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jrodriguez315
A Hundred Dozen
Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: New Jersey
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 Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 2:39 pm Post subject: Another stupid question. |
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OK, in my quest for good / funny material for my demo update, I've listened to tons of demos done by the Best of the Best and many, many others. If I hear a spot on someone else's demo that I think I'd be able to do a good job with, can I use it on mine, or is that sort of thing frowned upon / forbidden on pain of death?
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Deirdre
Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
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Location: Camp Cooper
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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You might ask Harlan Hogan about "borrowing" another man's demo material.
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Bruce
Boardmeister
Joined: 06 Jun 2005
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Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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I'd not recommend borrowing from well known talent. From second and third tier talent....maybe...but try not to.
B
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Dave
Lucky 700
Joined: 11 Nov 2004
Posts: 727
Location: Houston, Texas
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Deirdre wrote: | | You might ask Harlan Hogan about "borrowing" another man's demo material. |
OK, I feel appropriately teasted.... if one were to do so.... what do you suppose Harlan would say?
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Frank F
Fat, Old, and Sassy
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 4421
Location: Park City, Utah
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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Well, the story goes...
Someone "stole" Harlan's demo - literally - word for word... did it with their "voice" of course (not quite Harlan's - in any respect).
Harlan has his lawyers on the issue... and papers have been filed and sent... The bogus demo and website isn't on the web anymore - anything else - I cannot say, because I do not know.
FF
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dhouston67
VO-BB Intarwebz Glossary Administrator
Joined: 01 Aug 2005
Posts: 1166
Location: Right next door to Sandra Bullock. No, really.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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Bottom line: if you hear a demo spot you like, look for similar copy, or rewrite it sufficiently so that it's not an exact replica. You can shoot for the same style as a spot you like, but yoinking it outright is just bad business.
Any demo worth "stealing" from likely represents a lot of hard work on the part of the VO and/or a producer. Put your own sweat into your own demo.
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Chuck Davis
M&M
Joined: 02 Feb 2005
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Location: Where I love to be...Between the Vineyards and the Cows.
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 5:22 am Post subject: |
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I think the stolen demo incident is in his "VO" book as well. The demo was submitted to him for some reason..the "talent" even stole his cover graphics and some text if i remember correctly.
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tackerman
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 1741
Location: in the ether
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 5:37 am Post subject: |
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Good advice, DH.
Last edited by tackerman on Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:02 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Deirdre
Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 13023
Location: Camp Cooper
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:09 am Post subject: |
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| Chuck Davis wrote: | | I think the stolen demo incident is in his "VO" book as well. The demo was submitted to him for some reason..the "talent" even stole his cover graphics and some text if i remember correctly. |
I don't think it's in the book-- it just happened this year.
I'm afraid I lost my correspondence about it-- but I believe one of our own was key in tipping him off.
It was hilarious and infuriating--one of those events that makes you laff at first because it is just so preposterous.
Harlan got a cease-and-desist order to make the kid get his demo off the net.
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jrodriguez315
A Hundred Dozen
Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:54 am Post subject: |
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| dhouston67 wrote: | Bottom line: if you hear a demo spot you like, look for similar copy, or rewrite it sufficiently so that it's not an exact replica. You can shoot for the same style as a spot you like, but yoinking it outright is just bad business.
Any demo worth "stealing" from likely represents a lot of hard work on the part of the VO and/or a producer. Put your own sweat into your own demo. |
Thanks Dave. I agree. I have heard some really great stuff on peoples demos, which is mostly stuff you've heard on the Radio and TV already anyway, and I thought I'd like to try some of it, but I like your idea of shooting for style rather than content. I was going to do that anyway. 
Harlan Hogan also mentions in his home studio book that you should try to get rid of the product name in your demo copy. It makes it easier for the listener to focus on your delivery rather than comparing it with the originator of a spot you've already heard on the radio or TV. That answers my other posted question about "generic" spots.
Thanks everybody for answering my oh so stupid question. Smart answers though!
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Joe Rodriguez, Bilingual Voice Actor | The Voiceover Thespian Blog |
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tackerman
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 1741
Location: in the ether
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:31 am Post subject: |
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If that question was stupid then I've asked some real doozies in the last year...  |
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Frank F
Fat, Old, and Sassy
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 4421
Location: Park City, Utah
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 10:12 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | DB Wrote: "...but I believe one of our own was key in tipping him off." and
"...Harlan got a cease-and-desist order to make the kid get his demo off the net." |
Both statements above are correct... (no it was not me who pointed this mistake out to Harlan, although I would have, had I heard it first.)
Apparently Harlan tried to play-nice with the guy at first but the person in question wouldn't play - so Harlan had to send in the 'hard-ball'.
We are in a business of originality, so be original. The key to winning is to create your own "Lovenotes" which identify you properly - branding your style, talent, and even your quirks into the hearts and minds of the people who need your talent.
There are hundreds if not thousands of peices of copy out there which are used over and over again... create your own from magazine ads, newspaper ads, or even about a non-existant product - but do so with your style in mind and make it become a part of your image or brand - your "Lovenote".
If you were a company named "It's-A-Cola" would you copy your image from the leading soft drink company "Move-Over-Cola"? I think not. You would want to create your own identity, your own "Lovenote" which the general public can fall-in-love with, not use the other guys image. The same can be said about VO demos.
Toodles
Frank F
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Gregory Best
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 1853
Location: San Diego area (east of Connie and south and east of Bailey)
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:43 pm Post subject: I confess, I was the tipster |
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In August this year I was checking out the Opuzz Voice website to see if I wanted to join. I happened to be listening to some demos on and stumbled across one that sounded quite familiar but amateurish. I thought about it and realized it was a rip-off of Harlan Hogan's. The copy and spot order were identical and the music cuts were similar. He even did a poor job of trying to copy Harlan’s tone, pacing and style.
Harlan’s first reaction was that it was hilarious, and then he realized what this guy had done. Harlan sent him a “crease and desist” letter on his corporate stationary (Wordsworth, Inc.) The demo was still posted at Opuzz several weeks later when he again contacted the individual. The guy told him that he had asked Opuzz to take his whole website hosted by them down. Harlan had to correspond (legal threats) with Opuzz to get them to finally comply.
I think I still have both demos but not the emails. If someone wants to hear both demos for themselves, they can PM me.
You never know what you may run across. We need to watchout for each other.
Gregory Best
The voice you can trust.
www.gregorybest.com |
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