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 Message
00:31 — Sticking With Acting
01:49 — Meet Andy Lerner
03:29 — VO Atlanta Highlights
05:55 — Bridging Tech And Talent
08:34 — From Engineer To Studio Builder
14:02 — Comedy Commercials Era
15:19 — Edgy Ads And Changing Norms
18:09 — Joining SpongeBob During COVID
22:01 — Directing A Legacy Franchise
26:48 — Remote Workflow And Cast Praise
29:01 — Fans, Conventions, And Voicelings
33:27 — Neurodiversity In The VO Community
35:54 — Showrunner Role And ADR Pickups
38:56 — ADR Fixes Explained
39:50 — Why Andy Coaches Newbies
42:41 — Handling Rejection Gently
44:50 — What Casting Wants
47:44 — Be 401, Not 400
50:13 — Training Before Voices
51:29 — Mic Placement Mistakes
53:21 — Stop Over-Editing
01:00:08 — Workflow And Software
01:03:14 — TwistedWave Special Paste
01:06:05 — Know Your Genre
01:09:42 — Workouts And Where To Find Andy
01:12:22 — If You Feel Cringe, Quit
01:13:49 — Stick With It Anyway
01:15:23 — Final Thanks And Wrap