GTT Spotlight: Animation Director, Voice Caster and Coach Andy Lerner

In this episode of the GTT Performer Friendly Podcast, George Whittam talks with voice director, casting professional, producer, writer, actor, and VO coach Andy Lerner about the intersection of performance, audio, and modern voiceover.

Andy shares how he moved from engineering and comedy radio production into directing and coaching, including his work in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe during COVID. He also offers practical advice for newer voice actors on training, rejection, improv, mic placement, and avoiding overly edited, lifeless auditions.

Timeline

00:00 — Sponsor Message00:31 — Sticking With Acting01:49 — Meet Andy Lerner03:29 — VO Atlanta Highlights05:55 — Bridging Tech And Talent08:34 — From Engineer To Studio Builder14:02 — Comedy Commercials Era15:19 — Edgy Ads And Changing Norms18:09 — Joining SpongeBob During COVID22:01 — Directing A Legacy Franchise26:48 — Remote Workflow And Cast Praise29:01 — Fans, Conventions, And Voicelings33:27 — Neurodiversity In The VO Community35:54 — Showrunner Role And ADR Pickups38:56 — ADR Fixes Explained39:50 — Why Andy Coaches Newbies42:41 — Handling Rejection Gently44:50 — What Casting Wants47:44 — Be 401, Not 40050:13 — Training Before Voices51:29 — Mic Placement Mistakes53:21 — Stop Over-Editing01:00:08 — Workflow And Software01:03:14 — TwistedWave Special Paste01:06:05 — Know Your Genre01:09:42 — Workouts And Where To Find Andy01:12:22 — If You Feel Cringe, Quit01:13:49 — Stick With It Anyway01:15:23 — Final Thanks And Wrap