VCC Ep 44 Casting Wants You to Win 20260428
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[00:00:00] Focus on your connection to the script, focus on your job, focus on what you can do. Let go of perfection. Let go of any expectations to get any feedback, because it just doesn't happen, and trust your instincts. You're listening to the Voice Over Casting Corner podcast. VCC is brought to you by The Voicecaster, the country's first and oldest voiceover casting house, established in 1975.
The Voicecaster casts thousands of voices every year across all genres, and we're excited to give you an inside look at the casting process direct from our casting team. Hey, everyone, and welcome to Voice Over Casting Corner. My name is Kelly Mashinsky, and I'm the owner and head of casting at The Voicecaster.
I'm Katherine Horan. I'm the senior casting director here at The Voicecaster. So today, we are going to talk about why casting wants you to win, even if you're not booking. That is probably one of the biggest misconceptions, is that people think that casting is against them, or, you know, it's like we're not working for [00:01:00] you and things like that, or we're judging you or, you know, things like that, we're- we're holding back your auditions, all this kind of stuff.
But honestly, we want you to win. We want you to nail the audition. We want your auditions to be amazing. You know, it's all about the collaboration. We, we both have a shared goal, you know? Casting directors and actors want the same thing. So, that's what we're gonna be kinda diving into today. So first of all, let's just kind of chat about the us versus them sort of mentality that a lot of actors have.
Yeah. So where does this come from? I mean, a lot of it goes back to, you know, you're not hearing anything after you submit your audition. You're not getting feedback. Um, and then just the whole... Anything in the entertainment industry, it's a lot of rejection. So, uh, it's natural to think, "Oh, if I didn't get it, it means they didn't like me," and that's, that's the completely wrong mindset to go about this.
It's not that [00:02:00] we didn't like you. I'd say most of the auditions we get in, we like. You know? Mm-hmm. You're all doing good stuff. It's not about that so much. It's about you just weren't chosen. Mm-hmm. And so just kinda reframing that, I think, is- is very helpful. But yeah, just the- the fact that, you know, you submit an audition, you don't hear anything back, you know?
And a lot of that, it just comes down to, you know, as we talk about over and over again, a lot of projects, we get 500, 1,000 submissions on. We can't write everyone back and tell them what they did right, what they did wrong. You know? Even just writing thank you to all of those people would take hours, you know?
So it's not that we didn't like it, it's just we don't have time to respond to every audition we get in. Mm-hmm. So silence isn't rejection. It doesn't mean we didn't like it. It doesn't mean nobody's listening. It's just we're busy. Yeah. And we're not, we're not sitting there picking you apart. You know, we're not going through and being like, "Oh, this person did this," and all of that.
It's like we're not going to [00:03:00] linger on the nos. We're searching for the yeses. You know, we're looking for the auditions that we are going to submit to the client. So it's, again, like Catherine just said, it's not about rejection, it's just you're not being selected as a yes on that one. And even if you are, you're also not going to hear about it.
So you may think like, oh, Voicecaster never books me on anything. That doesn't mean that we're not submitting you. Mm-hmm. You might be someone that we're submitting all the time when we get your auditions. So, you know, it's, it's one of those things where it's try to, try to get out of your head a little bit.
Yeah. Um, 'cause really, you know, as casting directors, it's like what, what are we looking for? We're looking for the right voice for our client, and we want to find that voice quickly and efficiently. So there are a lot of things that go into that, but it's not, it's not personal, I think is the biggest thing to really realize.[00:04:00]
And I've heard on more than one occasion when an actor does book a job that the client goes, "Oh, we're so happy we were finally able to get you in on this project. We've been hearing your auditions, and we always love them. It was just about finding the right fit." Kind of keep that in mind, too. Like be- because you didn't book it didn't mean that nobody liked your audition or you were bad.
It just w- wasn't the right fit for whatever reason, and there's a myriad of reasons that could be. A- and so when it finally does work out, clients love that, especially if they've been hearing you for, you know, maybe years, and they're like, they love what you do, it's just finding the right project for you.
So it does happen, and they do remember you. And we remember you, you know? Yeah. So it's like we, we are on your side. Sometimes an actor is like, "Oh, I think they just want me to fail. Oh, I don't think they want me to get this job." You know, things like that, and it's like that's not it at all. We're looking for the yes.
We're hoping to find someone who solves our problem. You know, [00:05:00] it's like ultimately you can look at your whole career as, as service. Your voice is in service to- Mm ... who needs it, you know, for a variety of different genres. It doesn't even matter. So it's we're looking for that person who solves a certain problem or is a piece of a certain puzzle.
And, you know, again, it's, it's nothing personal. I mean, unless you're a total jerk, then it could be personal. But most of the time it's not personal, and most people who have burned a bridge know that they've burned a bridge. So you're probably not submitting to that particular casting director or client, that sort of thing.
Yeah. Every time we're opening your audition and listening to it, we want this to be the one that- Stands out. We want this to be a yes audition, because if we love it, then we can send you on to the client. And if the client loves it, then we've done our job. We- we've fulfilled the reason we were hired.
Mm-hmm. So we want every audition we hear [00:06:00] to be the one that the client wants. We want this voice to be the, the one that's gonna book the job, because- Mm-hmm ... it makes us look good, then the client's happy, the client comes back to us, we get to continue working for them and, and providing our service. So every time we're listening, we're pulling for you.
