THE VOICEOVER ACADEMY GUESTS
JUST SOME OF THE GUEST DIRECTORS WE WORK WITH
TERRY BERLAND
Terry Berland is an award-winning casting director of both on-camera and voice-over. Terry is in direct communication with the ad agency producer and writer, for each job cast, regarding their talent needs and direction. Terry’s unique Madison Avenue advertising agency casting background lends to her deep understanding of ads. Her clients depend on her to direct talent to fulfill their creative needs.
Terry has cast legions of voice-over spots and campaigns. She is proud to have started many people out in their voice-over careers.
KRISTIN PAIVA
Kristin boasts more than 18 years of industry expertise, having contributed her skills to the renowned entertainment powerhouse, The Walt Disney Company. Her work was featured in numerous animated television properties that were seen on Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, some Marvel, Lucas, and Pixar projects, along with Disney+ TV animated properties.
Kristin has experience in both the live action and animated worlds, with over a decade experience in casting. Some of her credits included Hamster and Gretel, Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, Mickey Mouse
Funhouse, Mickey Saves Christmas, Mickey's Tale of Two Witches, Big Hero 6: The Series, Amphibia, Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas, Muppet Babies, Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Mickey Mouse: Mixed Up Adventures, Milo Murphy’s Law, Lion Guard, Minnie’s Bow-Toons, and many more.
Kristin recently embarked on a new venture by founding her own company, Paiva Productions. In this exciting endeavor, she channels her expertise into the realms of Casting, Dialogue Directing, and Voice Over Coaching. Assisting talent in
their growth has always been a genuine passion for Kristin. Paiva Productions is dedicated to perpetuating Kristin’s fervent commitment and steadfast support for emerging talent.
KAL-EL BOGDANOVE
Writer/Director Kal-El Bogdanove created and showran The Walt Disney Company’s entire slate of high-end audio-only content, a whopping 2000+ pages of fully voiced narrative content across Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar, earning Disney $30 million net in this previously unexplored space, and generating an incalculable number of guest impressions. Bogdanove also created Dug In Real Life, the most successful viral video in TWDC history, with 28 million views in 24 hours.
Kal-El has also directed and/or written dozens of the world’s most popular AAA videogames, including the BAFTA-winning Fallout 4, the record-setting Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Multiversus, Lego DC Superheroes, all of Blizzard’s franchises, and Riot’s League of Legends, Valorant, and Conv/rgence.
Together, Arno and Bogdanove partnered with horror legends John Carpenter and Sandy King to create Terraformed, an eight-part graphic sci-fi miniseries, and The Haloperidol Files, a psychological mystery.
DEBRA WILSON
Of MADtv on camera fame, Wilson’s off camera voice over career spans animation, video games, network announcing, creatures, ADR/looping, commercials, promos and documentaries.
Animation includes Grandma Shark on Baby Shark’s Big Show, Headmistress Bloodgood on Monster High, and Daisy Duck for Mickey Mouse Fun House, making her the 6th official voice and first African American to voice the Disney Character.
Video games include STAR WARS JEDI: Fallen Order, and STAR WARS JEDI: Survivor, as Cere Junda, Gryla in God Of War: Ragnarok, The Harbinger in HALO Infinite, Savathun the Witch Queen in DESTINY 2 The Witch Queen, Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, and XO Greene in CALL of DUTY Modern Warfare III.
Television credits include game show announcer for NBC’s The Weakest Link, hosted by Jane Lynch, and court announcer for ABC’s Judge Steve Harvey.
KEYTHE FARLEY
Keythe Farley is a voice director with credits that include RUGRATS, ADVENTURE TIME, GOD OF WAR and CALL OF DUTY. He's also the voice of Thane Krios in the MASS EFFECT series of video games, as well as the voice of Eruptor, Wildfire and Sheep Creep in SKYLANDERS. Commercial credits include Orbit Gum, Hornitos Tequila, Nike and Foot Locker. Writing credits include the cult-hit BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL.
