Andrew Morrison
And get me up to speed on the women in automotive VO classes that you've been teaching and kind of pushing, like, what, what, what started, what was the origin of that? What, what started that?
- [37:03]
Jenna Birmingham
Well, it's not so much that I'm gearing it specifically for one sex or the other, but I think by me doing it, that does make more women more comfortable.
- [37:16]
Andrew Morrison
Underserved. Yeah.
- [37:18]
Jenna Birmingham
And the thing with women in automotive and Covid really, we were already starting to kind of get into automotive, but Covid really kind of gave us a really great shove into that door because they, you know, they weren't able to really sell cars for a while there because they couldn't make cars. So then it became more about the service and it really gave. And, and then just the time of COVID female reads were much more accepted and searched out for, and it just, it, it wound up just being a lucky time for me, especially because before COVID happened, I was producing automotive commercials, but I wasn't really voicing too many of them. And then about, about a month after we were all sent into our rooms, I wound up, I got an automotive, and then I got a couple more, and I started getting quite a bit of them, and I was just like. And they kept coming back and I was like, this is odd. Apparently I'm doing it right, but I don't know what I'm doing right. And so it was just kind of having to hope that I kept doing it right. And then I, I wound up, you know, the world started opening up again, and one voice is here in Dallas. And, you know, Cliff Zelman was going to be teaching automotive, and I was like, I need to take that class mostly because I don't know what I'm doing right. And I, I want to know why, why I'm doing what's, you know, just kind of the understanding of what I'm doing. And, you know, it was, it's so much fun. If anybody hasn't taken it, go take it. He breakouts are fantastic and his ex sessions are wonderful. And it was, I didn't learn a whole lot in terms of, you know, just epiphany after epiphany. It wasn't like that at all. It was so much more of like, okay, I get it. And really with, with him, you know, I, I, I spoke to him and I had some questions, and it was more for the production side of things, which I think kind of perked his curiosity because it's not like I didn't come at him with voiceover questions. It was, when you're. When you're doing a spot, are you focusing on the brand or where it's going to be played on? And it was the brand. The answer is the brand. But, you know, just like, to have that kind of conversation. And it was. I. What I kind of got from him really, was permission to go kick ass and do it because he's like, you know what you're doing? Just. You got great instincts for it. Just go do it. And my reads really didn't change, but the attitude for myself doing them, I had a confidence that I didn't have before that interaction and time spent with him, and I did. And I did really well with automotive, and I kept doing really well with automotive. And that year that I had met Cliff, I had gotten a nomination for best automotive commercial. And that was when it was still a, you know, male and female was one category. And I was stoked for the nomination. Like, that was huge. And there were several people like, well, you're gonna get it because you're a girl. And it's like, no, they really aren't. That's. That's not a shoo in kind of situation. Yeah. The one voice is like, the most fair system, I think, out there.
- [40:29]
Andrew Morrison
It's a great system.
- [40:30]
Jenna Birmingham
It is. And so the next year, when there was actually a female category and a male category, I won it. And I was surprised. I mean, I believed in the work, but I was just like, there's so many talented women doing this. And, you know, so my. My acceptance speech was very honest. It was. But, you know, I hadn't even left the award ceremony that night. And I'm, you know, trying to track down, you know, the gravy for the brain, guys. I'm like, I want to sponsor this next year. Like, George the Tech sponsored it when I won it. And I. And I did eventually ask George, like, is it okay if I. They really, really want to sponsor it. But I hadn't even left the room, and I knew that I, you know, I want to be a part of bringing more women into automotive, and what better way than to support making sure that this is a category and that, you know, more women have the opportunity. I want as many women as possible to get that award. Not because it guarantees work or anything, but it's from marketing and just, you know, the fact that there are women out there selling cars and kicking ass doing it, and I really wanted to be a part of that. So And I'm not like a gung ho feminist or anything like that, but I believe there's a place for women in automotive completely because there's reads that women can do that men can't, and there's reads men can do that women can't. It's, you know, it's, it's, there's a place for both sexes in cars, you know, and I'm not, I'm not a big car person, but I love selling cars. I don't know. I, I just, it's. Because it's a little bit different from regular commercial. There's some more play with it. The energy is very different. And I, and I, I love that nuanced difference. So when it comes to the workshops and things like that, you know, it's, it's. And it is a female perspective as well. So. And I, I, I think, you know, having. Because a lot of there, there's been a couple that Cliff and I, you know, he, he popped in on mine a couple of times and we say pretty much the same thing most of the time, or he'll catch some, he'll catch something or I'll catch something. But for the most part, we're both, you know, on the same page when it comes to, you know, giving direction or advice on, you know, a, a particular person's reading. But it's there. I, I do have different ears than he does and I, but he's, he's also got so many more years of experience that he can, you know, refer to. And I, I just don't have. I, I've got a lot of volume that I worked with, but I don't have a lot of time. So, but between the two, you know, it, I mean, I'm not saying I even out to Cliff, but, you know, it, it, I do have a lot of ground that I can stand on in terms of, you know, what is going to sound good for an automotive spot. And so, yeah, that's the. I, I don't know if there was a particular single thing that really made me be like, I want to teach women automotive. I want to teach everybody automotive. I especially enjoy teaching women automotive because it's, you know, helping my sisters.
