Why you should include audition lines in a casting call

It shows you are prepared and ready to cast voice actors

Some producers, when questioned as to why there are no audition lines, will say it’s because they don’t have the script ready yet. This begs an important question:

If you don’t have a script for your project, why are you already casting voice actors?

A script will likely go through numerous revisions before being ready for recording. Your script doesn’t need to be fully refined and polished of course, but you should have enough of the characters and world established by this point to be able to choose a few sample lines for each character. Remember that audition lines don’t necessarily need to be final script lines; they’re just used for demonstration purposes.

Unfortunately, any creative talent (voice actors, artists, writers, animators, etc) who have been around Internet spaces long enough have encountered the type of people known as “ideas guys”. They have a general concept for a project they’d like to make…but need everyone else to make it for them. Most of the time there is zero budget either, and the fact is that you’d be hard-pressed to find an animator or programmer willing to work for free on a project that’s not their own. If actors see a casting call where they are expected to make up their own lines, it gives off the immediate first impression of a project creator who does not have things prepared or organized and a project that likely won’t even get made.

If you are unable to come up with any possible lines that the characters in your story might say, the fact of the matter is that you are not ready to be casting voice actors yet.

You know your characters better than anyone else

If all actors have to go on is a name, a short description, and possibly a picture, how are they supposed to know your characters intricately enough to make up their own lines? If you happened to create these particular characters, you should know them well enough to write some lines for them (and if you’re hosting the casting call on behalf of someone else, ask the writer of the project to provide you some!)

Not all actors are good at or comfortable with improvisation

Some voice actors love a chance to play and go off-script, and this can be a great asset to your project which is why it’s always fair to include a note welcoming improv if you’re open to it. But for plenty of others, this isn’t their strong suit, and that’s okay. If someone is otherwise a great actor but doesn’t feel comfortable with improv, they’ll probably avoid trying out for your project if they see there are no actual lines to audition with.

Writers exist for a reason—even in projects where actors are known to improvise lines, there is still a script in place to use as a basis!

It allows you to better evaluate and compare auditions

Actors who are forced to make up their own lines are less likely to be judged on their acting skills and more on their improv skills. Unless you will require heavy improv as part of your final project, this isn’t exactly a fair evaluation of how well someone fits the character.

Furthermore, having every actor interested in reading for a certain character use the same audition lines will make it much easier for you to compare auditions and decide who is the strongest choice.

>>Is asking for demos in lieu of specific audition lines acceptable?

Yes. “Demo drops” are still a relatively common way of casting. However, this may end up being considerably more work on your part—you’ll have to sift through a lot of audio that doesn’t fit the characters you are actively casting at the moment, as opposed to targeted reads recorded specifically for what you need. And because demos have such a short time frame in which to show an actor’s capabilities, chances are they can do things not on their demo that might happen to fit what you’re casting for.

Are there exceptions where improv might be required?

You may be wondering if there are situations where it’s acceptable to ask actors to improvise in their auditions. Here are some possible examples and the best way to handle them!

If the final project will require heavy improvisation

Occasionally there may be a project where improvising would be a core component of the actual job, to where it’s necessary for an actor’s improv skills to be evaluated in the audition (as an example, think of a tabletop-style storytelling project where actors get together on a weekly basis and craft an adventure. This is fine! However, it’s still a good idea to provide prompts for actors to improvise with.

Sample prompt: You are hanging around at a bar when [other character] approaches you from across the room and asks if you have the time to sit down and have a drink. How do you respond?

In this situation, you are setting the scene and giving the actor something to work with as opposed to a generic “make up random lines for this character.”

If the character’s design or personality will be partially based on the actor playing them

This is a fairly rare circumstance, but once in a while, the creator of a project might have a general idea for the characters they want but be open to waiting to finalize designs until they decide who is in their cast. Note that it’s still entirely possible – and probably a good idea – to have audition lines in this circumstance, but in this case they might consist of looser ideas that they actor is welcome to play around with if they choose.

>>What if I’m open to having actors improvise, but only if they want to?

This is a great option that covers all your bases! You open yourself up to actors who might be great at improv and give them the chance to play around with the script if they so desire, without locking out those who might want to audition for your project but don’t feel confident going wildly off-script.

