Simply the finest actor organization I have ever seen. I have been a guest speaker many times and have found talented actors who have eventually become clients of mine.

– David Ziff (V.P. Commerical Department – CESD, LA)

Here are some quickie Do’s and Don’ts of submitting to voice over agents for you guys.  And yes, I’m starting with a very big DON’T because I always like to get the bad news out of the way first.

DON’T under any circumstance pick up the phone and call an agent you don’t know without a solid referral.  Agents are extremely busy taking calls and making pitches, submitting clients and closing deals.  There is no extra time on an agents schedule, even at the very end of the day, which actors like to think is the best time to call.  You will annoy the agent, assistant, or receptionist.  This is NOT the tactic to use in the age of electronic submissions.

DO submit yourself via email.  You can find submission emails for agents and managers on www.voicebank.net and if you are a subscriber to www.imdbpro.com.

1.     Put your name in the subject line.  If you have one, put your referral in the subject line, too.  Please ONLY use a referral if you actually have one.  If you lie about this, it will bite you in the ass.  Call it referral karma.

2.     Make your email BRIEF. Write bullet points or short lists of recent bookings, keywords that specifically describe your voice, and any pertinent info.  Don’t make yourself look like extra homework by being too wordy, or make the agent hit the delete key because you sent too much info.

3.     Clearly insert your website link that leads straight to the page where your demo lives.

4.     Attach a high-quality MP3 of your commercial demo to the email.  Not sample clips, not a WAV file, and certainly not all of your demos.  The one demo will do.

5.     Only submit when you KNOW you’re good and ready.  No homemade demos, no narcissistic emails saying, “I’ve got no experience, but I’ve been told I have a nice voice, and you should rep me.”

Understand that an agent’s attention is pulled in a million different directions.  But if you’re excellent, easy to work with, have a high-quality demo and home studio, then you’ve got a great shot of getting in the door.  Make the most of your shot and keep it simple.  Good luck!

Anna Vocino

One Response

  1. I’m on need of guidance. I’ve been told hundreds of times that I need to explore the voice over industry. However. I’m like a deer in headlights. I live in the Dallas -Ft Worth area living in Euless,Tx . Please any help is appreciated

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *