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Audition routine?

 
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Neil K. Hess
Contributore Level V


Joined: 13 Dec 2012
Posts: 184
Location: Washington State

PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 10:23 pm    Post subject: Audition routine? Reply with quote

So, what guidelines do you have in place when you are sent, say a :30 commercial audition? Do you give yourself a time limit or a "read limit"? I'm finding that if I don't have something in place like "10 minutes per audition" I end up over thinking things. Just wondering what everyone else out there does.
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Philip Banks
Je Ne Sais Quoi


Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 11046
Location: Portgordon, Scotland

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 1:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Reuters - "Rip n read!"

In other words, just do it.
Before you do that. Set a minimum fee for which you will audition.

Actor does an audition for an off-off-OFF Broadway play. We ARE actors, right? Pay for the job before deductions about $600. Why should you audition for less? You shouldn't! Ever. EVER. Never do it!

"But I NEED $200 and this job is ...."

You are applying for a job. Would you attend a job interview for a one off gig paying $200 knowing that the world and his wife plus its pet Brown Snake, Douglas were going to be there?
Best advice for a sustainable career in our line of work. Audition Very selectively, HYPER selectively. Your default is DELETE. Every time you audition apply for a job by effectively saying to the workl, real world not other voice over people, "hello I do this!"

Several weeks ago a corporate piece of paper dropped into my inbox. To use corporate jargon it was a purchase order.

"Dear Philip, we will use you and we will donate $49,000 (rounded down) for the honour thereof.

Love and hugs

Dave and Davina Corporate. Douglas the Brown Snake says "G'day mate!" (It's an Australian thing)"

The above is how business operates

Audition approach? That is how WE allow the world to waste our time.

Audition Approach? This is an investment opportunity so what is the potential return?

I know people who audition all the time for $200 jobs. They get hired for around 1 in 15 of them so every audition costs you $13. Every time you audition put $13 into a savings account. By so doing you make every audition a financial decision.

Whilst we do not or should not do this job for the money we must ensure that any time we work for someone we get paid properly.
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Bish
3.5 kHz


Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 4:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used to think a routine was important.
I used to think rules were important.
I used to think what other people did was important.
I used to think auditions were important.

Every opportunity to obtain employment (i.e. money for pies) should be viewed with a critical eye and a judgement call made based on its individual merits rather than how it conforms to some list of fixed criteria.

As far as time spent on an individual audition... yeah, rip'n'read most of the time... it's far too easy to get into paralysis by analysis. However, that doesn't mean that if I have a particularly interesting audition that's piqued my interest that I won't spend an inordinate amount of time on it until I feel I've done it justice. Sometimes it's a challenge that must be met.

In all cases you need to make a sound business decision based on what's important to you. Have rules, but break them whenever you want and don't rely on cookie-cutter approaches (or what other people say).

Interesting fact: the more selective (or even arbitrary) I am about auditions, the more work I get from those I do submit for. I used to view auditions as "I'll do this" until I found something that made me reject it. Now, my attitude is "What's this shite" until it shows itself worthy of my full attention.

If you're replying to everything that hits your inbox and giving it the "ten minute treatment", then you are working on a production line principle... you need to be flexible and review each opportunity on its merits (or lack thereof).
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Bob Bergen
CM


Joined: 22 Apr 2008
Posts: 937

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 6:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Over thinking the audition is a byproduct of the home studio. For those of us who began our career before the home studio, I think we are less likely to over audition.

I don’t have a set routine because every audition is different. But I also never overthink it. So Neil, if your question is in regard to how to break the overthinking pattern, just practice. But not with actual auditions. Take copy you’ve either already read or even magazine print ads. Go into the booth and dive in. Do a take it two, come out, edit, and send to yourself. Do this daily, so eventually you will be better conditioned when applied to actual auditions.
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Bruce
Boardmeister


Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 7921
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My routine is:

- Determine if I have a fighting chance of winning this? If not, why bother? Am I the right age? Can I relate to the product or service at all? If not, why bother? That's 20 seconds spent right there.

- If I'm still interested I read the directions (if any) and try and interpret them for my actor brain. There's 10 to 60 seconds spent depending on whether the client is a clear thinker or morbidly verbose.

- After I discover "brilliant" choices of interpretation in two or three reads I edit together a final take and convert to a wav file. I listen to it on speakers while I re-read the directions. I'd say 20% of the time I determine my choices and the direction don't match. If I REALLY think it's worth it I'll go back and re-do it, otherwise I toss it. The OK ones get forwarded to the agent/agency. There's 3 to 6 minutes.

So yes, occasionally I'll spend up to 10 minutes, but most often much less.

As proof to the overthinking, overworking-the-words problem, I have done many, many sessions in my life with a director where I'd give a couple of nice reads and then they would have me go back over the copy and read it line by line, paragraph by paragraph several times, only for them to end up using one of the first reads. Natural is better.

b
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DougVox
The Gates of Troy


Joined: 10 Jan 2007
Posts: 1705
Location: Miami

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like Peter, I used to overthink 'em.

Now, it's a quick scan of the specs, and if they make me think something along the lines of, "Yeah, that sounds like something I can do," I audition.

As me.

'Cause that's what I do best.

It's worked out fairly well so far, so I guess I'll stick with it.
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Tre M.
Backstage Pass


Joined: 01 Nov 2017
Posts: 489
Location: Vegas, the desert part.

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Read the specs...am i a good fit?
Few takes, edit and send.

Let chips fall where they may. Go put some burgers on the grill.
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todd ellis
A Zillion


Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 10481
Location: little egypt

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

short answer: a lot less than i used to.

like many - i scan it - if it's REALLY in my wheelhouse - or comes from somebody i really like - i'll take a few runs at it & send it in. easy.
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Karyn OBryant
Cinquecento


Joined: 23 Jul 2013
Posts: 561
Location: Portlandia-adjacent

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep. You're either what they want or you're not.
And you have zero control over what goes on in their heads.
Do your thing, release it into the wild, and move on.

PS: After some practice, this kind of confidence starts to show up in your reads. And people tend to like it. Wink
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Jack Daniel
Cinquecento


Joined: 23 Jun 2016
Posts: 574
Location: SoCal

PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Karyn OBryant wrote:
After some practice, this kind of confidence starts to show up in your reads. And people tend to like it. Wink


The difference between "it's between you and six other guys" and "is there any chance you can work us into your schedule?"

...According to legend.
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