VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Kookster · Contributor Joined: 01 Mar 2014 Posts: 40 Location: UK

Hello lovely people at VO-BB (I'm not creeping, honest!)

Well I feel it's kick up the butt time. I had a new commercial and narrative reel put together at a studio - using some actual work done, and some just dummy scripts. I just feel I'm missing something. Listening to many other reels I think "Oooh uhhu, that's nice!" and then listen to my own and feel a bit well... "blah".

Does my vocal need some serious one-on-one? Is it the content? Is it both? Is it just because I've listened to it too many times? I can take the tough love (like a girl). Laugh

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20974380/Caroline%20Ashby%20Commercial%20Reel.mp3

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20974380/Caroline%20Ashby%20Narrative%20Reel.mp3

Thank you very muchly!
Cari Smile

Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 6:59 am Post subject:

Hi, Cari, and welcome! I only had the chance to listen to just a bit of the first demo and will listen more later, and I'm SURE you'll get lots of really good feedback here, but I have to say that besides having a lovely voice, the music overwhelms you. In link #1, cuts 1 and 3 sound like music from the same music library and in both cases the music almost drowns you out. I'd definitely get a remix.

More to come! Wink

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Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

www.voicebyscott.com

Kookster · Contributor Joined: 01 Mar 2014 Posts: 40 Location: UK

Hi Scott, and thank you for the welcome! Smile

No.1 and 3 were tv ads put together at clients end, so no chance on changing the levels I guess? I can hear what you're saying now that's pointed out!

Bruce · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 9:54 am Post subject:

Hello Kookster, or should I say Caroline?

Your commercial demo is long enough that you can afford to take out the not as helpful clips such as the first one where your voice is a bit buried. I'd pick 1:00 or so of clips that show as much variety in delivery as possible.

The narration demo is a good length. I would be tempted to move the first clip further back because it sounds so much like a commercial, but that's nit picky.

Picking up on Scott's note, it would be nice if your voice came out stronger and more clearly in all of these clips. That's up to your demo engineer.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Kookster · Contributor Joined: 01 Mar 2014 Posts: 40 Location: UK

Hi there Bruce

Caroline, Cari, Numpty... all answered to in equal measure. Smile

I can hear exactly what you're both saying there. Cut the vocal wheat from the chaff so to speak. I'm not sure I'll be able to return to studio and have it edited without paying a bunch more moola but it 'may' well be possible to crop it myself. Only one way to find out I guess!

Thanks everso for taking the time to listen!
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(otherwise known as Cari, if you squint it looks like Carl) Smile

Bruce · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2014 12:26 pm Post subject:

I took the liberty of taking your demo and tightening it up and sweetening it a bit. It's much better to do this from scratch than to modify your current demo, but it should give you an idea of my thoughts anyway:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y888dpngswi5nr1/sxZDOhZKvK

Bruce
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

samowry · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:05 pm Post subject:

Nice work Bruce. You too Caroline.

Kookster · Contributor Joined: 01 Mar 2014 Posts: 40 Location: UK

Thank you Bruce, what a difference a little editing makes! Listening back to the original I can see how people might drift off (to sleep)... it is kind of long isn't it.. and some of those reads not really adding anything to the mix. Thank you for taking the time to do that to show me, very kind indeed!

Hi Samowry, thanks! Smile