Produce or not to Produce the Audition

[bigbry]

I've always wondered about this. Is it the norm to produce an audition with music or just do a dry read? I myself have been doing both, but then you wonder if the music you choose is what the client had in mind too.
Just thought I'd throw this out for a bit of discussion
Cheers
Bry

[BobbyH]

Have you ever been asked to produce an audition? In my 19 years haven't.

[Bob Bergen]

Well, I may not be qualified to comment on the proper protocol here, since I myself don't audition from online sites. But in the case of auditioning from an agent's submission, adding any production is a huge no no. You are auditioning for the VO, not for the producer or mixer.

But like I said, it may be different here.

[JoeActor]

I submit all auditions dry.

But I have heard some killer produced ones.
Problem is, if the seeker knows anything about VO, they'll want to hear your voice unmodified.

One option: send a dry and produced... then again, that's a lot of time for one audition when you've got hundreds to listen to.

So, Dry For This Guy!
Joe J Thomas
Joe J. Thomas Acting Portfolio (http://www.JoeActor.com)

[Jon Morss]

We seem to touch on this quite often and it is a valid question. I'm with Bob and have been told from agents to not submit anything besides the dry audio so the client can hear what you sound like in their mix. This even means not to apply any Compression or such to the read either. However, Pat Fraley, in his Gypsy Guide to Home Recording, mentions a gig he got because he added some SFX like a helicopter sound to the read. Does this confuse you? It does me. But then again he is Pat Fraley. I just go with the dry read only.

[Brian Hart]

Did anybody listen to the Dan O'Day conference call with Harlan Hogan last night? Harlan talked about this and he too said send auditions dry.

[bigbry]

Thanks so much for your input on this...DRY it is.
Cheers to you all and I hope I didn't bring up a topic that been discussed to death!!
Bry

[CarynClark]

Interesting that this is a topic on another forum today.

I don't produce... b/c I don't know how, and frankly, at this time, don't care to learn. I have enough to learn!

But, I do know people, that, on the online vo marketplaces, do produce their submissions and on more than one occassion, it actually helped in them landing the gig.

But I don't. And I land gigs. :)

[Brian Hart]

That's because you, my dear, are a phenomenally awesome talent.

[voicy1stef]

:|I'm with Caryn. I'm all for dry reads as well. They either like you or they don't! Sometimes on my own time & experimenting, I play around with music...but as far as auditions go...DRY from me!

[CarynClark]

Why, thank you Brian!!! (blushing....)

[Julie Williams]

Harlan Hogan's teleconference with Dan O'Day was awesome.

[Robert Jadah]

Now, what would Harlan, Pat, Bob and the others know about small-time auditions?
They don't do them.

For real jobs: absolutely dry. You've enough to consider with being a voice talent; it's suicidal to try to cram production knowledge into your aud. With rare exception, you cannot match the pros they employ.

For site jobs: it's a crap-shoot. The $125 job is just as liable to go to the amateur home producer who tossed in a nice Backtraxx bed and some f/x to blow away Mr. Hawkinmawkin at the Peoria Tool Emporium as it is to go to a Patrick Stewart sound-alike.

Informedly Yours,

[JoeActor]

For site jobs: it's a crap-shoot. The $125 job is just as liable to go to the amateur home producer who tossed in a nice Backtraxx bed and some f/x to blow away Mr. Hawkinmawkin at the Peoria Tool Emporium as it is to go to a Patrick Stewart sound-alike.
... except... those are precisely the type of jobs I DON'T want from on-line sources.

If I land a job from someone who needs to hear it produced, chances are the final price will be way under market and the client will be more difficult to work with. I'd rather submit dry, and if they aren't at a semi-pro or pro level, I wouldn't want the job anyway. Much less hassle with places that know what they're doing.

So, when the job asks for writer/translator/producer/engineer/foley/vo, I exercise my delete button.

But that's just me,
Joe J Thomas
Joe J. Thomas Acting Portfolio (http://www.JoeActor.com)