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DANIKA WIKKE
Using sound to express the intent of a filmmaker is something I continuously strive to make happen. While working hard to help a script come to life and enhance the shows I work on, leaving audiences with a meaningful experience is my main goal.” Danika Wikke grew up in Northern California and knew from a young age that she wanted to work in the motion picture industry. After moving to Los Angeles at the age of 17 to study Cinema and Television Arts at CSU Northridge, she grew to love the art of sound editorial. Upon graduating, Danika began working as a sound editor for Pilgrim Studios, gaining experience cutting dialogue and assisting the re-recording mixers on the mix stage. Over a decade later, as a sound supervisor, she has worked on various projects such as “Special Op’s: Lioness for Paramount, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” for NBC and “Only Murders in the Building” for Hulu, earning her a MPSE award.
LINDSAY PEARLMAN HALPER
Lindsay Perlman Halper is the Casting Manager for Lucasfilm Animation. Some of her credits include Star Wars Rebels, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, Star Wars Detiurs, Star Wars Clone Wars, and Strange Magic.
After graduating from Penn State University, Lindsay began her career assisting in the casting of seventeen pilots for Klasky Csupo Animation Company. She and Casting Director Barbara Wright later started the company Wright Casting, where she served as the casting associate for projects such as Justice League: The New Frontier (Warner Bros), Turok: Son of Stone (Classic Media), Kung Fu Magoo (Classic Media, and Jingle All the Way (Bent Image Lab/Hallamark Channel).
She also cast several commercials and web-series, including The Possibility Shop (The Jim Henson Company/Disney Online), and The LeBrons (believe Entertainment Group). She enjoys working with creative talent and finding the perfect voices to bring characters to life!
JASON MERRELL
After receiving an AA in Video Production from The American College in London, England and a BFA in Video Production from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Jason returned to his native Pacific Northwest as a film editor, where he worked on several independent productions. His editing work eventually brought him to Los Angeles where he worked at New World Films where, in addition to editing, he’d eventually dive into the world or writing and producing. Switching gears, Jason joined the team at Talent Group, Inc. (TGI) He stayed with the crew when Wes Stevens formed VOX, Inc., where he has accrued 18 years of experience guiding the agency's competitive reads.
When not directing actors by phone, e-mail, or in the booth, attending clients’ films, plays, and sessions, or networking at industry conventions, workshops, and soirees, Jason can most likely be found in a dive karaoke bar, or at any number of repertory movie theatres around town.
KELLY WARD
Daytime Emmy winning director, Kelly Ward, has directed voices for hundreds of cartoons, including Disney’s The Lion Guard, Star vs. The Forces of Evil, The 7D, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue, and Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks. He has acted, produced, written and directed for television, film and stage and has been awarded the prestigious Humanitas Prize for writing children’s animation. Other notable credits include co-starring roles in the movies Grease, The Big Red One and Zoot Suit, and co-writing the feature films Once Upon A Forest and All Dogs Go to Heaven 2.
BRIAN NEFSKY
Brian Nefsky is the head VO Casting Director for Walt Disney Imagineering.
Brian started as the casting assistant many years ago before moving into the role of Head of VO Casting for Walt Disney parks. He casts all of the voices you hear throughout the happiest place on earth.
BRANDIE ILSEN
Brandie Ilsen is a Talent Agent at Aperture Talent. She opened the voiceover department there in 2015. She is very established in the Voiceover industry. Prior to Aperture, Brandie was the Director of Creative Services for DPN Talent. She has directed auditions and sessions for Commercials, Promos, Trailers, Narrations, and Animation. She has pitched talent to producers, ad agencies, and casting
directors. Campaigns booked under her guidance are Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, Special K, Bridgestone just to name a few. Presently, she has clients recurring in Monster High and on very high-profile video games.
PIERCE O'TOOLE
Pierce O'Toole is a director who has been working in video game voiceover since 2013, working on franchises that include LEGO, Star Wars, DC, and Halo. His love of working with actors led him to pursue directing voiceover full-time, which he has been doing since 2018.
Most recently, he completed work on Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, the DLC for the main game Cyberpunk 2077, where he also served as the lead dialogue director.