Gibson Voice Over

18/03/2026

Narration or voice acting? They're not the same thing. 🎙️

Narration keeps you in your seat through a 40-slide training module.

Voice acting makes you feel something in 30 seconds.

Both matter. Both are skills. And choosing the wrong one for your project is one of the most common (and most fixable) mistakes I see.

Which have you worked with, and which did your project actually need? I'd love to hear how it landed. 👇

17/03/2026

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Belfast! ☘️

There's something funny about being the ex-American in the room on a day that America has basically adopted as its own. Over here it's a proper public holiday. Families out, traditional music, the whole thing. In the States it's... slightly more festive, let's say. 😄

I wouldn't trade either version, honestly. Both mean something to the people celebrating them, just in different ways.

That's actually something I think about in voice work too. The same words can land completely differently depending on who's saying them and where they're coming from. Context changes everything.

Anyway...it's a beautiful day in Belfast (yes, even if it's raining), I've got a full schedule of work, and then I'm going to go find a proper pint of Guinness and enjoy the holiday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, wherever you're celebrating from. Drop a comment and let me know what your day looks like! 🍀

10/03/2026

The best sessions aren't the ones where I nail it on take one. ☝️

They're the ones where I let go of what I THINK it should sound like, and actually listen to what's being asked.

I've walked into sessions convinced I had the vibe figured out, only to realise mid-session that the director was hearing something completely different. Not because I couldn't read the script. Because I wasn't reading the room.

Taking direction well isn't about being a chameleon. It's about showing up curious instead of attached. The person on the other end of that Zoom has been living with this brand, this campaign, this 30-second spot for weeks. I've been living with it for fifteen minutes.

And the reads I'm proudest of? They came from asking one good clarifying question, adjusting my internal tempo, and giving the creative team the space to shape the voice they'd been hearing in their heads all along.

That's the collaboration. That's the gig.

Directors and producers, I'd love to hear from you. What's one thing you wish more voice actors understood about your side of the session? Drop it in the comments. 👇

28/02/2026

04/02/2026

Today is World Cancer Day, and I'm reflecting on the family and friends in my life who have had this horrible disease.

Thankfully I've only lost a few to it, but seen the way it impacts those who suffer and those around them. But I've also seen the strength of human character in those same people who fight it, grit their teeth and smith through it, and continue to live each day despite it.

This deserves our support, funding, and research to find treatments and cures. Together we can advance science and help everyone on our planet this impacts.

19/01/2026

What’s microphone ‘technique’ and why does it matter?

When recording from my studio I’m most often on my own and my clients rightfully expect crisp audio for their projects. But JD, isn’t it just talking towards the mic and letting it do it’s thing?

Well…too close and it can sound boxy or distorted, too far away and it can sound like you’re in a cave, or too direct and every ‘P’ and ‘B’ will be a giant puff of air that ruins the take. Here are some simple but important techniques to ensure your audio sounds great!

🟠 Speak off axis. This means to angle the mic down or to the side so you’re talking across it instead of directly at it so save yourself from those ‘P’ and ‘B’ plosives.

🟠 Ideal distance. Somewhere between a closed fist or ‘hang loose’ gesture away is a good rule of thumb. There are times to nestle close for effect, but in general you want to be clearly heard without over projecting.

🟠 Don’t forget the power. If you’re using a studio microphone, chances are it requires 48 volts from your interface, also called ‘phantom power.’ This drives the capsule to translate the vibrations of sound waves into electrical signals.

🟠 Speak into the front. Double-check your particular mic and ensure you know you front from your back side.

With some practice, all of these techniques become second nature and you’ll wonder why JD felt compelled to mention them. But until then…check your mic and nail your session.

What are some wins or horror stories you have related to mic techniques?

15/01/2026

Take your time. You have all the time in the world.

This is a great line from the movie “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003), but in reality it’s the most precious thing we have. And once it passes we can never get it back. So it’s well worth your time to manage it well. (See what I did there?)

I’ve found a few tips that help me organise and manage my days, whilst keeping in mind things change and my schedule must adapt.

