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

Send us Fan Mail 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/ Support the show Social Links:    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEY Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/