Professional Audition Thread

[Superstarseven]

As one of my teachers likes to note, Agents *do* keep bad demos, and they gather around and listen to them at the office christmas party.

Is one of your teachers Susan Berkley?

[Zer0]

So the whole reason for me starting this thread is because after 3 years I've finally gotten an audition with the voice acting company of my dreams....none other then the beloved FUNimation Voice Acting studios.

I've sent several emails throughout the past 3 years which were met with nothing but silence. I felt quite discouraged by this and I was almost at the point of considering giving up but of course one of my amazing friends who also wishes to be a voice actress for FUNi whipped me back into spirit and told me to send another email [she also sent one]. Well I went and checked my email today and for the first time in 3 years I got a reply.

She told me that I was placed on the Auditioners waiting list. Granted it'll be another 6 month to a year before the actual audition happens but I'm super excited. My voice samples were also forwarded to the directors.

This is a big deal. Because on the Funimation website is says that one of the requirements to actually audition for funimation is that you needed to have significant previous professional voice over experiance. I don't have that. Now I'm not sure if they let "fresh meat" come in alot but to me I've heard several of my friends get turned down due to not having any previous experiance.

To those who are hoping to audition but havn't had any experiance. If you send in an email ALWAYS make sure to send in your demo reel. It doesn't matter how much you think it may suck, if the agents can atleast hear your voice they can tell that 1. you actually are willing to put in the time and effort to make a demo reel for them to listen to and 2. If you show case your voice range, accents, and emotions that shows that you're really serious and have put alot of effort into your acting and aren't going to be a total waste of thier time.


ok so I'm excited. I know it's a long ways off but does anyone have any tips?

Best luck to you!

We'll certainly be rooting for you, but I do have to point out a few key things.

First off, a big no-no is sending your own homemade demo out. I hate to say it, but these forums doesn't exactly straighten that detail out and a lot of people send out their yearly made demo to production companies. You have essentially 1 shot with these people and even if you send in another one that's professionally made, chances are, they'll remember you for that bad demo you sent them.

Second, you're kinda in a situation that can turn out REAL ugly real fast if you're not prepared. If the rules clearly stated that you needed previous professional experience, what on earth are you going to say to them when you show up with a resume with either nothing on it or full of amateur productions? The mentality is that if you can't follow basic auditioning rules, is it too much of a stretch to say that you can't follow basic direction? In the business, if you come off as amateur, it sticks with you for a LONG time.

Third, I'd try not to constantly send them your demo. If they've listened to it once, all you need to do is ask them if they got to your demo yet. Don't constantly spam them over the course of 3 years with your demo. There's a fine line between persistent and annoying and it's your job to understand which side of the line you want to be on.

Fourth, I can't personally confirm this myself, but from what I hear from all the acquaintances I have in the business, you have to be aware of the social workings in that particular business. Though it's not officially stated or acknowledged, there is an "Anime Mafia". Everyone knows everyone in the business. That means it's a tightly clenched fist with small openings for few people at a time to try and get in. You get in, you're good. You screw up with a bad audition, you don't get a job ever in that business. There's a difference between screwing up and a good audition that doesn't land you the role. If you're doing a good audition but someone just fits the character, they reconsider you back for another shot. You show up as a wide-eyed amateur, they will potentially black list you. What happens when you're black listed? You lose all chance of securing a role.

Do these black lists exist? Absolutely. Not just anime, but in film, theater, etc. You pull a major faux-pas and you get CANNED. Remember, it IS a people business, so word gets around quickly.

Fifth, casting agents are NOT looking for your "emotional range, accents, and voices". They're looking for how strong and fleshed out your characters are, they're looking for your branding and style, and they're looking for your choices. If you understand what I mean, excellent. If you have no clue what I mean, you're in serious trouble at the moment.

My advice? Get some actual training, get some professional experience, get your demo made, and do NOT audition until you're ready. Is it expensive and grinding? Yes. But it's an investment. You're worth as much as you invest in yourself. And if time is money, you want to have people invest their time in you.

I hope this helps.

Again, good luck.

[BloodRedOath]

Best luck to you!

First off, a big no-no is sending your own homemade demo out. I hate to say it, but these forums doesn't exactly straighten that detail out and a lot of people send out their yearly made demo to production companies. You have essentially 1 shot with these people and even if you send in another one that's professionally made, chances are, they'll remember you for that bad demo you sent them.

I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that most of that post wasn't decent advice, but I hardly think you've been on these forums long enough to make the assumption that I've highlighted. I've never once heard someone tell me that sending out my amateur demo was a good idea. If you talk to the members on these forums who are serious about getting into the professional field, most, if not all of them will tell you to make sure you can act, take classes, develop your skills for years and then make a professional demo to send out to companies. The amateur demos we make on this site are for the sake of amateur productions, and practice. Not to say that a lot of people don't send out their amateur demos unfortunately, but the overall consensus of the forums is to spend the money and make a professional one, because if you can't even do that, you're obviously not ready for such a difficult field of work.

