Voice reels: What to include
A voice reel is your first chance to showcase your talent to a casting director, or future client. We all know first impressions matter, and that’s why it’s important to get your voice reel on point. But what to include? And should you have more than one?
What makes the cut?
Having a primary reel that features elements of post production is a must. By that we mean, a reel that has been mixed, and has elements in it that make it pop. i.e a magnum crunch, music in the background of a narration etc . If you’re a seasoned voice actor, you probably already have a library of audio to draw from, so make sure you select clips recorded with high-quality equipment, that feature sound effects, and have a high-production element to them. This helps your voice sound as professional as it can be.
Try to keep you reels snappy – there is no hard and fast rule about length, but we suggest it shouldn’t be longer that two minutes ideally. Casting directors and agents are busy, and the’re sent thousands of them a day. If your 5 minute reel lands in someone’s inbox, it’s probable it’ll just end up in their junk folder. So make sure it’s snappy and well-mixed. Usually, about 4 different clips, making it around 45 -50 seconds works well.
Should I have more than one voice reel?
Having more than one reel in your back pocket is a sneaky way of showcasing more of your work, without having to fire off movie-length files — which as we know, don’t do very well. You can send more than one reel in an email too. If an agent has listened to your primary reel, and is interested, they’ll inevitably click on the other files you’ve sent too.
What should feature in my other reels?
Remember, we’re not just making reels for making reels sake. Each new voice reel has to have a purpose, and showcase something you haven’t included in your primary reel. Do you state in your bio that you’re able to speak in a certain accent? Do you have high-quality audio you’re able to stitch together? Then, second reel you’re worthy to be created.
With second reels, we can be a little less strict in terms of packing things in there. You’re working under the assumption that you’ve already caught the agent’s / casting director’s attention — so if you want to showcase something a little more niche, but say, only have one 45 second clip of you performing that specific niche or character, it could make a second reel all by itself.
#Tip. You would save the file described above as a “demo”. As you’re effectively demonstrating an instance of you performing in that way. i.e Spanish accented demo.mp3
