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VOICE OVER AUDITIONS What's The Ultimate Recipe For Winning Auditions? There Are Many Ingredients ... Note: The author and her voice over coaching partner Elley Ray Hennessy at Get Mic'd are the producers of the popular Ultimate VO Survivor competitions, now in Take 3. Round 1 auditions for Take 3 close on Oct. 1, and the grand finale competition and prizes will be presented at the VO Atlanta Conference, March 23-26, 2023. Details here and below.  By Deb MunroVoice Talent. Coach & Producer/Director You've
worked really hard, trained with some of the best, produced a PROFESSIONAL demo
(because it's THEE most important tool you will ever invest in), got an agent
and it's time to audition. Now what?
With
an ever growing industry, booking the audition is getting harder and harder
because the competition is getting larger and larger. This can be most discouraging when you've
invested everything you had, followed all the directions and now you can't seem
to book that audition! Many factors go into an audition. However I used to be a casting agent and I've been a fly on the wall in
the room with the decision makers. And it's hard to say it, but there is no one recipe for audition success. Let's
face it, clients make great products, but that doesn't mean they know what they
want, or how to ask for it in a voice over. In producing The Ultimate VO Survivor competitions alongside my incredible partner Elley Ray Hennessy,
we have borne witness to every kind of audition. I advise my
voice over students to watch this competition (whether recorded or while it's happening
live) and learn. Why? We rarely get a chance
to watch other talent audition, and UVOS has become a forum that
allows us to do just that! Not everyone agrees on what makes a great audition, but there are many ingredients. What has really worked for me is confidence, research, risk and being
organic. Whatever character I'm about to
take on, I truly believe for that moment that I am them. THAT IS THE ORGANIC. Here are some more tips to guide you to winning auditions. 1. Be Authentic YOU. One
of my favorite ingredients to nailing the audition is authenticity. That doesn't mean you are always yourself in
the audition, because let's face it, you are rarely auditioning for the role of
you. Instead, it's your unique traits, personality type, choices and risk level that separate you from everyone else. Add YOU into everything you do. You are the only YOU out there, and that's what
makes you sellable – your experiences, your stereotypes, your decisions. Take risks! What are you doing that NO
ONE else is will do? Many talents see the audition as only "A VOICE" but
it's much, much, much deeper than that. It's about personalities and
layering them. 2. Know The Client's Specs. I have
always taught that you need to read between the lines. I personally feel that the client specs (all of them!) are many times more insightful and important than the script
itself. Many talent just skim through the specs and assume that all the
meat
and potatoes are in the copy itself. But it's extremely important to
understand the client - which is not easy when they don't give you
a lot to go on! So you have to do some digging and take the risk to
fail. Pay close attention to ALL the specs, and read into the client's personality. Watch previous projects (if applicable) to get a feel for the client. RESEARCH. Get to know the client, know pronunciations, references, etc. And label our files properly, according to the client's specs. Many systems are automated now, so if you name it wrong, your
file is lost.
3. Slate Or Not? One decision maker LOVES
the slate, while another wants no slate at all. FOLLOW THE CLIENT'S
DIRECTIONS. I personally like to leave
a slate on my audition so they can never lose me, and I always name my file
with MY name. I show them
that I love what I do, and that I'm having a really good time, cause that's who
I genuinely am. I prefer organic,
playful, slates that get to the point, while my coaching partner Elley Ray
wants you to take all the risks in the world - so again, try and read your client
and trust your instinct. My own
personal tip, however, is that clients are busy, so get to the point quickly. I think that is why many don't prefer slates
anymore, because they are too long and too rehearsed. 4. How Many Takes? I love to give 2 reads (if applicable). I will always go for what the client wants
(after all it's their project not mine), and then my second read will be
something completely different than the first ,COMPLETELY! The second read is what I think will be better or
it's just a big risk. Warning: If you offer two takes yet they sound the same, you could
be showing that you have no range. In that case, you're better off with just one take. And you don't have to be a one-take wonder. Record many, and choose the best of them to send to the client. 5. Stay current with voice over trends. 6. Love What You Do. Passion Pays.  As Elley Ray and I
approach The Ultimate VO Survivor-Take 3, we face the daunting task of narrowing down hundreds, if not thousands of
auditions. It's like looking at cars. After a while they all seem the same - until that one breaks the mold, or JUST
GETS IT. We can tell
right in the first sentence if you "own" that copy. So make that first line count, grab our attention,
and keep us there. Don't try too hard, since desperation is transparent, but rather, LIVE IT! ABOUT UVOS-TAKE 3  The Ultimate VO Survivor competitions award voice over career packages from scores of sponsors, including travel, demos, training, paid work, convention passes and much more. The audition
portal closes October 1, so don't delay. Put your audition skills to work and make
impact! PS: Throughout the competition, watch others audition so you can
learn and grow from their experiences and show the world that you have what it takes
to stand out amongst the rest! For details and to audition, visit https://getmicd.com/UVOS. ABOUT DEB Deb
Munro (aka VOChefDeb) is an award-winning voice talent, coach,
producer/director and all around energizer bunny! She is blessed to have been
working from home in the comfort of her PJs for
most of her career, with over 30-plus years of experience. She likes to "give
back" by teaching voice acting/acting
worldwide for the past 20 years, teaming up with her coaching partner
Elley Ray Hennessy to create their sister company Get Mic'd. A voice talent
first, Deb she brings in her own personal experience and uniquely honest
approach that tells it like it is without sugar coating and false
promises, helping thousands of talents succeed this craft quickly and
successfully. She is best known for her roles as Mai in the animated series "DragonBall and
DragonBall GT," Carla Carumba in the series "Benjamin The Elephant," and the "Pirates
of the Caribbean" video game for Disney. She is currently
the voice for Makeful TV, ABC15, Granny in "Turbo Fantasy," Telus, Wayfair, BMO, StackApp, Planet Fitness, Enbridge, Scotiabank, Kitchenaid, Ring Central, is the imaging voice for several radio stations, and has voiced thousands of
narrations, national commercials, talking technology, message on hold, and more. She is
engaging, fun, has enough energy to feed the planet and truly loves what she
does and can't wait to share it with the world. Get Mic'd Coaching: https://getmicd.com Facebook/Instagram:
@VOChefDeb Twitter: @DebMunroVO Linked
In: www.linkedin.com/in/debmunro
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Comments (1)
Patricia M. Smith
9/16/2022 at 4:39 PM
I am entering! I am now encouraged to take some risks to get noticed!
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