A Guide to Submissions (+ when are you ready?)
Jun 12, 2019 21:44:59 GMT -8
h0m3st4r, Kevin Liberty, and 1 more like this
Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Jun 12, 2019 21:44:59 GMT -8
Common questions we receive often in the community include:
We hope this guide will help answer some of your questions regarding submissions.
______________________________
In general, when am I considered “ready” to submit my materials professionally?
For the purpose of this guide, we will define “professionally” as submitting your materials to some type of established entity that handles voice casting for paid, official projects. Examples of this include a talent agency, a recording studio/production company that deals with voice casting, or a casting director’s closed talent pool. It does not necessarily apply to online casting calls for paid projects which are open to everyone or otherwise posted publicly, in which case the producers are voluntarily opening themselves to a wide variety of submissions from actors of different skill and experience levels.
While this is not a definitive list, the following questions can help gauge whether or not you are ready to start “cold submitting” to casting entities.
1. Are you a trained actor?
It is very rare that someone who has never even taken an acting class is magically going to be a great actor. It’s true you can learn a lot from self-taught methods and repeated practice, but if you have little to no proper training, think very critically about whether or not your current skill level is competitive enough to submit to companies or casting directors who do work with trained actors all the time.
2. Do you have experience with original projects, preferably paid ones?
There’s generally nothing wrong with doing fan projects, and they can be a fun hobby and a great way to practice. However, fan projects generally won’t hold up as “work experience” and shouldn’t be included on a professional resume that is sent to established casting entities. But if you’ve got a decent amount of work experience in original projects—-such as audio dramas, indie games, student films, or even school/community plays, these are a good foundation for a starting actor’s “real world” resume. While paid experience is obviously a bonus, whoever is reading your resume isn’t likely going to have any idea if those original roles were paid or unpaid.
3. Do you have a proper demo reel?
>>Does the demo need to be professionally produced? That depends on where you are submitting. For most online and indie work, you can get away with a self-made or commissioned demo as long as the recording and mixing quality is decent, it doesn’t sound amateur, and it still adheres to industry standards (for example: approximately 1 minute long, no long pauses in between spots, no rambling slates unless you’re in a market where that is the expected norm.) Agents, studios and production companies in major markets often have high standards regarding demos… but we’ll get to that a bit later.
4. Are you competitive with the existing talent on their roster?
To be clear, you won’t always know who else is on any given roster or especially in a talent pool where this information is usually private. But if you’re submitting to an agency, take a listen to the demos on their website of the talent they represent and evaluate honestly whether or not you believe your skills are on a similar level. If their roster consists of mostly all A-listers with many years of experience and killer demos, they might not be willing or able to take on developmental talent at this time. The same goes for production companies and specialty sites—-for example, if you’re submitting to a company who produces explainer videos, listen to the VO in some of the videos they’ve produced and see if you feel you’d also be a great option on par with the talent they’ve already been hiring. If the work would require you to record remotely, how is your technical quality? If all their current talent have home studios and you’re recording from a podcasting mic in a basement, they might not be willing to take you on until you have a better setup. You can also ask your peers and/or mentors for honest evaluations on these things.
______________________________
Checklist of Submission Materials
1. Cover letter, if applicable. If you are writing an e-mail to pitch yourself to someone you want to work with or be represented by, you should compose a brief “letter of interest” just as you would when applying for a job. Keep it professional, positive, and concise. Include a sentence or two on why you feel you would be a great addition to their roster. (See our e-mail etiquette guide for more tips.) Note: Some casting directors and companies use a Google form or web form for submissions these days in which case you do not have the option to include a cover letter.
2. Link to demo reel.
Have an easy link to your demo that people can click on without being required to download anything. Don’t send an attachment unless you are instructed to do so—-many companies do not open unsolicited attachments and it’s also a good way to end up in the spam folder by default.
**If you’re meeting in person, it’s a good idea to send your demo reel ahead of time so that they can have it on hand. Otherwise, have it easily available to pull up from your website. CDs are a bit outdated so there is no need to bring a hard-copy CD of your demo to meetings anymore, but you can consider bringing it on a USB flash drive if you really feel like being fancy.
