VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Kim Fuller]

I was chatting with Jen Gosnell about this tonight and thought I'd post one of our topics - in case anyone might have an opinion here.

We have heard for the past several years that elearning, medical, (and...??) demos are usually dry. But - so many things in VO have changed over the last several years - is this one of them? Are these genres tending to be fully produced now? If so...why? (other than giving demo producers more demos to produce )

And - what is the reasoning FOR dry demos? If they are to be representative of the finished product - why wouldn't they be fully produced, just as commercial, promo, etc? Is the assumption that the target recipient doesn't want to hear production values - and if so - why not?

[Bruce]

If the final product is usually dry, such as instructional medical narration and e-learning, then your demo cuts should be too. I heard a medical demo once with fairly “happy” music cuts behind it and it was freaky weird.

I narrate some videos with well animated shots of blood and cell interactions with various drugs and molecules and they put long, sweeping music drones and soft and ethereal sounds behind it, custom backgrounds that most of us wouldn’t have, and that seems to work. But I’d say avoid making your demo sound weird to an experienced ear. Dry is a safe choice for these type of demos.

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. .

[Mike Harrison]

I agree with Bruce.

My belief is that the use of music in what can be very long audio productions such as medical and other eLearning would be hugely cost-prohibitive (not only for usage rights but for the time required to select and mix it with voice tracks), unless used very sparingly, such as under brief role-play situations, topic segues, etc. It could also be seen as a distraction. (In my opinion, with little to no experience in the subtleties of audio production, too many video editors and those who assemble other forms of audio/visual productions tend to mix music levels way too high, creating a distraction. The voice-over/narration carries the message, making it the focal point, not the music.)

In addition to that reason, and that casting directors, producers, etc. want at least some samples of just our voices, free of any other elements, that I completely understand why demos for medical and other eLearning genres should be dry. Like anything else, audio production can also be overdone. It's nice to have a break.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[Deirdre]

[Kim Fuller]

[Deirdre]

I was talking about Commercial demos!

(I mentioned the game demo as an example of another kind of dry demo)

Promos are another bag entirely, O my goodness, yes.
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DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[Kim Fuller]

Ah, sorry Deebs. I mistook your meaning