Hey everyone, thanks so much for your interest in auditioning for the show. Please read the points below carefully, otherwise you may be eliminated from consideration.
Thank you for participating in this podcast! To make the post-production process as streamlined as possible, we ask that you adhere to the following guidelines for submitted recordings.
1.) Unpaid Roles: at this time, the roles on this podcast are unpaid.
While we greatly hope to be able to change this in the near future, we cannot guarantee any compensation other than the ability to build your portfolio for other roles.
2.) Equipment: Please do not record using your computer’s microphone or your cellphone. And let us know what you use in your submission.
Your audition should be a “best foot forward” give us your best takes with the best quality you can produce. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a mic, but if the quality of the recording is too far off, we won’t be able to make dialogue match up believably. Look into echo/noise dampening tricks. Mike Delgaudio’s YouTube channel “Booth Junkie” (linked below) is filled with great information.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHHf1h8k7MA6-AG8FXjnQSw
3.) Audition Piece: pick what you know and love.
A five (5) minute snippet is more than enough. Straight narration is great, but dialogue is preferred. Just be natural, say the words like you are telling a story so we can hear what you are capable of. If we like what we hear, but need more, we will contact you and ask.
Auditions can be MP3 (easier to send) , but actually recordings, should you get the role, will be .WAV.
4.) Preference: All Audio submitted for assigned roles as RAW (unprocessed) .Wav files recorded at 16bit / 44.1khz.
In general, this means the files should be edited but free from any processing such as noise reduction, EQ, reverb, compression, etc. Files may be rejected if too much processing is present in recordings.
We can accept files recorded at 24bit/48khz or higher but they will be converted to lower quality.
MP3 files are not preferred but if you provide them, they must be encoded at 192kbs or higher. They must also be encoded at “Constant Bit Rate” (not Variable Bit Rate)
5.) Preference: Multiple Takes - No more than 2 or 3 “Takes” of each line.
Usually the first take is the best but sometimes a 2nd take is better. Any more and it adds to file size and begins to slow production. If you’re not sure, send what you have. We can always ask for more takes later if we really need them. Usually, we don’t… 2 seconds Space between each take or line also helps.
6.) Preference: Submit via Email or Dropbox.
There are hundreds of services to transfer files. Some require logins, passwords, personal information or animal sacrifices. Email or Dropbox is preferred, it requires no sign-up and you can delete the files once they have been confirmed as “received.”
7.) Preference: Contact – email is best. Creepypodvo@gmail.com
Facebook messenger is a good alternative but it’s not always possible to communicate in real time. Please try to honor deadlines and due dates. With multiple productions in play at any given moment, we may not have time to remind you of approaching target dates. “Sooner” is always better than “later.”
8.) WE WILL CONTACT YOU. If we like what we hear, we will respond as soon as possible. One week (7 days) or less.
If you don’t hear from us by then, we have decided not to more forward with your audition. Please don’t take it personally. As much as we would love to get back to everyone and give them a push in the right direction, it’s a lot of work to put the show on and we are only two people. I also recommend checking out podcasts like Tales to Terrify and Pseudopod if you would like to get more experience with voice acting (that’s how I started).
9.) Questions? Ask! This guide is merely a starting point to make it easy to move forward.
What we’re listening for in your auditions:
Before you begin recording try these tips: Practice! Prepare! Pre-read your piece! Drink water! Before recording, soft drinks, alcohol and coffee are not your friends. Green apples can help reduce mouth noise. Just a slice is all you need. Imagine your character: He they look, live, laugh, smell – then ask how they might say things. Prepare your mic. Make sure it’s positioned properly. Keep a proper distance. Do you have a pop screen? Use it! If not, place a pencil in front of the mic and use a rubber band to hold it in place in front of the capsule. This will reduce plosives. Do not continually clear your throat, cough or otherwise make your throat raw. Relax. Take your time then hit record.
1.) Structure: Please say your name, where you live and what you are reading. You may also mention your recording gear. No other information is required. ie: “Hi this is Bobba Duke, from Lake Michigan and I’m reading Silence Of The Lambs.”
2.) Audio Quality – This audition isn’t just about your voice. It’s the sounds we can hear beside your voice. Things we don’t want to hear are: Excess room noise. Reverb and reflections: Does it sound like there’s an echo? Pops and clicks. Plosives and poor mic technique as well as too much mouth noise, barking dogs, sirens or other intrusive noises.
3.) Editing and processing. – You don’t have to be an audio production expert, but some experience is preferred. If your recording includes obvious mistakes, try to edit them out before you submit the audition. Please do not “process” your sound. Do not normalize or use plug-ins like noise reduction, EQ, reverb, or compression. We need to hear you and your recording environment.
4.) Keep it brief! Send us a short example of your best work. No less than 2 minutes and no more than 5 minutes long.
5.) Practice! Talk to a friend: Voice acting is telling a story as if the story is happening to you. Don’t read the story to us – tell it to us. Practice with a friend. Make yourself sound conversational. You’ll be reading from a page but you should sound like you’re speaking from your heart.
6.) Enjoy the experience. This should seem fun for you. If it isn’t, voice acting may not be for you. Voice actors spend a lot of time preparing, recording, auditioning - and getting rejected.
7.) We cannot critique each submission with you. – We receive many auditions. We cannot critique every submission we get. If you are rejected, the reason is mostly likely due to one of the common issues stated above. Work on it. Seek out help in the forums. Out of fairness to others, we ask that you wait 30 days before submitting a second audition.
8.) Communication: We may not respond for several days. This is normal. Please be patient. There are a lot of emails coming in!
9.) Our Expectations: Our goal is to put out high quality content each week. We want to work with people who are disciplined and committed to these same goals. If you agree to take a role, please respect deadlines.
10.) Spoilers: By agreeing to submit an audition, you ae also agreeing to abide by our terms and conditions including non-disclosure of current and future projects that you may gain knowledge of during production planning. We ask that you do not post spoilers or promote shows in social media prior to release without permission.