A Guide to Writing the Perfect Voice Over Casting Notice
You need a voice actor for an upcoming project so you whip up a quick post and put it out there. You get back 100 auditions and 90 of them are crap because your casting notice was crap. What happened?
Writing the perfect voice over casting notice is both an art and a science. A well-written casting notices helps us voice actors both self-select and deliver a great performance so you don't waste your time and ours.
Here's exactly what you need to include in a casting notice to get the right voice actor for your project...
Voice Over Casting Notice Specs
Think like the voice actor reading your casting notice. If they don't understand the project within the first few seconds of reading it they will either skip it, you'll get the wrong voice actors auditioning, or you'll get the wrong reads.
At the top of the voice over casting notice, state the required age range, gender, ethnicity, and race for your project. Many modern productions require an authentic accent or specific ethnic background. FYI you're not a racist for posting the desired race of the voice actor. We won't be offended!
Vocal Quality and Audience
Define the pitch, tone, and attitude you want from the voice actor i.e. friendly and conversational but professional.
Tell us exactly who the audience is. For example, an IT professional trying to integrate artificial intelligence into their workflow needs a different delivery than a tired parent looking for a better mop. Knowing the target audience changes how a voice actor approaches the read.
Rate and Usage
Transparency regarding your budget saves everyone time. Break down the rate into two parts:
Session Fee for the time spent recording the audio.
Usage Fee for how the audio will be used.
If it's a broadcast gig (TV, radio, digital, streaming) state where it will air and exactly how long it will air.
State the project's genre, too. A national television commercial has a very different rate structure than a corporate eLearning module. Putting the numbers up front filters out talent who don't fit your budget.
Production Timeline
State when the audition must be submitted, then outline when the final audio files are due after you cast the project. Tell us if you require a live directed session via Zoom or Source-Connect or if we'll self-direct on our own time aka asynchronous directing. Clear timelines keep your production moving forward on time!
To Slate Or Not To Slate
Slating means the voice actor says their name before the audition (top slate) or after the audition (end slate). You can also ask to state where they live, home recording specs, union status, etc. to help the screening process.
Number of Takes and Audition Script Length
You have to be very careful here!
Asking for three full takes, for example, is a red flag because we think you're trying to use our auditions for the project itself and never pay us.
Long audition scripts are another red flag because we think you're trying to harvest our voice for unauthorized cloning. Post just a portion of the script (30 seconds is perfect for most genres) or remove the brand/company name so we know you can't use the audition for the project.
The Audio Delivery Standard
Specify if you want an mp3 file or a high-resolution wav file. Then tell them how you want the files delivered. List your preferred platform like Dropbox, Google Drive, or WeTransfer.
BONUS TIP: make sure the spelling and grammar in the casting notice is perfect! When I see a casting notice that isn't spell-checked, my gut tells me not to trust the voice seeker.
You're a Voice Seeker with a job to do and us voice actors have a job to do, too. You don't have time to hear bad auditions and we don't want to waste time dealing with a lame casting notice. A well-written voice over casting notice solves that problem for everyone!
From my village to yours, this is Tom Dheere, the H is Silent, but I'm Not.
Thanks For Reading!
To learn more about me, hear some samples, or download my demos, just go to www.tomdheere.com.
This content is designed for Voice Seekers, casting directors, and producers looking for direct, risk-managed voice over booking solutions. If you need a reliable, broadcast-quality voice actor for your next commercial, eLearning module, or corporate narration, you can bypass the audition pile entirely. Contact Tom Dheere directly to discuss your project requirements and secure a professional read today.
Tom Dheere is a 30-year veteran voice actor specializing in corporate narration and commercials. Known as a "street-smart professor," he blends his theater-based training and guy-next-door performance style with mastery over voice over project management .
When he isn’t in the booth, he provides strategic business consulting at VOStrategist.com and produces the comic book Agent 1.22.
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