This project is a high-impact audio drama demo reel created to showcase my work as a freelance sound designer, sound effects artist, and audio storyteller, with a focus on cinematic audio and radio drama production.
The reel will feature a series of fully produced, audio drama–style scenes, each set in a distinct world, featuring horror, sci-fi, thriller, and grounded realism. While the scenes are short and standalone, each one will be treated as a finished, polished final product, not a rough demo or table read.
Voice actors will be placed in richly layered, cinematic soundscapes, with careful mixing, spatial design, and dynamic range intended to elevate performances and present them at their absolute best. These scenes are crafted to sound release-ready, making them strong portfolio pieces for both the sound designer and the cast involved.
This project is my most ambitious attempt to showcase my full range of skills; the closest example as to what I envision can be seen in the linked YouTube video exhibiting my voice acting demo reel, which I had directed and done full sound design for.
Roles range from grounded, naturalistic dialogue to high-intensity, emotional, and horror-adjacent performances
Some scenes include yelling, panic, urgency, or elevated volume
Actors should be comfortable delivering clear, controlled performances even at high intensity
Pay is a flat rate. You can refer to individual role descriptions for specific pay.
Paid per completed role
Payment method: PayPal and Venmo (please let me know if you have other payment method preferences)
While this is not a studio-exclusive project, audio quality is very important due to the nature of the sound design.
Recommended (not required):
Analog microphones (preferred due to dynamic range and handling of louder performances)
Required:
A quiet, treated recording environment
Clean recordings (no clipping, minimal background noise and walla)
Proper mic etiquette, especially during louder or more intense dialogue
Actors do not need expensive gear, as a good performance + clean audio is what matters most.
Additional Notes!This is a collaborative, actor-friendly project with clear direction and respect for performers’ time
Actors will be credited wherever the reel is shared professionally
This project is ideal for actors interested in audio drama, horror, radio plays, games, and cinematic VO
Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well. First and foremost, I apologize for the long wait. Due to some unforseen events, I haven't had the proper time to completely review each submission. I am back on track, and anticipate roles will be fully shortlisted and cast by 3/28.
Once again, thank you everyone for taking the time and effort to submit an audition. Your talent means so much and will not go unoticed!
Thank you so much to everyone who auditioned for this project. I am endlessly grateful for your talent, skill, time, and regard for my vision.
By now, the deadline for auditions has been reached. Over the coming days, I will be reviewing each audition. This might take a few days, but it is imperative that I view each audition with utmost care and honesty.
Due to the incredible amount of submissions, I must unfortunately say that not everyone will be cast. I appreciate each and every one of you regardless. I have been lightly skimming, and can say that even if you do not get the role you were hoping for, there is still a great chance I will have your profile noted down for future reference.
Thank you all, and I wish you the most fortunate careers as voice actors!
Cheers,
Max
Genre: Gothic Horror / Dark Fantasy
Tone: Desperate, ominous, mythic
Setting: A medieval village cathedral
Voice Type: Any; emotionally expressive, breath-forward
Age Range: Any adult
Description:
Nicholas is a man driven past exhaustion by love and fear. He begins the scene frantic and physically spent, his voice shaped by breathlessness and panic. When he reaches the cathedral, his desperation turns raw and pleading. This is his last hope. Nicholas is not brave; he is committed.
This scene is inspired by gothic themes found in Netflix's "Castlevania" (2019).
The third audition line is purely efforts and exertions.
(cries out in desperation) Help!! My wife, she hasn't much longer to live. Please, they've said you were the only one who could fix her.
(while running) Help! Help! Please-
*Nicholas is running as fast as he can; he reaches the cathedral and pulls open its large doors, slipping inside.*
Genre: Gothic Horror / Dark Fantasy
Tone: Desperate, ominous, mythic
Setting: A medieval village cathedral
Voice Type: Low to mid range preferred; controlled, resonant. Similar to "Alucard" from Castlevania (2019). Here is an example of his voice:
Age Range: Any adult
Description:
Silas is ancient, composed, and unnervingly calm. He holds absolute power in the scene and knows it. His voice should feel effortless and deliberate, with a hint of dry amusement rather than cruelty. He does not need to raise his voice to intimidate, as his presence alone does the work. His reveal is understated, confident, and inevitable.
