Meet Ian Russell | Voice Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ian Russell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ian, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When my family and I moved from the UK to the US in 2014, I had a choice. Seek employment or make my own. I decided that I would try making my own first. I gave myself 12 months to prove to myself and my family that it could work and keep the roof over our heads. My mindset when starting has always been – “well if it doesn’t work out I can always go back to the other thing’
To date, that’s never been necessary and 8 years in, my Voiceover business has never been busier

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a Voice Actor, I’m a creative professional running my own business. I use my voice to create characters and tell those characters’ stories to whoever is listening. That might be a wizard in a videogame or the CEO of a company in a corporate training video. It could be a Puppy in an animated project or the internal thoughts of a branding message for a global corporation. I have been all of those things. It is both the wonder and the challenge of my career. To bring those stories and characters to life. To take someone else’s words and lift them from the page and help them create an image in someone’s mind. I’m not a wizard or a puppy or a CEO of a global brand, my challenge is to create an audio footprint that is believable for each and every character. I’ve learned some tips and tricks of the trade to help (How big is the audience being addressed – Maybe just one or maybe a conference hall full. What was the character doing or thinking just before we meet them, and what will they be doing afterward? Sometimes I have character art that can give visual clues and I can adopt a physical posture that helps)
It’s taken me 8 years to reach a point where I feel the business is decently stable with a good number of returning clients and an established marketing system. I’ve learned not to take it personally if I don’t get cast (that happens more often than when you do get cast)
For many small businesses, I think the initial challenge to survive is to find your first customers and I had to spin the wheels very hard. Voice Over is a crowded industry with many superb talents and it’s not easy finding ways to stand out. A significant moment for me was being nominated for 2 One Voice Awards in 2019, I didn’t win either but it suggested that I was competitive and gave me a great deal of personal support. Since then I have received another 15 nominations and I have won three awards for Animation and Gaming performances in 2020 and 2021 and the coveted Male Voiceover of the Year in 2020

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Spartanburg in the Upstate of South Carolina so we are close to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Outstanding views are available everywhere but as many of my friends have a connection to the entertainment industry, Lake Lure and Chimney Rock would be high on the list. As would a trip to see Biltmore near Asheville. You can’t come to this part of the world and not try some of the local beers (RJ Rockers, Sierra Nevada) and of course BBQ (Ribs or Brisket at Cribbs) Or just hang out on my deck with a beer in hand and the Grill sizzling sharing stories of our past.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
None of this would have happened with out the love encouragement support, and Christmas gift of my wife Sandra

Website: www.british-voiceovers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebritishvoice/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianrussellthebritishvoice/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebritishvoic2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebritishvoic2/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IanRussellVoiceActor

Image Credits
CY Photography – For my Headshot