Voice Acting

Advice from a Casting Director on Creating a Winning Demo

Keaton Robbins | June 17, 2022

A reel of tape and a cassette sit on a wooden floor

By Brittany Lauda

First impressions are important in any profession – and voice over is no different.

In this article

  1. Ask Yourself: Are You ‘Reel-y’ Ready?
  2. Know that You Only Have Seconds to Sell Yourself
  3. Create Your First Spot and Hook the Listener
  4. Bring Yourself to the Table, Leave the Stereotypes Behind
  5. Make Characters, Not Caricatures
  6. About Brittany Lauda

As both a Coach and a Casting Director for games and animation, it can be painful to see actors putting any less than their best foot forward.

For voice actors, your demo reel is truly the vehicle through which your ‘first impression’ gets made. As you can appreciate, Casting Directors are busy people, often with only 24 hours (or less!) to get talent submissions, review them, and send them over to their client. The hard truth is, sometimes they can’t listen to your full demo reels – and that’s why the first 10-15 seconds are crucial.

There are a few key things that are sought after during my castings, specifically when it comes to character reels. And while these tips may not cover everything, following them will help you create a more competitive reel – and most importantly – a stronger first impression.

Ask Yourself: Are You ‘Reel-y’ Ready?

The first thing to consider is if you are ready to create your reel.

Demos aren’t typically made overnight. It’s a back-and-forth creation that begins before you even get to the booth with a script. Make sure you do your homework and are practicing, studying and researching.

The most important thing is being able to reflect on your work and assess your own flaws critically. If you believe you are ready, the next step is producing the reel.

It is highly recommended to work with a professional who knows their stuff. Research their own bookings, and the bookings of people they have created reels for… and be sure to take notes. Ask:

  • Are they working in the field you want to work in?
  • What market do they work in?
  • Are they booking work?
  • How does their demo sound?

Know that You Only Have Seconds to Sell Yourself

You have 10-15 seconds to impress a Casting Director.

If you decide to slate, make sure it’s a quick and neutral slate. Personally, I prefer no slate, or a slate in your own voice. Time is of the essence here and the Casting Director is looking to hear enough of you to know if they’re calling you in or not.

Read our piece here to find out if you should slate or not.

Create Your First Spot and Hook the Listener

Now, you go on to do your first spot. How do you decide what it is? You want to achieve a few things in that first spot.

Most importantly, you want it to hook the listener, and show them you have something to offer them as a talent.

You want the spot to be in your natural voice as well, so the listener can identify where your voice rests. You also want to convince them that they should listen to the rest of your reel.

Bring Yourself to the Table, Leave the Stereotypes Behind

What you don’t want to do is start off with something very “out there,” like a creature, a heavily accented character, a child or something far out in your range.

Make sure you are avoiding stereotypes and clichés that Casting Directors hear far too often- draw on your acting chops instead.

Don’t start the demo with the angry commanding military officer that has been heard 8,000 times today. Show the listener something realistic and natural that resonates closer to you as a person, while also keeping it interesting. Bring yourself to the table.

Listen to how Jenna Pinchbeck brings a realistic and natural read to this demo.

It is also important to not alienate the listener right away. Don’t start with something too annoying or too angry. Accents also don’t make a character. Popping on a British accent isn’t all there is to playing a posh character. Use all the tools you have at your disposal. Remember that crying and yelling isn’t all there is to acting, there is a lot in between.

Similarly, I wouldn’t recommend a monotone character as your starting spot either, since that gives me as a listener very little to go off when it comes to your acting abilities. Don’t put anything on your demo that you can’t sustain in a session either. If you can’t perform in a video game session for two to three hours doing that voice, or specific accent, it’s not good to advertise it in your reel.

Make Characters, Not Caricatures

The last, and most important advice I can give for making your demo reel stand out is that you want to make characters, not caricatures.

Your spots should seemingly ‘live,’ both before and after their small time in your demo. They should seem like they are plucked from a scene and placed into the reel.

Think about them as characters, not just lines on a page or stereotypes. What were they doing before? Where will they go? What is their goal? And most importantly, who are they? Knowing your character makes all the difference in an audition and in a project, and it’s no different in a demo reel. Don’t phone it in. When I hear a reel that feels like real characters that were plucked from a real product, that’s someone I want to work with because I know they can do their job in the booth by bringing to life the complex characters I hand them.

