The scripts are of the actors choosing and should come from previously aired animated productions.
Bring your own interpretation, no imitations (We do not want to hear your best Bart Simpson). One of these voices should be in your natural speaking voice (with energy). The others can show more of your zany range.
– Please only read your characters lines in the scene leaving a small pause where natural. You should NOT have a “reader” as you would in a traditional audition. The only voice we should hear is yours.
– Please slate your name at the end of the submission.
– Your recording will need to be sent via a link to a google drive file or similar platform where the link will not expire.
– Please use the following naming convention in the file name:
“Your Name – ACTRATORONTO – July 2023
Each submission is looked at by 2 different voice over industry professionals. If you want to see a list of these amazing individuals, go to the “current showcase” page and scroll to the bottom. You will receive all of your feedback after the showcase has concluded.
The feedback will focus on evaluating the following criteria:
– Are they familiar with the text and making it their own?
– Have they crafted their read/made choices?
– Do they have a clear point of view?
– Do they understand the genre/world?
– Emotional Impact / Heart – Do you feel connected to the character?
– Are they having a conversation and believably “responding” to the other character?
– Clarity and truth of intention?
– Investment in imaginary circumstances and commitment to their choices?
– Consistency of character/voice?
– Character is multi-dimensional. They feel real and connected
– Have a clear moment before
– Defined relationship with other characters
– Defined stakes
– Defined location / playing environment (can we hear the difference of when they are speaking to themself, someone else, calling out)
– Clear objective
– Range / Dynamics
– Nonverbals/effort are world building and paint a picture of the scene.
The best advice that you can get on finding the right material is to WATCH a lot of animation! Find something that feels good in your range. Find voices that show the scope of what you can do. Although we strongly encourage you to find your own material by watching animation to help you stand out, below is a folder with a few scripts you can use if you have to:
Folder with some sample scripts can be found here.
Play with working with different vocal resonators when creating your characters. Try your best NOT to mimic what you hear in the material you sorce from. Look at a picture of the character and build YOUR version of that voice.
If you’re not sure what a “vocal resonator” is or how to explore your voice, check out these two Youtube videos (there are plenty out there!)
Vocal resonances:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isyy3tvmUS4&t=119s
Creating voices:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGJzbYRMWsk
Don’t let not having “professional” gear ever stop you! Many voiceover auditions are recorded on a good quality cellphone mic. Finding the right spot to record is often more important.
A quiet spot in your house without too much echo is great. Some people like to use thier closet, lining the walls with sheets to dampen the sound. Others find that recording in thier car works really well. Test a few spots out and find one that works. Keep in mind though, the panel will not be lowering any scores because of poor audio quality. We understand everyone has to start somewhere. It is your VOICE that we are really interested in!
When its time to edit and complie your voice samples into a single MP3 file, try this free program. It’s what many of us in the industry use.
Link to Audacity:
https://www.audacityteam.org/
Or if you’re on a Mac – Garage Band is easy to use!
Most of all, HAVE FUN!!