“The First 3 Takes – The Importance of Quality Casting”

I was extremely fortunate to be mentored by one of the top voice directors in Canada…Miles Ramsay of GGRP. During my time with Miles, he relayed several tenets I still use today. One of the most enduring pieces of advice was: “If you don’t have something you could use within the first 3 takes, you’ve miss-cast”.

This highlights the importance of casting to a quality end product.

Quality casting requires a comprehensive understanding of the voice talent pool. It takes into account the strengths and limitations each voice possesses, and presents the ones that are right for the part.

If auditions are called for, they should not be overly voice directed. Talent should be given general directions to get them close, but they should not be “twisted out of shape” as this will make it difficult to re-create the performance of the audition in the final recording. Remember, you are looking for the right voice for the project. That voice should be able to supply you with something you could use within the first 3 takes of an audition as well.

With the right voice in place, the opportunity to create a “spectacular” product is greatly increased. You may not use one of the first 3 takes takes, but a good starting point supplies the voice director the raw material needed to help elevate a performance to “special”.

With the wrong voice in place, you will typically spend the next hour (or longer) attempting to get the voice performance “close”, with no chance of elevating to “special”.

As Miles says, pay attention to those first 3 takes.

More importantly, utilize professional casting to ensure a quality end product!

Passionate about the craft of audio,

Brad Belcher