Testimonials
I've been fortunate to receive compliments from clients for my advice and coaching. All of the testimonials below are 100% real, and maybe even somewhat embarrassing. I am sincerely honored by these people's kind words.
I think I must be doing something right... :-)
************
Hi Darren,
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say "Thanks a million!" for giving me more than my buck-fifty's worth today! I had often thought about exploring the universe of VO work, and had even attended an "intro workshop" of a diploma mill outfit a few years' back. Naturally they said I had a shot and needed some work with a pro....of course meaning their high priced pro. I left and kind of put the whole idea on hold until I came across your website. You were a breath of fresh air. You gave me ample time to both coach and work with me on script presentations, but also answering my many questions about the "State of the Voice Over" industry. Hell, I even enjoyed our non voice over topics of discussion!
It was a pleasure working with you, and you helped me out tremendously. I appreciated the tips about finding scripts to practice on during my own time and not trying to hook me into a high priced "package of 1 on 1 tutoring"...even though you could have easily swayed a vulnerable guy with stars in his eyes.
I definitely look forward to reporting back with my progress as well as some MP3 files for you to listen to after I'm practiced!
Best,
Roger C.
************
Darren Stephen's Voice Over Exploration Workshop is a great way to get started in voice over. Darren is straight forward and demanding and doesn't sugar coat anything. I love working with him! His prices are fair because he actually wants to help people get started. He's not a machine, and he treats you as an individual. He's been in the business forever and has a great ear for spotting what you'd be good at (commercial versus narration, etc). He also has pretty much seen it all and is full of advice and tricks on how to get your voice to read well on the mic.
I am not a technology person at all, so i was a little intimidated about the home studio bit, but he helped me figure out what I needed that was within my budget. Another great thing about Darren is that you can do his workshop session and then walk away. If you don't like him, or he's telling you he doesn't think this will be something great for you or you just decide the money's not going to happen right now, no problem. You get a recording of that first session to review and practice and it's up to you what to do next.
Tegan S.
************
I cannot recommend highly enough Darren's fantastically useful Voiceover Exploration. Many people had complimented my voice and told me I should do voiceover work, but you'd rather not shell out thousands of dollars to find whether or not you even stand a chance.
That's where Darren comes in. Over the course of a couple hours, he has you read radio scripts into a microphone in his professional home studio, listens to your delivery and interpretation with an analytical ear, and lets you know what you're doing right, and what you're doing wrong. He's encouraging, but he's also incredibly frank as to how competitive voiceover has become in recent years. If you have the potential to make it in this business, he will let you know. But he'll also let you know that it will take a LOT of hard work and perseverance.
And the thing is this: He could choose to leave out those truths if he really wanted to. The cost for his Voiceover Demo Production is so amazingly competitive that he could call everyone who walks through his door a genius just to get their money. But he doesn't. He's exactly what this industry needs, what EVERY industry needs: Someone offering a low-cost, ethically-minded service, offering spot-on critical analysis and advice from someone who makes a living at it himself.
If voiceover work is something you're considering, do yourself a favor and drop Darren a line.
Don A.
************
I just did my first official VO work yesterday. It was to VO the online animations for a textbook. Apparently my timing was great and the fellow recording thought I had a pleasant voice. And they were duly impressed that I nailed the word "systematists" without a problem.
I took to heart everything you suggested a few months back. Very useful.
Kindly,
Joanne
************
Just what I needed as I dive into my voice-over career: two hours of honest-to-goodness raw voice-over exploration. Darren is genuine and detailed in his approach. He focused on my voice, and gave his honest opinion. He helped me realize my strengths and become aware of my weaknesses; total voice sculpting 101. He cuts right to the chase about the ups and downs of the business (and what to expect) and the competition in the world of voice-over. He was more than willing to share his nuggets of wisdom in how to become “high-end talent” and how to keep pushing along to get where you want to be. Not only that, but he's tech-savvy; he even gave me a lesson on how to record and edit my own recordings.
