VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Lance Blair]

Here's what I've got so far for my character demo. Thanks for listening, and thanks for your criticism.

http://www.lanceblair.net/files/lance%20blair%20character%203.mp3
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[Deirdre]

YOU NEED BETTER MATERIAL.


You also need some direction while working.
This is an obvious nearly-terrific demo! It needs a few skewers and you should be sizzlin'.
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DBCooperVO.com
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[Jeffrey Kafer]

Just a small observation. Your better stuff is at the end. The front stuff is a bit cliche. I'd move some of the back stuff more front and center.
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Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[Mike Sommer]

Honestly it's... weak.
To do characters you need a 1000 voices and a 1000 ways to deliver them, other then that you are just fooling yourself. Actually that's not true Mel Blanc had maybe had maybe a 100 voices, he just had 10,000 characters with a 1000 ways to deliver each one.

Your material was weak and the characters needed depth and focus. The reason the material is weak is that it appears not to be "complete scripts" or you are "ignoring" the script. Every line of your character is reacting to someone or something (back story), understand your characters motivation who, what, when, where, how, why and so on...

Interesting characters make interesting choices, hence the cliché comment above. The "I don't know about you, but I have a bad feeling about this place" line has been done a zillion times, it's like the old car not starting routine, it was great the first couple of times, now it's like "Oh I didn't see that coming... Hmmm".

Get good scripts: movies, animation, comic book, what ever you can find. Try this site: http://www.simplyscripts.com/ get a script that you like and try your characters in each role change words and lines to fit your character, but overall it will help you make choices.

Take an improv and or acting classes, these will help hone your skills and make solid choices.

Annoy your family and friends! Pick a character and be that character for the day. This will wear you out at first, because your having to think more then you would other wise. When you can get through a day as if you were yourself then it's second nature, that when you "more or less" got the character. Remember when your in a character session you could be in studio for 4 hours doing the same or several charters, if you don't have the chops you'll be dead.
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The Blog:
http://voiceoveraudio.blogspot.com/

Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

[Lance Blair]

Thanks Deidre, Jeffrey, and Mike for your input. It has really helped.

Deidre, better material is definitely a priority and thank you for your encouragement.

Jeffrey, I recut the demo per your suggestions. The former lead bit is out (especially from Mike's advice) and that character will likely be working out on some Sam Sheppard (Killer's Head monologue perhaps).

http://www.lanceblair.net/character_files/lance_blair_character.mp3

Mike, thank you very much for your honest and instructive advice. The script link is great and I spent much of this evening working through A Study In Wax radio play. I will keep at it, and strive to improve in every possible way.
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[Deirdre]

I think you might want to add your boy from Dorchester asking someone if thea rin the maaaket fahr a new myaahtress or sumpm.
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DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[Mike Sommer]

No Problem Lance!

I got a little tough on ya there but if you want to be good you got to hear the truth. Coddling people encourages bad habits and bad habits are hard to break.

Everyone hates Simon Cowell, but who does everyone want to impress?


Work Work Work


Okay, try this for your next take:
~The cavalry character. He's not bad, I would give him more authority drop your voice an octave. He's in control. Pretend your on a horse and you just stopped from a full gallup, you look at everyone with a commanding glance, (pick one person in your mind) "Gentleman!" (look everyone over) "the cavalry has arrived!" -- If you play it out in your head like that you'll get a better read.
~On your reporter character make him a little manic, rushed. Remember this is breaking news!!! We got to get to Connie Chung before all the the flaming bits of wood and concrete falling from the sky hit the ground!
~ Kingdom character not bad, keep the old guy quiver in your throat and maybe try a little air in your jowls -Not to much you don't want to sound like a bad Nixon impersonation. Maybe save this character for your last take when you're a little tired. Remember he's old, tired, but holds a positive outlook for the future- maybe start him out weak and end with a spark of hope in his voice at the end.
~German scientist. Nice! The only bad spot is when he's searching for the word. Make him think a little harder. He's brilliant but he's stuck for a word he should know, but it's on the tip of his tongue and he can't find it. Then when he finds it, it's like he knew it all the time, so he delivers it very coolly with a little evil smile on his face.

