tips for receiving criticism

Consider who is giving you this feedback when deciding how much weight to give their opinion.

A good first step to determining how much stock you should put into certain criticism is to consider who the criticism is coming from. Note that someone doesn’t need to be a voice actor themselves to have an opinion on your work (just as you don’t need to be a chef to think a dish tastes bad or be a professional film critic to say you didn’t enjoy a movie.) However, feedback from others actively involved in the industry—such as teachers, mentors, or peers—should generally be placed at higher importance than a random person on the Internet who may or may not have your best interests at heart.

If you’re not sure whether a critique is valid, ask yourself the following:

• Is this feedback coming from someone I trust to be honest with me?
• Are they providing actionable areas of improvement, or just saying they don’t like something?
• Is this criticism aimed at helping me do better, or is it just meant to make me feel bad?
• Even if I don’t necessarily like or agree with the points being made, am I still able to take something away from it or at least chalk it up to a difference of opinion?
• If I try to listen back to my performance as objectively as possible, am I able to hear what they’re talking about?

Resist the urge to get defensive.

When someone criticizes your performance, the natural human instinct is to immediately jump back with “Well I did it this way because…” There are times when giving context or clarification can be necessary, but before making a hasty excuse, take the time to think about what the person said and see it from their point of view. Even if you know why you gave a certain read, others might not be hearing what you intended to convey.

Don’t get too attached to a certain read having to be a certain way.

Being willing to adapt to feedback is an important skill in the professional industry. There is a common saying of “don’t get married to a performance”, because the director may ask you to read the line differently or take the character in a different direction than what you had in your head. A project is ultimately a collaborative effort, but if the director has a certain vision they want to achieve, they’ve still got the final say.

Keep in mind that what you hear in your head doesn’t always translate to how others will interpret it. For example, you might feel that a pivotal emotional scene requires an explosive performance, but the director may feel that the scene will have more impact if you pull it back and trust that the nuances of a more subtle performance will come through. Conversely, you might feel that a certain emotion is coming through strongly in your read, but it still comes across as a bit flat for those listening.

While it’s okay to be passionate about the choices you made, listen to others if they feel like those choices aren’t really resonating for them. It doesn’t mean you have to change the read if the person critiquing you isn’t the one hiring or directing you, but it’s worth at least taking into consideration that your way might not be the only way.

Dismiss any deconstructive feedback that is clearly just meant to make you feel bad.

If someone’s intentions are not to give you helpful criticism but rather to bully or make personal attacks, you do not owe them your time or attention. There is a school of thought out there that even hateful comments are worth taking something away from, but it’s not worth wasting your valuable time or mental energy on people whose goal is simply to be malicious. The general Internet is often not a very nice place, so if your goal is helpful critique it’s better to ask in voice acting-related communities rather than putting stock into random YouTube comments. Also, resist the urge to fight back if you receive a troll comment—99% of the time, nothing good can come from engaging hateful people.

Ask for a second opinion if you’re not sure.

Remember that critique is still subjective, and what one person sees as an issue might be no big deal to someone else or vice versa. For example, if a client who is not well versed in audio says they think there is an issue with your recording quality, take their notes into account—but also, consider getting professional feedback from someone who has a background in audio engineering if possible. They can help you evaluate whether there is truly an issue or if this particular client is just being unreasonably picky.

Even if a critique doesn’t fully work for you, see if there’s something you can take away from it.

Not every piece of feedback, even if well-meaning, will ultimately be the right answer for you and your career. Sometimes even a teacher may give you acting advice or technique that you find doesn’t really end up working out for you specifically, and that’s okay. The best thing to do is see if there’s anything you can still learn from it and discard the parts that don’t really apply.

Remember that one person’s opinion isn’t the be-all end-all.

Even a well established coach or other industry professional may inadvertently steer you wrong. Listen to what they’re telling you, but remember that their opinion is ultimately their opinion. Ideally, you want to get feedback from a variety of others and identify common trends in the notes you’re getting.

View constructive feedback as a gift rather than something to feel bad about.

