1. Name (First and Last) DREW PATTERSON
2. Twitter
3. LinkedIn
Employment Info
4. Employer DREW PATTERSON PRODUCTIONS
5. Title/Occupation VOICE ACTOR Academic Info
6. Graduation Year (list as "Month Year") 12/2003
7. Major BROADCAST JOURNALISM
8. Minor and/or Certificates
Other Stuff
9. Hometown
10. Hobbies Career Information & Advice
11. What are your job responsibilities/duties? I'm a voice actor, responsible for voicing TV promos, news promos, commercials; narrating TV shows; voicing radio stations, etc... I currently voice for ABC, Spike, ESPN, Nickelodeon, HGTV, truTV, The Weather Channel, and more. I also produce station branding imaging for a few radio stations.
12. What does a typical day look like? I work from home in my recording studio. I'm on standby all day for various clients. I spend my day voicing scripts for existing clients and auditioning for new work. In between, I work on producing station imaging for radio.
13. What do you most enjoy about your job? I get to act for a living. It's super fun, creative, and constantly challenging. I get to hear myself on TV daily. And I work with extremely talented people and the biggest media companies in the world.
14. What is the most difficult aspect of the job? It's highly competitive and the rejection can wear you down. I'll do anywhere from 5-30 auditions a week and can not book anything new for months. It's also extremely difficult to travel. Going on vacation requires taking recording equipment and concocting a makeshift studio in any hotel room. I haven't been able to go out of the country in a few years, or risk losing existing clients.
15. What on-campus activities were you involved with? Where did you gain relevant experience? I worked at WPGU in almost every job, including Program Director.
16. How did your experience at ILLINOIS and in the College of Media prepare you for your professional life? For this specific position? I gained on-camera experience in my broadcast journalism classes and plenty of on-air experience at PGU.
17. What advice do you have for students interested in this field? In radio: you gotta love it. It's a lot of work for a mediocre salary. It's unlikely you'll get rich in radio. But if you love music, it can be a blast. Nowadays, you need to have multiple skills to get hired. On-air, production, promotions. Do it all and you'll be far more enticing. Voiceover: acting experience is a huge advantage.
18. What is one thing that you know now that you wish you had known when you started in the field? When you graduated from the College? I wish I would have started taking acting lessons/classes far earlier in my life.
