VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Adam Bullock]

hey its adam again, i finally found a way to make my demo into an mp3. So please critique and enjoy!!!

http://www.vo-bb.com/demos/BullockDemo.mp3

[KaraEdwards]

Hey Adam!

A few thoughts...the quality of the recording is very bad. You will want to improve your home set-up, or have a professional studio produce the demo.

Which leads me to...this demo needs production elements. Right now it sounds like a guy sitting in his house making voices...you want it to sound like this is what you do for a living.

Listen to the demos of the pros on this board. Then go to www.voicebank.net and listen to those animation demos. This is what you want yours to sound like.

Keep working and you will do great!
_________________
Threadjackers local 420

Kara Edwards
http://www.karaedwards.com
kara@karaedwards.com

[Jeffrey Kafer]

pretty much what Kara said. I also noticed some bumps and pops and background noise in the recording. Definitely want to get those out.

This demo is not ready to shop around. I think you've got some decent ideas for characters, but you need to get some better production values to really showcase them.
_________________
Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[Bailey]

I am not really into "character" type voices... but I do agree with the other responses made so far. I'm trying to look at what you have, and what further improvements can be made.
The 1:04 recording time is very comfortable, but you have to remember that you only have 6 to 8 seconds to "hook" the listener. Your best... and I mean "your best" character has to be up front. I counted 12 "different" voices in your demo. I realize you're trying to show variety, but you need to trim down your characters to about 5 or 6. Your current 12 characters are given about 5 seconds each... not nearly enough time to establish the character's personality.
As I mentioned... pick 5 or 6 of your "best" characters. Develop them fully... in your mind and on paper. Get to know each character inside out, and make each one totally unique.
_________________
"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044 .gif" alt="W00T" border="0" />
AOVA Graduate 02/2004 ;
"Be a Voice, not an Echo."

[Adam Bullock]

Thaks to those who replied to my demo post. Yes i can do 5-6 chracters and develope their personalities. As for the bad quality....yes you can hear background noise, some bumps and pops heard but its not that bad! I know i'm not that experienced in this field to say it but the voices sound clear enough to hear them, ya know and maybe i just need to get a good mic for my computer and that will clear up the sound. As for home set up, i'm using a mac book to make this demo, but i don't have the money to just buy a good sound mixer or what ever. I should go to a professional stuio, does any body know of a good one in phoenix arizona, prefertably that specializes in vo's? And is cheap to make one?
But all in all, thank you guys again for the feed back, i know it'll make me a better vo artist!
-adam
p.s. i'll try and fix some the things you guys metioned, with what i have at home, to make it a little better.

[Hart]

Ask around, you never know who or what you'll find. Other VO's in the area might be willing to help out. If you were in Raleigh I'd invite you over to my place, but that's a bit of a drive for you. If you're really strapped for cash you could always bribe a production director at a radio station to record you. It probably won't be as good as a pro studio setup but it should be a big step up.


It doesn't take a lot of money to create a passable at-home setup either. You might do a little research in the archives of the gear section. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars.
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Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions

[Jeffrey Kafer]

[Adam Bullock]

jeff,

Yeah i do still have allot of work to do, your right. And of course its amateur, cause i've never done any kind of vo work before, so thats why i'm hear to get work and get experience out of it so i don't sound amature.....srry if i sound like an jerk about this but all i want....is for some to give me a shot, take chance and let my talents with voices shine through, ok. This is the one skill i'm good at and i'm trying my best to get the things i need to get done to achieve my goal. I'll take thr critisms and the critiques bit like i said, will any body give me shot at this or not! I just need someone to guide me through.'

[Jeffrey Kafer]

No one here is going to be able to give you a bullet point list of what you need to do to be a successful voice-over artist. The journey to that destination is different for everyone.

If you really want to find your stride and build the skills to be successful, there are many voice coaches out there who would be willing to take you on as a client. Check the archives for some recommendations.
_________________
Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[Deirdre]

Most producers doing real work do not have time or the desire to train a n00b, so expecting someone to "give you a shot" or "guide you through" is a pipe drama. Your training and practice are your responsibility.

I also recommend that you take better care of your typing skills.
If you are incapacitated in some way I don't know about, I'm sorry to hear it—but your messages here are available to be read world-wide, and your haphazard method of communicating can be a colossal turn-off.
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DBCooperVO.com

[Adam Bullock]

Again thanks for the suggestions and i'll try to take them to heart and use them as i can.
-adam

[Bailey]

Adam, check out Arizona Production Association(click on the link).On the left side of the screen, there is a yellow Directory column. Look through some of the sub-directories... Sound/Music, Talent. You may find some useful information that may be in your general area. Even if it is just for answers to questions you may have about VO training availability in Arizona.
_________________
"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044 .gif" alt="W00T" border="0" />
AOVA Graduate 02/2004 ;
"Be a Voice, not an Echo."

[Adam Bullock]

Thank you Bailey, you seem like your very wise person on here, i very appreciate your help!
-adam

[donrandall]

Adam - you have received thousands of dollars worth of very, very good advice so far, and all for no cost to you. Not a bad deal, eh?

Deirdre made an extremely important point. We are communicators. When you are in contact with someone - anyone actually, but especially people in this business - make damned sure you communicate well and effectively. Poor sentence construction, bad grammar and lousy spelling may kill a chance to make a very useful contact that could have been very helpful and valuable to your development. Do not introduce any negatives that can be avoided. Yes, showing the positives is important - but even more important for some folks, is to avoid showing any negatives. You have to show others that you really care about what you do and how you present yourself.

[KaraEdwards]

Adam,

It sounds like you actually want to purue this dream. I hope you are able to maintain your enthusiasm throughout your entire career.

One more piece of advice...let your work speak for you. Don't tell anyone you've done a good job, show them what a good job you can do! Also, take all criticism for what it is...people trying to help you. No one here is trying to dash your dreams.

We've all heard critiques that hurt...you have to move past it and find ways to improve your craft based on the observations of the professionals in the industry. Good luck!
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Threadjackers local 420

Kara Edwards
http://www.karaedwards.com
kara@karaedwards.com