Voiceover

You know the kind of castings I'm talking about. Where the casting director or talent agent spams the script out to all the "usual suspects" with instructions to send submissions by end of day  – often without a word of human direction during the entire process.  All that remains is to speed-listen to the submissions, post the link and... boom.  Casting's done. Rinse and repeat.

 

To me, this by-the-numbers approach to casting is not only uninspired,  

it's unprofessional.  And can be greatly disappointing to the ad agency creatives who were counting on you for something more.

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I should know.  I used to be one of those ad agency creatives. 

 

Yep, for twenty-five years I not only wrote national TV and radio campaigns for top New York ad agencies, I also oversaw which actor got the part.  And if there's one thing I learned during that time, it's that truly great casting cannot be done by rote.

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That's why, if you're an agency producer, I won't start casting the minute I get your storyboard.  I'll ask to speak with your creative team, discuss the copy, the tone and feel, even send samples of cultural references if needed. All to make sure I understand every nuance of the concept, and direct the actors accordingly.

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It's also why, if you run a casting office or a sound studio, I can provide a higher level of direction at your sessions.  With experience in all major commercial genres, I can ensure the actors' performances are on-concept and on-brand, and guide them through their auditions in a language they understand, actor to actor.  I'm also handy with ProTools, so I can edit and clean up breath noises on the fly. All while providing an upbeat, friendly presence to make your office a place of cheer, not fear.

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This isn't the way casting is always done.  It's simply how it should be done.  If you agree, let's talk, and see what a little extra effort can do for your next voiceover or 

on-camera casting.