VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Rick Riley

Got this today...

Casting Note:
Male, big, deep voice with a lot of presence. Think Al Michaels, John Madden.

Just curious, when you think ‘Big, deep voices’ do the names Al Michaels and John Madden come to mind?

Just curious.
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Bruce · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:03 am Post subject:

Makes sense to me just like the ones asking for a 20's to 30's sound and list as examples actors who are in their 50's.

Or the ones who hired me off an audition and ask me to deepen my voice in session... or can you sound more like James Earl Jones? Folks, you hired me for who I am. I'm a baritone not a bass. Sheesh.

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Mike Harrison · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:07 am Post subject:

While, to me, Al Michaels has a very good play-by-play sound and John Madden was a great color commentator, neither of their voices were what I would call deep, but Madden's might be called "big" because of his enthusiastic, very animated style.
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Dan-O · The Gates of Troy Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 1638

To a young female creative director who possibly wrote the spec, yes, they would qualify. Not everything is from your perspective. Wink

Rick Riley · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:42 am Post subject:

Mike Harrison · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 11:56 am Post subject:

Could it be, along the lines of what Dan suggested, that perhaps the client (or their hired copywriter or agency) specified those vocal qualities, and not your agent? If so, your agent just passed the thing on to you as-is... yes?
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Deirdre · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:08 pm Post subject:

Pat Fraley calls that a "Star Serving Suggestion".

Take it as a clue and see what resonates with you. In the end, the thing they'll buy is your read with your frame of reference.
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Rick Riley · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:13 pm Post subject:

I always figure when I get a 'start' reference, the casting director gets those voices in their head and that's what they look for. I don't see a lot of imagination these days. Maybe I'm just too cynical.

And I should mention that my voice is deep, and not anything close to theirs.
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Karyn OBryant · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 1:03 pm Post subject:

In my brain, the specs are what they -think- they want. Many times, the thing that makes them go, "Ooooo! THAT one!!!" is not really anything like what they think they wanted. It's why, when I used to do on-camera stuff, I'd walk into a room filled with every type of actor, all auditioning for the same role. The casting folks pretty much will just "know it when they see/hear it."

Do you. In all your uniqueness. No one else can.
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Rick Riley · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 1:59 pm Post subject:

Agreed, many times I've booked things that I didn't think I was even close to the specs and other times I've heard the produced spot and thought, why would you even send that audition to me, what booked is not even in my range.

HOWEVER, I think my post has taken a different twist than intended. I just simply wanted to know if the two play by play guys were considered by any others as Big and deep. I would consider Al Michaels as pretty smooth, which is why he's enjoyable to listen to, and John Madden... well there is no description except 'nuts and likable'.

So I was looking for opinion of definition, that's all.
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Eddie Eagle · M&M Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393

Tre M. · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 4:40 pm Post subject:

Got the same audition....and felt the SAME way.

I do have deep tone though, just thought it was strange to classify those two. Al is VERY nasal, while John is....well, not.
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Karyn OBryant · Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 8:16 am Post subject:

Yep. For sportscasters, it's way more about personality than timbre of voice.
Deep voice is just deep voice, but if you've got "nuts and likeable," that's what books.
Go for the spirit of the thing.
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Lee Gordon · Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 8:57 am Post subject:

I would say Rick's voice is definitely deeper than either Al Michaels or John Madden. There's the timbre of the voice, but there's also the style of the read. I've been booked for jobs where the specs called for the "announcer at the beginning of Extreme Makeover Home Edition" and the announcer on Mythbusters." I don't sound anything like Joe Cipriano or Rob Lee, but was able to give them the style they were looking for,
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MBVOXX · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 4:58 pm Post subject:

Many years ago I went to an audition where I was asked to sound like Charles Aidman, the actor who, at that time, was the hottest thing since sliced bread and was voicing a healthy handful of national ad accounts. Responding to their request, I asked why they were not using Chuck, since he was the talent who had been voicing the account for the past year..."is he not available?...is he ill?...is he on vacation?"...to which I was told they were just looking for someone who sounded like him.

At that moment I felt so tired of being asked to sound like someone else, or capture the vocal styling of someone else, or the performance attitude of someone else, usually celebrities or well known voice talents, that I felt if I didn't draw a line in the sand and do 'me' I'd never escape the scenario that was playing out at that audition. I was in the audition booth of a $200M ad agency and felt this was my chance to give the people on the other side of the glass my best so I told them that instead of trying to do my best 'Aidman', I'd do my best me, then gave them one take and left.

The next day I got the call from my agent letting me know that I'd booked the job. And ever since that day I've done the best me that I can.

But I still see it regularly on audition copy..."looking for someone who can sound like or capture the vocal styling of Sam Elliot, or Donald Sutherland, or James Earl Jones, etc. Then, about 4 years ago, I got an audition script that listed me as the sound the were looking for. So I did my very best me.

I did not get that job. lol

Moral of story: Often, they do not know what they want until they hear it.