Ep. 311 - Casting Directors Now Want Video Proof You're Not AI, with Gabby Nistico

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Casting directors are starting to ask voice actors for video proof that they're real. One of our members was asked to send a video of themselves reading the script before they could be booked, and it was a real casting agency, not a scam. Gabby and I talk about why this is happening, what it means for your audio and your branding, and why the people hiring you want to see who they're getting.

(00:00) Day two of the new Academy Voices. Unused tool credits now roll over for up to three months.

(01:40) Today's topic. Casting directors want video proof you're not AI.

(02:20) The member who had to send a video of themselves reading before they got the job.

(03:02) Who owns it? Why work made mostly by AI causes problems with rights, royalties and contracts.

(04:18) Clients feel duped. When the audition, the finished audio and the directed session don't sound like the same person. Gabby on why agents test talent beyond the demo.

(05:41) Audio tools are like Photoshop for your voice. Too much, and the client isn't getting what they cast.

(06:41) The real reason we'd lose work. It's not that clients don't want human voices. It's when we're too hard to work with.

(07:34) Mouth noise. Processing it out instead of fixing the problem at the source.

(08:07) Should your samples be video? A listener asks about Upwork. Try a couple of live performances.

(09:04) The people who hire you want to picture you as the voice of their brand.

(09:48) Business on top, party on the bottom. Looking presentable on camera.

(10:26) From phone patches to browser sessions. The more tools clients have, the more they'll want to see you.

(11:42) Why requests for proof will keep growing, and California's new rule that AI voices and actors have to be disclosed.

(13:01) Can you still tell what's AI? The pull back to analog and the political ad problem.

(15:18) There's proof in the pudding, but you have to make the pudding. Put your work out there so people can see you're real.

(17:11) Is the AI threat overhyped? There's still plenty of work out there.

(18:09) Why younger people spot fakes faster than older ones.

(19:30) You need proof too. If someone asks for a video, check who they are first. Scams on automated platforms.

(20:38) It's no different from a client asking for a noise floor test or a short raw file.

(21:13) What actually hurts us is the AI companies' marketing. You have to run your business and market it.

(22:19) Being found when people search with AI instead of Google.

(23:24) A listener asks about custom samples on Upwork that never get a reply.

(24:13) Why you rarely get feedback. Most voice over companies are one to five people looking after hundreds of talent.

(26:30) Get your profile up on the new Academy Voices. Human only, from the start.

(27:30) Voice cloning offers on casting sites, and ACX's rule on AI. More on this next week.

(28:55) Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October.

Our live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcast

When you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcast

Narrators, Academy Voices is human only. https://academyvoices.com

Every episode of the podcast is at https://www.avosjourney.com/podcast/

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