By Keith Brunson
He’s a never-ending student of the art form of voice over. He is not training to get a booking. Tim Phelan has those - endlessly. But Tim, 55, who lives in Devon, Pennsylvania, is an artist who wants to keep improving, always keep learning, and always hire a coach to perfect his skill just one percent. You’ve heard Tim before, but you’ve never seen him until now. www.timphelanvo.com
Voice-over artist Tim Phelan has a familiar voice due to his successful voice acting career.
His forte’ is documentaries. But if you ask Tim what he REALLY likes to do, it’s storytelling. Here’s one of his hallmarks for PBS, called “The Ornament of the World.”
Watch and listen as Tim performs voice over for a documentary.
So, you’d think that if Tim is voicing documentaries, his style would be set, and very little could be learned. But that’s just not true. Despite his obvious success, Tim is a student of voice-over, and his journey has involved continuous instruction. This has made him the voice-over artist he has become, and he’s still learning new techniques. His interest in continuing education involves some of the best teachers in the business. And this is where it has led. The Discovery Science Channel’s documentary, “Silicone Valley, The Untold Story.”
Tim Phelan’s voice over skills are utilized in a Discovery Science Channel documentary.
Tim made the switch to the world of the voiceover artist in 2009 when he was laid off for the fifth time selling employee benefits when he came to admit, “I never had a passion for selling that stuff.” So, feeling washed up, he hired a coach for a one-time-only voice-over class that cost him $60. “He told me I’d have to engineer my voice and buy equipment, self-market myself, and I got VERY discouraged,” says Tim. “I had quit after one class.” But a week later, I felt like giving it ONE more try, and everything just clicked with that class from the same instructor.” This second class touched Tim’s heart, and he scheduled with that teacher repeatedly.
Since those early years, Tim has studied with some of the most accomplished teachers out there. Tim names several that are top of mind. “But in 1997, dreams of becoming a world-class athlete brought on a new attitude. “I was training with the best athletes in the world, but I lost that day, and I told my parents at the end of the race on that payphone behind me in the picture, “Time to get a “real” job.” But just like the runner that he was in 1997, getting voice-over jobs has its ups and downs.
Tim, during his time in training as an aspiring triathlete.
Becoming a voice-over artist does Not require a “great voice,” whatever that is. It requires that you’re able to tell a great story. If this story touches Your heart, you can find out all you’d ever want to know with Zero experience by contacting The Voice Shop www.voiceshopcoaching.com. There are entry-level classes, advanced, dialects; you name it. There are nine pro instructors, all of whom are active in the world of voice over themselves. Voice theory is not taught. Voice technique is the focus. And to call and ask questions costs nothing. And, if you do become a student, you then get access to the producers, casting directors, and agents that pull the strings. And you have no boss. You have no one telling you when to work and what to do. It’s all up to your level of interest. So, if you can imagine that you might like to become a voice-over artist, The Voice Shop can guide and direct you. Classes are held online or in person if you live in the New York City area.
As for Tim, today he’s most likely auditioning. And that’s how you get work. You learn where to go for auditions, typically during the morning, and calls come in shortly afterward. Tim is presently in a growth curve toward e-learning, corporate videos, and commercials. But the backbone of his foundation is his heavily educated talent. You’re no different. Because as first lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Life is what you make it. Always has been, Always will be.” Tim agrees.
