Voice Casting at BAM Studios: Finding the Right Voice for Every Project
A great voice can make a message unforgettable.
At BAM Studios, voice casting is more than simply finding someone who can read a script — it’s about discovering the voice that truly connects with your audience. Whether the project is a national campaign, a regional commercial, an audiobook, or a digital production, the right voice can elevate the entire piece.
My name is Dave Leffel, and I’ve spent nearly 35 years in post-production audio as a sound designer, mixer, ADR supervisor, and voice-over talent. At BAM, I continue to work across all of these disciplines while also serving as Casting Director—a role I’ve grown into over time. Through that, I’ve built strong relationships with voice actors and talent agencies nationwide, allowing me to help clients identify the right talent to match the tone, audience, and budget of each project.
Local Casting with Chicago’s Top Talent
Chicago has one of the most diverse and talented voice-over communities in the country.
When a client needs a local casting, I typically work with two or three Chicago talent agencies that best match the project’s needs. From there, I can provide clear rate quotes and talent options so clients can move forward confidently within their budget.
Depending on the project, casting may involve:
• A single voice for a commercial or narration
• Multiple voices for characters, dialogue, or campaigns
• Union or non-union talent options
At BAM, we regularly work with both SAG-AFTRA union agencies and non-union agents, giving our clients the flexibility to choose the approach that best suits their production.
National Casting for Larger Campaigns
For larger campaigns, casting often expands well beyond Chicago.
For national projects, I typically reach out to up to ten agencies across Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles to create a broad and competitive pool of talent. Most national campaigns involve SAG-AFTRA union talent, particularly for broadcast advertising and larger brand campaigns.
However, casting can sometimes take a more creative approach.
In one recent project, the client was producing spots that would air across five different states, and they specifically wanted voices from those regions. To make that happen, I worked directly with local agencies in each state, sourcing authentic voices that matched the regional tone the client was looking for — while still keeping the project within budget.
Preparing Auditions for the Best Listening Experience
Casting isn’t just about gathering auditions — it’s also about presenting them properly.
Many actors today record from home studios, which has expanded the available talent pool tremendously. But it also means that audition recordings often arrive at very different recording levels, and sometimes with background noise or technical inconsistencies.
Before presenting auditions to clients, I carefully:
• Adjust each audition to consistent professional levels
• Clean up any excessive background noise
• Ensure the playback experience is smooth and balanced
This step is incredibly important. When every audition is presented at the proper level and quality, clients can focus on performance and voice quality — not technical distractions.
Recording with Quality as the Priority
Whenever possible, we prefer to record talent locally at BAM, where we have complete control over the recording environment and technical quality.
Our studios were designed specifically for voice work, with acoustically isolated booths and premium monitoring environments that ensure every recording meets the highest professional standards.
However, modern production often requires flexibility.
When talent is located outside Chicago, we can help source and book professional recording studios anywhere in the country to capture the session. We also work with experienced talent who record from well-equipped home studios. Before any remote session begins, we always run technical tests to make sure the audio quality meets our standards.
Quality is always the priority.
Bringing the Right Voice to Your Project
Voice casting is both a technical and creative process. It requires industry relationships, an understanding of performance, and a commitment to presenting clients with the best possible choices.
At BAM, our goal is simple: find the voice that makes your message come alive.
If you’re planning a commercial, narration, audiobook, or branded project, we’d love to help bring the right voice to your production.
We hope to work with you on your next casting and voice recording session.
If you’d like a closer look at our world-class sound studios and vocal booths, explore them here: https://www.bamstudios.com/about/#studio-photos