3. Professional resume.
______________________________
”…But I’ve heard you should only make a demo if you’re ready. What if I’m not ready for a demo?”
There are plenty of opportunities for beginners to voice act which do not require a demo. For example, a good majority of publicly posted casting calls will provide audition lines for each person to read and send in. Because you are sending a tailored audition for specific characters and the casting is open to the public, these often don’t require a demo. It’s when you start getting into closed talent pools or cold submitting for jobs that you will need to send one.
About referrals
Referrals can be a great way to get your foot in the door with a casting person and generally carry much more weight than cold submissions. However, please keep referral etiquette in mind. Referrals should be offered, not asked for—-it can put someone on the spot and make them uncomfortable if you outright ask them for a referral and they don’t feel you’re ready or don’t want to put their own reputation on the line for you. Remember, NEVER use someone’s name as a referral without their permission. It doesn’t matter if you have a friend repped by that agency you’re trying to get into—-unless they say it’s okay to namedrop them, don’t. (It’s also considered bad etiquette to message a stranger or an actor you barely know to ask them for a referral.)
No phone calls or walk-ins unless instructed to do so.
______________________________
“When am I ready for X or Y?"
These “tiers” are not an official standard by any means, but it’s an easy way of illustrating when it might be appropriate to take certain steps in your career. For example, an actor’s materials may be sufficient to submit for an online casting pool, but not for a Los Angeles agency yet. These are just some loose guidelines as to when you might be able to feel you are ready.
Tier 1
When to submit: You are an established, experienced actor who regularly works in official paid media. You have professional demo reels that are competitive within the market and preferably have a resume that consists of at least a couple major clients. If recording from home, you have a proper home studio and are able to submit auditions and work with high quality and quick turnaround (though many times these types of castings record in person and you must live in the area in order to be considered.)
Tier 2
When to submit: You have professional acting training and have a fair amount of experience in paid or at least original media. You have marketing materials (website, demo) that are either professionally produced, or self-produced to a professional standard. If recording from home, you can submit with broadcast quality or close to broadcast quality and are able to submit auditions and work in a consistent and timely manner.
Tier 3
When to submit: You have a decent demo reel that, even if homemade, is recorded and mixed in a way that does not sound amateur. You have some type of training or experience in the acting world, even if it’s school/community theatre productions or online projects. In other words, even if you’re still somewhat developmental, you’re not brand new to voice acting. If recording from home, you know the basics of editing a file to get it ready to send, and your audio does not have glaring technical flaws.
______________________________
Common Rebuttals
But why wait? Shouldn’t I just shoot for what I want and aim as high as possible?
Aiming high is great, but you also have to be smart about it. The reason for this is because you only get one chance to make a first impression, and if the first impression is “this actor isn’t ready yet and sent sub-par materials”, it can be hard to get a second chance to get in front of them in the future. Is it ever doable? Yes, so don’t beat yourself up too badly if you submitted your materials somewhere before you were ready—-chances are, they deal with so many actors they’ve forgotten about you already! But you still want to make sure you are putting your best foot forward when you have the opportunity to open a door for yourself.
But my friend was self-taught and has an agent, and my other friend manages to get work all the time with no demo reel! Oh, and my OTHER friend made a demo reel for $5 in his bandmate’s garage and a casting director said it was fine!
There are always exceptions and these happen for various reasons. Once in a while you will have very talented actors who are able to pick up a lot by being self-taught only, or someone who maybe gets in without a demo reel because they have a well-loved teacher or peer who is willing to vouch for them. And there are great actors with crappy demos who get work because people already know they're great actors. But how much are you willing to bet on being the exception and not the rule? Wouldn’t you want to prepare as best as possible for success?
I can’t take classes or get a reel made or get home studio equipment because those things cost money.
Unfortunately, this is a business where you need to invest money in order to make money. Saving can be difficult especially if you are already living paycheck-to-paycheck, but there are generally some ways to get creative. Here are just a few ideas:
What if I have no reel or experience yet because I AM brand new to voice acting?
Study. Research. Train—-even if it’s just a school theatre or improv class. Listen to good performances. Practice recording yourself constantly. Read this thread and probably this thread. Get involved in our Discord server and learn the ropes from your more experienced peers. Put your voice out there by auditioning for whatever you can get your hands on, even if it’s unpaid hobby/student projects to start. Good luck!