You can tell Darren loves voice-acting and coaching; he's a great resource. I highly recommend Voice-Over Exploration for anyone who is entering the world of voice acting.
Thanks a bunch, Darren!
Nicole P.
************
Hi Darren,
Thank you for the fantastic Voiceover Exploration workshop a few weeks ago. It was very encouraging and has really got me motivated to get this thing going.
Thanks,
Nathan G.
**********
Like many others desiring to get into the voiceover industry I had been told by many people that I had 'a good voice.' After years of hearing this I decided to investigate the voiceover industry. When I came across Voiceover Studio Chicago I was immediately intrigued by his website claim to be "The best, most direct, no-nonsense, pull-no-punches information about the voiceover business available anywhere." I thought, That’s exactly what I need. And it turned out to be exactly what I got! I took the Voiceover Exploration and received a realistic assessment of my skills and potential ability to succeed in the extremely competitive business of voiceover. As he assessed my abilities Darren was indeed direct but also very tactful. I found him to be believable. He’s someone I could trust. The Voiceover Exploration was time and money well spent.
Cecil A.
**********
Darren's Voiceover Exploration packs a lot into a couple of hours. He provided me with a realistic perspective on the business -- including its downsides and difficulties. He shared tips and tricks and tools of the trade. He offered an honest critique of my abilities. What struck me most, though, was his love of craft and commitment to helping others. I was hoping to gain a clear understanding of what I would need to do to move forward with voiceover work. Darren provided that and much more; it may turn out to be the best 150 bucks I ever spent.
Thanks, Darren!
Scott C.
**********
Hello Darren!
Just wanted to send along a quick word of thanks for the time we spent working together on Thursday. It was just what I was looking for: a frank, sincere prognosis from a professional about a course of action and if voiceover work truly is the sort of thing I should strive to do, my own ambitions/biases notwithstanding. As I mentioned before, I've spent a good bit of time shopping around, and I enjoyed working with you the most. You're tough but fair, and I'm not interested in anything else.
Thank you again, Darren, and I'm looking forward to getting behind the mic with you some more!
Best,
Patrick M.
I think I must be doing something right... :-)
************
Hi Darren,
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say "Thanks a million!" for giving me more than my buck-fifty's worth today! I had often thought about exploring the universe of VO work, and had even attended an "intro workshop" of a diploma mill outfit a few years' back. Naturally they said I had a shot and needed some work with a pro....of course meaning their high priced pro. I left and kind of put the whole idea on hold until I came across your website. You were a breath of fresh air. You gave me ample time to both coach and work with me on script presentations, but also answering my many questions about the "State of the Voice Over" industry. Hell, I even enjoyed our non voice over topics of discussion!
It was a pleasure working with you, and you helped me out tremendously. I appreciated the tips about finding scripts to practice on during my own time and not trying to hook me into a high priced "package of 1 on 1 tutoring"...even though you could have easily swayed a vulnerable guy with stars in his eyes.
I definitely look forward to reporting back with my progress as well as some MP3 files for you to listen to after I'm practiced!
Best,
Roger C.
************
Darren Stephen's Voice Over Exploration Workshop is a great way to get started in voice over. Darren is straight forward and demanding and doesn't sugar coat anything. I love working with him! His prices are fair because he actually wants to help people get started. He's not a machine, and he treats you as an individual. He's been in the business forever and has a great ear for spotting what you'd be good at (commercial versus narration, etc). He also has pretty much seen it all and is full of advice and tricks on how to get your voice to read well on the mic.
I am not a technology person at all, so i was a little intimidated about the home studio bit, but he helped me figure out what I needed that was within my budget. Another great thing about Darren is that you can do his workshop session and then walk away. If you don't like him, or he's telling you he doesn't think this will be something great for you or you just decide the money's not going to happen right now, no problem. You get a recording of that first session to review and practice and it's up to you what to do next.
Tegan S.
