Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Vale

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

Thank you for having me! My name is Michael Vale – I’m a voice actor, writer, and content creator from New York City. My first experience with voice acting started way back in 2011, when I first began working at an AM radio station as a production assistant, and then as a part-time radio host. I loved doing the morning traffic, weather, and local happenings – from there, I transitioned into public relations, which was a fun job for sure. I mainly worked with attorneys, booking them on television and radio programs in Manhattan, so they could talk about their legal expertise on various shows. I’d be at Fox, CNN, HLN, and more all in the same day, then run off to night class on the train when the day was done.

From PR, I moved into corporate marketing – copywriting and editorial, website syndication, photography management, that sort of thing. It’s the grindstone day job that allows me to keep the lights on and it’s interesting work. My passion has always been writing – I’ve written short stories, historical fiction, drama, romance, horror – it’s all out there somewhere. That really came to a head during the start of the COVID pandemic – being locked inside, looking for something to do, it all kinda led up to the start of me pursuing voice acting, a way to channel those creative wants through an easy-to-use outlet. I was very fortunate to have a great start with my branded channel, Voiceover Requiem, in terms of setting a groove for how I wanted to do things – riffing, rambling, ad-libbed sketches became my favorite thing to do, an outlet to try out new voices and impressions, all while coming with asinine, yet funny, dry humor plot points.

I’ve been so lucky to have grown from there, from simple little comedy bits, to working on projects of all shapes and sizes, including video games, podcasts, audiobooks, short films, and even live action camera work. I never would have dreamed I’d go from watching the content of others I had admired for years on Instagram and YouTube to actually working with them. I am still stunned I get to work with so many talented folks, from all walks of life, and that I get to make the funniest, the most gut-wrenching, the most diabolical content with them – not to mention, to get to co-produce a series as incredible as Cabin Tales alongside my partner in crime Thom Halle, is the cherry on top – there’s so much more ahead, and I think I’m just getting started.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

This is an interesting question – a lot of my struggle with voice acting has been self-doubt, or in the comparison of my own work or setup to someone else’s. Everyone moves at a different pace. Some people get their breaks later than others – some people settle for never having a big break at all, and that’s okay. I always say about this work is that you’ve gotta have fun above all else – yes, it’s a fruitful and amazing line of work, but once something so magical as VA work becomes just another job, then you’re cooked. You’re going to shirk it, and procrastinate, diminish yourself and your value, and man, I’ve done that, I’ve been there.

Finding the time to do this work is also a personal struggle of mine – that little day job I mentioned has me working goofy hours, sun-up to sun-down sometimes, weekends and holidays, the whole way through. The industry is one where you stop working on one thing, pick up another, justify your salary and your commissions type-deal nonstop. Yeah, the money can be great, but like, marketing doesn’t hold a candle to how fulfilling voice acting makes me feel. To know that people derived joy and entertainment from some little thing I got the chance to do, it makes me just so happy, and I love talking to folks who have also become happy from that work I was a part of!

My beige flag is I answer every comment…every. single. comment….on my YouTube and Instagram. I just think that if you took the time to stop by and say how much you liked it (or didn’t! That’s fine too!), I just want to acknowledge you, and your time, and you as a person!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

What does Michael Vale specialize in…absurdity? The very dry, the blank stare kind of comedy, I think I excel at that, for better or for worse. I have a bad (funny, more like it) habit of saying off-the-cuff dry stuff at random times, to the chagrin of my friends. Call it a quirk, call it whatever, but I love to poke a little fun at myself like that.

Known for, I’d say most notably my own work over on Voiceover Requiem, and probably Cabin Tales and a few other select productions (The Walten Files, Vita Carnis, and others). I’ve been very fortunate to work with comedy heavies such as my pal solid.jj and so many others. I like to think my success is partially earned, and partially given, because without the support of everyone along the way (in the VA scene, the cosplay community, the musically gifted talents I’ve known over the years, the writers, editors, comedians, and more, goes without saying), I genuinely would not be here keeping this going and keeping at it.

I’m proud of that fact – the fact it’s been almost 4 years and I still have that drive, that hunger to do more, to see those I’m working with and those around me to succeed in their own endeavors, to do it together. It’s so much more fun to move ahead and upwards with your friends by your side. I have such a wonderful, a talented, an eclectic group of friends, that I could never imagine myself any other way. To them, I say thank you.

What sets me apart? Nothing. I’m in the trenches with you. The new VA, the new artist, you keep on doing what you’re doing. I’m here to support, to work with you, to get this thing done! I’m ALWAYS looking to work with new people, on new projects, and I’m here to help you get that idea or video or whatever to the next level. I thank you for any consideration to be in your series/project/whatever!

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?

I’m gonna plug my favorite podcast CABIN TALES! Not biased at all…but Cabin Tales is a critically acclaimed and ongoing horror anthology series presented in an audio format, or as we know it: a podcast! Every episode tells a fully voiced horror story by professional actors and mixed as an immersive surround experience. I’ve had the pleasure of voicing it in multiple times, co-producing the series as a whole, assisted with casting just the best darn bunch of voice actors out there, and who knows…maybe there’s an episode I’ve written coming out soon?

I think the only app I use more than Instagram right now is probably YouTube Studio…weird to plug that, so I’m gonna call myself out and say how much I love Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle. I’ve been playing that game since AGL Super Vegito FIRST came out, which after a quick Google search…2016…wow, eight years! I have like 70 LRs (only people who play Dokkan know what I’m talking about…) and I have spent ZERO dollars on the game. Broke whale here.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13732901/?ref_=hm_rvi_nm_i_1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voiceover_requiem/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/voiceover_req?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VoiceoverRequiem
• Other: https://www.castingcall.club/voiceover_requiem