Jeff Hays on Dungeon Crawler Carl, Audiobooks, and the Future of Voice Acting | VO LIFE Podcast

Описание: In this episode of VO LIFE, host Toby Ricketts sits down with Jeff Hays — president of Soundbooth Theater, prolific narrator, and the voice behind the hit Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobook series.

Jeff shares his journey from music to narration, how he brought hundreds of characters to life across 7 books, and why Dungeon Crawler Carl became a litRPG phenomenon. He opens up about his narration process, character differentiation, vocal health, the evolution of Soundbooth Theater, and his views on AI’s impact on the audiobook industry.

From funny behind-the-scenes stories to deep insights on storytelling, performance, and the business of audio, this conversation is a must-watch for voice actors, audiobook fans, and anyone curious about the growing world of audio entertainment.

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Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction & Jeff Hays’ Dungeon Crawler Carl narration
02:30 – From music to audiobooks: Jeff’s background and Kansas City roots
04:30 – How Jeff first connected with Dungeon Crawler Carl
08:30 – What is LitRPG? Genre explained
11:00 – Why Dungeon Crawler Carl became a phenomenon
12:30 – Jeff’s audiobook narration process & pre-reading vs. cold reading
16:00 – Streaming narration and live audience reactions
18:30 – Differentiating characters: pitch, texture, posture & acting
21:00 – Keeping consistency across 300+ characters
23:30 – Character development & embodying Carl
28:00 – Accents, stereotypes & performance responsibility
34:00 – Vocal health, screaming, and conditioning as a narrator
39:00 – Audio engineering background & creative sound design
43:30 – Effects, chat systems & creative audiobook production
45:30 – Dungeon Crawler Carl optioned for TV series
46:30 – Jeff’s studio setup & Telefunken C12 microphone
54:00 – Creating distinct female voices in narration
58:00 – The founding of Soundbooth Theater
1:04:00 – Audible’s royalty changes & creating the Soundbooth app
1:07:30 – AI voices, the threat & opportunities for narrators
1:10:00 – Advice for aspiring voice actors
1:13:30 – Closing thoughts & thanks

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