logologo
jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com 202-738-1151
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Euro Vo Retreat
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Euro Vo Retreat
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

Young. Fresh. Hip. Current. Real. Gen Y. Gen Z. Millennial.

If you’ve been around the voiceover industry for more than a week you’ve probably learned those terms by heart. They are the adjectives that have dominated casting for the past five years, as buyers have flocked to youthful talent with the sound of the 18-34 generation that is so heavily targeted, especially in advertising.

Indeed, many middle-aged and senior talent who have entered the market in the past decade with golden voices and enunciation to spare have been shocked to find demand for their dulcet tones on the wane, and have struggled to understand why experience and gravitas no longer seemed to fit the majority of casting specs.

The world has been tumultuous for awhile, but with an economy that was generally doing well, low unemployment, and few large-scale concerns other than daily grumbles about politics or corporate greed, the order of the day for the better part of the twenty-teens was chill, casual, and relaxed. Less-is-more dominated the voice casting zeitgeist, and the fresher and less intentional your reads the better. Talent under 30 owned castings in broadcast genres, and were making strong inroads into even traditionally weighty fields like Corporate Narration, E-Learning, and Medical Narration.

Sadly, 2020 happened. With one terrifying headline after another emerging from early in the year, the voiceover industry hit an inflection point unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Indeed, for a period of time in March, as the COVID pandemic was new and beyond frightening, demand for younger talent came to very nearly a screeching halt. Suddenly every spec was 35-65, warm, reassuring, calming, and authoritative. Zoomers got ghosted by buyers across the genre spectrum. Under-30s were sitting in front of their 416s waiting for calls from agents that just weren’t coming. It was like a switch had flipped.

Since the dark early days of the crisis the industry has pivoted back to a middle ground, but one trend remains clear: Older talent are more in demand right now than at any time in the past decade. The average casting brief I see currently is 35-45, whereas just six months ago it was heavily 18-30. There are more jobs looking for 40-65+ talent than at any time in recent memory. Fortunately for younger talent, fatigue with the haunting tone of so many crisis spots has shifted a good deal of work back in the direction of the younger set, but there is a new balance that I expect will last for some time.

If your sound is 40+, this is your moment. The market is calling. Are you prepared to answer?

As for you youngsters…..us middle-aged folks are happy to see you booking again, but please…..stay the hell off of our lawn.

Trackback URL: https://www.jmcvoiceover.com/2020/07/14/revenge-of-the-boomers-how-voiceover-casting-is-shifting-in-2020/trackback/

J. Michael Collins
Previous PostWhy I'm Not the Right Voiceover Coach or Demo...
Next PostDesperate Decisions are Bad Decisions: Don't ...
8 Comments
  • Joshua Alexander July 14, 2020 Reply

    Haha! Great blog as usual, JMC. I feel a bit fortunate that my voice can be a bit of a pendulum and straddle that age line, but I completely get how it’s swung so drastically over the past few months. Thanks for always clearly highlighting the how’s and why’s.

  • Paul Matthews July 14, 2020 Reply

    A fantastic and encouraging tidbit of information for this mid-century guy on my way up! Your insight and positive affirmations ‘Get my motor running’ even more! Great blog!!

  • Andrea July 14, 2020 Reply

    🧐🤔😏😂🤓👍

  • Russ DeWolfe July 14, 2020 Reply

    Nice evaluation of the market as always. Thanks for your input!

  • Jane Beverley July 14, 2020 Reply

    Yes, let’s hope. that reverence for dulcet tones continues as I prepare to launch my business this fall.

  • Al Moulliet July 15, 2020 Reply

    Happily reading this, while I can usually crossover, this is the opportunity to relax and record. Looking forward to adding texture to my next audition.

  • Don Kohri July 17, 2020 Reply

    JMC,
    Great update.
    At my age, work should be streaming in!

  • Margaret Ashley November 13, 2020 Reply

    Thanks for this, I agree there does seem to be more people looking for mature, reassuring, calming voices. I think people feel the need for reassurance and someone/thing they can trust. Hope we are still considered when this is all over, after all we are here and our voices have experience.

Leave a comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Archives
Subscribe
  • Receive News & Updates
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
RECENT TWEETS

@jmcvoiceover

January 18th 2021 05:01:45

https://t.co/FPkETFCxTZ

@jmcvoiceover

January 18th 2021 01:01:22

https://t.co/89rhMteg8P

Are you honoring your colleagues' kindness when they give you the gift of a recommendation… https://t.co/ewP1XnGptL

@jmcvoiceover

January 14th 2021 11:01:17

@jasonkappus LOL :)

@jmcvoiceover

January 14th 2021 11:01:13

Always a blast working with talent repped by Impressive Talent, and this group was legit impressive! #vo #voiceover https://t.co/lDCKvMQNRW

@jmcvoiceover

January 9th 2021 07:01:49

@aganguzza This x100

@jmcvoiceover

January 8th 2021 11:01:05

Devastated by the loss of @bradvenable May you rest in piece, my friend.