Listen to how well Heather Nicols pulls you into her princess character, without overdoing it. This doesn’t mean you can’t have emotional spots or cartoony spots in your reel. I encourage you to show me all the ways you can stretch yourself as a talent. But if you have only 10-15 seconds of my time, you want to make those count. And what I want to see is you.

About Brittany Lauda

Brittany Lauda co-owns Kocha Sound, where she casts and directs a variety of anime, video game and animated projects.  She can also be heard in a variety of games and anime. Additionally, she is a voice over coach who specializes in character work and demo reel production. Learn more about Brittany Lauda and/or about her business, Kocha Sound.

Follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @BreeLoud.

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Comments

  • Avatar for Mary Swanson
    Mary Swanson
    May 4, 2017, 7:57 pm

    Thank you so much. I will try and follow your instructions on the second demo I make. The first was made with the help of SuchaVoice in a studio. Thanks again.

    Reply
  • Avatar for Jane McIntyre
    Jane McIntyre
    June 27, 2018, 6:37 am

    Great advice here about the hook at the start…I’ll definitely review the way my demos sound and think about this hard, when I get the next one made. Thanks!

    Reply
  • Avatar for Damon Short
    Damon Short
    June 12, 2019, 11:53 am

    Great advice. I’m just now starting to do what I love. This helps tremendously

    Reply
  • Avatar for Sam Crawford
    Sam Crawford
    June 26, 2019, 11:32 am

    Hello,
    Can I submit my voice by using my phone as a demo for casting directors?
    If not, where do I go to submit my voice?
    I live in the 94901 area code. (San Rafael, California)

    Reply
  • Avatar for Curtis Miles
    Curtis Miles
    August 4, 2019, 12:05 am

    Thank you Tonya!
    It was helpful for me to read your advice regarding voiceover acting.
    I was encouraged to continue to pursue an opportunity to audition or shall we say be “heard” in this business.
    Just know that you have encouraged me I am a senior,But excited about starting a second journey.
    I just wanted you to know you gave me some hope. By the way I have completed the demo tape done by a professional who is a friend of mine who is excellent at what he does. I’m looking forward to presenting the Recording.
    Do you have advice for me on how to go about doing that ?
    Thanks so much,
    Curtis Miles

    Reply
    • Avatar for Tanya
      Tanya
      August 13, 2019, 8:14 am

      Hi Curtis,
      That’s excellent to hear! Demand for senior voices is certainly growing, as more and more people realize just how influential the senior population is.
      In terms of your demo, are you looking to present it on your voices.com account? On our help section, we have a whole area dedicated to getting your demos uploaded. You can find it here: https://www.voices.com/help/knowledge/faq/demos
      If you run into any issues, please don’t hesitate to connect with our support team, at [email protected]. You can also call us toll free at 1-888-359-3472.
      All the best & good luck on this next adventure!
      – Tanya

      Reply
  • Avatar for Emily Prado
    Emily Prado
    August 16, 2019, 5:27 pm

    This was really helpful thank you

    Reply
  • Avatar for Udayon kumar Bhattacharya
    Udayon kumar Bhattacharya
    September 16, 2019, 6:47 am

    Great advice.I will try and follow your instructions on the second demo I make. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  • Avatar for Kouadio Bogui Paul Thierry
    Kouadio Bogui Paul Thierry
    September 24, 2019, 6:53 pm

    Thank you so much.

    Reply
  • Avatar for Aleesha Bake
    Aleesha Bake
    October 17, 2019, 6:41 pm

    Wonderful article! I’m hoping to discover where I’m supposed to get the CONTENT I use for my demo reel. Do I just make up my own commercials? Can I use clips from commercials I’ve done or auditions I’ve submitted for other companies, or is that a copyright infringement? I’ve done a few audiobooks and have permission to use those; but I’m not sure how the other stuff works. Should I just write my own, for fake companies?

    Reply
    • Avatar for oliver
      oliver
      October 23, 2019, 1:37 pm

      Hi Aleesha,

      Thanks for your comment! You should always ask the company’s permission before using a clip from a commercial you completed for them in your demo reel. Using clips of auditions you’ve submitted for other companies, however, is generally considered copyright infringement.

      You’re also more than welcome to browse through our archive of sample scripts to use in your demo: https://www.voices.com/blog/voice-over-sample-scripts/

      Cheers,
      Oliver

      Reply
  • Avatar for Abayomi olorunloto
    Abayomi olorunloto
    January 18, 2020, 3:39 pm

    Very educating and well explained!