- “When am I ready to submit to [studio, agency, talent pool, etc]?”
- “What type of materials should I submit?”
- “Do I need a demo reel, and if so, does it need to be professionally made?”
We hope this guide will help answer some of your questions regarding submissions.
______________________________
In general, when am I considered “ready” to submit my materials professionally?
For the purpose of this guide, we will define “professionally” as submitting your materials to some type of established entity that handles voice casting for paid, official projects. Examples of this include a talent agency, a recording studio/production company that deals with voice casting, or a casting director’s closed talent pool. It does not necessarily apply to online casting calls for paid projects which are open to everyone or otherwise posted publicly, in which case the producers are voluntarily opening themselves to a wide variety of submissions from actors of different skill and experience levels.
While this is not a definitive list, the following questions can help gauge whether or not you are ready to start “cold submitting” to casting entities.
1. Are you a trained actor?
It is very rare that someone who has never even taken an acting class is magically going to be a great actor. It’s true you can learn a lot from self-taught methods and repeated practice, but if you have little to no proper training, think very critically about whether or not your current skill level is competitive enough to submit to companies or casting directors who do work with trained actors all the time.
2. Do you have experience with original projects, preferably paid ones?
There’s generally nothing wrong with doing fan projects, and they can be a fun hobby and a great way to practice. However, fan projects generally won’t hold up as “work experience” and shouldn’t be included on a professional resume that is sent to established casting entities. But if you’ve got a decent amount of work experience in original projects—-such as audio dramas, indie games, student films, or even school/community plays, these are a good foundation for a starting actor’s “real world” resume. While paid experience is obviously a bonus, whoever is reading your resume isn’t likely going to have any idea if those original roles were paid or unpaid.
3. Do you have a proper demo reel?
As stated in previous articles, a demo reel is the most essential marketing tool a voice actor needs if they wish to work professionally. It will also be a requirement for most agency and studio submissions, unless they already know your work for whatever reason. (After all, would you submit to a modeling agency without professional photos, or apply for an art position without a portfolio?) Your demo reel does not need to be compiled from actual jobs you’ve done—in fact, a good amount of actor reels consist of material that was created specifically for the purpose of the demo—but it should sound good enough that it theoretically could be from actual projects. The reel should be recorded in a professional-sounding environment and not contain obvious impressions of existing characters.
>>Does the demo need to be professionally produced? That depends on where you are submitting. For most online and indie work, you can get away with a self-made or commissioned demo as long as the recording and mixing quality is decent, it doesn’t sound amateur, and it still adheres to industry standards (for example: approximately 1 minute long, no long pauses in between spots, no rambling slates unless you’re in a market where that is the expected norm.) Agents, studios and production companies in major markets often have high standards regarding demos… but we’ll get to that a bit later.
4. Are you competitive with the existing talent on their roster?
To be clear, you won’t always know who else is on any given roster or especially in a talent pool where this information is usually private. But if you’re submitting to an agency, take a listen to the demos on their website of the talent they represent and evaluate honestly whether or not you believe your skills are on a similar level. If their roster consists of mostly all A-listers with many years of experience and killer demos, they might not be willing or able to take on developmental talent at this time. The same goes for production companies and specialty sites—-for example, if you’re submitting to a company who produces explainer videos, listen to the VO in some of the videos they’ve produced and see if you feel you’d also be a great option on par with the talent they’ve already been hiring. If the work would require you to record remotely, how is your technical quality? If all their current talent have home studios and you’re recording from a podcasting mic in a basement, they might not be willing to take you on until you have a better setup. You can also ask your peers and/or mentors for honest evaluations on these things.
______________________________
Checklist of Submission Materials
1. Cover letter, if applicable. If you are writing an e-mail to pitch yourself to someone you want to work with or be represented by, you should compose a brief “letter of interest” just as you would when applying for a job. Keep it professional, positive, and concise. Include a sentence or two on why you feel you would be a great addition to their roster. (See our e-mail etiquette guide for more tips.) Note: Some casting directors and companies use a Google form or web form for submissions these days in which case you do not have the option to include a cover letter.
