Imagine you’re a casting director. Or a producer or creative director or other creative-type who is responsible for selecting the voice to bring your client’s project to life. The voice that will perfectly engage your listeners to sell your product, communicate your message, teach them all about the company’s new operational systems, move people to action, etc.

 

Now imagine having to listen to 20, 30, 50 or more takes of the same exact script. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

 

How many do you think you could get through before your brain started to disengage? (Well, assuming you’re a seasoned pro, probably a LOT more than I could!)

 

So Mary Lynn Wissner, owner of Voices Voicecasting, (@MaryLynnWissner) brought up a great idea in the last episode of VO Buzz Weekly. (Again, love love love this show!) She suggests ad-libbing in your audition. She points out that it’s a great way to get across some of your personality, along with making your audition stand out. And after listening to who knows HOW many versions of the “Lather. Rinse. Repeat,” you want to be the audition that makes the casting director take notice!

 

But what about everything I’ve learned about being respectful of the script and the writer?

 

She’s careful to note that the audition is not the job, but rather what will (hopefully) GET you the job. So when you (hopefully) DO get the job, that’s when you need to be sure to honor the script, which undoubtedly went through several rounds of revisions and approvals to get to the client-approved version in front of you.

 

So why not try this trick in your next audition, and see how it goes? Thanks, Mary Lynn!