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Having lived and worked in four countries, international narration is my specialty. I record in Dutch (native speaker), English and in German. I’m often involved in challenging multilingual projects because I strive for authentic pronunciation. Let me give you a few examples: The Alaska Native Heritage Center hired me to record a German audio tour loaded with words in the different native languages of that region. The audio book I recorded on Bratislava contained Russian, Polish, Slovak, Yiddish, German, Rumanian, Italian and French. My most in-demand accent is neutral English.
My Northern-European accent is perceived as rather neutral, giving products and services a more international sound. This can dramatically increase conversion.
In a global market, the producers I work with often steer away from a typical British or American voice so as to appeal to a broader multi-national audience.
Please note that some Flemish talents advertise themselves as Dutch speakers. Dutch and Flemish are as different from one another as American and British English.
Most definitely. As a former newsreader and anchor for Dutch radio, I set the standard for what is called “Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands” or ABN. ABN is the national norm for accent-free Dutch, similar to RP in the UK or ABE in the USA.
Friends and colleagues from Holland are often surprised that my Dutch pronunciation hasn’t changed since I left The Netherlands. I use that to my advantage since I’m one of the very few native Dutch voice-over talents based in North-America.
It depends on your project and my workload. A 60-thousand word audio book takes a bit longer than a 60-second commercial. On average, my turnaround time is 12 – 24 hours. Rush delivery is available.
Once you send me a sample of your script I’ll gladly record a demo for you at no charge. Remember: the more specific you are about what you’re hoping to hear, the easier it is to give you the read you need.
Some voice-over professionals watermark demos to protect their work. I prefer to make small changes to the text to make sure it cannot be used commercially.
Yes, I do. 95% of my work is recorded in my soundproof voice-over studio, located in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. You’ll never have to worry about hiss, echoes, rumble or other background noises amateur narrators are notorious for. I also record in studios in New York and Philadelphia.
I use an ultra low-noise Gefell M930 Ts large diaphragm studio condenser microphone, a Grace Design m101 preamplifier, Mogami cables and Twisted Wave audio editing software on a Mac Mini.
I can send you clean, ready-to-use audio files in most formats. This saves you time and money.
Absolutely. Editing is time-consuming and requires a different kind of expertise. On average, it takes two to three hours of editing to produce one hour of finished audio.
I have several agents on the East and West Coast of the United States, as well as in Europe.
No. I am a non-union voice-over talent.
I have clients on five continents: Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses, non-profits and governmental institutions. Click here for a long list.
I provide voice-over services and I do not hire or represent talent. Clients often ask me for recommendations. If you’re looking for a specific voice, accent or foreign language, I’d be happy to refer highly experienced, reliable colleagues to you.
I prefer PayPal for international payments and I accept checks drawn on U.S. banks. When you’re ready to make a PayPal payment (e.g. with your credit card), please click the button below:
Every now and then I will take on a small number of highly motivated students for one-on-one lessons. A $125 coaching session lasts for 55 minutes and can be done by phone or via Skype. Contact me to set up a session.
Please visit my online store to purchase any of my publications.
I’m an expert contributor to Internet Voice Coach, one of the leading voice coaching websites in America, and I’m the international marketing expert for the Edge Studio in New York. You’ll find my articles in VoiceOverXtra, the online magazine for voice actors. I review voice-over microphones for recordinghacks.com, the most extensive database on microphones on the web. I also contribute to the International Freelancers Academy.
My blog is packed with practical information for beginners and seasoned pros alike. It was voted one of the most influential voice-over blogs of 2011.