That's about all I can suggest for now- Work on it... Go man Go!
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The Blog:
http://voiceoveraudio.blogspot.com/

Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

[Lance Blair]

Thanks Mike, and I wish I got more "Cowell", so that's appreciated.

1.) Cavalry - the direction you described is exactly what I have, maybe the pitch drop will fix it.
2.) Kingdom - I'll try the jowls...and yes I save it for feelin' weary. If I'm warmed up, I break myself back down.
3.) Reporter - I do a decent Brian Williams (and I didn't want to do impressions), so I was striving for a mix of Williams and perhaps an old school Cosel voice. Disgusted and slightly elitist, instead of manic. Since he's going to a witness, the event has already happened...but certainly there could be more urgency especially at the head - then the weariness can set in. Williams never rushes and that was the model.
4.) Deiter the Scientist originally knew the pun all along, but I'll try it with him shifting gears like that, it will be more interesting. "How does one say?" needs to be quick and offhand, but perhaps I bring back a nice prolonged "hhhmmm, tskt" which I originally had as he raises his head looking for inspiration before that phrase.
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[Diane Maggipinto]

for the record, i sent your boston accent clip you posted here a while back to a couple of friends who i figured would lurv it! (they did). friggin' funNAY!
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sitting at #8, though not as present as I'd like to be. Hello!

www.d3voiceworks.com

[Bob Bergen]

Hey bud!

I absolutely hear the talent. But I agree on the material.

Each of your characters are just "saying" stuff. You want them "doing" stuff. Action with each line, that also has an adjustment to show off acting range. You also want contrasting energies next to each other. All of this will give the illusion of versatility.

I'm not a big fan of gathering material from online resources. If you are doing this, others are as well. And your demo needs to be one of a kind original. Comic books are a great resource for a character demo. Change the names of the characters and locations to add originality to each byte.

And originality in character is key!!! Put yourself in the seat of an agent or buyer. What do you have to offer in a character demo that they don't already represent or work with? How is your old man different from everyone else's? Do teens? What makes yours original? Do an accent? Take the accent away. Is there still a character or were you just doing an accent??

Your demo has to be as original and unique as characters already on tv and films. Look at SpongeBob and Bart Simpson. Both little boy characters. Both totally different. Both original. YOUR characters have to have that same original uniqueness that established characters have. This isn't easy. And this is why most character demos don't "wow" agents. It's simply a matter of "been there/done that." They already represent actors who do the same cliche voices you do.

Again, I can hear you have the chops. You just need to take it to the next level and find that "wow" factor.

[Mike Sommer]

Great stuff there Bob or is that Mr. Bergen? To much respect for you Sir!
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The Blog:
http://voiceoveraudio.blogspot.com/

Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

[Lance Blair]

Thanks Bob! I've been hitting the comic books already and some of my fave playwrights while taking to heart the growing of original characters that bring their own personality to the table. They'll be doing stuff! I'm repulsed by "accent demos" no matter how much this offering may sound like one, and I'll work to avoid that. I judge songs by the ability to play them solo on piano or guitar, and I'd judge a character based on their strengths outside of the accent, or anything else that is more or less on the surface. Christopher Walken has a nasty Noo Yawk accent, but nobody notices it because his character is so strong.

I knew I could count on this board for great advice. Thanks guys.

Wow is on the way. Wow is the goal.

PS, Mike I've got the news reporter shaped up. There's urgency at the head, he's grabbing his earbud and checking the prompter. With a quicker tempo there's time to be weary/elitist towards the crime itself and still urge the witness to tell us what happened (I won't spoil it ).
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[Bob Bergen]

[Philip Banks]

Mike, in order to show due deference you may like to consider typing any responses to "Hey you" in the kneeling position.

[Yoda117]