By Keith Brunson
This is the true story of a woman who was a professional scientist who became a full-time voiceover artist. Alison Pentecost, from the Greater Montreal area, had a moment when she decided to leave science. "A colleague handed me a big stack of papers he was excited for me to read, and I just didn't have the passion for it," says Alison.
Alison Pentecost
A bachelor's degree in Astronomy and Geophysics from The University of Western Ontario and a Master's degree in Planetary Science from McGill University where she was a research scientist. All to conclude, "I just wanted to do something creative."
And so, being highly educated, Alison took that ability to study and learn and began voice classes, and still, to this day, four years into her new career, she still takes voice classes. "My instructors teach me with feedback and not just the mechanics, but the importance of how the voice should make the audience feel."
Voiceover requires education. A good voice is not enough. "And it's not easy," says the mother of three children. "You have to learn how to market and have the discipline to audition daily in the morning," says Alison. "And you must invest in the equipment, so that's been my career for four years now, and I operate out of my home here in Quebec."
Now known for e-learning classes, short educational material, and commercials, Alison is the voice of Canada for a Decathlon.
Alison appeared in voiceover with no acting background and no communications background. So, as a proven scientist, Alison, now 48, changed careers repeatedly as she searched for what would make her happy. She had also previously been into the fitness business as a teacher and worked in I.T. But voiceover occurred organically "because I took one voiceover class, and everything clicked."
Alison voices a commercial for Versacom.
As the Canadian voice for the convenience store chain Circle K, Alison explains, "I know what Circle K wants and what they are asking for," Alison comments. "It's all back to that ability to make the audience FEEL." And in doing so, her connection with the company has become one of many dependable repeating clients. "Communicating the brand is really the main focus, and that is to make the customer FEEL like a quick stop will get the driver to pull in." Fact: Almost all terrestrial radio is heard in a car, unlike thirty years ago when people listened to the radio at home or passively at work. So, Alison loves commercials because she knows the driver can be influenced. And radio advertising offers the ultimate captive audience.
"I've career pivot four times in my life," says Alison, "but this time, after four successful years, I'm sticking with voiceover because I left science for a reason." Fluent in French, Alison is also available to the French-speaking world as a voiceover artist. "That's a whole other market," she comments. www.AlisonPentecost.com Next time you're in Canada, be listening. Alison will be on the air or on video in voice-over somewhere.
So it's easy to say, We're way past Einstein now.