This scene is inspired by gothic themes found in Netflix's "Castlevania" (2019).
The third audition line is purely efforts and exertions.
And why would I help just anyone?
I was once human, but no longer.
*Silas propels to the ground from the rafters and lands at the end of the long hallway.*
Genre: Survival Horror
Tone: Tense, visceral, adrenaline-charged
Setting: An abandoned hospital overtaken during a zombie apocalypse
Voice Type: Any; strong physicality and breath control required. Voice claim is similar to Ellie Williams from "The Last of Us: Part 2"
Age Range: Any adult
Lines: 7
Description:
Alice is alert, resourceful, and running on borrowed time. Her performance lives in breath-controlled whispers that snap into panicked exertion when the danger reveals itself. She’s not fearless, but she acts despite fear. The actor must sell exertion, adrenaline, and exhaustion without losing clarity. This is survival through instinct.
This scene is inspired by "The Last of Us: Part 2."
The final audition line is purely efforts and exertion. Extra points if you are able to execute a "life-or-death" yell on the swings, to evoke the impact and weight of both the bat and the having to kill what was once a human being.
(trying to be as quiet as possible) The first aid kit's here somewhere. Wait, no- I see it.
That was close. Way too close.
*Alice grabs the kit. (with adrenaline) She turns around, slides her bat from her pack, and takes several swings at the zombie.*
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi Horror
Tone: Panicked, rapidly escalating
Setting: A top-secret government facility.
Voice Type: Any; high-energy, defensive
Age Range: Any adult
Description:
Two laboratory scientists leading a top-top secret government project were tasked with reviving a previously extinct creature. However, upon returning the following day, the cage is found to be wide open. These two scientists are comedically freaking out at each other.
You said it was contained.
Then why was is the perimeter alarm—
(after new character enters) Who are you?
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi Horror
Tone: Panicked, rapidly escalating
Setting: A top-secret government facility.
Voice Type: Any; high-energy, defensive
Age Range: Any adult
Description:
Two laboratory scientists leading a top-top secret government project were tasked with reviving a previously extinct creature. However, upon returning the following day, the cage is found to be wide open. These two scientists are comedically freaking out at each other.
It was contained! There was absolutely NO way it could have gotten out!
I don't KNOW! Oh man, the boss'— He's gonna have our heads for this!
What?
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi Horror
Tone: Panicked, rapidly escalating
Setting: A top-secret government facility.
Voice Type: Calm, steady, grounded
Age Range: Any adult
Lines: 2
Description:
After two scientists find the cage housing their deadly creature to be wide open, they start freaking out. However, "Scientist 3" arrived at work a few hours earlier and knows more about the serious situation. This character means business, and there's no time to waste.
We need to leave. Now
If you want even a fraction of guaranteed survival, you have to follow me.
Genre: Cosmic Horror / Sci-Fi Horror / Analog Horror
Tone: Calmly apocalyptic, uncanny, deeply unsettling
Setting: A quiet living room interrupted by an emergency radio broadcast
Broadcast Voice
Voice Type: Any. Bureaucratic and cold.
Age Range: Any adult
Lines: 4
Description:
Imagine waking up one morning to the unsettling sound of emergency broadcast alarms. The Broadcast Voice begins as something almost comforting: neutral, procedural, and slightly imperfect, like an automated system trying to sound human. As the scene progresses, subtle cracks form, and by the end, the voice becomes inhuman.
This is an automated emergency notification from the Central Preservation Bureau. Please remain calm. Do not attempt to leave your domicile.
For your safety, please close all curtains and look away from any sources of moonlight.
(The "human" filter drops entirely. The voice is now cold, resonant, and echoing) Please do not be alarmed by the sound of the extraction units. They are simply performing a routine biological audit. You are safe.
