VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Brian Smith

Hey all! I've been lurking a few days to soak up all the knowledge from the various threads and listen to your demos. Goodness! Talented folks here.

Taking a look at Russ's fine and pithy main site, prior thread, got me thinking about the other end of the Website spectrum, the verbose, and once that happened I figured it was time to introduce myself by way of a critique request for a site that's about a month old.

"Approach" is the first word of the subject because mine is aimed at only one segment of the talent-hiring world: corporate marketing departments. Why limit appeal, you might ask? My wife is in software marketing and among our friends is a staggering number of similar folks. Add a little networking and, poof, most all my work comes from referrals -- and it's done almost 100% at home. Love the home studio; hate driving in Atlanta traffic.

So basically I'm trying to get additional clients within this narrow market. In conjunction with launching this site version, I put a chunk of money into a narrow AdWords campaign. Visitors way up. No real change in contacts. Again, one month.

All that said, I do seek brutally honest words about the actual demos. I mean, it's possible not much business comes in via the Web because, well, you know. Radio is not in itself the best training ground for VO, and I'm still fighting the broadcasting beasts within.

http://brianwsmith.com

Brian
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Brian W. Smith
Male Voice Talent, Delivered
http://brianwsmith.com

Deirdre · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:41 pm Post subject:

Hello Brian!

I've got 2 bits of feedback for starters—
Lots and lots of people are looking at web sites on laptops. Like MOST people, probably. that gives you about 650 pixels of height unless they're using IE and have about 400 px height of screen real estate.
A good size is 800-900 pixels wide by 600 pixels high.

Too many notes!
There's a boatlaod to read— and while I'm chiefly a voice talker myself, I do cast things now and then, and this much text on a VO website makes me feel squidgy about the person who put it there. Like, will I be able to get a word in edgewise if I call?

From a design standpoint, I'm not crazy about the collision of your name and "voice talent".
I like the ease of access to your demos. I don't understand the need for the grey line in the stack, but I don't dislike it.
I think your phone number and email should be in your header.

Nice, clean sound in your demos— the 4th one sounds different, but not at all bad.
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DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

Brian Smith · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:05 am Post subject:

Thanks Deirdre!

Page width is 760 px, pretty good, and I see what you mean about height. Hacking some words would certainly help shorten the page.

I didn't connect all the dots in my introduction. The wordiness on the three Web pages was by design, based on what I've learned about this specific target group, those in corporate marketing. From them, I heard time and again that spelling out "the process" was important to them. However, that doesn't mean I've done it in the most efficient or friendly way. Thanks! I'll reassess.

As for the page-top graphics, that's the danger when one is his own Web designer! Ditto the reassessment. That gray line is meant to separate voice from production but it's not really necessary. The fourth player, the radio feature, mayn't be necessary either.

Thanks for your time! It occurs to me now that a newbie's first post maybe shouldn't be a critique request (so thanks again).
_________________
Brian W. Smith
Male Voice Talent, Delivered
http://brianwsmith.com

Moe Egan · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:05 am Post subject:

You're out dating yourself by using the term "reel" on your demos.
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Moe Egan
i want to be the voice in your head.
~~~~~

Brian Smith · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:34 am Post subject:

Indeed I am. Yikes, I'm almost 50! Another scribble for my update pad, thanks.

Grease pencils, splicing tape, blocks, and degaussed razor blades: these I remember almost fondly.
_________________
Brian W. Smith
Male Voice Talent, Delivered
http://brianwsmith.com

Deirdre · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:37 am Post subject:

"Remember"?!

I still have those things!

(I kid, but only partly)
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

Brian Smith · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 9:57 am Post subject:

Ha! I've just the grease pencils. The UGA Redcoat Alumni piece (which will be coming down) was produced old-school in '92. Quarter-inch two-tracking with a bunch of sub mixes (some on cart), and a patch panel that looked like a 1950's city switchboard. Shocking, the amount of planning it used to take. That piece, btw, sounds different because it's something like an 80kbps rip. Another reason to nix it.

Gotta go. My UGA Dawgs are playing this afternoon!
_________________
Brian W. Smith
Male Voice Talent, Delivered
http://brianwsmith.com