Bristol-made podcast, High Notes, returns on Monday 30th June, as it continues conversations around the art and business of voice, featuring the voice actors, directors and creatives who make it all happen.

Host Melissa Thom brings insightful conversations, illuminating perspectives and plenty of behind the scenes moments from the worlds of gaming and animation.

With six new episodes dropping every week, each lasting around thirty minutes, the podcast shines a light on the world of voice acting, for anyone who is already working in, hoping to break into, or simply fascinated by the business. The new series features professionals working in high level casting, voice acting and directing across AAA games.

Melissa Thom is an acclaimed voice actor with decades of experience voicing projects including Grand Theft Auto V for Rockstar Games, Elder Scrolls for Zenimax, LL COOL J, Google, Amazon, Nike and many more.

Melissa is also the Founder and CEO of BRAVA, and has trained thousands of people in voice from the UK and beyond – from rappers and reverends to ad creatives and countesses.

The first episode of the new season kicks off with a conversation with Kate Hansen-Birnbaum, Casting Director at Pixar, whose credits include animated films including Inside Out 2, Soul, Elemental and Luca.

Kate shares her unconventional path into casting, which began at a San Francisco talent agency under the mentorship of seasoned actors. She offers a rare look inside Pixar’s intricate casting process, highlighting the value placed on authenticity, natural vocal tone and the ability to truly inspire the animation team. The conversation touches on Pixar’s commitment to diverse and inclusive casting, including their practice of anonymised auditions to help reduce unconscious bias.

The full line up of episodes and release dates are as follows:

30/06/2025 – The Magic of Pixar: Voice Casting with Kate Hansen-Birnbaum

Kate brings memorable stories from her career – particularly the joy of working on Elemental – and shares thoughtful advice for aspiring voice actors.

07/07/2025 – Vocal Shapeshifting: Acting for Video Games with Andrew Whieldon Dennis

Andrew reflects on his expansive career as a voice actor in the videogame industry, from indie projects to AAA blockbusters.

14/07/2025 – Inside Aardman: Bringing Clay to Life – Characters, Voice & Performance with Merlin Crossingham, Creative Director for Wallace and Gromit at Aardman Animations

Merlin shares some surprising stories from his childhood that led him onto a very specific career path in animation, as well as thoughts on the timeless appeal of Wallace and Gromit.

21/07/2025 – Casting for Mocap, Games & Animation with Jessica Jefferies

Melissa sits down with Jessica Jefferies, a casting director who specialises in motion and performance capture for video games.

28/07/2025 – Directing Performance for Epic Games with Tom Keegan
Melissa talks to Tom Keegan, an acclaimed performance director behind major AAA titles such as Jedi: Fallen Order, Wolfenstein, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and more.

04/08/2025 – Bob Bergen: The voice behind Star Wars, Spirited Away and Looney Tunes

Melissa is  joined by five-time Emmy-nominated voice actor Bob Bergen, best known as the voice of Porky Pig – a role he’s brought to life for over 30 years.

Melissa Thom, High Notes’ host, said: “This season we’ll be lifting the curtain to reveal the reality of working within gaming and animation. Some key players in the business have shared their perspectives and experience to help the next generation of voice acting talent to break through. The voice acting world can seem like a mysterious closed shop, but the aim of High Notes is to demystify and remove barriers for those who would love to know more about this fascinating business.”

High Notes can be found at www.brava.uk.com/podcast and on all major podcast platforms.

Season 3 will be released later in 2025 and will focus on BRAVA Business and its corporate offering – how professionals can use their voice for impactful communication in the workplace and beyond.

About Melissa Thom

Melissa is a highly experienced voice actor, voiceover artist, and presenter, with over 17 years' experience voicing for global brands.