@jmcvoiceover

December 25th 2020 12:12:20

From our family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Wishing all safety, health, and prosperit… https://t.co/eUp74u7F1Y

@jmcvoiceover

December 22nd 2020 07:12:48

#vo #voiceover https://t.co/DOE7PurDKv

@jmcvoiceover

December 21st 2020 01:12:06

Congrats to JMC Demos clients Doug Turkel, Stacey Kimble, Gaynor Kelly, Jason Kappus, Jenn Henry, and Paul Cartwrig… https://t.co/rAPSAfM4lq

@jmcvoiceover

December 15th 2020 12:12:24

#vo #voiceover https://t.co/rZpdx4tHpn

@jmcvoiceover

December 12th 2020 03:12:27

#vo #voiceover #voiceovers https://t.co/yZQjxA7gC2

@jmcvoiceover

December 11th 2020 12:12:40

https://t.co/BBWJse3954

Check out part 2 of my blog on where the industry stands in the year of COVID, featuring t… https://t.co/TEOzp7WNqT

@jmcvoiceover

December 11th 2020 12:12:03

#vo #voiceover #voiceovers https://t.co/DvppE8uffb

@jmcvoiceover

December 10th 2020 04:12:28

https://t.co/Ow7dpfkQ7D

@jmcvoiceover

December 9th 2020 09:12:18

@jemrosenfeld @Joanthevoice @rgaskins1 @SovasVoice @ThatsVoiceover https://t.co/nEQ2uvdOLs

@jmcvoiceover

December 9th 2020 07:12:08

#vo #voiceover https://t.co/VWtvRtIInx

@jmcvoiceover

December 8th 2020 01:12:50

https://t.co/kjrMJggjFc

@jmcvoiceover

December 7th 2020 12:12:31

https://t.co/6isS4eNAd1

@jmcvoiceover

December 7th 2020 05:12:29

@UrbanLegendVO @jasonkappus That gives new meaning to food porn.

@jmcvoiceover

December 6th 2020 04:12:27

https://t.co/pJz0RhZxHC

@jmcvoiceover

December 5th 2020 06:12:40

https://t.co/nTFRx1uEBX

@jmcvoiceover

December 4th 2020 12:12:09

https://t.co/SfHkVz8pNC

@jmcvoiceover

December 4th 2020 10:12:23

@DustinEbaugh Prayers for your whole family...

@jmcvoiceover

December 3rd 2020 07:12:27

@johnnyheller Note to self: Do not piss off audiobook people. They have words.

@jmcvoiceover

December 3rd 2020 12:12:14

https://t.co/NQBRXHoObP

@jmcvoiceover

December 2nd 2020 12:12:05

https://t.co/Z8eOC5ftXJ

@jmcvoiceover

December 1st 2020 11:12:49

@VoicesByKelli It was my distinct pleasure. You're fantastic!

@jmcvoiceover

December 1st 2020 11:12:15

An advent calendar of VO advice, you say? Here's 1 of 25. #vo #voiceovers #voiceover https://t.co/BCetwGz4uQ

@jmcvoiceover

November 28th 2020 01:11:29

@peterdickson https://t.co/IHLsWBEaJJ

@jmcvoiceover

November 25th 2020 09:11:27

RT @vlbarrera_vo: I am super excited to share my latest episode featuring guest @jmcvoiceover! It was so much fun talking with him and lear…

@jmcvoiceover

November 23rd 2020 12:11:39

@TheMicheleLyman Thank you!

@jmcvoiceover

November 22nd 2020 03:11:18

Check out this great interview with the JMC Demos Animation & Video Game team, led by Matt Curtis! #vo #voiceover… https://t.co/WYM2jvXjQS

@jmcvoiceover

November 21st 2020 09:11:36

@VoxProPat 😳😳😳

@jmcvoiceover

November 21st 2020 08:11:24

Congrats to Soraya Butler on winning the 2020 SOVAS Academic Scholarship! #vo #voiceover #sovas

Photo credit to La… https://t.co/AcS0IERihu

@jmcvoiceover

November 20th 2020 06:11:49

Excited to be a part of That’s Voiceover this weekend. If you haven’t gotten your ticket at https://t.co/eOPOG7QtJq … https://t.co/R8AX4Yy2j9

CONTACT
202-738-1151
jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Euro Vo Retreat
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

Privacy Policy ©2020 J. Michael Collins // Voice Over Site by Voice Actor Websites