VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[JBarrett]

I finally took some time to collect samples of the various projects I've worked on that contain my character voice efforts, and put some of it together into a short video. This will eventually go on YouTube, but I didn't want to post it there until after I got some feedback on it. Here's the link to my first version:

http://www.justinsbarrett.com/voice/characterReel_test.m4v

My own thoughts/questions:

• Is it distracting to have the announcer for the first spot in the middle of my character segments? I greyed out the picture to kind of hint that that section should be ignored, but I'm not sure that's the best way to handle it. If I cut it out completely, the first clip would be less than a second, and the cut to the second part would be kind of jarring, but then there wouldn't be any other voices but mine for that piece. One alternate plan is to put my opening title in that space instead (killing the version over the curtain) and use phase inversion to nix the announcer voice, but the phase-inverted sound is kinda nasty. Thoughts?
  
• The music in the third clip overpowers my voice a bit, but it's the only version of that segment that I've been able to find. Is it okay as-is, or should I remove it?
  
• The final piece is the only one that's not from a game or animated project, or I would have labeled this a game/animation demo. It's also unique because I was hired as a sound match for the original versions of those two characters. Is it okay to include it, or should sound-alike material be kept separate?
  

_________________
Justin S. Barrett
http://www.justinsbarrett.com/

[Bob Bergen]

Hi Justin. Is this intended to be an interactive game demo??? That's what it seems to be.

Is every voice/ sound you?? When it comes to this kind of demo, every voice should be you.

Here's my problem with the demo. It feels you are more concerned about comprising a demo from real clips/real work. A demo does not need to consist of real work. It just needs to be real good. There is good work on this demo. But it needs to be edited tighter and made clear that every character we hear is you. And if some is not you, it should not be included.

Some of the bits are too long. And the Vegie Tail stuff doesn't fit. It's a stretch to include impressions/stills with actual work.

Buyers will not be more impressed by a visual if the characters aren't brilliant and original. Better to have a one minute of a brilliant audio demo than to try and impress em with video.

Bottom line is, the demo needs clarification and tightening. Don't get me wrong. What I can tell is you is good!! But I'll bet you can impress more with an audio version where you can have more creative control over what the characters say and do.

[JBarrett]

Thanks, Bob. My goal was just to make a general character voice demo using material from previous projects. I would happily get a more traditional audio-only animation/game character demo produced, but I can't afford it. I've seen others with these kinds of video demos showcasing their character work, and I'm tired of not having more marketing materials for this kind of work, so I chose to make what I could with what I have. I can certainly tighten up the edit if that will help it.

Every voice but one is mine. The only voice that's not me is the "New Boom Blox, the video game" announcer in the first clip, which is why I asked about its inclusion in my initial comments. I'm torn between leaving that snippet in and causing some confusion with the voice change, trimming it out and living with a weird edit, or dropping that spot altogether. Just not sure which is the best move.

The VeggieTales piece is from an actual paying job where I was hired to voice those characters. For various reasons, the company couldn't use the talent who normally voiced those characters (and others) for that particular project, so they ended up hiring others to re-create the voices he did, and I got hired to do those two. I just couldn't find any video footage of the show online, which is why I used stills instead.
_________________
Justin S. Barrett
http://www.justinsbarrett.com/

[Bob Bergen]

You are quite good!

Every voice on a character demo needs to be you. So remove what isn't.

I hear your frustration with being tired of not having something out there. But the buyers don't want just something. They want something brilliant. It's hard to impossible to get a second chance. More today than ever. Buyers and agents get brilliant demos daily, and they can't work with everyone. But those with the best stand the best chance. You are too good to put something out there that won't curl their toes. Everyone is on the same boat. We've all been there. This is an expensive venture. But those who stand out just do it. No excuses, no explanation, and they never, ever put anything less than brilliant out there. Can't afford what showcases you the best? Wait. Don't have the best clips to represent your best? Don't put anything out there that isn't brilliant. Wait. And in the end, it's better to have 30 seconds of brilliant than 2 minutes of mediocre. You are far from mediocre. Your marketing needs to be as good as you are.

And there's just something that feels desperate about the way Veggietales is presented. Too much explanation regarding an impression of the original, etc. Again, no one cares if the work is real. They want real good work. And the way the demo goes from finished work to stills just lays flat.

B

[JBarrett]

[Ed Fisher]

I agree with Bob. (a very SAFE position, BTW)

If's it not YOUR VOICE, it should not be there. PERIOD. It's not important whether what the character is saying "makes any sense" The auditioner is listening for the voice and the acting, and could care less if they understand what's going on.

Tighten it up. Shorter cuts. Bang. Bang. Be brutal. Don't fall in love with your own material. It might seem painful, but kick out some of what you know is good....and just leave what's Great.


_________________
"I reserve the right to be completely wrong."

[Bob Bergen]

[Jason Huggins]