VO Chef Deb pulls back the curtain on one of the biggest mysteries in voice acting — how to create truly different, compelling takes that grab casting’s attention without going off the rails OR sounding too much the same. Across 8 transformative weeks, you’ll explore what “variety” actually means, what’s acceptable (and what isn’t), and how to push creative boundaries while still honoring the script and brand. Through hands-on script work, live direction, and real-time feedback, you’ll learn how to confidently deliver multiple takes that feel distinct, intentional, and bookable.

From authentic, conversational humans,  confident stylized and realistic announcers that are making a comeback,..... to talking products, animated mascots, and even cockroaches selling bug spray.

Commercial Characters is an 8-week performance-based workshop that explores the entire spectrum of character work in modern commercial VO — helping voice actors to create a database of characters that stand out and book! 

Stop throwing auditions into the void. In this 4-week workshop, VO Chef Deb shows you how to crack the code of Pay 2 Play sites — from algorithms to profiles to audition strategies — so you stop guessing and start booking.  Pay 2 Play is making a significant mark on the industry, so If you’re paying to play, it’s time to learn how to win

Battle Effort Dynamics is a 4-week course exploring how physical movement directly influences vocal effort and performance. Through guided exercises and live feedback, students learn how weapon size, motion, and environmental factors such as running, climbing, and jumping affect breath, intensity, and realism in battle reads.

Game Mode 2.0 is a recommended companion program to Game Mode, and a comprehensive VO program taught by Chris Okawa based on his experience working week-in and week-out as a video game actor for the past 11 years.

As classes progress, you are thrown into video game recording-session simulations, working off grid-scripts, simulating physical states, finding those unique and viable NPC reads, and varying your takes. 

As an instructor, Chris has a workshop, one-on-one emphasis, and strives to lead actors to discover new depths to their characters and reimagine themselves as voice actors.

Make sure to check out FAQs down below!

Elley Ray Hennessy is an avant-garde, international, award-winning bon vivant who has dazzled audiences for 45 years across film, television, radio, and stage. A true powerhouse in the entertainment industry, Elley has excelled in acting, writing, directing, producing, and casting. Her significant contributions to the arts and humanities have earned her a Doctorate of Laws.

Recently, Elley returned from performing at My Little Pony conventions in Shanghai, Beijing, and Jinan, China, where she was greeted by fans and signed autographs. She stars as Warden Morgan Dungworth in the hit TV show Pink Is In, for which she was recently nominated for Best Actress in a Series at the Canadian Screen Awards. She is currently filming Pink Is In: The Movie and will be attending Hamilton Comic Con.

Elley published her first children's book, My Shaky World, a story about epilepsy, and is currently working on her second book under the same theme, with plans to create an animated series based on the concept. She also voices an array of animated characters, ranging from a 55-year-old man with Asperger’s to a magical unicorn, a helmeted duck, and a singing designer witch.

Currently, Elley is filming the TV Series-Coming Home, workshopping 3 new theatrical productions and enjoying the international world premiere of Dullsville and the Doodleverse at TIFF, where she plays the iconic, beloved Queen of the Doodles, Nana.

Are you ready to build a recreatable catalog of characters and take your voice acting skills to the next level? Mastering Characters with Elley Ray Hennessy is a one-of-a-kind course designed to help you create, perform, and sustain characters with confidence and versatility.

This course provides:

🎭 A Personalized Character Catalog – Develop a diverse range of voices that you can confidently perform and sustain.

🎙 Specialized Insights into Animation Voiceover – Learn the nuances of the animation industry from an expert.

📖 Strategies & Tactics to Advance Your Craft – Gain industry knowledge to elevate your auditions and performances.

🎤 Live Performance Coaching – Receive personalized feedback to refine your technique.

🌟 Exclusive Casting Opportunity – In the final class, you'll audition for a real casting agent—an invaluable chance to be seen and heard by industry professionals!

This isn’t just another voiceover class—it’s a career-boosting experience designed to set you apart.

Learn From a Renowned Industry Expert

Elley Ray brings decades of experience as a respected voice coach, performer, and educator. She currently teaches at Sheridan College and the University of Toronto, and has previously taught at California State University, and Syracuse University. Her wealth of experience ensures unparalleled insight into the craft of voice acting and the industry at large.

📌 Spots are limited! Secure yours today and take the next step in your journey.

