We had the pleasure of chatting with voice actor Philip Kraaijenhof! Check it out to learn more about Phillip’s creative journey! Perhaps you will find inspiration in this lovely interview!
1.What initially inspired you to become a creator, and how has that inspiration evolved throughout your creative journey?
I started my VO and Youtube (meme content) career back in 2021. I was at the lowest point in my life at that moment due to a harsh breakup. I was also going to college, following a course I didn’t like because I didn’t know what I wanted to become or do with my life. One day, I found a video on Youtube titled “Going UNDERCOVER On A Voice Acting Website” by CdawgVA. That’s when I found out about the wonders of voice acting and Casting Call Club. Inspiring me to get a USB microphone, a sock wrapped around a hanger and a Heineken bath towel to cover my head, microphone and old macbook. After one year of auditioning on the platform, getting roles and meeting amazing people I found my passion for VA/VO. My first ever passion…
2.Can you share a specific moment or experience that fueled your passion for your current creative project?
That’s a hard and very good question. I can’t say which projects I voiced in helped me fuel and bring this passion to life but what I can say is that getting my setup upgraded really helped me feel comfortable and confident to make it big as a voice actor. I remember not thinking twice about getting myself a new part time job, working 4 days a week to rack up €1500 on a; vocal booth, XLR microphone, interface and mic stand. Then I spent the following paycheck on my first prebuilt PC and monitor to finish the setup and I remember being so fired up and euphoric about my quality that I just went wild and started taking VO classes and everything.
3.What challenges have you encountered as an indie creator, and how have they shaped your approach to your work?
I don’t even want to call them challenges, I have encountered my fair share of ‘bad’ directors that have given me a bad time but I always make sure to keep myself safe from those people. I have worked for people that have drastically underpaid me whilst I was just happy to receive ‘some money’ but other than that, not really.
4.Are there any particular creators who have significantly influenced your style or approach? How do you incorporate those influences into your own unique voice?
I get inspired all the time from my fellow peers, not really lmao. I can name a couple of VAs that have inspired specific voices that I use in my craft. Gianni Matragrano is a GREAT inspo for me when it comes to lower voices and obviously the voiced memes. My higher voices are inspired by Michael Kovach and SJ Harris. GanglemanVA is a great inspo for video editing and voiced memes as well. My little sister Lu ka-yun Dawkins always inspires me to keep up the grind and they help me indirectly by just hanging around. Plenty more of course.
5. How do you navigate the balance between staying true to your artistic vision and adapting to feedback from your audience or collaborators?
I’m very confident in my craft but there have been moments where I’ve been corrected and in my mind I tend to feel disdain towards that person even though I don’t want to. I’d rather take the feedback to heart and apply it in my performances. I’ll always stay true to my beliefs and that will always be reflected in my acting.
6.Can you recall a memorable success story or milestone in your indie creator journey that stands out as a turning point for you?
I always have goals in mind; Voice a playable character, Be in an animation, all that stuff. But I’m always proud of any project I make with my sis Lu. Being that they are specialized in visuals and I’m specialized in audio. Sound design is one of my newfound passions and to be able to do that for such a talented person is a gift from god.
7.What role do setbacks or failures play in your creative process, and how do you overcome them to keep moving forward?
My only REAL setbacks would be not able to audition/voice/anything related to voice acting. If I don’t get a role I want, I generally move on quite quickly. I just want to be able to keep doing what I love and I can’t. I’ll lose my creative freedom. I would overcome those by figuring out how to not be in that position by always doing auditions/practicing/taking classes.
8. How do you manage your time and energy to sustain a consistent creative output while juggling other aspects of life?
I always work on voice acting. If I’m not, I’m either working my job or spending quality time with quality people. I manage this by keeping a schedule and notes on my phone to keep track of goals/quests.
9.Have you found any unexpected joys or rewards in the indie creator community, and how has it contributed to your overall experience?
A big moment for me personally is Indie animation day, the most recent one gave me a lot of joy and inspiration due to the fact that I voice in indie animations. I’ve grown to have a lot of respect towards animators for bringing these characters to life visually and I want to always be by their side. That’s why I always lean towards animation and video game roles.
10.If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring creators, what would it be based on your own lessons learned?
Nike be like “just do it” Honestly it’s as simple as that for a VA. Just audition, just learn and just practice. There’s a pattern to follow in this industry if you don’t know what to do and if you do, you can ride this wave any way you like. I learned that things will literally just come your way if you just do it.
11. What are your thoughts on All Ages of Geek? What are some things we should change/do? What are some things you enjoy about our website?
I very much like the fact that AAOG takes on every aspect of media. Podcasts, blogs, video’s and such. Just like this interview, you make sure to stay connected to the community and fellow creatives. THAT is what makes it a well oiled machine (in a good way)
12. Goals for 2024?
- Break into the Dutch VO industry
- Get a new and improved Demo
- Safe enough money for my next trip to Japan (min 1 year stay in Osaka to finally get fluent in JP)
- Get representation from a VO agency
- AND MORE
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