[Zer0]

I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that most of that post wasn't decent advice, but I hardly think you've been on these forums long enough to make the assumption that I've highlighted. I've never once heard someone tell me that sending out my amateur demo was a good idea. If you talk to the members on these forums who are serious about getting into the professional field, most, if not all of them will tell you to make sure you can act, take classes, develop your skills for years and then make a professional demo to send out to companies. The amateur demos we make on this site are for the sake of amateur productions, and practice. Not to say that a lot of people don't send out their amateur demos unfortunately, but the overall consensus of the forums is to spend the money and make a professional one, because if you can't even do that, you're obviously not ready for such a difficult field of work.

Not to say that a lot of people don't send out their amateur demos unfortunately

Uh, dude, you just agreed with me. You used the term "a lot" the same way I did. I don't LITERALLY mean a great number (100's) of people have their amateur demos try and come off as professional, I just mean there's a sizable number of people who do. It's a throw-away term.

I think you misunderstand me. When I said "these forums don't straighten out the details", I meant that the advice isn't bleeding through to everyone. Out of common curtesy, I don't want to point names, but a safe case of this would be midnightmoonproductions, the very person who posted this thread.

Sure, we can have a census of a lot of things, but when push comes to shove, people try and cut corners to save money. They don't want to spend the $600 - $800 per recorded minute. Instead, they think that if they could just have the demo SOUND professional by watching enough anime, doing enough fandubs, and acquiring experience that way (as they just want to do anime and video games), that they could pull it off. Professionals of all levels agree that that's one step, no matter what, cannot have corners cut. All I have to do is point at sites like voices.com, voices123.com, and heck, even newgrounds to show examples of how people take their amateur homemade demos and try to bring them off as professional demos; some, sadly, who are here from the VAA.

And YES, I have been here long enough to say that about the forums. Don't judge me by my post count or "joined" date. That's a bit shortsighted.

Seriously, though, can ya at least call the advice I give something not so baseline as 'decent'? ('Good', 'exceptional', 'sound' all work. But then again, it's hardly a point to get all worked up about )

[BloodRedOath]

Uh, dude, you just agreed with me. You used the term "a lot" the same way I did. I don't LITERALLY mean a great number (100's) of people have their amateur demos try and come off as professional, I just mean there's a sizable number of people who do. It's a throw-away term.

I think you misunderstand me. When I said "these forums don't straighten out the details", I meant that the advice isn't bleeding through to everyone. Out of common curtesy, I don't want to point names, but a safe case of this would be midnightmoonproductions, the very person who posted this thread.

Just because there are exceptions to something doesn't mean it's not true. The general consensus is to be professional about it. This is a forum, not a meeting room where we all sit down and make sure we all agree on everything. Of course some people won't think the same way as the general populace, that's human nature. But to say that these forums don't "straighten out the details" is like saying we're all keeping it a secret or we don't talk about it enough. My post's point wasn't to say "LOL UR WRONG" but to say that this community is remarkably realistic when it comes to the seriousness of this business. If you ask, people will tell you to get a professional demo. If you don't ask, of course you're not gonna know, but that's your fault.

Sure, we can have a census of a lot of things, but when push comes to shove, people try and cut corners to save money. They don't want to spend the $600 - $800 per recorded minute. Instead, they think that if they could just have the demo SOUND professional by watching enough anime, doing enough fandubs, and acquiring experience that way (as they just want to do anime and video games), that they could pull it off. Professionals of all levels agree that that's one step, no matter what, cannot have corners cut. All I have to do is point at sites like voices.com, voices123.com, and heck, even newgrounds to show examples of how people take their amateur homemade demos and try to bring them off as professional demos; some, sadly, who are here from the VAA.

When push comes to shove in the world of voice acting, people quit. A lot of people here are simply doing amateur works because they enjoy it, but those who are really dedicating their lives to the pursuit will lay down some damn money for a demo reel. You don't have to be rich to afford classes or to produce a demo, so really the only reason you wouldn't make the effort to make enough money in order to do so is if you don't have the determination. And that my friend, is why people pop up on these forums, learn it's not all sunshine and rainbows, and disappear within a month or two.

Professionals agree that you need to work your ass off to get good and make a good demo, yeah, and so do we. We have quite a few members here that get paid for their work, and a few that have become very well known, and that's simply through practicing, luck, practicing, determination, and practicing. This site is made for practicing. When members come here expecting to make it big by doing nothing, the respected members of these forums set them straight. I see it happen almost bi-weekly. Someone drops in, asks what they need to be a voice actor, and within minutes, several members post about the realities of the world we live in and how hard it can and will be to do professional work consistently. That's how this forum works. I'm not misunderstanding you, you're misunderstanding the boards. We're a community of people who are here to have fun, hone our skills, and if we're one of the few who plan to go professional, learn what it actually takes to do so.

And YES, I have been here long enough to say that about the forums. Don't judge me by my post count or "joined" date. That's a bit shortsighted.

Seriously, though, can ya at least call the advice I give something not so baseline as 'decent'? ('Good', 'exceptional', 'sound' all work. But then again, it's hardly a point to get all worked up about )

...How could I not judge your time here by your join date? If you've been here longer than just this year, then why would your join date say 2010? I'm hoping that doesn't mean you've had other accounts, but I won't jump to conclusions.

