VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[pkuhn]

Hi guys, my name is Phil Kuhn and I've worked in radio as an on air personality, news anchor, and producer, but I'm new to the voice over industry and I know I have a lot to learn. Please take a look at my website and listen to my commercial demo on it. My family and friends tell me I'm a natural, but they have to say that. I want real feedback from people I don't know. I'm trying to figure out if I'm headed in the right direction or if I need to totally change my approach. Thanks!

www.philkuhnproductions.com

[MBVOXX]

Are you sure you are ready for honest feedback?

[pkuhn]

Yes, please. The only way I can get better is if I find out what I'm doing wrong.

[Monk]

Welp. You did your own demo. It sounds it.

That's one of the things I'd fix after you got some coaching to get you to perform behind a microphone, not just read.

You certainly have potential, but it sounds like rip and read copy to me. The demo is too long, to flat.. it's hurting you more than helping you.

As far as the site goes, there have been long discussions here about the cliché microphone image. It says nothing about you. You the individual, you the person who has the personality the client is looking for. I mean it's a nice photo, but meh.

My .o2¢ for what it's worth.
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Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me...

www.monksvoice.com

[pkuhn]

Thank you. I appreciate the honest feedback. Do you have any specific voice coaches that you recommend?

[Yonie]

Where are you in the world, Phil Kuhn?

[pkuhn]

Indiana, United States.

[Bob Bergen]

Hey buddy! First of all, I commend anyone who puts themselves out there asking for critique. That takes guts and risk, and there's no possibility for success without risk.

From the demo, it sounds like you just aren't privy to what a competitive vo demo is all about, both in production and performance. There's nothing bad about your performance. But it's very amateur. Not your fault as this is just where you are in your vo ventures. But you are putting the cart before the horse.

I think you need more training before thinking about a demo. You need to find Phil's voice. Not the sound of your voice, but your delivery voice. I hear you trying in each spot. And this feels like a demo. Even a demo from scratch needs to sound like the spots are broadcast real and from different sources.

There was a time when a regional demo worked well in that region. But now with all things vo online, it matters not where one lives or made the demo. It's being listened to and compared with talent all over the country which includes the major markets.

Check /promoList.do?CLR=-1" target="_blank">outhttp://www.voicebank.net/a/promoList.do?CLR=-1 and compare your demo to the top talent in LA/NYC/CHI. Agencies such as Atlas, DPN, AVO, SBV, CESD, WMA, Buchwald. When you are demo ready you should be as good or better than all of the actors already working and represented.

Hope this helps!!

BB

[pkuhn]

Thank you Bob. I really appreciate this information. I'll work on this. This was very helpful!

[Bruce]

Hi Phil, and once again welcome aboard.

Your selections all sound like small town radio, as in Warsaw, Indiana. If you want to make it to the big time you have to become familiar with "the big time" and eventually emulate the quality of work you'll find there. Listen to the best voice over actors, the ones who are making a living at it. Where do you find them all in one place? Voicebank.net is where. Click on "Voice Over Talent Agency" and see what you can find (listen to) under "men" and "commercial" or "narration" in the LA and NYC agencies. It's fun to listen to the famous people, but I say spend a lot of time listening to the demos of people you don't know. Even if you'll be happy doing work for middle sized markets, you've got to set your sights higher.

How is what they're doing different from what you're doing? If you can't hear the difference it is time to forget this business and move on. The best ones are telling you a story when they're selling a product, or they're creating images and emotions with their narrative reads.

Take your real estate read, "picket fences". You raced through that like a cow for the barn. It's a story with images that need to be nurtured and loved. You're supposed to lure the listener in so they'll pay attention to the sales message.

I'm not a fan of long distance coaching, but you've got to start somewhere. I'm sure folks will make recommendations here, but also try our Search function and enter the word: coaching ... and see what you come up with from previous threads.

Priorities: improve your thought process and delivery through training and practice, create a quality demo reflective of what you can do under almost any circumstance, then worry about your website.


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. .

[MBVOXX]

I was going to mention many of the things that have already been noted.
So, with all of that input in mind, you might also log onto some talent agency websites and listen to the mp3 demos posted in the men's commercial and narration files. Those might help you gain some insight to help improve not only your performance and interpretive skills but also your demo compilation.

And aside from all that's been said previously, I'd pigeon hole you into the category of 'young guy next door'...in which there are already about a 5,000 guys competing for the same work who have the polish and interpretive skill sets that you haven't developed yet. So developing a style that is somewhat unique, that stands out from the herd, is in your best interest. There's no distinction in being the color red in an ocean of red. Listen to the agency demos out there...you'll start to here them ...all those "guy next door" voices...there's a plethora of them and they all sound about the same.
There is a market for them, but not all of them, yet they're all way ahead of you in the game.

From personal experience, having previously worked in the radio biz prior to jumping off into voice work, which for me was an eon ago (1981), my first agent told me the hardest hurdle I had ahead of me was losing my "radio
sound" and unlearning the bad habits I'd picked up from being a DJ...they called us DJ's back then, not 'radio personalities'...lol... Well, she was right, of course. She explained that no ad agency was going to hire a guy who sounded like an FM DJ unless that was a character voice they were casting and I just happened to perfectly fit the casting, and even then, they'd probably hire an actor before hiring a radio guy. So I followed her good advice and started attending VO workshops, Narration workshops, Character voice workshops, until I found my voice and what I could do best. Then I just stayed the course and perfected it as best I could...it's a never ending process, btw.

First step, forget who you were on the radio,
Next, rediscover yourself and your vocal personality
Then, hone it.

[Dan-O]

[Philip Banks]

[pkuhn]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I really do appreciate it. I'll start putting action to these suggestions.