WHAT are celebrity references?
WHY are they used?
HOW can you use them for your VO brand?
And HOW can you determine your own?
Celebrity references are seen in audition breakdowns occasionally. They may also be referred to as “Celebrity Touchstones.”
These are used as a way to help communicate what the client is looking for in a voice actor.
You know when you’re trying to tell someone about a show you’re watching? You may say, “Did you like the Office? If so, you’ll love this show.” It’s a way to describe something unknown (the voice they’re looking for) by using something known (a celebrity reference that others know).
Celebrity references aren’t necessarily voice matches, though.
If someone says a show is like the Office, you expect it to have a similar tone/humor but not be word for word.
Celebrity references can demonstrate a similar –
- Register (if Morgan Freeman is the celebrity reference, what register would be similar? A deep, resonant register)
- Cadence (David Attenborough has a thoughtful, observational cadence)
- Tone (when you think of Kevin Hart, Wanda Sykes, Aziz Anzari, there’s a certain musicality to their voice that’s unique)
- Texture (Sam Elliott has a distinct texture to his voice)
- Essence or Personality (every voice communicates a personality and essence…what does Allison Janney’s voice communicate? What about Cree Summer? YOUR voice could communicate a similar authority to Allison or a whimsy to Cree BUT not be a voice match)
How can you use celebrity references for YOUR VO career?
Overall, use them as a way to describe your voice that’s familiar to most.
Reference them on your –
- Website
- LinkedIn Profile
- Email Submissions to Agents and Rosters
- Online Casting Site Profiles
This could also help a client that’s specifically searching for a “Leslie Jones” type voice actor.
How to determine YOUR own celebrity reference?
- If you’ve booked jobs that included a celebrity reference in the breakdown, what was that celebrity?
- Ask your friends/classmates/coaches what celebrity is similar to your voiceprint.
- If you’ve done our BVOI class (Beginner Intensive), what were the descriptive words your class gave you? Go over those and see which celebrity could also fit them.
Make sure the celebrity is someone most people know. The whole point is for someone to say a name and it immediately evokes a memorable voice.
Feel overwhelmed thinking through these? In our Business, Branding and Marketing On-Demand Course , we include a link to celebrity references that have been LISTED in audition breakdowns for inspiration.
