You’ve done it! You get a great voice actor. The sound equipment you assemble is perfect for your sound, and your home studio is an oasis of creativity. After months of commercial auditions, your inbox dink The opportunity you’ve been waiting for since you started your voiceover journey: an animation audition!
Panic sets in. You think in your head of all the silly sounds you could make, but nothing works. Maybe they all feel like they’re derivative of your favorite voice actor’s performance. The audition will be in the morning…what are you going to do?
do not be afraid. Take a deep breath. Here are some tips to help you self-direct your audition so that when you hit that “send” button on your email, you can feel confident putting your best foot forward.
Stop trying to make “stupid noises”
A recent trend in animation is towards natural sounds. Now, that doesn’t mean you won’t play a character. This will be your natural voice in various extreme situations—what do you sound like at the heights of joy or the lows of depression? Changing your energy rather than changing your voice will do wonders for character creation.
Granted, there are some types and exceptions to this rule—where the characters are a little comical and broad—but focusing too much on the “voice” you’re about to perform can distract you from the performance.
Everyone in the world has some crazy sound they can make. What makes you unique is that you are a actornot just a voice machine. Focus on the script, emotion, and relationships within the script. Once you have all of that, if you still want to overlay “crazy sounds” then go for it, but only if You can still maintain your emotional range while changing your voice.
Practice and analyze scripts before recording
Spend some time writing the script. Find out where the joke is. If you know the dialogue and action lines of other characters, read the entire script. Know what you react to. Find places where you can add “action” noise (lifting grunts, running, fighting, whispering, etc.). Use your word analysis skills.
Spend time ahead of time studying the script and practicing it out loud. You’ll discover where your stumbling blocks are, which moments are working for your performance, and which moments require adjustments. do this forward You walk into the booth; take twenty takes, and then get frustrated.
Text Narration Analysis – Who, what, where, when, why, how?
- World Health Organization Who are you? What kind of person/creature/thing are you? What is important to you? Who are you talking to and what is your relationship to him/her/it/them?
- What What were you doing, what did you do, what were you going to do, what happened?
- Where How is your health?
- when Is this scene/story/moment happening?
- Why Anyway, what are you doing/saying what are you doing/saying? Why don’t you say/do something else?
- how Is your character choosing to do what he/she/it is doing, and how is that different from what you yourself might do in real life?
- Thinking about the difference between what you might say and how the character says it will tell you something important about the character.
Wearing two hats: actor and director
When we get a big audition, it’s easy to immediately judge ourselves and find fault with every choice. If you do this, the recording will become stiff and tentative. If you hesitate or are having fun, the microphone picks up. So when you’re recording, put aside your inner director and just be an actor in the studio. Focus on performance without judging.
Then, after you’ve finished a shot or two, step out of your booth and listen.
Listen with a director’s ear
You’ve done the hard part. You gave a great performance and because you had a hand in the script, you were able to have fun with it. Casting directors can always hear when an actor is having fun and when they are trying to convey what they think the client wants.
Here are a few objective questions to ask yourself as you get your input:
- connect – Am I taking my character through a dynamic emotional journey? Did I find all the emotional and comedic twists between the lines?
- joint – Do I understand every word?
- Tone – Are the reading content and “voice” consistent from beginning to end?
- pace – How is my speed? Too soon? Too slow? Just right?
- imagination – Did I make bold, interesting choices?
- Sustainable development – If I decide to dub, can I maintain this functionality over a four-hour session? Or will my voice be ruined after 10 minutes?
- style – Does it sound like I’m having a good time, or, if it’s dramatic, does it sound “acted” or real?
If you have some moments that don’t quite meet all the criteria, record them again. Or just write down a few lines that you think you need to remember. However, if you’re only recording pickups, make sure you’re a savvy enough editor so that everything goes smoothly and doesn’t sound like Frankenstein.
Don’t take too many shots. You’ll get inside your head and sweat the defeat on the recording. If you’ve taken five shots and are still not satisfied, leave for fifteen minutes. Go for a walk or do something else. Then back to what’s new.
Double check the submission instructions
Once you’re satisfied with your performance, be sure to check the submission instructions before sending in an audition. Are your auditions marked correctly? Is it in .mp3 format? Did you submit before the deadline? Is your audition attached to the email?
Click the “Send” button and move on with your life. What happens after that is out of your control. But if you do all the work ahead of time, you can be confident that you’re putting your best foot forward for the world.
Happy auditioning!
Brad Grusnick is a 20-year VO veteran. He has appeared in the video games “Diablo IV”, “Back4Blood”, “The Elder Scrolls Online”, “Metro: Exodus”, “Days Gone”, “BioShock Infinite”, “God of War”, ” In games such as “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” and “Asura’s Wrath”. Brad has voiced characters in several animated series, including Bears in Underwear and Bunikula. He is best known for his role as “Magnus Fink” in DreamWorks Dragons.
