As part of our job as voiceover talent, we do a lot of auditions. Some are part of a small select group. Some are more like cattle calls. But that is part of the game.
While wearing my producer hat, I listened to lots and lots of demos and/or auditions with a certain “sound” in my head – pressing the skip button to advance the CD compliation to the next track after a couple of seconds. That was time enough to know if that was what I thought was going to be right for the production. Music cuts – same process. We really do know it when we hear it.
Just sent off an audition for a project that clearly stated that the client was going to listen to lots and lots of auditions in their search for a spokesperson. My Christmas wish for myself is that I am the voice in their head. But, as with other auditions, we record the best audition we can, send them and forget them.
So, this audition is off – zipping throught the ethernet – to be listened to – or not. To be the voice of the campaign – or not.
Connie,
I’m guessing it was for a particular internet and phone provider. I doubt there’s a mouth in North America that was passed by. But as you say, it’s part of the game.
I can’t help but notice, as many of my local compadres have admitted to, that our booking ratios overall seem to be getting a bit worse; or have been over the past year and a half or so. Now, granted there are a ton of factors for this, but it is true that auditions these days, even for relatively small rpojects, seem to be handed out to 10, 20 or 30 talent agents. This contrasts sharply with the routine of only a few years ago, that wo0uld generally have 3 or 4 talent agents submitting for most gigs, unless the jobs were for campaigns, national SAG spots or similarly high priced spreads.
I realize that on occasion, my audition isn’t going to be listened to. There must be some sort of hierarchy or listening protocal, and I’m sure it differs from agency to agency. Then again,m some of the things we read for may be auditioning people prematurely or may simpyl be nothing more than pitches or placeholders.
Still, all in all, I have been lucky enough to book jobs that funnel through Voice Bank, where in some cases over 2,000 other actors may have read for a single part.
And like the guy at the circus who cleans up after the elephants, it is “show business”.
So, I too, like you Connie sent out that audition that warned us they were casting a wide net. I don’t expect to book it. I haven’t put together any of those boards that they tell you to in the Secret. Nor will I be checking my email every 15 minutes to see if I got the gig.
Simply to be or not to be. And in another day or so, I will have even totally forgotten about this audition and have hopefully moved on to a slew of new possibilities.
Yep – that would be the one! I got it through an agent with a pretty good track record of early submissions, so one can only hope that the end client finds what they want sooner than later!
One audition I didn’t forget about easily was a couple of years ago when I was in the selects for a year long campaign for one of the big auto companies. As they say in the awards shows – it was a thrill to be nominated.
And, yes the booking ratio seems to be skewing toward not booking when auditioning, so I am grateful for the referrals, repeat business, direct hits to my website and will continue with other direct marketing and networking efforts (including some social media).