Rena Baskin

Voice Description

Warm and deep for narrations; offbeat,sexy, wry and fun for commercials, smooth and/or emphatic, confident and professional for presentations, heartfelt for PSAs.

Voice Genders and "Ages" I Can Perform

• Middle Age Female

Language(s) of Which I Am a Native Speaker:

• English - North American

I Offer my Services for these Recording Purposes

• Commercials
• Promos
• IVR, voicemail, phone systems, and on-hold messages
• Training, business presentations, sales, and web sites
• Audiobooks
• Videogames
• Documentaries
• TV shows and movies
• Movie and game trailers
• Podcasts
• Songs
• Others (on-camera, infomercials, live announcers, spokespersons)

Jobs I Am Willing to Take (Union-wise)

• Jobs for ACTRA (Canada) signatories

• Jobs for AFTRA (US) signatories

• Jobs for British Equity signatories

• Jobs for SAG (US) signatories

• Jobs for Union des Artistes (Canada) signatories

My Union Affiliations and Memberships

• AFTRA (US)

• SAG (US)

My Recording and Delivery Capabilities

• I will go to any designated studio in my area
• I can record and then deliver the audio files via Email

Pre-, Post- and Production Services I Offer

None

My Home Base

Boston Area, Massachusetts, United States

Accents, Impersonations, Characters and Dialects

Character voices, Dialects (Standard British, Cockney, Brooklyn, American Southern)

My Voice Experience

I narrated Nova: Secrets of the Mind, and dubbed in the voices of "Little Muck" in English... including singing a melody I wrote where the princess sings. (The film was set in Arabia, made in German, and dubbed in English....go figure...). I have narrated Descriptive Video for WGBH for 20 years, doing second audio narrations for American Experience, Nova,Masterpiece Theater, and a dozen other TV programs. With a male actor/VO artist (with whom I am currently acting in a musical on stage)we did descriptive narration and translation voices for an Ingmar Berman film (really cool gig!). Have also described films shown in theaters and for sale for blind and visually impaired audiences (Raiders of the Lost Arc, Field of Dreams, and countless others). I narrated the Star Wars exhibit that toured museums of science nationwide (my voice got Speilberg and Lucas's approval...I was thrilled!)
I've also done under-translation voice overs, radio commercials, and a radio play called "A Halloween Spell" that is on file at the Radio and TV museum in NYC, in which I got to work with my inspiration: VO legend June Foray!!

My Training

Boston Conservatory - musical theater
Voice work with Kristin Linklater
Dolly Springer's VO class
Maura Tighe VO class
Classes at Harvard/American Repertory Theater: Directing with David Wheeler; Theater administration with Bob Orchard
Shakespeare and Company - scene study with Tina Packer

My Studio Equipment

I am not an audio engineer, but I have a neighbor on my street who is and he has a home studio I can use. I do not (yet) have my own home studio, and can record on my computer and send MP3 files.

Additional Skills

I am a trained singer (appearing in a musical this month) and have sung in clubs and cabaret settings as well. I have sung in every style: blues, jazz, rock, country, musical theater, art songs, you name it.

I am an experienced cold reader and love to "play" with a script to make it come alive.

I have performed live on stage in theater and in trade shows.

I LOVE using my voice to create the vocal colors you want to hear in your message.

I am proficient with medical and technical terminology.

I can read copy in French.

Payment Methods Accepted

• Personal checks, cashier's checks, or money orders in my local currency

Contact Information

To contact Rena Baskin by email or phone, please click here.