2. Link to demo reel.
Have an easy link to your demo that people can click on without being required to download anything. Don’t send an attachment unless you are instructed to do so—-many companies do not open unsolicited attachments and it’s also a good way to end up in the spam folder by default.
**If you’re meeting in person, it’s a good idea to send your demo reel ahead of time so that they can have it on hand. Otherwise, have it easily available to pull up from your website. CDs are a bit outdated so there is no need to bring a hard-copy CD of your demo to meetings anymore, but you can consider bringing it on a USB flash drive if you really feel like being fancy.
3. Professional resume.
This should be a link or PDF for online submissions. For an in-person meeting such as an agency meeting, you should also bring along a paper copy. Your resume should list your contact info (name/email/website) and a list of your acting credits, as well as your training, special skills, and any other credentials you feel are relevant.
4. (Recommended) A website.
A website isn't 100% necessary to submit and market yourself as an actor, but it certainly does help. In addition to showing that you are serious about your craft, it provides a central place for potential clients and casting directors to listen to your demos, view your resume, and find your contact info. Read here for more on websites.
______________________________
”…But I’ve heard you should only make a demo if you’re ready. What if I’m not ready for a demo?”
There are plenty of opportunities for beginners to voice act which do not require a demo. For example, a good majority of publicly posted casting calls will provide audition lines for each person to read and send in. Because you are sending a tailored audition for specific characters and the casting is open to the public, these often don’t require a demo. It’s when you start getting into closed talent pools or cold submitting for jobs that you will need to send one.
About referrals
Referrals can be a great way to get your foot in the door with a casting person and generally carry much more weight than cold submissions. However, please keep referral etiquette in mind. Referrals should be offered, not asked for—-it can put someone on the spot and make them uncomfortable if you outright ask them for a referral and they don’t feel you’re ready or don’t want to put their own reputation on the line for you. Remember, NEVER use someone’s name as a referral without their permission. It doesn’t matter if you have a friend repped by that agency you’re trying to get into—-unless they say it’s okay to namedrop them, don’t. (It’s also considered bad etiquette to message a stranger or an actor you barely know to ask them for a referral.)
No phone calls or walk-ins unless instructed to do so.
You might think it’ll help you get noticed more than an e-mail. Well, it’ll certainly get you noticed…but not in the way you want. Showing up in person without an appointment of some kind is generally a big no-no (chances are the casting person is very busy and can’t drop everything anyway with no notice to meet with a desperate actor), and phone calls should only be used if the company does not have another practical or viable way to be contacted easily via e-mail or their website. Some companies may even blacklist people who call repeatedly or show up to their workplace unannounced to promote their services!
About location...
Be aware of any geographical restrictions listed on the company's website or commonly known in the industry. For example, if a studio says "we only accept actors living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area" and you live in Illinois, or a game studio in the UK only ever records in-house and you're in the US, chances are they're not going to magically change their mind for one actor, especially when hundreds of others have made the sacrifice to live where the work is. It's true that modern technology allows for significantly more flexibility in location, but there are a number of reasons---including cost, scheduling, simplicity and audio consistency---that certain companies may choose to work only on location. (You'll sometimes see exceptions like a Texas actor flying out to LA to record for a production, but these are usually specific circumstances where an already-known actor is requested by a casting director, etc.) Don't lie about where you live just to get an audition---if they e-mail you at 8 pm one day needing you to come in at 10 am the next morning or ask you to come in for a one-line pickup, such last-minute travel arrangements would be extremely difficult and expensive.
______________________________
“When am I ready for X or Y?"
These “tiers” are not an official standard by any means, but it’s an easy way of illustrating when it might be appropriate to take certain steps in your career. For example, an actor’s materials may be sufficient to submit for an online casting pool, but not for a Los Angeles agency yet. These are just some loose guidelines as to when you might be able to feel you are ready.
Tier 1
- Major corporation
- Prestigious agency in major market
- Well known studio/production company
When to submit: You are an established, experienced actor who regularly works in official paid media. You have professional demo reels that are competitive within the market and preferably have a resume that consists of at least a couple major clients. If recording from home, you have a proper home studio and are able to submit auditions and work with high quality and quick turnaround (though many times these types of castings record in person and you must live in the area in order to be considered.)