🔹 Time Blocks - Best described by my friend Jonathan Tilley as “Non-Negotiable Time (NTT)”. Set times on your calendar for meals, exercise, or other activities for self-care. Other blocks for social media and email. And open times for project work. Colour-coding is great to see at a glance how your days are divided. Not only will this help you focus on the tasks at hand, but it shows you how precious those blocks are.

🔹 Repeating reminders - For recurring items, using your calendar or to-do applications that bring each task up can help you get into the habits that help you and your business. You also get the satisfaction of checking them off as you complete them, providing a positive reinforcement. And if you tend to “hit snooze” too often, you might use two or three systems like multiple alarms to get yourself on track.

🔹 Eisenhower Matrix - This is a great system to help you decide what to do now, what to do later, or what to stop doing. A simple grid of four quadrants of urgency and importance helps you break tasks into the various blocks so you can focus on what has the most impact and needs to be done right away. Those things that are not urgent or important can either fall into free time entertainment or slide off your plate entirely.

Are you a time planner or more of a free spirit? I’d love to hear what works for you!

06/01/2026

With my experience in voice over work, I help you turn intricate concepts into something that’s easy for everyone to understand. I know exactly when to pause, when to emphasise, and how to maintain viewer engagement from start to finish. The result? A voice that transforms your content, making your audience feel informed, not confused.

01/01/2026

You may be turning a new page, setting goals, or recovering from a night of parties. But whatever the past held...may your 2026 have more good than bad, more joy than sad, and more success than struggle.

31/12/2025

Common system building-blocks for solo entrepreneurs

Business run on systems, whether that be Post-It notes, spreadsheets, or dedicated pieces of software. After more than 30 years in the business world, I found that by working through each step and leveraging systems that work together, I was able to streamline the process for my clients and keep their experience simple and easy.

🔵 Develop a Brand. Colours, designs, and logos (optional) should be created to convey how you want your clients to feel about your business. It helps you build a website and an online presence that’s consistent with your values and your personality.

🔵 Pricing & Packaging. Your products or services need to fit into the market in a way that respects your worth and represents the value you provide. Systems may allow you to offer discounts, or group items together into a combined package.

🔵 Marketing & Sales. Every business needs customers to serve. Find them with outreach, give them a reason and easy method to contact you, and keep track of everything so you can build a lasting relationship.

🔵 Production & Logistics. You’ll need to create your product or service, generate physical or digital goods, and ensure you can deliver them to your clients. The nature of your business and whether it’s local or global will influence what you need to put into place.

🔵 Financial Management. When you get a question, be ready to send out a quote. When you get an order, be ready to create an invoice and collect payment. And keep good records for your required tax reporting. Time spent early in this area makes that annual chore much easier.

What systems do you want to refine in 2026?

🌐 https://gibsonvo.com/consulting

29/12/2025

I was asked recently what home studio upgrades I wanted to accomplish in 2026…

Honestly, my answer was “none”. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s good enough for any work I need to do. Sure, I’d enjoy a bigger desk, a taller booth, or an authentic 1970’s vintage Neumann U87. But those things aren’t going to make a massive difference to my clients, nor are they necessarily going to drive growth in my business.

But what are FIVE things I’ve done to reach this nirvana of home studio zen?

✅ Reduced noise from reaching my microphone from the outside by finding a quiet room in my house and using a dual-walled isolation booth.

✅ Controlled the energy inside the booth from reverberating with thick acoustic panels on all four walls and the ceiling.

✅ Used the least amount of quality gear to get a clean and consistently repeatable sound. I love my Sennheiser 416 microphone, Mogami gold XLR cables, and SSL audio interface!

✅ Learned my Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software ~ Reaper ~ so I know how it works, how to adapt to the unexpected, and how to record, edit, and export fast.

✅ Installed reliable and super-fast broadband over physical Cat-6 cables for those amazing live-directed sessions.

My home studio is to a point where I’m confident stepping into the booth and working in my craft. Maybe there will be a U87 in my future, but my focus in 2026 is more connection, continued performance improvement, and a whole lot more of ‘ME’ coming through for my clients.

As a producer, creative director, casting director, etc., what studio boxes do you want the talent you work with to check?