BLOG

Angela A. Lambru

One Story That Mattered

Part 1 – I Didn't Set Out to Become a Producer

Lately, I've been feeling a bit like Geppetto working away in my little workshop, hoping to bring something I created to life. But I'm getting way ahead of myself. To understand why I'm learning animation today, we have to go back to where this story began.

I've always loved creating, and I've always had a deep compassion for animals. Years ago, those two passions came together when I wrote a short story about a rescued pit bull. The story sat quietly for years until I decided I wanted to turn it into a short film.

After a lot of research, I realized that making a film was far beyond my budget, so I let that idea go. Then, just before the pandemic, I discovered podcasting.  I knew absolutely nothing about producing a podcast.

I started researching, asking questions, and eventually found a podcast editor through Facebook. I wasn't even sure if I needed one, but he turned out to be exactly the person who helped fill in the many gaps.

Podcasting suddenly seemed like the perfect medium. It also gave me the opportunity to use my voice again after taking time away from voice acting.

What I didn't realize was just how much went into producing a storytelling podcast.

I suddenly found myself casting more than ten characters, writing scripts, scheduling rehearsals, meeting with actors and my editor, raising funds, and overseeing recording sessions. Then, as a union actor producing the project, I learned I also had to follow SAG-AFTRA producer requirements, even when hiring non-union performers. That meant contracts, paperwork, and pages of legalese that often felt like learning a new language.

Without realizing it, I had become a producer. There were moments when I asked myself, "Why am I doing all of this?"

The answer always took me back to the seven-year-old girl who rescued her first animal; a small bird. That experience filled me with compassion, and over the years I've rescued countless animals, volunteered with animal organizations, supported rescue efforts, and advocated for animal welfare whenever I could.

That story became The Kit Bull Story, a natural extension of my lifelong commitment to animal advocacy.

The heroine is Kit, a rescued pit bull who lives at a doggie daycare run by a kind and caring woman named Rose.” Kit is gentle, thoughtful, wise beyond her years, and has a remarkable ability to connect with other animals and help them. Through each episode, Kit, Rose, and the rest of the characters explore the relationships between people and animals, showing both the kindness and the misunderstandings that exist between them. Along the way, they gently encourage empathy, compassion, and a better understanding of what animals need from us.  

Over three seasons, I had the privilege of writing the scripts, voicing three characters, collaborating with talented voice actors, both seasoned professionals and newcomers, and introducing The Kit Bull Story through social media. The audience has grown gradually, we've made wonderful connections, and we're proud to be part of Kids Listen, a wonderful community dedicated to children's podcasts.

Creating the podcast also reminded me how much I missed voice acting.

I realized that if I wanted to return to the industry and compete professionally, I needed to invest in myself. I sought out coaching, joined voice-over organizations and workout groups, recorded new demos, and continued learning.  And that was only the beginning.

Next blog: I realized the industry had changed... and I had a lot to learn.

 One Story That Mattered – Part 2

Although it was completely new to me, I was loving doing my storytelling podcast. I was thrilled to be voicing three characters, and I wanted to do more. I wanted to get back into voice acting.

There was a lot to learn. Even with help from my editor, I wasn't always sure if I was doing things right. I walked into this unknown territory with some trepidation, but I kept going because I needed to tell the story.

I knew I needed a studio to record in. Luckily, I had a walk-in closet filled from top to bottom with fabric—leftover inventory from my dance costume business days. I would love to sell all that beautiful fabric someday, but to this day I record with glitter-lined chiffon to my left and satin and brocade to my right. You name the fabric; I probably have it! Gosh, I was just thinking the other day, I have a closet full of fabric and auditions! 

As it turned out, all that material came in handy. It helped give my little recording space the acoustics I needed. There wasn't much more to do except cover the door, which I did with sound blankets. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable setup at first, but I kept making improvements as I learned.

I started with a basic microphone, but before long I graduated to a better mic, an interface, and the other equipment I needed to take voiceover more seriously. I felt like I was on my way.

But with every recording, I realized just how much more there was to learn.

So, I asked questions. I watched videos. As a SAG member, I took voiceover classes through the Foundation. I joined industry groups, participated in workouts, and began immersing myself in the voiceover world again.

And that's when I really began to understand just how much the industry had changed.

One of the hardest parts was unlearning what I had always done in order to learn something new. I struggled with the now-essential “conversational” read. I was also discovering that being a voice actor meant being a solopreneur. I couldn't simply wait for an agent to bring me work. I had to learn how to market myself, find opportunities, understand different genres of voiceover, and essentially become my own business.

It was overwhelming. But I wanted to do this, so I kept learning.

At the same time, I was working my survival job while continuing to produce three seasons of The Kit Bull Story.

I don't have to tell you how hard it is to be passionate about something and not see it become the vision you had imagined for it. Producing was hard. Marketing was even harder—at least for me.

One of my biggest challenges was getting people to actually hear the podcast. I knew I had a story worth telling, but sometimes it felt like I was shouting into the void.

I put The Kit Bull Story on Instagram and Facebook. I got write-ups in newspapers and online magazines. The podcast was selected to be part of the Astoria Film Festival. I even created an offshoot called Street Chats, where I did short, one-minute interviews with people and their pets on the street.

I kept finding ways to get Kit's story out there. And yet, through all of it, I always came back to the reason I had started this journey in the first place.

It wasn't really about producing a podcast. It was about one story that mattered to me.

It was about animals. It was about compassion. And it was about Kit.

So I started thinking about how I could give Kit an even bigger presence—how I could take her beyond the podcast and give her a way to connect with people visually, too.

And that's when I had an idea What if I animated Kit? I had no idea then that this one idea would lead me into yet another completely new chapter.

Next blog: What if I animated Kit?