When I was called upon to put this safety video together, the question of who would do the talking came up amongst my supervisors/collaborators. They wanted someone who could clearly and effectively emphasize the points they were looking to make, and it was then that I spoke up: not only could I shoot and edit this project, but I could write and provide quality narration the way they wanted as well.

A close friend of mine teaching English in South Africa was making sure to document his time there on the side— which in one instance meant getting creative. My voiceover role was as “The Universe,” motivating Joe to get up, film, and keep doing what he was doing out there. He and I go way back, so he knew full well not only my vocal range, but the vehemence with which I could deliver lines and throw some unique attributes into the mix.

Of the countless sketches & short films my friends and I made over the span of several years, simply for kicks, the one that provided the best opportunity (and where I had the most fun) in implementing my voice was for “The Mike Piano.” This job involved using my best deep, smooth-sounding advertiser-esque pipes to make the most horribly obnoxious piano-playing seem like the greatest music in the world to seek out and listen to.

The most prominent learning experience I ended up having, when it came to writing & speaking naturally into a microphone, was for a sporadic personal endeavor of mine to discuss the “golden age” arcade hits I grew up with (and their overall impact) in episodic video form. I was still in high school when I started this, and thus my early work left a lot to be desired. I eventually did find my tune, however— and my approach to later videos in this series felt more ingrained, more distinctive, and more beneficial in terms of picking up on voiceover techniques I could utilize in the future. Straightforward narration could now blend more fluidly with my newfound performative tactics.