VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

FinMac

Here are the part of the directions from an audition that just came to me.

"We are looking for a male VO in early 30's or late 20's that sounds good looking and athletic". cool

Would that mean to sound a bit arrogant or what?

Mac
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Mike Harrison · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:15 am Post subject:

Apart from perhaps upbeat and confident, I'm not sure what a "good-looking and athletic" person should sound like (it's an absolutely ridiculous direction).

Tell them you actually ARE good-looking and athletic, and that fact should definitely come across in your delivery. If they have any doubts, ask them to demonstrate for you what good-looking and athletic should sound like.

If they're not able to demonstrate, tell them you have great experience sounding thin and ask if that will suffice.

(Where DO these people come from?)
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Bish · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:15 am Post subject:

I've seen that quite a lot... I've even had clients send a picture of a character they see talking for them... usually some random picture from a stock site of a fresh, bright, enthusiastic businessman. I actually find it helpful knowing where the client's head is. In this particular case... "good looking and athletic" I would take as confident and self-assured... "you want to be me, so listen to me because that's the first step". In the corrupted parlance we seem to have adopted... an "aspirational" figure.
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todd ellis · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:44 am Post subject:

i got that same audition --- did you not get the attachment?

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Lee Gordon · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 8:36 am Post subject:

Todd FTW!

But seriously, folks, those among us who have a "face for radio" have probably successfully pulled this off without even realizing it. The proof: meeting someone (usually of the opposite sex) who has previously only heard our voice and being greeted with "You don't look like you sound," spoken with obvious disappointment. In their minds they had envisioned "good looking and athletic" and then were slapped with reality. Gasp

Like Bish, I have often received a picture of the character whose voice I've been called upon to create and, thinking back, some of those have probably been "young and athletic" but this audition was the first I can recall in which those words were spelled out on the page. I think I can pull off a "good looking and athletic" voice but not one that is also late 20s or early 30s, so despite a fairly decent payday, I reluctantly tossed that particular lead into the trash.
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ballenberg · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:57 pm Post subject:

Been there, Lee, definitely been there.

Million years ago, broadcasting a weekly college radio show, ran low-watt only on campus. One afternoon, during my on-air shift, three good-looking female students came to the studio bearing a big container of homemade cookies. They watched me through the glass for a moment, then, during the next record, they came into the booth. "Oh, uh....so....you're Bill?..." one of them said. "Okay, well these are for you." And without another word, they turned and sadly left.