Tier 2
- Regional agency, or smaller agency in major market
- Smaller but established game/animation studios
- Online talent rosters/talent pools that send out professional auditions
When to submit: You have professional acting training and have a fair amount of experience in paid or at least original media. You have marketing materials (website, demo) that are either professionally produced, or self-produced to a professional standard. If recording from home, you can submit with broadcast quality or close to broadcast quality and are able to submit auditions and work in a consistent and timely manner.
Tier 3
- Small scale local/regional agency that accepts developmental talent
- Indie game producers/developers
- Online content creators (YouTube, etc)
- Startup studios
- Online talent pools run by indie casting directors
When to submit: You have a decent demo reel that, even if homemade, is recorded and mixed in a way that does not sound amateur. You have some type of training or experience in the acting world, even if it’s school/community theatre productions or online projects. In other words, even if you’re still somewhat developmental, you’re not brand new to voice acting. If recording from home, you know the basics of editing a file to get it ready to send, and your audio does not have glaring technical flaws.
______________________________
Common Rebuttals
But why wait? Shouldn’t I just shoot for what I want and aim as high as possible?
Aiming high is great, but you also have to be smart about it. The reason for this is because you only get one chance to make a first impression, and if the first impression is “this actor isn’t ready yet and sent sub-par materials”, it can be hard to get a second chance to get in front of them in the future. Is it ever doable? Yes, so don’t beat yourself up too badly if you submitted your materials somewhere before you were ready—-chances are, they deal with so many actors they’ve forgotten about you already! But you still want to make sure you are putting your best foot forward when you have the opportunity to open a door for yourself.
But my friend was self-taught and has an agent, and my other friend manages to get work all the time with no demo reel! Oh, and my OTHER friend made a demo reel for $5 in his bandmate’s garage and a casting director said it was fine!
There are always exceptions and these happen for various reasons. Once in a while you will have very talented actors who are able to pick up a lot by being self-taught only, or someone who maybe gets in without a demo reel because they have a well-loved teacher or peer who is willing to vouch for them. And there are great actors with crappy demos who get work because people already know they're great actors. But how much are you willing to bet on being the exception and not the rule? Wouldn’t you want to prepare as best as possible for success?
I can’t take classes or get a reel made or get home studio equipment because those things cost money.
Unfortunately, this is a business where you need to invest money in order to make money. Saving can be difficult especially if you are already living paycheck-to-paycheck, but there are generally some ways to get creative. Here are just a few ideas:
- Look for a community theatre class or improv group in your town that has a low enrollment fee.
- Even if you have no money at ALL for classes, watch free webinars and YouTube videos and read articles about the voice acting business. You can also check out podcasts, such as Crispin Freeman's "Voice Acting Mastery". In our current age of technology there is SO MUCH info out there that is readily accessible!
- If you just need to practice voice recording and can’t yet afford a computer and/or a microphone, you can use the simple voice recorder app on your cell phone. See Dom’s guide here. **Note that a phone is NOT ideal for auditions or recording lines for projects, but for simply practicing and listening back to your recordings, it’ll do the job.
- If you are submitting for small-scale online stuff that, for example, requires a demo reel in order to even audition, you can commission someone online to put together a reel for you at a reasonable price. No money at all? Watch some mixing tutorials and get a good idea of how to put a demo together yourself (also, check out this guide here.) Again, this is not ideal for professional submissions but it will make do in the meantime for smaller stuff.
- If your echoey space is holding you back but you can’t afford any type of sound treatment, you can DIY with things like heavy blankets and pillows. Search online for ideas!
- One of our moderators, Dom Dinh, has put together an excellent resource called “How to start voice acting for (basically) free”. Check it out here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_b-f3gf9Y
What if I have no reel or experience yet because I AM brand new to voice acting?
Study. Research. Train—-even if it’s just a school theatre or improv class. Listen to good performances. Practice recording yourself constantly. Read this thread and probably this thread. Get involved in our Discord server and learn the ropes from your more experienced peers. Put your voice out there by auditioning for whatever you can get your hands on, even if it’s unpaid hobby/student projects to start. Good luck!
____________________________
The resources on this forum are provided free of charge. However, if you found them helpful, please consider buying me a coffee!