The Women of Work series of morning careers talks for Year 10 continued with a virtual visit from Luci Fish (Class of 2010). Now an actor and award-winning voiceover artist, Luci has worked on projects as varied as commercials, video games, audio books, e-learning courses, animations and telephone systems and for clients such as Pokémon, Sainsbury’s, Spotify, NSPCC, H&M and Coca-Cola.
Luci began by saying that, when she was at Bolton School, she was always more interested in school plays and extra-curriculars, but didn’t think it was possible to do that as a job. She didn’t know anyone whose full-time job was in entertainment or performance. However, while on an internship with a lawyer, she was advised to study something she would enjoy and then do a law conversion course. This ultimately led to her studying a Theatre degree at Leeds University, which she loved.
She still assumed that she would go into law and auditioned for drama school ‘on a bit of a whim’. However, she was lucky and her first class degree won her a scholarship to Drama Centre London. The two years of training were ‘the best time, the most creative time’ and despite the long days it was very fulfilling.
After graduation, however, finding work was difficult with constant auditions and lots of rejection. She began to question how she could use her skills to earn good money and have a bit more stability. This led her into the world of voice acting: she had done some while at Drama Centre London and been a natural, but never expected to do it as a job. After a journey of research, and finding out how to set up a recording studio at home, she became a freelance voiceover artist.
She said: ‘Even if I never get cast in a big blockbuster film or go on stage at the National, at this point I’m now acting every day, in a way I’ve designed myself and that I enjoy, and run a successful business on my own terms. I’m not waiting now.’
Luci also added that it takes a certain type of person to be self-employed. She said that Bolton School had instilled in her the independence, commitment and accountability needed to put in the hard work to get the job done.
Speaking about the projects she works on, she said that commercials are the ‘bread and butter’ but she particularly loves working on video games and loves the fact that, unlike on stage and screen, looks don’t necessarily dictate who can play what character, and she can be anything! In terms of acting, Luci has been in a stage production of a new play ‘The Priory’ this year and has previously appeared in television drama ‘Safe House’ on ITV and several indie films.
In the question and answer session that followed, Luci talked about working on an international campaign with Coca-Cola, her experience recording one of two voices in a game called ‘The Magnificent Trufflepigs’ alongside Arthur Darvill, how she deals with learning and performing accents, and spoke about agents. She also described how voiceover artists support one another in finding work.
Finally, she said to the girls listening: ‘The best advice can be to really trust your own instincts. There will be lots of voices telling you to do things, but if you know, deep down, that something’s right for you, 100% every time that is the right thing.’