************
I cannot recommend highly enough Darren's fantastically useful Voiceover Exploration. Many people had complimented my voice and told me I should do voiceover work, but you'd rather not shell out thousands of dollars to find whether or not you even stand a chance.
That's where Darren comes in. Over the course of a couple hours, he has you read radio scripts into a microphone in his professional home studio, listens to your delivery and interpretation with an analytical ear, and lets you know what you're doing right, and what you're doing wrong. He's encouraging, but he's also incredibly frank as to how competitive voiceover has become in recent years. If you have the potential to make it in this business, he will let you know. But he'll also let you know that it will take a LOT of hard work and perseverance.
And the thing is this: He could choose to leave out those truths if he really wanted to. The cost for his Voiceover Demo Production is so amazingly competitive that he could call everyone who walks through his door a genius just to get their money. But he doesn't. He's exactly what this industry needs, what EVERY industry needs: Someone offering a low-cost, ethically-minded service, offering spot-on critical analysis and advice from someone who makes a living at it himself.
If voiceover work is something you're considering, do yourself a favor and drop Darren a line.
Don A.
************
I just did my first official VO work yesterday. It was to VO the online animations for a textbook. Apparently my timing was great and the fellow recording thought I had a pleasant voice. And they were duly impressed that I nailed the word "systematists" without a problem.
I took to heart everything you suggested a few months back. Very useful.
Kindly,
Joanne
************
Just what I needed as I dive into my voice-over career: two hours of honest-to-goodness raw voice-over exploration. Darren is genuine and detailed in his approach. He focused on my voice, and gave his honest opinion. He helped me realize my strengths and become aware of my weaknesses; total voice sculpting 101. He cuts right to the chase about the ups and downs of the business (and what to expect) and the competition in the world of voice-over. He was more than willing to share his nuggets of wisdom in how to become “high-end talent” and how to keep pushing along to get where you want to be. Not only that, but he's tech-savvy; he even gave me a lesson on how to record and edit my own recordings.
You can tell Darren loves voice-acting and coaching; he's a great resource. I highly recommend Voice-Over Exploration for anyone who is entering the world of voice acting.
Thanks a bunch, Darren!
Nicole P.
************
Hi Darren,
Thank you for the fantastic Voiceover Exploration workshop a few weeks ago. It was very encouraging and has really got me motivated to get this thing going.
Thanks,
Nathan G.
**********
Like many others desiring to get into the voiceover industry I had been told by many people that I had 'a good voice.' After years of hearing this I decided to investigate the voiceover industry. When I came across Voiceover Studio Chicago I was immediately intrigued by his website claim to be "The best, most direct, no-nonsense, pull-no-punches information about the voiceover business available anywhere." I thought, That’s exactly what I need. And it turned out to be exactly what I got! I took the Voiceover Exploration and received a realistic assessment of my skills and potential ability to succeed in the extremely competitive business of voiceover. As he assessed my abilities Darren was indeed direct but also very tactful. I found him to be believable. He’s someone I could trust. The Voiceover Exploration was time and money well spent.
Cecil A.
**********
Darren's Voiceover Exploration packs a lot into a couple of hours. He provided me with a realistic perspective on the business -- including its downsides and difficulties. He shared tips and tricks and tools of the trade. He offered an honest critique of my abilities. What struck me most, though, was his love of craft and commitment to helping others. I was hoping to gain a clear understanding of what I would need to do to move forward with voiceover work. Darren provided that and much more; it may turn out to be the best 150 bucks I ever spent.
Thanks, Darren!
Scott C.
**********
Hello Darren!
Just wanted to send along a quick word of thanks for the time we spent working together on Thursday. It was just what I was looking for: a frank, sincere prognosis from a professional about a course of action and if voiceover work truly is the sort of thing I should strive to do, my own ambitions/biases notwithstanding. As I mentioned before, I've spent a good bit of time shopping around, and I enjoyed working with you the most. You're tough but fair, and I'm not interested in anything else.
Thank you again, Darren, and I'm looking forward to getting behind the mic with you some more!
Best,
Patrick M.
