In a special Bonus Round Spotlight segment, we interview gaming voice actor Scotty Lazer and dive deeper into his experience with CloudPunk.
When did you start voice acting and why?
I started voice acting when I was a kid, it was me walking around the house every day trying to imitate the voices I heard in my favorite cartoons. But when I started chasing the dream and really getting into acting was about two years ago. I started to realize that life doesn’t stop for anyone and that chasing your dreams and living your best life is how to ensure your happiness.
What type of equipment and software do you use?
Equipment is always a funny story because people think you need the very best to do voice-over. Which don’t get me wrong buying the very best equipment helps you sound better from the point of quality of sound, but once you get to a certain point you are just throwing money away for a small change in sound quality.
But my equipment is some of the best in the industry but I have purchased it over the years.
All of my voice-over work is recorded in my treated home studio on a Sennheiser MKH 416, Focusrite Scarlett Solo Vintech X73i Microphone Preamp & EQ Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor/Limiter. Then edited in Adobe Audition
What advice do you wish you had before you started a career in voice acting?
Advice is a funny thing, I still look for advice each and every day I am a voice-over actor today, I find advice from experienced voice actors/actresses, voice-acting teachers, and even online classes. The best advice I would give is don't be afraid to ask for help and have an open mind when it comes to learning, the worst thing you can do as an actor is stop learning, once you do that your career is over. Don't be afraid to look stupid or ask someone who is doing it better how they got there.
What is your earliest memory of gaming? Do you remember the first game you played?
The first game I ever played with Spyro on the PlayStation 1, my grandma bought us a Playstation for Christmas one year, and ever since then I was hooked, my longest game I ever played and still play till this day is Runescape, the old-school one not that new age shit, I remember the first day I got addicted to that, playing it on my grandma's windows 95 computer with AOL internet. What I wouldn't give to go back to that time for just a day, to see my grandma again smiling at me playing my game, and drinking my kool-aid- it was a simple time.
What is your favorite memory or achievement in your career so far?
Favorite memory honestly was meeting a voice actor named Don Capone, famous in Orlando Florida, and around the world for commercial voice-overs, he introduced me to his mentor Dan Wachs another huge name in the commercial industry doing voice overs for the Buffalo Bills and then meeting Jeff Mcneal another huge powerhouse in the commercial industry, doing voice-overs for the movie Frozen. Then there was little old me, a child playing pretend sitting at the adult's table for the first time, an absolute dream of a time sitting amongst legends and just soaking in as much information as I could as we all sat on Skype drinking a couple of beers and shooting the $#@!
How can viewers connect with you around the internet?
How can people connect with you around the internet?
Twitter is the best way, @ScottyLazer
And or TikTok @ScottyLazer
Or Instagram ScottyLazer