When we’re asked for more than one take of something - why do we think this is? It could be a number of reasons…
Casting could be looking for different voice types, or may want to be surprised by something they didn’t ask for in the second take, sure! But let’s be clear - they absolutely DO NOT want to hear the exact same read twice, regardless of change in vocal placement.
Casting wants to hear how you communicate a script. They want clear choices and thoughtful process so that they are able to be in the moment with the actor. Hearing more than one take proves to casting that:
1 - You CAN follow direction! (It’s far more uncommon than you think to get auditions with only one take when 2+ takes are requested. Don’t be this person.)
And...
2 - You understand how to make the text mean something to more than one person.
Because, you know, if your audience is an audience of 1… being you… and you can’t deliver anything but that - why would a company hire you to deliver their message to 10, 100, or 1,000,000+ people?
It’s closed off, inflexible, and lacks the play required to be the story tellers we need to be. It’s not about delivering 1 read 3 times the same way for the most “clean” read. It’s about delivering 3 reads, in 3 different moments, on 3 unique journeys.
We can’t get locked into any particular delivery. We have to be malleable enough to take that delivery, yank it out of our brains, and toss it right out the window at a moment’s notice in exchange for something totally new.
And this is such an effective way to train in general. When you’re constantly practicing that perspective awareness, observing how others are feeling and take the time to ask yourself why they are affected the way they are, you and your work become more compassionate.
It allows you to step into the shoes of someone who is perhaps more (or less) ____ than you are:
⁃ Bold
⁃ Relaxed
⁃ Experimental
⁃ Stoic
⁃ Charitable
⁃ Overattentive
⁃ All the real, creative things human beings are capable of being in every day life…
As you do this, you get better at understanding where your character comes from at any given moment. You learn to quickly and acutely drop into role.
This is such a strong skill to have. Because at the end of the day, it’s about how you are able to affect the listener. You can’t do that without a connection to something real and tangible - voice acting or not.
Fancy face work is fun and impressive for sure - but being able to communicate genuinely is what makes the work human. So go show casting how you think, not just how you sound!
Good luck out there my lovely voiceover friends. - Aiden
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