- [43:38]
Andrew Morrison
Well, what goes into the toolbox of a female automotive read? Like, what are the different variations of it? Because I don't often hear women going, welcome to Wacky Joe's Car Shop, where.
- [43:47]
Jenna Birmingham
You, you know what I mean?
- [43:48]
Andrew Morrison
I don't hear the Sunday, Sunday. So, like, what, what are the reads that women can do that men cannot.
- [43:55]
Jenna Birmingham
Well, I think the conversational is going to be a different conversation for starters. So there's that difference. And then for a sexy read, essentially for the luxury read, it's sexy and it's sultry, but it's not 900 number. So you gotta find that, you gotta find that line. But you know, there, there isn't a lot of call for men to really bring like that sexy sound into automotive. I feel it's there, but it's, it's normally more of a rugged sound versus F150 sound. Yeah, I mean, I mean, and there's some calm, cool, you know, male reads out there, but that's really, I think women really do well with, with, with that particular luxury kind of sound that allows you to be a little bit flirty with some of it sometimes. Or like, I'm a boss ass. I mean, it's, it. Guys can't do a boss ass bitch. Like, they just can't. I try, but you're right for the guys. But, you know, it's, it's, there's just, you know, and again, it all comes down to the script. And then, you know, after that, finding the right bed to really, you know, tie everything together and whether it's about the car or about the dealership, those are all going to be different and you know, create different moods with your read and, and that kind of stuff. So again, I just. They're nuanced differences, but they are differences. I mean, and you can't, I mean, there are some women that do voice truck commercials. I've done truck brands, but not a truck. I've done, I've done dealerships, but not 150. But, you know, there's, I, they can do it. We can sell a truck. The odds of us getting selected to do it over a guy doing it, there's, there's less opportunity for that. But, you know, it's, it, there's absolutely a place for women in automotive and we're definitely fair competition for the guy. I mean, it really comes down to honestly, sometimes as much as the make of the vehicle. Like, it's, it can sometimes be like, you know what, A woman would sound better doing that one versus, you know, that the lines on that car. Yeah, that's probably a guy car, you know, just, just little things like that. And you know, some. And sometimes you're the, you're voicing kind of as the car in a way, you know, or, and sometimes it's the person in the car and you know, their experience of it or just like I Want to be the person in that car, you know, just different, all different viewpoints of it. And again, it's just, it's so fun and I feel there's so much more flexibility to. In automotive versus regular commercials. So.
- [46:56]
Andrew Morrison
Well, shifting gears over if.
- [46:58]
Jenna Birmingham
What would be shifting gears.
- [47:01]
Andrew Morrison
What would be your dream car commercial to voice for?
- [47:07]
Jenna Birmingham
Oh, Lord.
- [47:09]
Andrew Morrison
Oh, Lord.
- [47:12]
Jenna Birmingham
That's a great question. Because I'm happy, I'm happy whenever I get a new brand, honestly. Like, I, I'm playing the automotive brand bingo at this point. I've gotten to, I think, 26 different, you know, car brands at this point, and I'm happy every single one I get. I, I do like voicing Lexus and BMW. I don't know. Some of the brands I would love to voice don't ever buy airtime because they're so specific luxury. Like, you're not going to hear a Maserati commercial ever, but that'd be cool.
- [47:45]
Andrew Morrison
Well, that's for a reason. That's for a reason because their buyers are not watching TV and listening to radio because they're too. They've got bigger stuff going on. Yeah.
