Highland man lends his voice to pitch products
Tim Kulchar, owner of Region Voiceover Co., operates out of his home where he looks to help local business owners promote products through radio advertising, commercials, websites, narrations and other media forms. (Photograph by John Luke/The Times.)
You may never have met Tim Kulchar, but you may know his voice.
As a voiceover artist in the region, Kulchar helps local business owners promote products through radio advertising, commercials, websites, narrations and other media forms.
Though it’s his soft, baritone voice people hear, Kulchar allows his ideas and creativity to do the talking.
“The idea is to provide voiceover productions for small businesses that otherwise would not be able to afford to hire larger production companies,” Kulchar said.
His clients have complete control over the content, he said, giving them the opportunity when working together to think outside the box.
“The main advantage to my concept is once the production is purchased, it is owned by the client,” Kulchar said. “No copyright charges, no expirations and no royalty fees.”
A former machine wireman in the automotive industry, Kulchar frequently was told he had a unique voice.
“I was really always interested in music, but I could never sing,” he said. “I had the gift where I could speak, however.”
After getting laid off, he decided to make the best out of his situation and move his career in a different direction. Instead of using his hands, he made the choice to use his gift of voice he had been told he had all along.
Kulchar enrolled in a seminar in Munster that introduced the field of voiceover work. He then flew to Burlington, Vt., where he took further courses in script analysis, demos, marketing, and he learned the specifics of the profession.
Using cash he had saved while working as a machine wireman, Kulchar began buying equipment in 2009 and had his business running that year. He operates Region Voiceover Co. out of his Highland home, which saves money on overhead costs and allows him to offer his services throughout the Chicago and Indiana regions.
“I can extend as far as necessary,” he said. “I’ve been recruiting work as far down as Indianapolis and South Bend. That’s why I call it Region Voiceover Co.—it’s for the region, but it’s for anyone’s region.”
Low overhead costs also have allowed him to keep the cost of his services down, he says.
“I’d like to keep it affordable so that any small business or already established business isn’t going to get sticker shocked because they’ve gone to a production company and gotten walloped by a $2,000 to $3,000 bill because they want to have a spot on the radio,” Kulchar said.
Region Voiceover Co.
When opened: September 2009
Location: Highland
Phone: 219.616.5861
Email: regionvoices@att.net
Website: voice123.com/timothykulchar
Type of business: Voiceover company
Owners: Tim Kulchar
Number of employees: One
