Episode 148: Interview with Stewart Talent's Jason Sasportas

About Jason: Jason has been head of the commercial voice-over department of Stewart Talent NY for 15 years. He initially trained as an actor and screenwriter at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts before making the shift to the business side of entertainment. His first job was at the William Morris Agency where he served as booth director for their commercial department, able to draw upon his creative background to effectively interpret copy and direct talent. When Stewart Talent was looking to start up their own voice-over department in NY, Jason jumped at the opportunity. The last 15 years have seen huge amounts of growth for the division, including the hiring of additional voice-over and on-camera agents, and he represents a flourishing roster of clients. The massive importance of networking as an actor is equally important on the agent side. Jason's Advice to Actors: Be honest about your skills Communicate book outs Be aware of your commercial exclusivities Knowing your type is really knowing who you are Owning and finding confidence in your neutral sound, where your voice lives You can tell the difference between a scripted read and someone who owns their voice Be "agent ready" before submitting Recognize how busy agents are. The difference between the Chicago market and the New York Market Do you need a VO manager?