    Reply
  • Avatar for Parker Smith
    Parker Smith
    February 16, 2020, 12:38 am

    This article was super helpful, however, I’m still wondering if I should go to a studio to get my reel done? Can I do It from home? I’ve just started and need all the help I can get, thank you!

    Reply
    • Avatar for oliver
      oliver
      February 18, 2020, 9:59 am

      Hey Parker,

      That’s a really good question! The truth is, it’s now easier than ever to record a professional-sounding voice over demo from home.

      I’d encourage you take a look through our Beginner’s Guide to Voice Acting, where you’ll find all sorts of helpful tips about getting started in this exciting, rewarding industry.

      In terms of recording your demo reel, you’ll probably be the most interested in the chapters on Planning Your Demos, Recording Your Voice, and Auditioning From Home.

      Happy recording!
      Oliver

      Reply
  • Avatar for Jagannadha Rao P V
    Jagannadha Rao P V
    April 29, 2020, 7:32 am

    Please send me demo voice to my mail to practice and upload

    Reply
  • Avatar for Christy
    Christy
    May 5, 2020, 8:57 am

    What should I say in the demo?

    Reply
    • Avatar for oliver
      oliver
      May 13, 2020, 11:56 am

      Hey Christy,

      Good question! If you check out our Beginner’s Guide to Voice Acting, there is a whole chapter devoted to producing voice over demos. What you say in your demo will be dependent on a number of factors, including the industry that you’d like to pursue voice over work in.

      If you’d like material to practice with or use to record your own voice over demo, you can also check out our library of voice over sample scripts, which are entirely royalty-free and available for you to use.

      I hope that helps,
      Oliver

      Reply
  • Avatar for Ogechi Ajah
    Ogechi Ajah
    May 13, 2020, 12:27 pm

    Thanks for that advice Ma’am, I will try my best

    Reply
  • Avatar for Fabiola Barreto
    Fabiola Barreto
    May 19, 2020, 9:16 pm

    Muy precisa la explicación. gracias !

    Reply
  • Avatar for Renuga Devi
    Renuga Devi
    June 8, 2020, 10:26 am

    Thanks for the Best advice..

    Reply
  • Avatar for Richard Roy
    Richard Roy
    July 17, 2020, 3:42 am

    Thanks for this piece Tanya!

    I was wondering your thoughts on a demo reel if you aren’t planning on doing characters but more in the commercial and advertising sector.

    Thanks!
    Rick

    Reply
    • Avatar for Oliver Skinner
      Oliver Skinner
      July 17, 2020, 9:41 am

      Hi Richard,

      If you’re most interested in doing voice over work in the commercial and advertising sectors, that’s the kind of work you should be showcasing in your demo reel. Record yourself performing the same sort of commercial ads that you believe your voice is best suited for. We have a number of royalty-free sample scripts on our blog that you’re more than welcome to use for your demo.

      I’d also recommend checking out this guide to planning your demos, this instructional video about uploading demos to our site, and last but not least, listening to the demos of other voice actors who use our site for the type of voice acting you’re pursuing – whether that’s radio, internet videos, or another category of voice acting.

      Reply
  • Avatar for Rick Millikan
    Rick Millikan
    October 6, 2020, 10:12 am

    Tanya,

    What are the recommended number of demos one should post? I am looking to get more into eLearning, Instructional, documentaries and maybe one or two characters. Should I not have various demos posted to my account?

    Thanks,

    Rick

    Reply
    • Avatar for Oliver Skinner
      Oliver Skinner
      October 7, 2020, 1:19 pm

      Hi Rick,

      We suggest posting various demos that individually showcase each category of voice over work that you specialize in. If you produce a number of shorter demos in a variety of styles, you stand a better chance of those demos being listened to.

      Reply
  • Avatar for TIRUNAGARI TULASI LAKSHMI
    TIRUNAGARI TULASI LAKSHMI
    June 1, 2021, 7:21 am

    Sir/madam How can i place my demo voice message in here. And what can i choose a topic can i get chances in telugu?

    Reply
    • Avatar for andrew
      andrew
      June 1, 2021, 2:58 pm

      To get started a build your demo portfolio, the best place to begin is https://www.voices.com/signup.

      You can post your demo and be invited to auditions by clients with a Guest membership, or audition for jobs via VoiceMatch with a Premium account. Learn about our different membership levels here: https://www.voices.com/talent/memberships

      Reply
  • Avatar for Mila
    Mila
    May 14, 2023, 4:23 am

    Thank you for the information. Question: Do I create my own voiceover demo reel or go to a professional company to make it for me?

    Lost

    Reply