Constructive criticism can sometimes be difficult to hear—after all, it’s natural to feel vulnerable when you put your work out there for others to review or perhaps even tear apart. But assuming the person giving feedback is informed and has good intentions, keep in mind they’re ultimately trying to help you grow and improve as a performer. Think of it this way: if you hire a coach, chances are you do so because you want to become a better actor. So if the coach just spent the sessions telling you that everything you did was great and they didn’t have any real notes for improvement, wouldn’t you feel that you wasted your money?

Many voice actors have shared stories of working with “difficult” directors, and expressed that while they may have initially left the session feeling bad about themselves, it ultimately helped them learn a lot and better their skills in a way that helped them on later auditions and jobs. Obviously you shouldn’t need to put up with someone who treats you badly, but sometimes those “tough” sessions end up fueling your growth. Even if it wasn’t the best experience overall, see if there’s something constructive you can take away from it.

If you actively solicit feedback, thank the person for taking the time to write you a critique.

When you ask someone for feedback—whether a peer, mentor, or someone you’re auditioning for, you’re asking them to take time out of their day to listen to and review your work. Outside of a professional coaching relationship, this means they’re volunteering their time in hopes of helping you.

It can be disheartening when someone asks for constructive feedback, you spend time writing a thoughtful piece breaking down their performance, and they either don’t respond at all or get defensive about every point being made. If someone does take the time to review your audition or demo, it’s polite to at least respond and thank them—whether or not you agree with their assessment.

tips for giving criticism

First off, decide whether or not a critique would be welcome or appropriate.

While people who give a critique generally mean well, unsolicited feedback can easily backfire. For example, [well-meaning] anime fans on Twitter occasionally decide that they’ll give “constructive criticism” on a voice actor’s performance in a dub…and while it’s certainly okay to have an opinion and chat about it with friends or on a place like Reddit, it’s not really appropriate to go directly to the actor with said unsolicited criticism. This is because 1) they were simply performing the role the way they were instructed to by the director and clients who chose them for the project, 2) the project is already recorded and released, making such criticism a moot point, 3) voice actors in localization projects generally have very little control over how the characters are to be performed.

If you’re not sure whether or not it’s appropriate to directly critique someone, a good rule of thumb is, “is the person actively seeking feedback on their work?” For example, if they post a sample on a Discord server or Facebook group and ask for opinions, chances are a critique would be welcome and encouraged. If they’re just trying to show off a finished project they were in, possibly not so much. If you’re not sure, you can always ask “are you open to critique on this?”

Critique the performance, not the performer.

Frame your criticism in a way that focuses on the work itself rather than applying any judgment to the person. People are much more likely to get defensive if they feel like you are attacking them rather than giving feedback on their skills.

Bad example: “You’re not very good at doing effort sounds. This probably means you’re not cut out for videogames.”
(This language basically tells the person they’re not good at what they want to do, and while effort sounds being lacking is a valid critique, it’s not being framed constructively here.)

Good example: “Since you want to work in video games, I recommend making a concentrated focus on improving your effort sounds. For instance, your pain efforts sounded more like you were annoyed than hurt.”
(In this example, you still get the point across that they need to work on their effort sounds, but the language used places the emphasis on the performance rather than attacking the performer. In addition, it includes a specific example as to in what way the effort sounds were lacking.)

Be specific.

When you point out something that needs improvement, it’s a good idea to give an example of how it needs improvement.

Bad example: “Your microphone quality doesn’t sound good. You should probably fix it or get a new one.”
(Here, you tell them there is a problem with their microphone, but you don’t tell them WHAT exactly the problem is. Someone is unlikely to go out and buy a new microphone just because a person on the Internet said so, especially if the sound quality issues aren’t directly related to the microphone itself.)

Good example: “Unfortunately, your performance is hindered by the poor recording quality. For example, there is a lot of room echo, and the sound distorts every time you raise your voice. I’d recommend turning the gain down on the louder lines to avoid so much clipping.”
(In this case, you point out exactly WHY the sound quality is a problem—room echo + clipping—and you give them a tip on how to improve the clipping which is an easy fix.)

Be tactful.

Remember that there is a human being on the other side of the screen. You can point out areas of a performance that are lacking while still using your words in a way that reflects kindness and compassion—which is especially important if the person is a newcomer to the voice acting community who is just getting up the courage to ask for feedback.

Even if you’re of the opinion that criticism is most effective when it’s harsh, avoiding sugarcoating doesn’t mean you should be disrespectful. If you know your style tends to be blunt, find a way to end on a positive note and if need be, communicate to the person that you’re telling them these things because you want to see them succeed.

