Meet Sarah Fisher | Voiceover Artist

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

Hi Sarah, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After acting on stage and on-camera for a few years, I was cast in an independent film where I narrated my character’s inner thoughts via voice-over. I loved the difference in voice-acting versus on-camera, as voice-acting relies on the actor portraying emotion solely through the voice. After that job, a director saw the film and asked me to narrate her documentary as well. Things snowballed from there and I soon found myself loving voice-acting more than other forms of acting. Over the years, the industry shifted a bit, and most people were auditioning from their home studios, rather than in a production studio. I found it necessary to build my own home-studio – this allowed me to shift to auditioning from home, and recording jobs at home. Occasionally, for bigger, longer jobs, I will still record in a studio, but that’s less often than not these days.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
For my entire life, I have entertained others (and myself!) with my character voices. It was only a matter of time before I could figure out how to make money with my voices. Once I discovered my love for voice-overs, I knew there was no other job that fit me. Character voices are my bread and butter, my true passion. I’ve recorded children’s apps, video games, and commercials using different character voices. However, my dream would be to be in a cartoon. More often than not, when my son is watching a cartoon, I hear a voice of a character that I can do and am so envious that I’m not that voice! I’ve had two particular instances where I booked the lead in an animated series, and the show fell through for financial reasons or restructuring, etc. Those were tough pills to swallow. However, I honestly feel that it’s just a matter of time. As my husband says, “it’s a game of cards and my card just hasn’t been drawn.”

What sets me apart from other voice-actors, is my wide range of vocal styles and my ability to change my voice to give the client what they want. I love to do the high-energy infomercials but I also love recording with a more natural voice for corporate films and commercials. The jobs that keep the paychecks coming are the ones that use my “regular” speaking voice. Fortunately, I can do a young-adult voice as well as a middle-aged voice. I toggle between the two, depending on which age-range the client prefers. I’d say my middle-age voice is the most commonly booked.

There are three particular, very different jobs that not only excited me when I booked them, but also solidified the fact that this was the right job for me. The first was one of my first jobs, a video game that had a HUGE following. I played five different characters in the game. I had never heard of the game, but apparently there is this cult-following, almost obsession with the game. I still have fans who occasionally write to me from around the world. It’s crazy.
The second is when I recorded a commercial for The Dave Thomas Foundation to help children to get adopted out of foster care. I absolutely loved the commercial and loved the fact that my voice could help a viewer feel a certain emotion, hence causing him/her to adopt a foster child. To know I somehow had a part in helping a child to find a forever home? That feels amazing. Since then, I have recorded several PSAs. I absolutely love voicing PSAs because I feel rewarded using my voice to do some good in the world.
Lastly, when I recorded a corporate film for The US Department of Energy, I felt like I had made it. Ha Ha! For some reason doing something for the government made me feel important. Not sure why, but it just felt cool. Maybe that’s the nerd in me talking.

Voice-acting is extremely rewarding and insanely fun…when I’m working. One challenge is the fact that it’s not an easy job, as it comes with a lot of rejection. I’ve learned to handle the rejection, however, and quickly move on to the next audition or job. This is not a profession for those who take things too personally. You have to look at “auditioning” as the job – when you book the job, well that’s the perk! Outside of recording, it takes time to also market yourself, keep in touch with clients, update agents, etc. But this goes along with the job, so no complaints. Another challenge is the occasional computer crash or website hacker. My old website was hacked by someone in Vietnam. The server, out of NYC, was hacked, and every voice-over artist lost their website. It was brutal. Fortunately, I have a new fantastic website!
Lastly, another big challenge is corporations/studios and their desire to book a famous voice to sell their product or be a voice in their movie. The name alone can sell the movie and/or product. I get it though…in commercials, even if the viewer doesn’t know whose voice they are hearing, the voice can evoke a happy feeling (if it’s Julie Roberts, or Tom Hanks, for example) and can therefore evoke a happy feeling when the viewer sees the product in a store. We are like little manipulated robots, we viewers are! HA HA! I do wish, though, when it came to animated movies, that fewer famous people would be hired for the movie. Sometimes it feels like every character is taken by a Hollywood actor, as studios might think this is what the viewer wants. I would love for more roles to open up for the non-Hollywood actors!

