The Trifecta of Audition Prep

By A.W. Miller

You Do Prep Every Audition…Right?

Earlier this week, I had four auditions roll in from two different agents and one P2P.

Two of them were 30-second spots, two takes each. One was a 90-second ‘anthemic read’ (one take). The fourth was two takes each of three different tag lines.

Those alone took me roughly two hours.

When I started voice acting some 20ish years ago, those same four auditions probably would have taken me maybe 30 minutes–probably more like 10, if I’m being brutally honest. I was of the mindset that you gotta get those auditions in as quickly as you can!

Now, eh, not so much. In fact, I will sometimes let an audition marinate for a few hours before even making my first pass at it. And then, I might take a 90-minute break before coming back at it again with pass number two.

Why the drastic change in expediency?

Because I went to a bunch of different VO conferences, coaches, webinars, and more coaching sessions, and I listened.

I listened to what every pro had to share, what every coach had to say, and what every panel member shared about their own personal approach to handling auditions.

And then, I synthesized that into what works best for me. 

 A quick disclaimer: everything I’m sharing is not guaranteed to get you shortlisted, booked, or even noticed. Anyone who claims that they can offer you a turnkey system to get booked is really only interested in taking your hard-earned money. What I’m going to share with you works for me. It has, in fact, worked for a vast majority of my acting students and for countless other voice actors (though their vernacular may be different).

It’s the Audition Prep Trifecta: Three Essential Questions you gotta ask as part of your audition prep. Now, let me overemphasize this: PART of your audition preparation. Okay? Part. Of. It. I could probably teach a whole three hour master class on everything that’s involved in audition prep, but for now, I’m only going to focus on these Three Essential Questions.

Side note: here’s a quick bullet list of a bunch of other stuff that ought to go into your Audition Prep repertoire.

• Research the brand/client/product on iSpot.tv
• Do a quick web search for any details about current campaigns
• Apply your
  • Mumble read
  • Narrative/Editorialized read
• Look up words, phrases, and key elements that might need a little finesse
• Have a friend, spouse, or fellow voice actor listen to your reads for a second ear-pinion. Ha! I just coined a new phrase here: ear-pinion (copyright 2025 A.W. Miller)
• And above all: ask the Trifecta Questions

The Trifecta of Audition Prep Questions

Question 1: Who Am I in This Spot?

Most of the specs you’ll read for any given commercial copy will include something along the lines of non-announcery, with gravitas, real, conversational, grounded. Occasionally, you’ll see something like you’re the friend everyone seeks advice from, or you’re the fun aunt sharing her experience. While all of this is helpful, it’s not really answering the question of who you are in the spot. 

Only you can do that.

But I have to adhere to the specs, right?

Yes…and…mostly yes.

Certainly don’t send off something so egregiously off-base as to not even fall within earshot of the original specs. But, absolutely positively make a decision about who you are in the spot, as inspired by the specs.

Let’s use this fake ad copy as our focus for this blog post. Assume you received this as an audition:

At LockSure, we know peace of mind is priceless. That’s why our new 24/7 home security system is built to protect the people you love most.

Maybe you decide you’re the corporate spokesperson.

Maybe you decide you’re a concerned parent.

Maybe you decide you’re an observant neighbor.

Or…maybe you don’t decide at all.

Whatever you do or don’t decide, I can almost guarantee you that casting directors will hear it. They may not be able to say “Oh, she chose to be a concerned parent” but they will know you’re approaching the copy as a specific individual. And they will 3000% know that you didn’t make a decision at all and came at the copy like a voice actor reading copy.

This will be true of every single one of these questions.

Question 2: To Whom Am I Speaking in This Spot?

At LockSure, we know peace of mind is priceless. That’s why our new 24/7 home security system is built to protect the people you love most.

You’re a concerned parent, and you’re talking to other concerned parents is vastly different from being a concerned parent talking to every human who’s ever worried about a break-in.