Be practical.

Avoid giving comments that are vague or pretentious with no actionable feedback. For example, if you say something like “I feel like there is just some kind of essence that is lacking in the read”, what is the actor supposed to take away from that?

A common unhelpful critique people tend to give each other in online voice acting communities is that a performance “needs more emotion”. When you say “needs more emotion”, what do you actually mean? (Also, keep in mind that not everything needs to be big and loud to be impactful!) Be specific in what you feel the performance was lacking and how you feel it can be improved.

Bad example: The second spot on your demo needs more emotion.
(What emotion are you referring to here? If the performance doesn’t feel believable, what is preventing it from being effective?)

Good example: The second spot on your demo doesn’t feel believable to me. While the quiet, subdued tone can work for this particular character, there still needs to be some type of inner feeling and intensity behind the words. Since the context of the line is the character being upset at her mother, one way you can play it is that she’s shutting down emotionally but putting on a brave face to act like it doesn’t affect her. But I want to get the sense that it actually is still affecting her under the surface.
(This example points out exactly WHY the read fell flat and gives pointers as to the subtext that should be going on to add more emotional layers to the read.)

When giving negative feedback, frame it constructively.

The core of constructive criticism shouldn’t be about finding flaws to attack, but rather identifying where and how improvement is needed.

Bad example: “The voices in your demo all sound the same.”
(This just makes the person feel bad without giving any pointers as to how to address the perceived lack of range.)

Good example: “I felt there was a lack of variety in the vocal types showcased, making it difficult to tell when one spot ended and the next began. One way to combat this would be to make sure that each spot is treated as a distinct scene and that each character is individually fleshed out even if the sound is similar to others.”
(This critique takes into consideration that even if vocal range isn’t everyone’s strong suit, a demo reel can still be effective by making each character and scene distinct in terms of performance and setting.)

Find at least one positive thing to comment on, too.

Even if you think the person’s demo was a piece of hot garbage, chances are you can at least find some place where they had potential or made a good acting choice. People are much more receptive to hearing their weaknesses if you comment on their strengths as well, and focusing only on weaknesses can make them feel discouraged.

how to solicit feedback

appropriate avenues to ask for feedback

• A teacher or coach, when you’re compensating them for their time spent working with you
• A director you have a close working relationship with
• Friends or peers whose opinions you trust
• An industry mentor, if they have the time
• Online communities that offer a place to ask, such as the #feedback-wanted channel on our Discord server

Is it appropriate to ask for feedback when I submit an audition?

That depends. For professional industry auditions, receiving feedback is not the norm unless you are asked to submit a callback with specific notes in mind. However, for online indie or hobby projects, it can be acceptable to include a note stating that feedback is always welcome if they’d like any adjustments in your read. Keep in mind that many projects receive hundreds of auditions, and it’s rare that a project director will have the time to give individual reviews.

If I am represented, is it okay to ask my agent for feedback on my reads?

It’s generally okay to reach out to your agent if you have a big audition that you really want to book and are hoping to get a few notes on, or an occasional check-in to see if they’ve been happy with your reads or think you need improvement in certain areas. However, keep in mind that your agent is dealing with a large roster of actors besides just you, and they won’t have time to give you notes on every audition.

Some agencies offer a “booth director” service, either in-office or online, where you can get live direction on the audition copy your agent sends you. This is a great opportunity to get feedback, so take advantage of it if you can!

What about asking a director I’ve worked with?

If you already have a good relationship with a director and have worked with them a number of times, then it may be acceptable to ask if they have time to give you a few general notes on your performance based on what they’ve observed from working with you. However, keep in mind that a lot of the beneficial feedback you’ll get in your career will happen right there in the booth! Treat each session as a potential learning experience, and when you’re working with a great director, take a mental note of what directions they gave that you found especially effective.

Audition coaching

If you’re routinely feeling stuck when it comes to delivering effective reads in your auditions, consider working with an audition coach. Various professional actors and directors offer a service where you can book a certain amount of time with them to direct you through an audition. While this obviously wouldn’t be cost-effective to do for every audition, the tips you learn from working with a good audition coach can carry over to help you better self-direct your own reads.