I do think there is a huge misconception that many people have about voiceovers. I often meet people who say “Voiceovers seem so fun! People always tell me that I have a great voice and I should do voiceovers. Can you tell me how to get into it?” Well, right there, that’s the misconception. Having a “great” voice is one aspect of voiceovers. One small aspect. What you need to be able to do, is ACT. That is why it’s called “voice acting.” You need to be able to express emotion in your voice. To use your voice for the intention that the script calls for – a great voice can’t do that if the person doesn’t have acting training.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m originally from a northern suburb of Chicago, but I’ve lived in Tampa, Florida for 20 years now. I don’t know where the time has gone. I still can’t believe it when I tell people I’ve been in Florida for that long.

Aside from the political climate (don’t worry, I’m not touching that one!), I absolutely love living in Florida. Growing up in Chicago, I always loved escaping the cold and spending spring breaks in Florida. I think that has helped me to learn to always appreciate the smell of the Gulf, the sight of palm trees, and the beauty of the beaches. My family and friends are now scattered around the nation, so we often have visitors. I’ve gotten really good at knowing the best things to do when people are in town since we often have someone staying at our house!

If someone were coming to Tampa who had never been here before, I would first take them to the riverfront in downtown Tampa. That area has transformed so much in the past five years! There a few miles of walking paths that go along the river, with amazing bars and restaurants at both ends of the paths – Sparkman’s Wharf on one end, and Armature Works on the other. Both have amazing food with a huge variety of cuisines.

I tend to love a water view when we go out to eat. It never gets old for me! There are some awesome views at various restaurants in different areas – Jackson’s Bistro in downtown Tampa, Island Way Grill in Clearwater, Frenchy’s and Palm Pavilion on Clearwater Beach, Bon Appetit in Dunedin, The Rusty Pelican in Rocky Point, and Rusty Bellies in Tarpon Springs – those are all musts for in-town visitors!

There is SO much to do and see in Tampa! When we have family in town, we like to go kayaking at the Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park to see the manatees. The calm, serene water, paired with the sweet, gentle, giant manatees, it just calms the spirit. We also love to bring a cooler of food and drinks and rent an electric boat (e-boats) downtown. Like I said before, the river is just so fun. Cruising on a boat with friends, up and down the river, is even more fun!

Of course, if you come to Tampa, you have to enjoy the beach! I don’t prefer to go to Clearwater Beach, as it’s always extremely crowded and hard to find parking. We prefer Honeymoon Island. It’s quieter and more removed from the hustle and bustle. Sometimes we hop on the ferry from Honeymoon Island and head to Caladesi Island – an even more secluded beach. The water is so clear! I feel like I’m on vacation, even though I’m only 25 minutes from home. Bliss!

We always take visitors to St. Pete as well (about 30 minutes from Tampa). St. Pete’s downtown is extremely different from Tampa. It’s more cultural than Tampa with all of its diverse museums. From the Chihuly Museum, to the Museum of Fine Arts, to the Dali Museum, and even Sunken Gardens – there is something for everyone! St. Pete also has the beauty of being right on the water. So many restaurants to choose from!

Tampa has some fabulous attractions and museums as well. We love Busch Gardens, Adventure Island water park, The Florida Aquarium, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Bay History Center, and more! Of course, Ybor City and all of its culture is a must-stop. And while we are there, we love to eat at the historic Columbia restaurant!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband, John, has been my greatest support system in every way. He encouraged and supported me in transitioning to working at home. Building my studio wasn’t easy, nor was it cheap! We both knew that I was meant to do voiceovers, so it made sense for this to be the next step in my career; however, I couldn’t have done it without his encouragement. This industry is a tough one, and work can ebb and flow. Actors tend to be insecure at times, riddled with self-doubt when work stalls. John always reminds me of all the work that I’ve done and to hang in there, that more work will come. It always does, and he’s always right.

Website: www.sarahfishervoiceovers.com

Other: email: sarahfishervo@yahoo.com Agent representation: Lori Lins, Ltd (Chicago and Milwaukee) The Diamond Agency (Orlando) Seven Model and Talent (Tampa)

Image Credits
Headshot: Ailyn La Torre Photography Graphics: Mick Lauer, Artist Upgrade