VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[roger]

I trust the folks on this board, above all others, when it comes to honest and thoughtful criticism and helpful suggestions regarding demos, among other things.
Someone helped me with a new Commercial Demo that I need help with.
The material/delivery (we can address that later) must stand for now, but I need help with the order of the clips and would like to trim it back to get closer to :60.
It's currently 1:19.
I know it's not perfect, but it does pretty well represent my sound and ability, for better or worse.
Over all impressions...would you hire this old guy?
Thanks for your time and input. Love you guys.
Listen
_________________
Roger Tremaine
www.MyFavoriteVoice.com
http://rogertremaine.voices.com/
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. AESOP (The Lion and the Mouse)

[Philip Banks]

I'll bet $11.95 plus postage and packing it does not represent your sound. It does show your affected style at 11 and it needs to be at 5. Raise your eye brows, raise a smile, raise your shoulders and your voice will follow. Smaller you is a winner.

It's the difference between this .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8nMIV9aQmM&list=PL74LjsBIjEenrw1vcgXtrK6SFCXzrOsj9&index=5

and this ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctdx3DkrMG4&index=3&list=PL12E67146868E0238

Nothing wrong with what you have done at all but it's not you at your bestest.

[roger]

Philip, as always, you're very perceptive. The chap who I worked with to produce this demo had me attend four sessions with him learning his
"method" as a precursor to doing the demo. I was continuously encouraged to "project" (speak louder) when you're selling something.
This really isn't my style, but he was the "professional" so I went against my better judgement and this is the result. We live and learn and then move on.
Thanks for showing me what I was ignoring. I guess there is nothing to hear here...move along. I'll start again and wander on.
_________________
Roger Tremaine
www.MyFavoriteVoice.com
http://rogertremaine.voices.com/
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. AESOP (The Lion and the Mouse)

[Philip Banks]

Go back to the pro and educate him. It's your demo not his.

This is small yet effective not big and affected https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX5PsV2uMVg

[roger]

Philip,
I value your opinion highly. Would your advice be to scrap this demo (lesson learned) because it might do more harm than good and wait until I can afford a new one or
just cobble my own together from bits I have voiced?
Sorry to put you on the spot, but I'm asking because I trust you and I know you'll be frank.
If you'd rather not, I'll understand.
Cheers
_________________
Roger Tremaine
www.MyFavoriteVoice.com
http://rogertremaine.voices.com/
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. AESOP (The Lion and the Mouse)

[Bruce]

First, I'd fire the guy who made your demo. He did a very amateurish job of editing and he directed you to sound like you're doing on camera work for a medium market TV station. There's a world of difference between that and voiceover in 2016.

Your bigger question, should you be doing this? Yes, you should if you want to. You just need someone to direct you to much more natural reads.

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. .

[Bish]

I had an interesting experience the other day. I was called at 9am to see if I could do an "emergency" ISDN session later that day. It was for a corporate via a production house I've worked for many times. Prior to the session, the prod house sent me the script, the storyboard and a guide audio file. The other audio was (to me) a perfectly serviceable Brit VO done by someone I don't know (but whose name I recognized). The audio was full-length and struck me as finished (i.e. not an audition). OK... so I'm re-voicing something they've done already. Hmmm... I wonder why?

Session starts... the engineer, a couple from the client side and me. I was itching to find out the reason I'd got the call... why was I replacing the other VO? I didn't have to ask... I was told that the "boss" had watched the produced video with the old voice and simply said, "That's fine, but it's anonymous... do it again with that guy we used on the last project... I liked him, he had a distinctive sound and delivery... we need to stand out."

So, although the other guy had done a text-book perfect read that hit all the right points... it was (according to the client) generic and had no real personality... they wanted something that wasn't done "by the numbers". In the session they said "just be yourself, we want your voice and your cadence".

One of the major points in my VO journey was getting to the place where I was happy to be me... not what someone else told me to be (or what I was telling myself I needed to be). It's nice to have that decision re-affirmed once in a while. If I was producing someone's demo the first thing I'd look at is what they bring to the table... not try and bend them to my template.
_________________
Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

[Philip Banks]

The demo is not fit for purpose and it is not your fault so you really do need to talk to the producer and see if you can work something out.

Don't use anything from work done unless it sings out loud and clear YOU.

Now. Tell me this story.

"What makes us human?
It’s loving in the midst of hatred.
The Syria crisis is the largest humanitarian disaster in living memory.
More than 220,000 people have been killed.
Half the country’s population has been displaced.
60% of Syrians are living in poverty.
Cities have been besieged. People are starving, and 4 million people have fled abroad.
An entire generation of children has been devastated.
10,000 innocent little ones have been killed, while many young survivors have lost one or both parents, their family and friends, their homes and their schools.
Mohammed’s father lost his life just days before his brother, Ahmed, was born. With a mother and 7 siblings to look after, all of whom are no longer in school, 13-year old Mohammed has become the family breadwinner.
It’s an enormous responsibility for one so young. Yet Mohammed’s story is typical of many of Syria’s children who have lost their childhoods.
Being human means supporting those whose lives have been utterly devastated.
It means working tirelessly to save lives. "


If you affect in any way you'll sound as disingenuous as the average TV Evangelist, motivational speaker or William Shatner.

[Eddie Eagle]

Hi Roger,
I recently took some coaching with Dave Walsh because he has a way of bringing your natural read out. I did many sessions with him and found it to be very helpful. He was able to get me to deliver a quieter truthful read that was "me" and believable. He actually has a name for his method called True Tell and aptly so named.

I would suggest to any out there that are continuously perfecting and exploring the dynamics of their craft to work with him.

[Eddie Eagle]

The latest VO Buzz interviews Dave Walsh.
http://www.vobuzzweekly.com/episodes/205/84/Dave-Walsh-PT1-EP201.html