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About Michael Kopp & VOG Productions
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 On first glance, it might appear that tennis guy Michael Kopp was randomly asked to record some last-minute promos at a national sports event, discovered over night as a natural talent, and within eighteen months miraculously transformed into a successful New York voice-over guy, with commercials and programming airing on major television and radio stations across the country. The reality is that he had been preparing for that “lucky break” his whole life, and when the opportunity presented itself he was able to draw from his years of training and experience in front of audiences to rise to the occasion and deliver.
Whether it was performing as an elementary school soloist, an Elvis impersonator during school lunchtime “sing-offs,” improv actor in annual talent shows, high school choir tenor, or college basketball “live play-by-play and color” announcer, Michael regularly gravitated toward the limelight. Enthusiastic encouragement from family members, teachers and audience members planted more and more seeds that the gift of Michael’s voice really needed to be developed and shared in bigger ways.
Taking improv acting classes as a fun diversion from the daily stresses of his job as a professional tennis coach and business/club manager, his teachers regularly prompted him to audition for local musicals and plays. Having had to decline acting roles awarded in college due to tennis obligations, Michael resisted the temptation to further follow his acting passion while dedicated to his demanding tennis vocation. Focusing on the business of tennis for the next twenty years, he managed to limit his acting performances to teaching on the courts and emceeing competitions and awards ceremonies. Criss-crossing the country with his management and teaching career, Michael applied his honed business acumen and tennis skills to developing major tennis facilities.
During the spring of 2006, Michael was serving as general manager of a large tennis facility in Texas, which was hosting a nationally-televised professional sporting event. Two hours before the event was to occur, the producers of the event realized that they did not have the recorded promos and commercials needed for the show. Having noticed Michael’s voice, they invited Michael into the sound booth to record some demos of the missing announcements. Receiving unanimous accolades from the sponsors, Michael was given the honorary moniker of “VOG” and the “honor” of reading all the announcements and commercials live during the remaining days of the event. When Michael inquired as to the meaning of the letters V-O-G, the sound engineer replied, “Dude, after yesterday, you’re the Voice of God! The sponsors want you to do them all!”
Eric Chase, a national professional voice-over artist for over 35 years based in Texas (www.eccsvox.com), inquired with the producer regarding the new voice at the event, in hopes of getting Michael’s demo CD. Surprised when the producer explained, “the guy is here—doing them all live,” Eric made it a point to meet Michael and introduce himself during the event.
Over the next couple of months following the event, Eric worked with Michael to record a demo CD. They began discussing Michael’s career potential of becoming a voice-over artist. During this time, Michael accompanied Eric to a recording studio where Eric was performing a role for a national animated film. Hearing Michael’s voice upon introduction, the film producer invited Michael to also read (and ultimately record) a part in character for the film. So, even before he had “officially” embarked on his voice-over career, Michael already had his name in the credits of an animated film!
As Eric and Michael worked together, Michael began to contemplate pursuing full-time voice-over work. During the winter of 2006, Michael contacted voice-over legend Peter Thomas in Naples, Florida to request his opinion. When Michael asked “do you think I have what it takes to be successful in this business?,” Peter responded, “Son, you have a gift; you have a major market sound in your voice and you should have major market representation.”
Michael took this as the sign he needed to redirect his life and move to Naples to focus on voice work, with Peter as his mentor. One of Peter’s first recommendations was for Michael to read out loud as much as possible, but rather than merely read, he was to “see the picture; tell the story.” So, sitting on the dock outside of his condo, Michael started reading aloud the stories from the daily newspaper, to the fish! Next, he volunteered to hold weekly events called “Storytime with Michael” for groups of seniors at nearby assisted living residences, where he read inspiring stories to, and facilitated discussions amongst, the residents.
Within three months of moving to Naples, he had won the audition for Public Radio’s “Radio Reading Service for the Blind.” After a couple months of hearing Michael perform during his volunteer work, NPR and PBS producers began hiring him, which resulted in hundreds of subsequent local, regional and national spots including commercials, promos, station tags, and PBS television narrations for “The Untold Stories.” These successes led to winning another audition for a local company whose spots ran on most of the major networks—CBS, ABC, NBC, PBS and FOX. As his demo circulated and his voice got around, through “the grapevine” he was hired to record a national promo for a Peter Thomas production, unbeknownst to his mentor!
Nine months of spending increasing amounts of time and money in outside recording studios, caused Michael to realize it was time to invest in his own recording equipment for a home studio. Two months later, VOG Productions was born—able to transfer high quality sound files anywhere in the world through sophisticated internet technology from the comfort and convenience of his own home!
With a website in the works and an updated demo CD, Michael took a scouting trip to New York in the summer of 2007 to meet with prospective talent agents and scope out the viability of relocating to New York. One major New York/Los Angeles talent agent, told Michael, “I can honestly say, in all the years I’ve been doing this—I’ve never heard anyone, who hasn’t worked in a major market, as good as you are. I encourage you to move to New York and pursue this. You have a ton of natural potential; you have a real knack for this.”
Another major New York talent agent explained to Michael that, “even without formal training, I just love the sound of your voice.”
In September of 2007, Michael Kopp and VOG Productions completed the leap of faith and relocated to New York City to focus on full-time voice work. As a freelance actor, Michael is currently readily accessible to major New York casting agents, directors and production studios as well as self-sufficient through his own home recording studio for all other markets.
Described as “the Andrea Bocelli of voice-over artists,” Michael’s voice captures the attention and penetrates the hearts of his listeners. Samples of his natural, believable, inviting voice-over work may be heard in the
demo section
of this website
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