FAQ

In your narrator statement, it says you are “proud to be helping redefine Asian American representation,” what does that mean?

It means that as an Asian American Pacific Islander actor, I have been traditionally typecast in a lot of my on camera and theater work. And now, in the world of audio, I have the privilege to be able to push through those stereotypes and tell more authentic stories that speak to my nuanced American experience. I love being able to work on scripts that have nothing to do with my Asian ancestry, but speak to my global American values.

Do you work in studio or do you work remotely from your home studio?

I’m able to do both. Check out my studio specs here.

How much do you charge for your services?

That depends on genre, usage, and my skills to create a bespoke experience for your clients. With that said, industry standard rates in the Voiceover industry can be found at SAG-AFTRA & GVAA. If you’d like a quote, send me an email at jen@jenolaya.com.

I’m hired. Now what?

Once we specify deadlines, rates, and sign a contract, I start by doing a full script analysis. I flag terms that I need to become familiar with, pronunciation questions, and mark the script to get ready for recording. Then I record and submit my recordings to you in your preferred way so that your engineer can master it and send it to your client. Or I show up in your studio, with your engineer and your director, and we work our magic.

I’d like to hire you, but first, I need an audition, what should I do?

Feel free to send me the script and specs via email, with a deadline, subject line: Audition.

Can you do 24-hr turnaround? What are your business hours?

Absolutely, I can offer 24-hr turnarounds. Since I have clients out West, my business hours are typically 2pm-10pm EST M-F with some flexibility.

What kinds of Voiceovers have you done?

I’m experienced with in-studio live sessions, remote live sessions, as well as self-directed remote recordings in: E-Learning, Corporate Narration, Commercials, Videogames, Animated Television, Dubbing, Audio Description, Podcasts, & Audiobook Narration.

What does it mean to hire an actor with an MFA in Acting?

As a professional actor with my MFA in Acting, you are hiring someone who has dedicated her life and career to elevate the standards of storytelling behind the mic, on the stage, in front of the camera, and especially behind the scenes. At Columbia University, where I got my MFA, I had the privilege of working with leaders in the industry. When you work with me, you commit to collaborating with someone who offers a broad range of expertise in the field of Acting, to offer a bespoke experience for your clients.

Why should I hire a Union actor verses a Non Union Actor?

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) offers membership to actors who have been vetted and hired by the industry’s top agencies. The Actors Equity has an even more rigorous membership process. Both unions can take years to join. I am a proud member of both. Anyone can call themselves an actor, not everyone can call themselves a Union actor.

Do you offer coaching?

At this time, I’m not taking new students, but I welcome continued collaboration with my students from the following institutions where I have been a teaching artist: Classic Stage Company, Atlantic Theater Company, Creative Arts Team, Hudson Valley Shakes, San Diego State, and the Far East Drama Festival for the Department of Defense Education Activity.

What is Audio Description, and what kind of training did you do with the American Council for the Blind?

Audio Description is when someone neutrally describes what is happening in a moving picture, a televised performance, or a live performance, to enhance the storytelling experience for someone who may have differing degrees of vision impairment. Audio Description is also used for sighted people who want to enhance their experience. It’s for everyone! I recently trained with the Audio Description Institute sponsored by the American Council of the Blind, to learn the craft of writing Audio Description for all kinds of media, with Joel Snyder and his excellent team.

Who are your valued collaborators?

Theodore Roosevelt said it best: "“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

In addition, I value my relationships with clients from companies who strive for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

As a World Traveler, what are the most interesting places you’ve explored, visited, and/or lived in?

Baguio, Bataan, Pampanga, and Manila, in the Philippines; Taipei City, Taiwan; Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Okinawa, in Japan; Seoul and Cheongju in South Korea; Jerusalem; Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, and Ramallah in Palestine; Wroclaw, Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland; Berlin, Cologne, and Essen, in Germany; Paris, Versailles, and Giverny, in France; Tulum and La Paz, in Mexico; Amsterdam; Honolulu, San Diego, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, the Redwood Forest, Seattle, Boston, Concord, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Crater Lake, Ashland, the Catskills, Cold Spring Harbor, and of course, New York City.