Though a strong voice over demo can help you land gigs, you won’t always be able to rely on such to find voice over work. Quite often, you’ll be auditioning for each job, alongside countless other voice actors with the same goal: getting the job! So, aside from having the perfect voice for the role, you’ll also need to prove you’re the best fit—as your competition may have a similarly-fitting voice for the audition.
Simply put, knowing how to enter an audition and set yourself apart from the competition is crucial in landing voice over jobs, and there’s plenty of ways to do so. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some key tips in nailing a voice over audition.
7 Tips for Voice Acting Auditions
Before you head off to the audition, we’ve got a few tips for you to practice at home. Whether the voice acting gig is for a video game, commercial, or film, you’ll need to have the tone dialed and have a firm grasp on the role you’re auditioning for. Regardless, the voice acting tips below will help you prep for the big day.
Voice Over Auditioning Tips: At Home
1. Analyze the Script: If the script is available prior to the audition, take time at home to completely analyze it. If it’s a commercial, consider what’s being sold and how. If it’s a video game, you need to know the setting, each character, and the voice required. Of course, you won’t always get the script before arriving at the audition. In this case, arrive 10 to 15 minutes early and start reading through the script.
2. Determine the Tone: Similar to analyzing the script, you’ll need to determine the right tone for the role you’re auditioning for. This may also be impacted by the setting, but you also need to know the type of character it is. If it’s a commercial, the tone may reflect the type of product being sold, it’s benefits, or it’s necessity.
3. Know the Role: Needless to say, you need to know the role you’re auditioning before, and that includes the aforementioned tone. Not only that, but you need to have an idea of who the character is—their personality. How do they respond? What’s their role in the game? You may have a general idea of the character and their role, but you need to look deeper into the script.
Before and During the Audition
1. Warm Up: Regardless of whether or not you received the script prior to the audition, you should always arrive early for last minute warm ups, whether in the car or in the waiting room. In warming up, you should read through the script, focus on delivery, and drink plenty of water.
2. Adhere to Directions: Of course, the casting director will typically have some set directions and you should follow them as closely as possible. However, this doesn’t mean you should change your delivery and the tone you’ve determined for the role.
3. Be Physical: When you’re in the booth, you should strive to be physical with your voice acting. Not only will this help you better voice the role, but casting directors actually like to see when a voice artist also has acting skills. Regardless, voice acting is physical. If you bring life to the voice and tie in movement, you’ll set yourself apart from other auditioners.
4. Make the Role Yours: Keep in mind, everyone else at the audition is after the same role. While you should be sure to follow direction, don’t be afraid to make the role yours. Whether it’s being physical like we mentioned above or finding the right tone, own the role!
Improve Your Skills with the Voice Shop
While the voice acting tips provided above can help you set yourself apart from the competition at auditions, this is just one discipline within voice over. Maintaining a career in the industry takes hard work, diligence, and commitment. No matter your skill level, you can gain valuable insight in every aspect of voice over through classes at the Voice Shop. If you’re interested in learning more about our classes, give us a call at 212-213-9487.