Genre: Psychological Horror / Thriller
Tone: Intimate, unsettling, slow-burning dread
Setting: A therapy room that subtly warps into something far more threatening
Themes: Loss of control, perception vs. reality, invasive authority, memory intrusion
Elias
Voice Type: Mid-to-low range preferred; emotionally flexible. Similar cadence to Hugh Dancy's portrayal of Will Graham (from the Hannibal (2013) series). Realistic cadence.
Age Range: Early 20s–early 30s
Lines: 5
Description:
Elias is guarded, intelligent, and deeply unsettled; someone trying desperately to maintain control while reality slips out from under him. His fear is subtle at first: tight breaths, clipped phrasing, restraint. As the scene progresses, that restraint fractures into panic. The actor must convey internal terror without melodrama, reacting to sound and implication as much as spoken words. Vulnerability is key.
(voice tight) It’s not the silence. It’s the...
I feel like if I stop talking, everything will... change. You look different today, Doctor.
Wh- why would it be like that? No, this isn't right. Stop!
Genre: Psychological Horror / Thriller
Tone: Intimate, unsettling, slow-burning dread
Setting: A therapy room that subtly warps into something far more threatening
Themes: Loss of control, perception vs. reality, invasive authority, memory intrusion
Voice Type: Calm, controlled, quietly authoritative
Age Range: 30s–50s
Lines: 7
Description:
Dr. Aris is composed, observant, and unsettlingly perceptive. Their voice is grounded and reassuring on the surface, but there’s something invasive beneath it. As the scene unfolds, their tone subtly shifts from clinical professionalism to something intimate and predatory, as if they know more than they should. The performance should feel controlled, intentional, and quietly dangerous, but never overtly villainous. Think of Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal of Hannibal Lecter.
The silence is part of the work, Elias. You don’t need to fill it.
I only hear your breath. How are you feeling?
Now, that's progress.
Genre: Psychological Horror / Surreal Thriller
Tone: Quietly menacing, disorienting, restrained panic
Setting: A subway car suspended in a liminal, in-between state
Voice Type: Any; conversational and grounded
Age Range: Any adult
Lines: 3
Description:
The Passenger is an ordinary person caught in an extraordinary pause. They begin tentative and polite, unsure if they’re misunderstanding something, but quickly shift into quiet urgency. Fear is practical, confused, and deeply human. The performance should feel spontaneous, like someone realizing too late that the rules of reality have changed.
(quiet; uneasy) Is this... (stands up and calls out to the empty cabin) Excuse me? Is this the Pierson station?
I don't understand, I have to get off here!
Genre: Psychological Horror / Surreal Thriller
Tone: Quietly menacing, disorienting, restrained panic
Setting: A subway car suspended in a liminal, in-between state
ConductorVoice Type: Neutral, authoritative, emotionally distant
Age Range: Any adult
Description:
The Conductor is a disembodied voice of control speaking over a train's intercom. Calm, procedural, and devoid of empathy. Their delivery should feel routine.
Please remain seated.
Genre: Satirical
Tone: Exhilarated, unsettling, casually sinister
Setting: An outdoor weapons testing range
Voice Type: Any; energetic and expressive
Age Range: Any adult
Lines: 4
Description:
The Client is thrilled by power. Their excitement is genuine, almost playful, but carries an undercurrent of recklessness. Laughter and enthusiasm are key.
Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about! That thing's got a kick to it!
Don't mind if I do.
(yelling out) Woo hooo!!!
Genre: Dark Thriller / Satirical Horror
Tone: Exhilarated, unsettling, casually sinister
Setting: An outdoor weapons testing range
Voice Type: Smooth, controlled, persuasive
Age Range: Any adult
Lines: 3
Description:
The Weapon’s Supplier is professional, polished, and unnervingly accommodating. They speak like a high-end sales representative, offering violence with the same tone one might use to upsell a premium feature.
Care to try out our crossbow?
Of course. Anything you'd like, we can make it happen.
