with Pilar Uribe, Joe Lewis, Milena Benefiel, & Ramesh Mahtani
After holding the first-ever #VOBOSS Bilingual Audition Challenge, Anne & Pilar welcome the winners onto the show. Joe Lewis, Milena Benefiel, and Ramesh Mahtani share the process behind their winning entry, what stood out to Anne & Pilar when judging the contest as well as what it means to be a bilingual voice talent in today’s industry. Thanks to all who auditioned and took part in the challenge! To see feedback from Anne and Pilar on your audition check the "Referenced in this episode" section below.
In this episode, Anne & Pilar chat with the winners of the Bilingual VO Challenge, Joe Lewis, Milena Benefiel, and Ramesh Mahtani.
"When you kick into another language, it's another dimension of tools and tricks that you have." - Joe Lewis
About Pilar Uribe
Pilar Uribe is a bilingual voice actor, telenovela star, and radio personality. Born and raised in New York City, she broke into show business with roles in Yo Soy Betty La Fea (Ugly Betty), Pobre Pablo, and El Cartel, filmed in Colombia and Miami. She recorded and produced for WLRN Miami-South Florida and now lives in Los Angeles, where she records voice over for television, radio, and films.
About Joe Lewis
English Audition Winner
As a voiceover talent and actor, Joe has performed extensive voice work for advertising campaigns, dubbing & character creation for animation series & feature films + narration for best selling novels. You might have heard him as Rucio in “Donkey Xote”, Fred in “Four and a Half Friends” or as the voice on international campaigns for Carolina Herrera, Smint or Magnum. He has also dubbed famed Spanish actors such as Iván Massagué, Juanjo Ballesta and Eloy Azorín. In addition, Joe’s skills and experience as bilingual writer & translator are highly valued in the film & advertising industry.
About Milena Benefiel
Spanish Audition Winner
Milena is a rare find for clients seeking a VO Artist who can deliver "all the 'fiels" while speaking clear, non-regional English AND truly neutral Spanish! Her experiences as an Actor, TV Personality for Telemundo Indy, Emcee and Critical Care RN help her feel just as comfortable voicing an upbeat commercial message as she does a complex medical training video. She works full time out of her professional Source Connect certified home studio from which she provides quick turnaround of high quality audio in North American English and/or Neutral Spanish.
About Ramesh Mahtani
English & Spanish Audition Winner
The son of Indian parents, Ramesh grew up in the Canary Islands, Spain, the UK, and the USA. His career as a voice over artist spans over 20 years, a large component of which is public speaking. Thanks to his multi-cultural diversity and work experience in fields ranging from investment banking at Goldman Sachs to improvisation in theatre work, Ramesh can nail the voice you want.
Top 10 Teachable Moments
Quick-share concepts from today’s episode:
Bring your A-game to every audition.
Understand your target audience. The American market is very different from international. #VOBOSS
In a commercial read, figure out if it is a hard or soft sell. Use that to inform your tone.
Have fun with auditions! #VOBOSS
When delivering two reads, be sure they are different to show your acting range.
If you’re struggling with getting different reads, try changing the speaker + the audience.
For Bilingual Talents, try translating the rhythm + cadence of the Spanish language to your English read.
Listeners should understand the emotion of what you’re saying, even if they don’t speak the language. #VOBOSS
Record your initial reading of the script to see where you instinctually go before you start overthinking it. #VOBOSS
If you believe what you are saying + acting well, what language you’re speaking in becomes irrelevant. #VOBOSS
"It’s essential that listeners feel the story & emotional nuances despite language barriers." - Anne
Referenced in this Episode
Direct links to things we brought up ++
Thanks for the help from CastVoices >>
Recorded on ipDTL - get it here >>
Get involved with 100voiceswhocare >>
Connect with English Audition winner Joe Lewis >>
Learn more about Spanish Audition winner Milena Benefiel >>
Keep up with English + Spanish Audition winner Ramesh Mahtani >>
Check out our live interview and subscribe to us on YouTube>>
Listen + Learn - See Feedback from Anne & Pilar on your audition here>>! (Click on the Comments icon on the right side of your mp3 file)
Love the episode? Let our listeners hear from you!
Keep Listening...
Catch Bilingual Audition Challenge with Pilar Uribe
Please rate & review us on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Amazon
★★★★★
More from Anne
She's a powerhouse voice talent, producer, and host. Book time with Anne to get your voiceover career in gear or focus on a specific genre. Catch her each week on VO BOSS or register for an event on VOPeeps.com >>
6 Steps Towards Believable Acting
Believability is one of the most important skills for actors. So important that it can make or break an audition or performance. It's essential for the audience to believe in the story you're telling or you'll have a tough time getting them to invest in you and your character (or whatever your character is trying to sell). Here are 6 key acting tips you can use to make your VoiceOver reads more believable...