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!

Now that you’ve discovered how to use your instrument properly and how to bring emotional context into your words, it’s time to learn how to put it all together and learn how to act.

You will hear many terms used to describe someone who uses his or her voice to make a living. Voice Over, Voice Talent, Announcer etc., but one of the most important terms that most won’t debate is Voice Actor. After all, this is what we are doing, acting with our voice.

As we’ve described in previous workshops, Voice Acting is the combination of Theatre, Film and Broadcasting. It’s very helpful to have experience in all three in order to truly master the variety of skills needed for each individual project. No two projects are the same, so there is always a need for a variety of skills. In this course we will do our best to teach you all three.

It's time to get down to the nitty gritty!

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.

Think your auditions are “pretty good”? That won’t cut it in today’s competitive VO game. It’s time to level up your reads, sharpen your instincts, and learn how to nail it when it counts, no matter your level.

Welcome to AUDITION BOOTCAMP — the high-energy, no-fluff training ground for voice actors who are ready to stop hoping they book…and start knowing they’re bringing their A-game every time.

What You’ll Get:

Real-world scripts. Real-time feedback. Real results.

Killer tips to make your auditions stand out in a sea of sameness.

Insider techniques used by working pros (and your coach!)

Weekly challenges to push you out of your comfort zone—and into the booking zone.

A supportive squad that grows with you (no yelling... unless it's in the script)

This isn't just another class. It's a VO wake-up call.Whether you're brand-new or been around the mic a few times, you'll walk away sharper, stronger, and ready to own your next audition.

Spots are limited—and they will go fast.Boot up. Mic on. Let’s get to work.

Register now for your 8 week AUDITION BOOTCAMP.Because your best read is waiting to be discovered.

FINDING YOUR OWN WORK

Creating a Voice Acting business takes drive!

In this 8 week workshop - you will be put to the test.

Hands-on activities that force you to look for work.

You will walk away with:

Marketing Schedule/Plan

Where to look for work 

How to approach potential clients

Pay 2 Play, Twitter, Fiverr, and other casting sites

Finding the right agent

Cover Letter Outlines

Follow Ups

Accountability

Assessment of your material *whatever stage you are at

This class is designed for everyone, from beginner & intermediate actors, to the working talent who might be hitting a wall and need to make a change!  

This unique approach to finding your own work has proven to be effective for not only hundreds of talents at different levels of their career, but is a tribute to the success of your coach - VO Chef Deb Munro.  

Deb will share her industry secrets with you and take you through a plan from beginning to end, showing you another side to the business that you may have not considered.  This is a daunting industry.  It's not just about having the right skills, getting a great demo and landing an agent!  You have to know how to go after and find the work yourself - and there are not many who want to share.  This is a great opportunity to learn from a talent who built her business from the ground up and continues to thrive in her career.  She isn't going to wait around for it to happen, so join her for 8 intense weeks of research, development and growth and take your career to the next level. 

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.

When will you become more confident?

When will you become more YOU, without the safety of practicing it? Bravely take that step now and see who you're becoming with a series of creative expression challenges co-led with experts and teachers in fields of creative expression and healing practices.

Each of the 6 weeks will focus on a new area that covers the scariest and hardest aspects many humans dread, while working through them with guidance and support, and "failing forward". OWNING your growth and standing atop YOUR broadening foundation of TRYING/OVERCOMING to become MORE "you".Would you like to be better at:-Public Speaking?

-Projecting? Singing?

-Movement? Dancing?

-Drawing/Painting?

-Writing/Creating/Crafting what you're drawn to share?

-Peacefulness/Meditation?

-Emotional Intelligence? Self Compassion? Filling your own "bucket"?

These are some of the areas this course is focussing on in this 1st foray to get us trying in many ways to improve our skills AND self expression.You might find a new way that you love being you and sharing your gifts and lessons. You might breakthrough your own walls and barriers. You might start a new relationship with the YOU that you've been wanting to become, and be the cheerleader and champion of your own Becoming Self that you practice with us and our support. This is who you're meant to be. The time to prioritize YOU is NOW <3

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.

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!

Note: It is highly recommended that you either have some experience or knowledge in audio recording and editing, or have at least taken our intro / "101" course, Audio Engineering for Voice Actors to get the most out of this course.

This course is designed to assist you through technical production of individual voice over spots that showcase the brand and skills of a voice over artist.

This voice-specific audio engineering course takes you behind the scenes to lay out step-by-step instructions for producing a quality, great sounding spot. Follow along a seasoned producer as he live streams his editing process, and gives industry tips and tricks. By the end of this course, you will have gained knowledge and experience by producing your own voice over spot(s) - or those of other actors - under the direction of an instructor and TA, and with valuable peer feedback.

The material will be applicable in a variety of genres such as commercial, narration, animation, or video games. Learn the art of storytelling and advertising with creative ways to entice your listener, and stand out!

A solid foundation in audio as a voice talent in this modern remote-working world is imperative, especially when working with studios and engineers, and while it takes time to master the craft, we want to give you a fast and effective path towards a professional standard of work in your own home studio.

Over the course of 8 weeks we will introduce to you definitions & terms used when working with sound, as well as such necessary tools & techniques as gain staging, equalization (EQ), and compression, as well as real world uses of the skills needed to be successful.

You will be given audio examples and practical projects that relate closely to real-world professional practice. This is a hands on course designed to guide you, step-by-step, along the path to possessing a strong skillset in audio engineering your voiceovers.

Note: While we use REAPER as the main software to demonstrate our concepts and methods, what we teach is not only applicable to REAPER - everything we teach can be done in almost any program, from Audacity to Pro Tools.

If you use a different program and are worried about whether you'll still be able to follow along, reach out to Laneth to ask them about setting up some extra time to show you how to do it in your preferred program - and who knows, maybe a group session will be set up if a number of people use the same program!

Authentic Narration 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 (aside from his own).

Narration VO auditions typically demand a voice that is “friendly” & “welcoming”, as well as being “an authority” or “an expert.” This can be difficult when your script calls for you to discuss “the formation of malondialdehyde and conjugated diene compounds, which are cytotoxic and mutagenic.” Don’t forget to sound like an expert!

In this course, you will learn how to approach any Narration script and, by answering a few questions, find a voice that is authentic, conversational, friendly, & confident.

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

In-Depth Script Analysis is a hands-on, 4-week course blending imaginative prompts with practical scene work, with a particular focus on Character-Driven Narratives.

Students will learn to dissect scripts for subtext, adapt to multiple genres, bring emotional truth to heightened moments, and deliver performances ready for casting.

Each week builds toward a final showcase where actors perform, adjust on the fly, and connect their artistry directly to industry expectations

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!

Join us for a multi-week voice acting workshop all about ADR, where you'll explore different genres each week!

Begin with animated action adventure, bringing mythical characters and martial arts to life with a mix of realism and comedy.

We'll also dive into live-action comedy, honing your timing and energy with a hilarious film; a tough skill to master.

Then we will tackle historical drama, delving into the nuanced performances of an 18th-century epic. Always remember it's not just the voice, but the acting!

Finally, we will jump into the world of anime, channeling high-energy performances and larger-than-life characters.

Get ready for a workout!

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.

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.