Tips on Voice Auditions from a Producers Viewpoint

Anthony Reece

Hi New Talent!
First let me welcome you all to the voice 123 forum and voice over industry. here at voice 123 you are in good company. Actually in the company of about 2848 voice talent and voice actors from a glance at the dB total on the main page.

I write this post after 4-years with v123 as a talent and casting client too along with 20 plus years in the business as both a voice talent AND voice director / producer. See many beginners and veteran talent I've either trained and/or cast, ask me from time to time, how we pick our fin al voice from auditions. So I'll share the basis of the v123 audition process from a "clients / producers" perspective. However Ill focus merely on the decision making process and not the administrative.

So take this free suggestions from a producer who selects talent during auditions everyday and keep it in mind during your next audition at v123, or anywhere. Just remember to have fun and don't take yourself too seriously, or you'll miss the party along the way.

1) Only Submit the Proper Audition Content!
There is nothing worse as a producer and/or client of v123 than a talent who submits their 'generic demo' for a casting where custom samples are required. This is disrespectful and demonstrates to us producers the talent thinks either they're too important for my little request, OR could care less about the value of the producers time. I can tell you this. Some producers keep those talents in mind the next time around and will skip their names. OUTCOME: Bad for your industry reputation and image with producers.

2) Be Fast!
There is no way a casting director, or producer will listen to 250 plus samples sent in from both v123 and other resources. Leave your email program open and recheck it every 2-mins all day. Castings come in by the minute and most respond within an hour. You do NOT want to be number 249 out of 250 replies as word is the list builds top to bottom at least this is my exp too. OUTCOME: Be honest to the copy, respectful to the client with a proper sample and BE FAST!

3) Don't MLM Yourself!
Hi...I'm Big Bad Bob and my voice is the best in the world. Yes I had an agent but he moved to LA and well I don't have time to call him. Het did I tell you that I can sound like a Martian?........bla bla bla....Slate your audition with a hello and where to reach me...then offer your sampel and/or a demo. Leave the bio stuff to the web site and/or your agent.
OUTCOME: Less is MORE! Just audition with the MLM pitch.

4) To Watermark, or NOT to Watermark?
This shouldn't even "be the question" so to say. See to me and most other professional producers this is RED flag that you are a talent who is both distrusting and/or thinks your short voice sample is the secret to world peace. There are other ways to safeguard your gold winning sample. Like maybe change the name of the business, fade out the file, or better yet just don't audition. You can not start a healthy relationship without trust and if you're already questioning their honesty...next! Also just in case you dont know it. Many producers like to download the final samples (top 10) and place them in the mix, to hear it within the visual and/or animation too. I for one will delete ANY audition that has not followed my script and/or adds those anoying beeps, or clicks to watermark. Not to mention as a talent, it REALLY takes away the focus on your voice quality and/or inflection ability and WILL make or break you from getting the gig if and when placed next to another talent who sent a clean track.
OUTCOME: You Lose!

5 Use Multiple Demos!
There is nothing beneficial to building a new voice demo showcasing various styles of content. It is ok to have a combo demo for general marketing, BUT if you're a real diverse talent, it is wise to create a demo for voice over, telephone, industrial and characters. Then promote all as indvidual demos on your v123 page, cd and/or web site. If a producer is looking for a character actor, he / she could careless about your radio voice, or telephone samples. Keep each demo to about 3:00 if possible and only share clips about 8 - 10 seconds in length in genral. You want the demo to move fast, wow the client over with your range, yet also give just enough to show you can stay in character and/or in "voice" for a full read.
OUTCOME: Don't put all your voices in one basket!

6) Stay the Course!
Take anything and everthing you can get. Freebies, low-do and paid gigs. Use your first year or so to pay your dues, build your reel with the best content you can land, or do for free. Also there is much to be said about hiring a producer to build your demo. Also take a few vo clinics and buy a few self-help vo books here or at amazon.com Like myself, there are even some talent and casting directors whom have been there done that and offer personal mentoring. However just keep in mind, this is not rocketscience either as with any creative talent having the goods, building your demo, continued learning and practice, practice and more practice is key. The it is time to market yourself like a business everyday. Then revisit your demos every few months to update the content with better work. Don't expect to land many of your 50 to 100 gigs but don't give up either. Stay the course as we say, but first right now be totally honest with yourself and admit if you have the goods, or not. You'll know after about one year if your talents are developing and you're landing gigs.
OUTCOME: You can't win if you don't play and play with the right tools!