Sample wording for this type of scenario:
“Use the scripted lines as a guide, but please feel free to ad-lib or come up with additional ideas if you have something you’d like to try.”
“As English is not our first language, please feel free to make small changes to the lines to help them flow more conversationally or feel more natural to say.”

As an actor, when is ad-libbing acceptable (for auditions and jobs)?

What if you happen to be one of the actors who’s great at improv and loves doing it? You might be wondering how much – if any – improvising is acceptable in an audition, and whether it can help or hurt your chances.

A little extra can be fun, but don’t go overboard

In most cases, a bit of ad libbing is fine and can even give a bit more personality to your audition. However, don’t force it—if your improvisation doesn’t sound spontaneous and natural, it’ll just be awkward and detract from your audition.

Do resist the urge to completely go off-script and do something other than the line that is actually given. Even if what you do happens to work or is funny, a casting director reviewing your audition may be concerned that you won’t be able to act out the actual words on the page with the same level of conviction. Not all writers are open to actors completely rewriting their lines, either. Remember that a big part of acting involves taking other people’s words and making them believable, so make sure that any ad libs enhance, not detract from, what’s already written.

Now, if the audition instructions specifically encourage improv, then you have more free reign to go wild!

Note of caution on localized projects

On projects where the material is being translated from another language into English, it’s best to stick fairly close to the script if possible – in localized works you tend to have less freedom with changing things around as the meaning of the line from the original language needs to stay intact, plus you will often have timing restrictions or may even need to match lip flaps.

On the job, you may be able to ask if there’s any freedom to rework a line if you have a really great idea, but it’s best to avoid too much extra improvisation at the audition stage unless it is encouraged/requested.

What about minor adjustments to grammar, contractions, or making something a bit more conversational?

As long as you don’t change the meaning, subtle alterations like this are generally acceptable in auditions – think contracting “do not” to “don’t”, “want to” to “wanna”, etc. Unless the character happens to speak in a very formal or proper manner in which case these choices may have been intentional, a minor adjustment like this can help you read the script in a more natural and conversational way. The same goes for correcting obvious typos or unintentional grammatical errors.

In certain cases where the script was written by a non-native English speaker or directly translated from another language, you may find that some lines are written in a way that sounds too stiff or doesn’t flow the way people normally speak. If you are given a script like this to record for a final project, you can always ask the client if they are open to you rewording a few things here and there to make it sound more natural in English while keeping the original intent of the line. It’s still a good idea to include an as-written take as mentioned below.

Pre-life, breaths, & filler words

Non-verbals (sighs, laughs, hmm’s, etc) and stutters or small filler words – um, uh, hey, y’know, well, okay, etc – are generally always acceptable for auditions if it helps your read sound more natural. In these cases, you aren’t really changing the audition line itself – you’re just adapting it to how people tend to speak in real-world conversations. Don’t force yourself to add pre-life or fillers “just because”, but you can sprinkle them in here and there if it serves the performance.

For final jobs, these are generally acceptable as well, but it’s best to give two takes – one with and one without – unless it’s something like a pre-life nonverbal sound that can be very easily chopped off in editing if they don’t want it. With certain localized projects where you are beholden to very strict timing restrictions – or especially where you are dubbing to picture – adding anything else to the line may not be possible.

For jobs, always give at least one take “as-written”

Even if you’ve been given permission to improvise or otherwise alter the lines, it’s best to make sure you do include a “safe” option of the line as it was originally written. There are situations where a director might think an actor’s ad-lib is funny, but they can’t use it for some reason or another, or perhaps they simply prefer the original version. Providing at least one as-written safety take can help you avoid an embarrassing situation of “okay that’s great, but that’s not the line we asked you to read.”

>>Is improvisation still a helpful skill to learn/have as a voice actor?

Absolutely! While you won’t be able to do it in every situation (which is why it’s important not to rely on going off-script to give a convincing performance), improv skills can be extremely helpful in your toolbox as a voice actor. One of the reasons is it helps you think quickly on your feet, which is necessary when doing a live session where you aren’t given the script until you get in the booth. It’s also helpful for walla/background voices which are often unscripted. Finally, taking improv classes can help improve your confidence as an actor.