ACTING AT THE MIC: COMMERCIALS-4 Week V/O Class with Maggie Phillips, Professional Voice Actor/Coach and and Elizabeth Gans, Casting Director, Stark Naked Productions

Saturday, March 1, 2014, 10am ET / 7am PT

Good acting is good acting, whether it's on a stage, in front of a camera, or behind a mic. Advertisers are not looking for a voice, they're looking for a person. The breakdown of a casting session repeatedly says "a regular person, casual, non-announce, no sell." Your job is to bring that regular person to the mic.

In these 4 sessions, our goal is to discover YOUR VOICE. Your voice as a mom or dad, a teacher, a truck driver, an employee, a friend... You will explore your instrument through various kinds of current copy, discovering and expanding your range as you work. And you will be coached according to your needs. Every actor, every voice is unique. You will get the individual attention you deserve as well as working on the techniques needed to pursue a voice-over career.

Major emphasis is placed on script analysis. You will be trained to view the black and white words as a goldmine to explore on your way to delivering reads that are not only professional, but highly considerate of the buyers intentions. Individual vocal problems are addressed, such as glottal attacks, throat or mouth tensions, or breathing issues.

You will work at the mic at every class. And the learning that happens as you listen to your peers is invaluable--you get to hear what works and what doesn't.

In the 4th class, a TOP NY V/O Industry Guest will come in and give feedback on everyone's work as well provide insight into the V/O industry.

Limited to 12 actors

Maggie Phillips has been a working union actor and teacher for over two decades. A 15-year stage career at some of the top LORT regional houses, she has had the opportunity to perform many of Shakespeare's ladies, Tennessee Williams' heroines, and a Eugene O'Neill victim. On the other end of the spectrum, her experience in contemporary theater is vast, both comedy and drama, and she has had the great good fortune to originate several roles in new plays. In front of a camera, Maggie created the role of Marianne on "The Guiding Light", and has an indie film "Aquarium" which won an Honorable Mention at this January's Sundance Film Festival and played at Brooklyn Academy of Music in June. As a voice-over, she has been heard on scores of commercials for everything from retail to pharmaceuticals to automobiles to cosmetics. As a narrator, Maggie has worked for many clients, including The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, The Learning Channel, and Court TV. Promo clients include Lifetime, A&E, and Buena Vista's A.M. network lineup--Live with Regis and Kelly, The View, and General Hospital. She is the founder of the original V/O Gym.

Elizabeth Gans has been with this extremely busy office for 13 years that primarily casts commercials, although they cast projects in all areas (film, television, theatre, industrials, commercials and voice-overs). Ongoing commercial clients include Hilton Hotels, Disney, Bufferin, Jeep, Trident, Heineken, Wendy's and the NFL.

Class Testimonials:

"Maggie's 4 Week Saturday class was fantastic! She is fantastic! With teachers such as Maggie, you can be sure that my training will rally ‘round AC." -Tom Murphy

"Thank you so much for Maggie Phillips's Acting in Voice Over Class. She has a terrific way of putting the class at ease while helping sharpen our focus. Her excitement is contagious, her ear is impeccable, and her experience is a gold mine. Every week was better than the next. She is a great talent to have on your roster. Thank you for the over all quality of the Actors Connection experience." -Rob Sheridan

"Wanted to offer the highest possible praise for Maggie Philips' VO course. Her approach was refreshingly simple and no-nonsense, and I learned more in these four weeks than I had from months with other coaches. I'd definitely recommend her to others." -Ajai Raj

"I wanted to write to let you know I just completed 4 weeks of studying voiceovers with Maggie Phillips. I signed up for the class thinking that it would just be more practice for me as I have studied with a voiceover teacher before. Boy, was I wrong. I took away so much value from Maggie's instruction and knowledge about this business. I look forward to continuing training and developing as a voiceover artist. Also, I've taken a few on camera classes at AC this month. I can't tell you how invaluable they were for me." -Patricia McNamara

"Maggie Phillips is all around amazing. She teaches a true acting class, that just happens to be geared for the mic. Maggie provides you with all the necessary tools to prepare you for your audition - from script analysis and technique to booth etiquette to character development. Nothing is left to the unknown. Maggie is a wealth of knowledge and experience and she truly invests in her students. Additionally, as a working actor in the industry, she is fully in the know with current industry standards. I have learned and gained so much from her classes and whole-heartedly recommend her class to everyone from the V/O novice to the working actor looking to fine tune their craft! She is a rare find!" -Micki Weiner

"With Maggie's years of experience as an actor, educator and voice-over artist, I approach copy and the voice-over world in an entirely new way. Her subtle but skilled direction has given me more revelatory moments than I can recall. She has something to offer everyone; from the most seasoned professional to the curious newcomer. I would enthusiastically recommend Maggie Phillips' "Acting at the Mic" class without hesitation." -Andy Wagener

"Acting At The Mic with Maggie Phillips was very informative and enjoyable! In class we discussed everything from the business to audition techniques. Best of all, we each had time to work behind the mic in every class with feedback and coaching from Maggie herself! I learn by doing, and I learned a lot from this class. I recommend this class to all who are interested in voice overs. Whether you're an amateur or a professional looking to brush up your mic skills, there is always something to learn! Plus Maggie, is so easy to work with and she is very encouraging when working on techniques! I hope to take more classes with Maggie in the future!" -Alissa Simmons

"I am currently a student of Maggie Philips in the study of Voice Over. I originally pursued a career in Los Angeles in the early 80's with random classes that more or less became known to be non-professionals and lost a great deal of money without the proper guidance. Feeling discouraged I abandoned my dream. Many years later Ms. Philips became highly recommended to me by two people quite successful in the field of Voice Over. I was elated to be accepted in a group class situation through Actors Connection and felt immediately I was in the right hands. Afraid I would be intimidated by experienced students I found myself in a group of friendly individuals who all embraced Ms. Philips advice and encouraging and constructive criticisms. It was apparent she was passionate about her work and excited about our hunger for learning. When the class came to an end I approached her about private lessons and once again I am delighted to be a student continuing to learn about the possibilities of a career in this field. Because of her, I am enjoying this journey and feel very positive about my future. Although my travel time for each lesson is about 4 hours, I can honestly say its worth every minute. I would recommend her to anyone at any level of study as I find her advice to be quite valuable." -Robin R. Southern

"After being absent from voiceover work for many years, I feel lucky to have found Maggie Phillips. She teaches with a velvet glove. She makes voice acting accessible and fun!" -Suzi Nauser

"I have taken Maggie Phillips' "Acting at the Mic" four week sessions several times during the past year. In each session, I continue to learn so much about acting, audition technique, script analysis, and the craft of voiceover. Maggie is a gifted teacher who inspires beginners through working professionals with her thoughtful and constructive, yet gentle feedback. As a working voice talent with a great passion for VO, she imparts up-to-date information about current trends in the industry, and her practical suggestions and insightful comments have led me to several "break throughs" of my own. Maggie creates a community atmosphere within her class, and students are in encouraged to interact, ask questions, and give constructive feedback to others. She fosters a safe environment where students are willing to take risks in order to grow. I always feel supported and encouraged to continue in my pursuit of this business, thanks to Maggie's class- I highly recommend it!" -Mary-Ann Trippet

Maggie Phillips

Maggie Phillips has been a working union actor and teacher for over three decades. A 15-year stage career at some of the top LORT regional houses, she has had the opportunity to perform many of Shakespeare's ladies, Tennessee Williams' heroines, and a Eugene O'Neill victim. On the other end of the spectrum, her experience in contemporary theater is vast, both comedy and drama, and she has had the great good fortune to originate several roles in new plays. In front of a camera, Maggie created the role of Marian on "The Guiding Light", and starred in the Indie film "Aquarium" which won an Honorable Mention at this January's Sundance Film Festival and played at Brooklyn Academy of Music. As a voice-over artist, she has been heard on scores of commercials for everything from retail to pharmaceuticals to automobiles to cosmetics. As a narrator, Maggie has worked for many clients, including The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, The Learning Channel, and Court TV. Promo clients include Lifetime, A&E, RLTV, "Live with Kelly", "The View", and "General Hospital". She is the founder of the original V/O Gym.