These are just my own opinions wearing my "producers hat" and as a talent. You're welcome to apply these, or flush this post. Eitherway good luck to you all.

Anthony Reece
www.anthonyreece.com

Lynne Alston · Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007, 19:45 (GMT) Post subject:

Anthony,

Thanks, a very helpful post, looking for your next!

Lynne

John Bigl · Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007, 19:59 (GMT) Post subject:

thanks anthony...

great suggestions.. they get me right sized....

look forward to seeing more from you...

Be Well

Anthony Reece · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007, 23:18 (GMT) Post subject:

You're all very welcome.
Anthony Reece

Amy Snively · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007, 23:21 (GMT) Post subject:

Good stuff, Anthony. I hope we'll be seeing you around a lot!

Deby Cedars · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007, 00:31 (GMT) Post subject:

Very good advice ......but what does MLM stand for?
I get the idea. You don't need to tell them your life story and chances are they are not interested. I was just wondering what the letters stand for.

Deby Cedars

Keith D. Milby · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007, 00:36 (GMT) Post subject:

Amy Snively · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007, 00:45 (GMT) Post subject:

multi-level marketing. Amway and its ilk.

Anthony Reece · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007, 00:48 (GMT) Post subject:

sure. hope it helps some..MLM stands for Multi-Level-Marketing. You know those sell from home schemes...recruit, selll, recuit, sell, recruit, sell etc Amway, Avon, etc...

Deby Cedars · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007, 00:55 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks.... I figured one the M's stood for Marketing. Another wrinkle for my grey matter. Learn something new everyday!

Deby

Tom Daniels · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007, 01:54 (GMT) Post subject: RE: NEWBIE advice

Hello Anthony.

Thank you for your informative advice. As a "VO virgin" I appreciate it. Smile

I can vouch for the "watermark equals rejection" scenario. I stupidly applied those annoying "beeps" to one demo I submitted, without even an eye-blink to the probability that it would KILL the audition. Rolling Eyes

Wouldn't you know..within two hours I received a rejection note.

"Nevermore, said the raven..."

Tom Daniels

Lisa Zachary-Kent · Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007, 00:42 (GMT) Post subject:

AHHH! Here it is! The info I was hoping to find in these forums.

I have had some concerns about the custom demos. I too was uncomfortable in thinking that if we record the script, what is to stop it from being used without consent or payment? The guy that recommended this site to me said he had heard of that happening on occaision.

In the last few days, I've been sending other demos on file in lieu of a custom because I'm still in the process of getting my studio set up here in my home. I've been borrowing a studio down the street for everything I have on file. The thought of offending the client by doing that didn't occur to me. YIKES!

Thanks for the info about all this! It is exactly what I was looking for.

Jim Feldman · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007, 18:19 (GMT) Post subject:

Anthony,

Some great advice... but a question on the watermarking. I've had instances in the past where a producer has used my audition for a final mix, but never paid me for it. So now I'll either watermark, or send a low quality file for the audition. Are you saying to never do that? Do all producers share your feelings? It's not that I don't trust the producer, it's that I've gotten screwed in the past.

And after all this is an audition, and not the actual recording session.

Thanks!

Debbie Deutsch · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007, 18:35 (GMT) Post subject: Much Appreciated, Really!

Anthony Reece, Thank you so much for the insight and tips!
Very helpful and greatly appreciated!
Debbie Deutsch

Seth Adam Sher · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007, 19:12 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks for your advice, Anthony, and be sure it's taken to heart by lots of people on this forum.

Unfortunately for me I have a day job other than voice acting that takes my time and attention away from my home studio, and there is simply no way for me to be a fast respondent to many of the leads that come to my inbox on weekdays. By the time I'm able to log in and get the leads, and respond to them, I'm usually somewhere in the 100s to early 200s.

I still respond to as many as I can but I'm almost certain none (or very few) of those will get jobs, so I must look to the leads that come in during the evening (very few and far between that I've seen) or on weekends (even MORE few and far between that I've seen).

I'm persistent, though; eventually this voice acting thing will take off for me. But not being in a position to grab most of the daytime leads can take a toll. Sad