Let’s look at how the voiceover audition from home plays out:
- When you receive audition copy (the commercial script), you’ll have some directions in terms of the tone/mood of the piece, and the character you’ll be portraying in it. This description can range from extremely vague (like: “she needs to be authoritative and confident, yet friendly”), to uber-descriptive (like: “natural but not too announcer-y, earthy but not gravelly, guy you want to grab a beer with, he has your best interests at heart, genuinely interested but not clingy. The type of guy every guy wants to be, your favorite backyard bbq host”).
- You’ll record several takes of the script, with varying interpretations of the specifications and directions provided. I go for 6–7, and then whittle those down to the best 3, in my opinion.
- I submit those three to my agent with short descriptions of each take (like: “middle range of my voice, a little gravel, weighted, a touch salesy in tone, nice shift in mood for the call-to-action”). Then my agent will choose the best take in their opinion, and submit it to the client.
Voila! The home Voiceover Audition, in a nutshell.
{for tips on equipment to use, without furnishing an entire studio at home, check on this article: Using your iPad mini to Audition for Voiceovers}
Happy Voiceover-ing! :o)