Some wonderful things have happened over the last few months. We’d like to take a moment to share them with you as we head to the end of the year.
Congratulations to Peter Wicks for 2 SOVAS nominations!
Peter Wicks has been nominated for Outstanding Video Game Character – Best Voiceover for his performance as Vizargo in Age of Darkness at the SOVAS Awards Gala! Kevin says it was a joy to direct Peter, who seized on every opportunity in this challenging, nuanced role. Peter is also up for Outstanding Audiobook Narration – Classics – Best Voiceover for The Tell-Tale Heart! We’re cheering Peter on for the win in both categories.
We’re so happy to hear all the well-deserved accolades that come in for the cast of Age of Darkness. They are a supremely talented bunch, and we look forward to hearing more of their work.
The Voice Summit: OZ
Kevin Powe had the honour of appearing at the inaugural Voice Summit OZ run by the Svara Project in August. Kevin presented Video Games: Getting Cast and Thriving In Your Session, and directed cold audition reads for a one hour workshop, Video Games: Casting Your Lot. Helping people find individual approaches to sounding their best is something Kevin is passionate about, and it was a major motivation for founding the Tavern.
He rose to the challenge, sharing his wealth of knowledge in each session, and the Summit was an absolute blast! Keep an eye out for Voice Summit OZ again in 2025; the wisdom on offer for the ticket price was incredible. It’s so rare we get an opportunity to attend events like these in-person and locally, especially in Australia.
Voice Straw H20
As a Voice Straw advocate since Svara’s virtual summit in 2021, Kevin was eager to grab the new Voice Straw H20 at Voice Summit Oz. It lived up to expectations and has been supporting Kevin’s voice through hours of efforts and vocalisations in live sessions.
If you’d like to protect your vocal health and lift your game in strenuous sessions, you can grab your own Voice Straw H20 at a discount here.
PAX Aus
Kevin also spoke at PAX Aus as part of Brian W. Holland’s So You Want To Be A Voice Actor panel on the main stage. It was a delight to share a stage with international icons Mark Meer and Abubakar Salim, as well as talented local colleagues Jessica Hutchinson and Nina Nikolic.
Brian did an incredible job of organising voice over talent with a diverse range of experience to share, and of keeping the panel entertaining on the day. Kevin’s rather interesting facial expression above is his switch to Judge Dredd mode to deliver a movie tag-line. If you missed the panel, you can watch here on Twitch.
Sad News
It absolutely breaks our hearts to share that Koré, Handmaiden of Darkness and Bestest Kitty, passed away at the end of October. Koré was Kevin’s feline companion for fourteen years, and she is sorely missed. The Tavern is too quiet without the sound of her paws padding through the door to supervise the work.
We’re still grieving, but Kevin was incredibly grateful to be able to spend her last week with her, giving her love and attention away from work.
If you have pets, please give them some pats from us, and remind them how loved they are.
A Personal Note from Kevin
Hey, it’s Kevin here talking directly to you for a moment, especially if you’ve had a rough year, things don’t feel in alignment for you right now, or you’re not where you want to be.
My journey through the last couple of years has had a lot going on with health issues, financial pressures, life disruptions, anxieties, and the weight of everything happening in the broader world. I’ve often felt at arm’s length from my artistic practice, worn down, and a bit isolated. I know I’m not alone in this, and I want you to know neither are you.
Things have slowly turned around for me through some good fortune and a lot of hard work. Just this week I gave what I think is the best performance of my voice over career to date, for clients that I treasure. Heading into the session I was marshalling my energy, but connecting with the work powered me through, and it was magic.
So if you are feeling out of alignment, or unhappy with where you are right now, remember to trust in your work. As the amazing Kristine Oller pointed out to me, also trust that people are working on your career while you’re sleeping. Trust in the capacity for things to change for the better. And be kind to yourself.
Putting Up The Chairs for 2024
That’s it from the Tavern for 2024. We’re headed into the back office to string some festive lights, drink hot chocolate, and work on some exciting projects we have brewing. If you’d like to be the first in the know, sign up for news here.
We’ll be spending some time renovating the Tavern’s work practices ready for a shiny new year. Whatever the future brings, you’ll be hearing more from us in 2025, especially in the Tavern Discord server.
We’re also really looking forward to sharing details on new game titles, featuring Kevin Powe’s voice over performances, early in the New Year!
We wish you and yours the very happiest of holiday seasons, and we hope the change of the year brings rest and renewal, love and laughter.
Be well, and don’t be a stranger.