This is a subjective business – this business we are in – the business of recording our voice for sales, marketing, information, entertainment. And it is a mystery for sure sometimes as to why one voice is selected out of all the choices submitted.

I’ve mentioned recently that after many many years in this business, I am starting to have the opportunity to go vocal cord to vocal cord with some of the best most well known talent in the industry. My ear is caught many times a day by the radio or the TV as spots that I have auditioned for fly out of the speakers.

I have heard the Geico Pothole and Parking Column spots. The new Chinet spots. Something for weight loss. And several more. I have returned to my audio files to compare what ended up on the air with what I submitted. And I know that my audition was truly competitive – but being the subjective business this is – I was just not the voice in the head of the people making the decisions that day.

However, I WAS the voice in the head of the decision makers recently for a national spot for Kaopectate. The audition was the basis for a great deal of chatter in the voiceover community as the dialogue for two of the roles being cast consisted of “uh-oh” – well, the woman also had to say “fast.” Many many of my voice over friends auditioned for this spot – including Peter O’Connell who blogged about it a week or so ago (http://blog.audioconnell.com/2009/11/17/the-life-of-a-voice-actor/) and included his audition with the word “uh-oh.”

My audition caught someone’s ear – and I am very glad that it did – as it resulted in a fun 15 minute recording session in my ISDN studio. But I have to wonder just what it was about my audition that stood out above all the other wonderful women’s auditions. Was my delivery so much different? Was it my place in line? Was it the agency who submitted? (All 3 talent in the spot were cast through Voice Talent Productions.) Was it something to do with the way I slated? I did the slate just a tad differently than “normal.” Although there is nothing normal about our business. Here’s what I submitted. http://www.corporatevideo.com/audio/ConnieTerwilliger_KFemale.mp3

Hard to tell what the magic “uh-oh” was for the client. But I’ll be keeping my ears open to catch the spot when it runs. Only problem there is that it will fly by so “fast” that I’ll probably miss it!