Pro tip: Too many times, voice actors go for the broad approach with this question. Sure, the specs tell you that you’re the knowledgeable friend or the concerned parent, but rarely are you given the audience you’re speaking to. 

Side note: See above for the additional elements that ought to factor into your audition prep. Being familiar with what the brand/client/product has done in the past can go a long way to helping you make a decision about Question 2.

Again, I cannot state this loudly, boldly, firmly enough: Not making a decision is far LOUDER than making the wrong decision for any of these questions.

Question 3: Where am I Speaking From (e.g. Venue)

I used to think this had little if any bearing on my commercial auditions. The spot is going to air on TV or Social Media, or the Radio, so what does it matter where I’m speaking from, right?

Here’s the thing: How a friend talks to their other friends at a bar is different from how they might talk to them one-on-one. How a concerned parent talks to a group of parents at a BBQ is different from how they might at a town hall meeting.

Take a look at the copy again:

At LockSure, we know peace of mind is priceless. That’s why our new 24/7 home security system is built to protect the people you love most.

If you decided you’re a concerned parent, talking with another concerned parent, how much would the venue impact your delivery if, say, you were sharing an Uber together? How about if you were both in line at parent-teacher conferences? Or, you happened to run into the other parent at a soccer practice.

Every venue example I listed brings subtle nuances that casting directors will hear in your audition. Sharing an Uber is intimate, close, and maybe you don’t want the driver to hear, so you lean in a bit more. In line at parent-teacher conferences is a little more open, there are all kinds of parents around, so perhaps not as intimate but still close. At a soccer practice? Open, much less intimate, more of a ‘here’s some friendly advice’ kind of delivery.

Putting It All Together

Each of these questions is so deeply ingrained in the other that there’s not really any way to isolate them and say start here or this is a go to answer. Who you are and to whom you are speaking really cannot be separated. Of the three, Venue probably brings a broader use not intrinsically bound by Questions 1 & 2.

Bottom line: Put the Trifecta to use for you with every audition. Even if you’re wrong about all three of them–it’s better to have made a decision (specificity) than to just give a read of the copy based on the specs provided (accurate but generic).

A Bonus Tip: Mic Proximity

If you’ve never played around with Mic Proximity…you’re missing out on some cool new ways to bring authenticity, specificity, and your own unique mark on your auditions.

In the same way that the Trifecta impacts your approach to the copy (within the parameters of the specs, of course–even if you push the envelope), Mic Proximity can add a new layer to those decisions.

Here are your choices to experiment with:

• On Mic/Sweet spot/Toward the Mic
• Past the Mic/Distant but within the Sweet Spot cone
• Intimate/Close (pushing that AMSR boundary)
• Off Mic/Away from the Mic

Position 1 is standard.

Position 2 is a little more aloof.

Position 3 is very personal (watch that gain!)

Position 4 is fun for those throw-away lines or that “I’m talking to the engineer” approach.

Final Thoughts

Every audition is your opportunity to demonstrate your skills, from vocal range to your understanding of the copy to how well you understand the specs (even if you’re pushing the bar).

Not making any decisions is much, much, MUCH worse than making the wrong decision. Now, I’m sure one could argue that there are bad decisions about who you are, who you’re speaking to, and the venue in which you’re speaking that can affect your auditions. I won’t deny that. Pay attention to the specs before making any drastic decisions–but make a decision.

Ultimately, it’s about the specificity of your read. Do you sound like you’re the concerned parent in line at the PT conference, talking to other parents, or are you a voice actor with a deep voice and good at conversation? Because the second decision is far less likely to get you shortlisted, let alone booked.

As always, I truly appreciate you taking the time to spend a few minutes with me on this SAV blog. Please feel free to reach out with questions or to book coaching and consultation time with me at awmillervoices.com.

P.S. If you haven’t yet taken our introductory voice-over class, where we go over everything one needs to know about getting started in the voice-over industry,  sign up here!