We're hoping that you're giving us what we're hoping to get. Yeah. When you win, we win. You know? Really, that's what it's all about, 'cause it's... Yeah. When we present you to the client, the client loves you, the client is so thankful to us for bringing you in. It's a win-win all around. You know? Everybody looks good.
The project comes out great. It's like that's, that's what we want. And again, it's all about the relationships, so it's like we're building those relationships with you, the actors, to, you know, essentially play matchmaker. We are trying to match the actor and the voice to the client and the project that we're working on.
So there's, there's a lot of that. [00:07:00] Um, and that's, that's a big reason why we offer all of the things that we do. You know? It's like we offer the workshops and seminars, and we have our insiders membership, and we do this podcast, all of that so that we can essentially just close that gap between actors thinking one thing and what the reality is.
You know? The more we can- We're trying to make our job easier. Yes. The more we can empower you, the better everything is on our end, you know? It's like- When you guys know what to do and what not to do, it makes our lives easier. Absolutely. And trust us, we want our lives to be easier. Please, please be a yes- Mm-hmm
so that it can make our lives easier, you know? Mm-hmm. But then just kinda going back to something we touched on earlier, it's w- when you don't book with us, a lot of actors feel like, "Oh, I'm failing, and they're never gonna call me in again." Or if it's with your agent, you're like, "Oh, they're gonna drop me because I'm not booking," and all this stuff, and it's like That is not the case.
We've interviewed several agents [00:08:00] recently, and, you know, we asked them, "What makes you drop somebody?" It's not because somebody's not- Yeah ... booking. They saw the potential in you. If they're gonna drop you, it is something else. You know, it's not because you haven't booked in a year. They will still keep you, you know, if they see the potential.
We work with a lot of actors who haven't booked in a year or more, and we still keep auditioning them, we still keep submitting them, because sometimes it's like these projects can be so random. Like, it can be like, why did somebody get hired or not get hired? Right. Completely random. So it's like you never know, unfortunately, as actors, you never know when you were the runner-up or, you know, you were shortlisted, you were one of two or three or four.
As much as you can, trying to have that mindset, more of a long game mindset so that it's not so, you're not so hard on yourself every time you submit and don't book. [00:09:00] Exactly. And that'll shine through in your auditions, too. I mean- Always ... one thing we do notice and what we remember are the people that are consistent, the ones that are consistently good, that are consistently giving us- Always
what we're looking for. And so we remember those, and so when we send a casting- Mm-hmm ... out and we see who returned auditions and you see their name, you're like, "Oh, they're gonna be..." You know, like sometimes you just know, oh, this person's gonna be perfect. I, you know? Mm-hmm. Almost don't need to listen- Yeah
so that consistency's good. That's what we remember, and that's what we look for. Yeah. 'Cause we know if you're gonna consistently be good, that's also gonna be good for the client, too. We know that you're reliable- Mm-hmm ... and we can feel confident submitting you on to the, the client 'cause you're gonna do a good job there, too.
Yeah, that's huge. I think one of the biggest things is, you know, focus on your connection to the script, focus on your job, focus on what you can do. That connection, the read, you know, everything that you're doing, let go of perfection. Let go of any expectations to get any feedback, because it just doesn't happen, and [00:10:00] trust your instincts.
I think one of the biggest things is really just trusting, trusting yourself. You know, put yourself forward. Know that putting you into your auditions is gonna be what stands out to us. It's, it's that consistency. It's something, you know, we're not looking just on an audition by audition basis. There is so much of that compounding and, you know, just building.
Mm-hmm. So yeah, and then learning to submit and release, right? Yeah. Probably the hardest part. I never get so hung up on a project. I always hate when actors come in and say, "I really wanna book this one." So I'm like, "You know, that probably means you're not gonna book it." That's the one you're not gonna book.
That's exactly it. That's exactly it. Uh- You need to treat each audition kind of the same. Like, it would be great- Mm-hmm ... to book this. I would love to get this job. But, you know, just they're all the same. Treat them all on a level playing field and- Yeah ... you know, just do the best you can each time and- Do your best, put it out there
coming through But yeah, the biggest [00:11:00] thing and the biggest reason we wanted to do this episode for you all is to let you know that casting directors are rooting for you a lot more than you think. We're on your side. We are always on your side. We can't do our jobs without voice actors, so we want you to win because that also means that we win.
Mm-hmm. So, you know, it's you're, you're not... Don't think of it so much as competition against other people, it's just that you are showing us how you can fit into the project that we're working on. Mm-hmm. Yeah, and I hear people sometimes say, refer to auditions as opportunities. Mm-hmm. So, you know, I got five different opportunities today.
Yeah. You know, maybe that kind of mindset is, is helpful, too. It's less of the competition, and more of, "Hey, here- here's an opportunity for me." Yep. So yeah, let's, let's keep working together. You're obviously here listening to our podcast, so check out other episodes if you haven't already. Um, because again, we are on your side, and we want to bring you as much information [00:12:00] from the casting side as we possibly can.
And then of course, other viewpoints as well with our interviews. Um, so be sure to check out any past episodes that you haven't listened to or watched yet. Don't forget to subscribe, and we'll see you in the next one. Catch a new Voice Over Casting Corner episode every second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
Be sure to give a thumbs up, subscribe, and follow us at The Voice Castar on social media. Thanks for listening.