- [47:53]
Jenna Birmingham
Yeah. So, I mean, if, if, if that were to be an option, I would love to voice the Maserati just for the braggability of that. That'd be. I've voiced the only Maserati commercial ever so far. Like, that'd be, dude, them. But yeah, I, I don't have Maserati explainer videos. I, you know what? I could. Or I could voice the. I, I've voiced the inside one of the Lexuses. A couple years ago, I voiced the Alexa inside the vehicle. That tells you about all the features in the vehicle. So I mean, if Lexus does that, maybe Matti does that's maybe look into that. But yeah, I, I'm, I'm truly happy with any. Anytime I get a new brand or a new vehicle, I just, there's. I, I really, I'm just in it for the, for the automotive bingo. I got a new dealership today. And I was like, I got a new dealership today. So it was Hyundai, Hyundai, Hyundai. And you know, because it's, I'm a dork and that's what I do before because I, I have a tendency to say Hyundai wrong in, in my real life. But for. Yeah, I, I, it's more like a Hyundai is what I do. Yeah, it's, it's weird in my, my own speech, I say it wrong, but it's like, okay. And before I open up the copy for Honda, Hyundai Hyundai. Hyundai. Hyundai. Hyundai. Hyundai. Okay, now I can, now I can say it the right way. So. But yeah, I just, I, I'm just gonna say Maserati just because it kind of is an answer without having to answer anything.
- [49:27]
Andrew Morrison
So if you could write yourself a letter and send it back in time to before you started working at Odyssey, what would you tell your past self?
- [49:36]
Jenna Birmingham
You're gonna make me cry. I would, I would encourage myself to not question myself and go with my gut and trust it. And I would encourage myself to be fearless and not doubt what I'm doing because I was very like, I hope I can do this. I hope I can do this. And I was full of hope, which was great, but it's like, no, bitch, you got this. You just need to go do it. And I would love to just put that in my head instead of having the. I hope I can do this. Okay. I hope I'm ready for this. And it's like, I, I, I'm so different in terms of my outlook with production and voiceover from, you know, when I applied for the job in 19 to where I am now. And I've made over 8,000 commercials since then, too, so the experience is going to make a huge difference. But, yeah, I, I would just encourage myself to believe in myself more, have more confidence, and don't buy into the, or the fear. Just do it and, and trust your gut. And if it, you know what, and if you mess up, so what? You learned something. You will, you will not die. People will not hate you because you did a weird level on something. You're going to notice. A handful of other people will notice. Your world will still continue. You will still be able to continue on doing the thing. But yeah, I, I, I'm so glad you didn't say to tell my childhood self that's, oh, no, no, we're not going back. There's a lot. But that's, this is the therapy session.
- [51:19]
Andrew Morrison
I don't, I don't think we have enough time to unpack all that.
- [51:23]
Jenna Birmingham
Exactly. But, yeah, no, I, I really, I really think. Oh, I would also encourage myself to take a business class even though I hate it. I, I would absolutely be like, do it. Do it now. Because I avoided it forever. I still avoid it, but at least I would have more discipline, I feel, if I had made myself learn about, you know, CRMs and all that stuff before, it was a, oh, I have to use this stuff now. Like, I know this is eventually going to be a part of my business, but if I learn it Now I don't have to be intimidated by this daunting list of marketing type things because I didn't market myself right at all when I was doing part time voice stuff or even in 20, you know, 2017, 2018, you know, I had a website, it was okay, you know, I didn't know how to push people to it. You know, all the, all the marketing things that are just really standard to do. I wasn't doing it. I should have been doing it. If you're not working actively, use that time to collect email addresses of production houses or, you know, there's so many things that you can do to further your voiceover reach and stuff in your voiceover business. Like you don't have to sit there and do it all, you know, for six hours when it, you can pick at it a little bit, go research a company, makes notes, you know, make it on your list, whatever, those kinds of things. I wasn't doing any of that. And it's like if I had just started that a little earlier, I wouldn't have had to, you know, play catch up as I've been going. So yeah, I guess I would put that in there on the. Hey, Jen. Earlier, Jen. Note to self.
- [53:07]
Andrew Morrison
So, yeah, and speaking of your website, where can people find you and your demos and all of your amazing work?
- [53:13]
Jenna Birmingham
Jennabermingham.com and I'm also on a YouTube channel that has a lot of work that I've tracked down and some that I've made as well. And my YouTube channel is Jenna Birmingham. So and that link is also on my website of jennabirmingham.com which is also on my Facebook.
- [53:34]
Andrew Morrison
Well, thanks for coming on. This has been so much fun.
- [53:37]
Jenna Birmingham
Yeah, it's a pleasure. Thank you for having me. It's always fun to see your face.
- [53:41]
Andrew Morrison
Yeah. I really hope you enjoyed this insider look behind the scenes of a high level producer and gained a lot of value from how she takes each new opportunity in the audio industry as a chance to build a new relationship. If you'd like to hear her work, you can visit jennabermingham.com thank you for listening and I'll catch you in the next one.
- [54:01]
Jenna Birmingham
Thank you for listening to the Voiceover coffee shop. For more information on guests, new episodes and more, be sure to visit veocoffeeshop.com and our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast streaming platform. You know you want to.