I recently read an agent’s comment that if  you can’t audition well, you have no future.  So the truth is, for all actors, the real work is in the audition, and once booked, doing the job is play time. In both instances, you must act, and act well.

The truth is, we voiceover talent spend most of our time looking for work when we are not working. I often say when the mic is off, my marketing and business hat is on.  The days when we have little or no work are great for learning, reading and studying, improving our voiceover business systems, and working out, mentally, intellectually, and physically.

You can take classes and learn how to audition and learn all the etiquette, read the specs and audition your heart out, and do the job perfectly, and still not book it!

You may not be right for the role, your voice sounds like the the casting director’s ex wife, you sound too young, too old, or sound like you have spinach stuck in your teeth, your slate was your whole bio, or perhaps you didn’t get the concept and  weren’t telling the story convincingly.

Whatever the reason, you must prepare and prepare well, and feel your confidence. Confidence comes through when you’ve made your strong choice and committed fully, forgetting about everything else.  Fear, need  and desperation have no place inside your head or in your audition. Instead, expect nothing from the audition other than you have another opportunity to create and work at your craft that brings you joy in the artistry of it all.

After you click send, you have to let it go and do not obsess, and second-guess yourself. The audition is over, so get over it fast. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. Most often we don’t hear any feedback, unless we book the job. Most times, getting booked is the only feedback. And if you do get someone nice enough to get back to you and thank you for your time and audition, the next few words are, “but we’ve gone with another voice”. Fat consolation, right?

It’s true, that most times, we never know who booked the job until we see or hear it on the air…and then be stunned that the specs were thrown out completely and the job went to someone of the opposite sex!

There is so much to love about what we do. Yes, it’s hard, but the experience of creating art and voice acting, getting the concept and telling the story from your mouth to the listener’s ears when you finally book the gig- PRICELESS !