Commercial Voiceover is taught by Dave Bisson, A Chicago-based full-time voice artist who’s lent his voice to hundreds of TV, radio, & digital commercials, as well as industrial narrations, video games, toys, IVR, & just about every other form of VO except audiobooks.

Commercial VO auditions are near-universally asking for a read that’s “Conversational”, “Authentic”, “Genuine”, “Guy/Girl-next-door”, “A real person, not an actor” which has left a lot of aspiring (or even established) voiceover talent wondering how they can be any of these things for a script saying that power saws are on sale at the local hardware store. Even with characters in commercials, it's essential always to be authentic. 

In this course, you will learn how to approach any Commercial character script and, by answering a few simple questions, find a voice that is authentic, conversational, friendly, & confident – while still being a version of you.

Think of this class as an advanced version of our already authentic commercial VO class. You'll apply everything you've learned in those classes here.  

Being able to do a variety of unique voices can be a huge plus in your career and make you a must-keep for clients and studios.The ability to portray different characters and make them sound different enough that you can have them in the same scene and not sound like they are the same person is a skill that few have, but not something that can't be learned.If you are interested, this may just be the course for you.

As with any profession or trade, it takes time for people to master their craft; voice acting included. A weekend seminar at a famous studio or a weeklong boot camp with a voice coach may be cool, but it probably won't increase your abilities to the point of landing loads of voice gigs. That's why we designed this course with the goal of making sure students see tangible improvements in not just acting, but speaking as a whole.

VA101 is designed to teach students about their vocal instrument and how to play it. Starting out from the basics and diving deep into understanding the different parts, how to control them, and how to train them to ensure its longevity. You will learn about your Voicebox, your articulators, posture, warmup and breathing techniques, consonants, plosives, sibilance, natural articulation, handling a lisp, mic techniques, and so much more!

Game Mode is a dynamic VO program taught by Chris Okawa based on his monthly workout series Cricket Fam VO Jam curriculum he's taught at Cricket Sound for the past 4 years.Week over week it folds-in vocal disciplines specific to the video game genre, a genre unique for the opportunity to play the entire lifecycle of a character, it's epic theatrical scenework, and a branching, complex narrative structure.

Learn how to bring fights to life, spur the Player on, and access new and under-utilized corners of your voice. 

Across every genre of voice acting, casting and clients are listening for the same thing: truth. Whether you’re delivering a conversational commercial, voicing an animated character, a fighter in a video game, narrating or selling a brand as an announcer, authenticity is what makes a performance believable — and bookable. 

Authenticity in Everything You Do is a 4-week, performance-driven workshop designed to help voice actors bring genuine connection, clarity, and confidence to a wide range of VO genres, whether they are subtle and intimate or over the top and absurd, you can’t fake authenticity!

Commercial Voiceover is taught by Dave Bisson, A Chicago-based full-time voice artist who’s lent his voice to hundreds of TV, radio, & digital commercials, as well as industrial narrations, video games, toys, IVR, & just about every other form of VO except audiobooks.

Commercial VO auditions are near-universally asking for a read that’s “Conversational”, “Authentic”, “Genuine”, “Guy/Girl-next-door”, “A real person, not an actor” which has left a lot of aspiring (or even established) voiceover talent wondering how they can be any of these things for a script saying that power saws are on sale at the local hardware store.

In this course, you will learn how to approach any Commercial script and, by answering a few simple questions, find a voice that is authentic, conversational, friendly, & confident – without having to do any research on power saws.

Additionally, this course will deal with all the traps and pitfalls scripts can contain that are sabotaging your authentic voice without you even realizing it.

In VA201 'The Emotional Roller Coaster', you will learn how important emotions are in the world of acting. Without feelings and emotions it is very difficult to bring words to life in a way that will engage the listener. Over the next 8 classes we will take you on the ride of a lifetime as we put you in the front seat of your emotional rollercoaster. You will work on techniques that will help you face your fears and get rid of any nerves you face that can get in the way of a great performance. You will discover how to bring hidden intentions into everything you read.

Explore an emotional journey and break down common basic emotions and get in touch with how you express emotions for different situations and how you can bring this into everything you do. You will uncover effective ways for your characters to express their emotions and hidden intentions that will differ from your own. Learn the different elements that contribute to creating emotion in your script from an acting perspective as well as production. Master the tools and techniques that will help you bring your scripts to life. You will learn how listening and reacting will completely change the way you perform. There will be plenty of scripts to read in this course, so grab your box of Kleenex, get your chops ready and hang on for an emotional ride into the world of emotional performance.