Episode Details

I want to tell you about a little experiment I ran.

I was helping a director find and cast actors for some ADR for a film. I reached out to my network and posted in a very popular voiceover group. It was not a complicated audition. Narration piece, sides were provided, instructions were very clear. Basic.

I got 208 submissions.

And when I sat down to go through them, I am not exaggerating, over half had at least one avoidable error. Not the wrong voice for the role. Not didn't nail the read. Errors that had nothing to do with talent. Errors that happened before the person even opened their mouth.

Today I'm going to tell you exactly what those errors were, why they matter more than you think, and what you can do right now to make sure you're not in the half that gets filtered out before anyone hits play.

I actually tracked this because data, to me, is everything.

25% of submissions didn't follow directions. Mislabeled files, wrong file formats, ignored tone and approach guidance. Just wrong.

16% asked for information that was already in the email. I sent detailed sides, character notes, tech specs, and one in six people replied to ask me things that were answered in the first two paragraphs of the casting notice.

6% didn't read the provided script. I sent the sides and these people recorded something entirely different. Their own interpretation of what the spot might be, or a section of audio that felt close enough. Not what I asked for.

3% sent demos instead of the requested lines. I said please record these specific lines and they sent me a 90-second reel of things I didn't ask for.

Add all of that up and you get 50%. Half of submissions had at least one error that was completely preventable.

Here's what I want you to understand about sitting on the other side of that inbox.

Most casting directors get hundreds if not thousands of submissions. And when you're casting you're not primarily in the business of finding talent. You're in the business of finding someone you can work with. Talent is table stakes. If you're in the pool you can probably do the job. What differentiates people at that stage is reliability and trustworthiness. Can this person follow instructions? Are they going to make this job harder or easier? Are they going to be a professional when we get into session?

A mislabeled file tells me this person doesn't sweat the details. Asking a question that's answered in the brief tells me this person didn't read carefully or doesn't think my time is worth protecting. Sending a demo when I asked for specific lines tells me this person thinks their preferences override mine. And on a session, that is a problem.

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