[Jordan]

Sure, we can have a census of a lot of things, but when push comes to shove, people try and cut corners to save money. They don't want to spend the $600 - $800 per recorded minute. Instead, they think that if they could just have the demo SOUND professional by watching enough anime, doing enough fandubs, and acquiring experience that way (as they just want to do anime and video games), that they could pull it off. Professionals of all levels agree that that's one step, no matter what, cannot have corners cut. All I have to do is point at sites like voices.com, voices123.com, and heck, even newgrounds to show examples of how people take their amateur homemade demos and try to bring them off as professional demos; some, sadly, who are here from the VAA.

Seriously, though, can ya at least call the advice I give something not so baseline as 'decent'? ('Good', 'exceptional', 'sound' all work. But then again, it's hardly a point to get all worked up about )

The points you are attempting to make are potentially offensive to the members of this forum who have actually made it into the professional field after joining/with the help of this forum (which you are discrediting) and those who cannot afford to "not cut corners." Especially the latter. Most of the time you find that they don't spend the so-called $600-$800 it takes to record a professional demo because they CAN'T. And it's not like they don't have the potential to get into professional voice acting. I'm pretty sure the studios look more for talent than how much cash you got stuffed in your wallet. Besides, I've heard some pretty awesome home-made demo reels around here. So please be a little more sensitive in the way you word your statements.

Oh yeah, and that last part was irrelevant. Don't pick fights, either.

[Seymour]

They don't want to spend the $600 - $800 per recorded minute.

...I want proof that this is truly the case, cause honestly, some professional voice actors don't even make that much in a month.
And even if it were the case, ANYONE would rather just do it themselves or get someone who can produce a professional quality demo for a fraction of the price, or even free, at that point, it's not about professionalism, it's about saving yourself the hassle of having to cough up 600-800 bucks for a business that's already stressful enough to even make that much.
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And to agree with Jordan, some people who really do work hard on making demos with everything they can are gonna take offense, so watch what you say next time, ok? ok.

[Zer0]

The points you are attempting to make are potentially offensive to the members of this forum who have actually made it into the professional field after joining/with the help of this forum (which you are discrediting) and those who cannot afford to "not cut corners." Especially the latter. Most of the time you find that they don't spend the so-called $600-$800 dollars it takes to record a professional demo because they CAN'T. And it's not like they don't have the potential to get into professional voice acting. I'm pretty sure the studios look more for talent than how much cash you got stuffed in your wallet. Besides, I've heard some pretty awesome home-made demo reels around here. So please be a little more sensitive in the way your word your points.

I'm not trying to piss off anyone or pamper anyone. I'm just telling it how it is. It IS a business and you have to make your investments in your classes, private training, marketing, and your demo. There is no such thing as CAN'T. You want it bad enough, you'll find a way to get it. People don't mind laying down thousands of dollars to get a degree. They make loans, compete for scholarships, all because they want that education. If you can't afford it, then start saving up. No one takes pity into account when casting for the real stuff.

And no one tries to see who got their pockets stuffed with cash, but guess what, they DO see if you took the time to suck it up and get the necessary training. On the note of assumptions, you have your pockets stuffed with cash and they'll think you're pretty succesful talent. They're certainly looking for talent, but also professionalism. This IS a profession, and a profession is a business, which require investments. (Full circle)

...I want proof that this is truly the case, cause honestly, some professional voice actors don't even make that much in a month.
And even if it were the case, ANYONE would rather just do it themselves or get someone who can produce a professional quality demo for a fraction of the price, or even free, at that point, it's not about professionalism, it's about saving yourself the hassle of having to cough up 600-800 bucks for a business that's already stressful enough to even make that much.
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And to agree with Jordan, some people who really do work hard on making demos with everything they can are gonna take offense, so watch what you say next time, ok? ok.

Sure, some professional voice actors don't make that much in a month. But the ones I know make a lot more than that per month. What's your point? It's an investment. Investments aren't necessarily made back in a month. And no, at that point, it's honestly about whether that guy who's cutting your demo knows just exactly what he's doing. If you can get it cheaper somehow, good for you. But I don't know any professional who cut demos at discounted rates. It's a business and they know that talent will have to take that rate.


AWWW, do you get a boo-boo? D: I'm not here to kiss anyone's behind. If you're seriously making your own demo you're either a very rare exception to the rule, or you're doing it wrong. Want proof?
Here: Click this link

[BossTrigger]

Watch it Zer0. You're completely undermining the knowledge the collective consciousness that is the Voice Acting Alliance has passionately been gathering for years and years. Take a step back and consider that maybe the people here make the claims they make for a reason. I know you can find articles on the internet that tell you what makes a good reel; I can probably find an article that suggests mailing a severed horse head to a lady you're interested in as a show of good faith.

On topic, the conversation on the first page pretty much clears up a lot of questions I've seen people have, so...thar she blows.

[RamiLeli]

AWWW, do you get a boo-boo? D: I'm not here to kiss anyone's behind. If you're seriously making your own demo you're either a very rare exception to the rule, or you're doing it wrong.

There's no need to be hostile. :\