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Results of Past Contests
Winners • All entries • Prizes • Written assessments • Video-reviews with David Goldberg

For the current contest, click here.

Select a past contest
Washington Mutual: November 1, 2020 - November 30, 2021
McDonald's Chicken McGrill: October 1, 2020 - October 31, 2020

Washington Mutual

November 1, 2020 - November 30, 2021
Contest

Voice Direction:

This is a simulated audition for a Washington Mutual radio spot.  We are looking for a classic announcer style, yet without any hard sell. One take only, slate username at the end.

Script:

For Jen, truth was relative. Then she got Washington Mutual free checking. She liked the "No hidden fees" and they inspired her to be more truthful. Way to go Jen. We appreciate your bold honesty.

Analysis: Why the Winners Won ... and Why Others Didn't.

Congratulations to our winners, Kris Woodside, Rob Williams, and Katelyn Dawn.  They stood out among the other entrants because they did not sound like everyone else.  Let us explain…

When casting a voice actor, after a while, the reviewer hears patterns emerge, and many voice actors – even those who sound very professional – begin to sound pretty much the same.  Audition winners stand out.  How can you shine a spotlight on yourself without ignoring direction or going “too far”?  Here are some ways …

Edge Studio VO Tip #1
Consider ways to break from the stereotypical pattern.  A huge number of the participants read the first line like this: “For Jen (pause) truth was (pause) relative.” Pausing after the first word or two is a habit even long-experienced professionals fall into. It interrupts your first thought, making it harder to capture and hold the listener’s imagination. (Also, this is a TV commercial. If it had been a radio commercial, with no visual of Jen, the pause could make the cold-open syllables “For Jen” meaningless and confusing.)  Yes, there is a comma after “Jen,” but it’s not a full stop, and sometimes a comma is more for grammatical form.  In the case of this script, neither pause was even logical; often it was just weird and clumsy.
And, in an audition, it sounds, oh, so repetitious.  Yet, it was a choice that just about everyone made. For comparison, listen to our first place winner.  She paused at the first comma (generally a good practice), but super-briefly, and in a way that audibly continued her thought into the next words.
Edge Studio VO Tip #2
Pronounce words correctly. Many people mispronounced the opening word (“For”) as “Fer” and the second word (“Jen”) as “Jin.”  Some of these might have been a US Southern pronunciation (for example many Southerners pronounce “ten” as “tin.”  But, these first two words, especially since they’re the first two words, they could be heard as “Forge in,” or “For gin,” or just not understood at all.

Edge Studio VO Tip #3
Don’t rush it.  This is a very common issue with auditions.  (In fact, this is a “reprise” of a tip we gave last month.)  There are various reasons why talent might speak too fast.  Nervousness.  Wanting to show enthusiasm and energy.  Or just never thought about it.  This is true even of many submissions that otherwise might be very good.
There are several reasons why rushing a read is less than stellar:
1. It doesn’t take into account the video aspect. Give the viewer time to relate the video action and your words.
2. It doesn’t allow your words – or, more importantly, your thoughts – to sink in.
3. Hyperactivity is not always pleasant.
Edge Studio VO Tip #4
Provide professional sound quality. The vast majority of entrants had terrible audio and/or mic technique.  They were too far from the mic, or recording in a room full of hard surfaces, and clearly didn’t even try to surround themselves with blankets or pillows.
Furthermore, although this contest is a learning experience, and so we welcome (and try to listen to) every entry, a recording that has horrid audio quality is not going to win First Place. If you need the challenge to get your VO juices flowing, we welcome your best shot for now, but you should plan to improve your sound as soon as you’re able.  Be aware that — in this era of remote auditioning and recording — without professional-sounding audio, you won’t be considered a professional VO talent, no matter how well you read.
A great way to understand what professional audio consists of would be to take our Home Studio 101 class.  You’ll learn how to set up a recording space, set your volume levels correctly, how to choose and work the mic, how to use DAW (recording software) correctly, and more.

Winners

1st place winner: Kris Woodside

Judge's Comments

She’s very creative. She sounds very spontaneous. And she offers something different from the other auditions.  She made very nice use of using a negative emotion on the opening line and then moving to positive ones for the rest of the script.  Ultimately, her voice creates a visual in our head.  If we were directing her in a real-life session, we’d simply have her add more emphasis to “free” (rather than, or in addition to, “checking”).  Recording quality is good.

Recording submitted by Kris Woodside on 26 Nov 2020 - 19:32

2nd place winner: Rob Williams

Judge's Comments

Terrific voice — clear and well-enunciated without sounding patronizing. He’s charismatic and convincing without sounding sappy or hardsell-ish. Creative with great timing. Even his use of dramatic pauses works, without sounding affected.  (Often, voice actors add uncalled-for dramatic pauses that don’t work). And he’s easy to listen to because he reads with no vocal strain.  But he rushed the first two words (see our tips, above). He also rushed his username in the slate. (Hey, that’s your one opportunity to brand yourself …. take it uber-seriously!)  And he should have added a more clarity to some key words, such as “free” and “no.” (Instead, he emphasized the successive words “checking” and “hidden fees”).  Recording technical quality is good.

Recording submitted by Rob Williams on 24 Nov 2020 - 19:11

3rd place winner: Katelyn Dawn

Judge's Comments

She has a natural delivery with good variety. Needs more emphasis on the word “free.”  Overall, could be more spontaneous but still a very good submission!

Recording submitted by Katelyn Dawn on 17 Nov 2020 - 19:47
All Entries

To Find A Specific Entry:

On a PC, click “control” and “f” to search for a username

On a MAC, click “command” and “f” to search for a username

steve charboneau's recording

Recording submitted by steve charboneau on 29 Nov 2020 - 20:46

Keandra Cordero's recording

Recording submitted by Keandra Cordero on 28 Nov 2020 - 18:07

Samuel Mickelson's recording

Recording submitted by Samuel Mickelson on 28 Nov 2020 - 16:52