I Cant Believe They Rejected MY Voice Over Audition! How to Handle and benefit from the Voice Over J
As Voice Actors, Voice Over Pro's or whatever it is in particular you prefer to call yourself...like Voice Artist, you learn pretty quickly that spending time behind the microphone for paying gigs is really only part of your day. A large part of your time, and sometimes it feels like the largest, is spent auditioning. Wether it's on a Pay-to-Play website like Voice123.com or for an agent or roster, it can sometimes feel like it is an absolute waste of time and be frustrating as all get out. Well guess what? It is not a waste of time, it IS your JOB!
Let me explain. There will be a tipping point in your career where you become established enough that time behind the mic for money becomes the majority of your day, but it is rare that it will be all you ever do...RARE! Auditioning is just part of the “Voice Over Lifestyle”. The sooner you understand and accept that, the better off you are going to be. As a 24 year veteran of the entertainment industry I am no stranger to the audition process, and by extension rejection. So what I am going to share with you in this series are some of the things that I have learned over nearly two and a half decades that help me push through the auditioning process, not get discouraged and keep going!
First I am going to tell you about The Purple Dinosaur!
I started out as an actor. Actually I was a child actor primarily on stage with a few commercials here and there. And I had to learn how to handle the auditioning and casting process at a very young age. Try telling any 9 year old that not only are they not going to get to do the thing they want to do more than anything in the world, but that other 9 year old over there is going to get to do it! Get ready for some explosions! I couldn't understand what I had done wrong, or why the director didn't like my sweet pudgy cheeks and messy straight banged boy cut. It wasnt until I was told about the purple dinosaur that things started to make sense. The story goe like this:
You go in to audition for the role of a 12 foot tall purple dinosaur. In the Audition you walk just like it. You talk just like it. You roar the most purpley dinosaurific roar anyone has ever heard. You can even Tap Dance JUST LIKE A PURPLE DINOSAUR! Your audition is flawless, when you are done the casting director leaps to her feet in applause and shouts Bravo! You know you nailed it! You gave the best audition of your life! You bow, thank her for her time, and take your exit. Then on your way out you walk past the next auditioner...a 12 foot tall purple dinosaur! Guess who got the part? (Hint: not you)
No matter how good your audition was, sometimes there are other people who are just more right for the part. Notice I didn't say better than you, just more right than you. You can't let that discourage you, because you did nothing wrong. Take pride in the fact that you did an amazing job in your audition and comfort in the fact that you can do it! Let that positive energy take you into the next audition...and knock that one out of the park too!
Got a great audition story? Funny, weird or shocking? Tell me about it in the comments section. And “stay tuned” for the next section on auditioning... The Rejection Boomerang!
Thanks for Reading and if I can ever be of service to you or anyone you know, it would be my pleasure to be of service!
And now enjoy my favorite purple dinosaur!
