There’s a common adage in theater circles that you’re only as good as your last performance. This applies to broadcasters and voiceover professionals as well. Let me explain….
I often tell broadcasting students that each show should always be the best one they ever voiced. I know that’s a high bar, but I’ve had more than one news director say to me, “I saw that student’s audition tape and didn’t like it. I’m not interested in looking at them again.” As unfair as that is, the harsh reality is that news directors get hundreds of audition tapes for every opening. Anything that’s an eliminating factor is used to thin the pile.
What about your daily anchoring or reporting? For ratings you always want to be at your best, but there’s a career advancement issue here as well. There was a time when if you were in a small market you were safe because larger markets might not have a way to watch you every day. But boy is that over! One Google search, and they’ve got you auditioning for them on the evening news wherever they are. One night of low energy might ruin your chance for the market jump you dream of.
And for voiceover people, it’s even worse. An ad you voiced may be played hundreds of times in lots of cities. One day of breathing issues can keep ad agencies from calling.
And in a voiceover audition you might be told you’re not good enough for a particular assignment. Or you’ll get that stock rejection, “The client’s decided to go in another direction.”
One VO friend who voices audio books said she was once told to her face that her performance in the first few minutes of a book was “flat,” and it must be re-voiced. Ouch! That’s a blow to anyone’s confidence.
Okay, so what can you do to avoid being rejected because of a bad day? The harsh answer is, don’t have bad days! The purpose of my blog posts is to give you the skills to avoid bad days as well as tools to help you push your way through them if they do occur. You may not have time to read up on everything, so here’s a list of posts to explore to find these skills:
You’ll find many more tips by clicking on the sidebar to your right. Also, the fifth edition of BROADCAST VOICE HANDBOOK is chock full of vocal exercises and information. Download it instantly from this page.
