the evolution of voiceover
About VO Evolution and George Washington III
When asked how to describe his voice, George Washington III will tell you that it is rich, deep, powerful, intelligent, flexible, and friendly. As a matter of fact, you’re probably already familiar with his rich baritone. A freelance voice actor, he has represented companies like McDonald’s, Courtyard by Marriott, Nike, Gatorade, Time Warner Cable, Mountain Dew ICE, ROOT Sports Northwest, and Lowe’s Home Improvement. He is the app voice for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Plus, George Washington III is the voice of DC Universe Online’s Green Lantern, John Stewart.
And he’s just getting started.
A Little Bit of Backstory
George’s career as a male voice actor began in 2003 when he visited a local recording studio to narrate a piece for a First Union National Bank internal video. Being in the studio was enough to spark his imagination and he researched how to make a demo reel, what equipment was needed to become a commercial voice actor at home, and how to refine his unique style. With plenty of practice and both local and national sources, George began to make a name for himself as freelance voice actor.
His versatile background has helped him not only shape his narrative voice for each gig, but also helped him set up a recording studio in his home that rivals some professional recording studios. He has performed with Opera Carolina as a baritone soloist, been an on-camera television host, an educator, and a coach. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from Northwestern University.
His Approach
George utilizes his vast background to provide distinct points of view as a voice over actor. It has allowed him to provide clients with multiple kinds of performances that many not be achieved by other voice over artists. He approaches each project with the mindset of being “in the moment” of the copy he is about to perform. This gives him a real, believable, and realistic performance. By being able to “see” what his is speaking about, he is able to get into the proper emotional state needed for commercials, narrations, and video game voice work.
While he enjoys performing all type of different voice over styles, he particularly enjoys the “manifesto” style of narration. This style builds in emotional intensity through the life of the performance, ending at a crescendo that connects with his audience. He digs deep to reach the emotions to make this type of voice over narration happen, enjoying the process behind it.
On Voicing A Comic Book Superhero
George had the wonderful opportunity to play DC Comics Green Lantern John Stewart not once, but twice on two different incarnations of the character since he started as a male voice actor. When asked how he approached voicing this iconic character in the DC Universe Online, he says he started by “refreshing my memory on who John Stewart was in the annals of comic books and pop culture, including the fact that he was the first African-American, and only the second Black superhero.” He delved into the characters personality, history and traits as a leader and a marine, and that he enjoys building things, to bring the character to life. “John Stewart is smart, analytical, and passionate, but can still make mistakes. I drew on those details to show the audience who he truly is.”
Dream Work
As a professional African American voice actor, George Washington III is looking for gigs that are fun, diverse and “no niche required.” He would love to work as:
- A network voice for CNN, MSNBC, ESPN and more
- A brand voice for more national brands in the auto, consumer, and financial services
- A narrator for National Geographic, Smithsonian, or Discovery Channel
- A narrator for Democratic political ads for Gubernatorial or Presidential races
Studio Set Up
- Mics
- Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun mic
- Neumann TLM 103 condenser mic
- Booth
- Studiobricks One Plus Isolation
- DAW
- Adobe Audition CC
- Interface
- UAudio Apollo Twin Duo Mk II
- Connectivity
- Source Connect Standard, ipDTL/ISDN, Skype, Zoom, Google Meet
Professional Associations
Member and At-Large Board member of World Voices
Member and Board member of Blue Wave Voiceover
Videos
Greystone Power (Commercial)
A Little Late with Lily Singh - Lily Interviews the Playstation 5
The Supreme Attack (Political)
Planned Parenthood - Bullying (Narration)
Transformation of Chrissy Field (Narration)
United Way “Be Bold” (Narration)
Time Warner Cable “Born to Shine” (Commercial)
ESPN Jordan Brand Classic
Mountain Dew Ice (Commercial)
Happy Clients
