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Hi everyone, it’s me Joe Gaudet. Today’s topic is auditions. More specifically, something which I think of as “the audition black hole”. Once you watch I hope you can provide your thoughts in the comments below.
Do you ever audition for a big commercial or series, one which you see posted in various places and which you get through multiple agents. Your peers are buzzing about it and you realize that it’s a huge casting. You’re excited, you take your time making sure your audition sounds great, is edited perfectly, is labeled correctly and hits all of the requirements from casting. You submit it and days, weeks, months go by… you hear nothing about it again.
Obviously you didn’t book the job, but you never hear it on the radio, see it on TV. Your peers are also in the dark about it. Where does it go? Is there a voice over audition black hole? I realize that some projects never make it past casting, but this black hole seems to happen A LOT.
Yes, a lot of times projects are abandoned for one reason or another. My theory is, when it comes time to cast the voice, the script isn’t locked down and the creatives are still developing their idea but need voices to help them mold their vision. You get an audition script, auditions are sent out, and talent submits… The client choose a voice actor, but they might completely change the original script or go in a different direction with a new vision for the spot to better suit the voice they chose. By the time you see the project released, you don’t even recognize it because it looks and sounds different.
Let’s use a Bud Light commercial as an example. The initial casting might go out seeking a 25-30 year old male with gravitas to his voice, someone who’s relatable yet fun. Casting receives 100 auditions but even with the great auditions they received, they realize their vision fits better with a 35 year old woman with an English accent. As a result, the copy and the tag lines need to be changed, and the casting goes out to a completely different group of people so you don’t see it. When it does appear on TV, you don’t recognize it since it’s changed so much.
What do you all think? Maybe some people on the casting side of things can provide some insight below in the comments. In any case, don’t let this discourage you when auditioning. Be you, be your best, submit that bad boy and move on to the next.
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