Many VO jobs available today state in the specifications that you need to provide a conversational audition. So, what is a conversational audition you ask? Well in short it means, present the script like you’re talking to a person you know, about a subject you know. That short sentence needs a bit longer explanation.
To begin, you need to put yourself in the room with a friend, and you’re talking about a subject that your friend brought up. So you’re in a conversation with your friend and you try and go back to how this subject was brought up in the first place and most importantly WHY.
Why is the key to your conversational audition, because it provides you a frame of reference. Say the subject is insurance and the high cost of home insurance. You recently had to file a claim for damages to your home, so you know a lot about the process. Now, your friend needs to file a claim for damages to his home, but he is not sure how to proceed. The WHY here is that you know what to do to file a claim, but your friend does not, so you need to be in an informational mind set. You’re going to educate your friend on how to file that claim. That gives you the WHY of the script.
Now you must decide exactly how you will present to your friend. Should you be authoritarian in your tone, should you talk to your friend like he should already know how to file a claim, or should you just speak in a normal tone about how you filed your claim.
The answer is the third scenario. You talk to your friend in a way that he or she best understands and knows you, and you do it in a tone that is normal, comfortable, relatable, and friendly, hence the conversational approach.
Conversational auditions should be approached with a normal tone you use in any conversation you have with anyone on a daily basis. You should try and understand how the subject was introduced, who introduced it, and then how you should reply. These key components in addressing how the script is read, is the Why. Why are you part of this conversation, Why is your friend asking these questions. Why are you more knowledgeable about this subject than your friend. Once you have the Why, you’re in a better place to present an audition in a Conversational way.
See you soon,
Dwight