New guy looking for opinions, pleeez ?

[Richardgreen98]

Hi
I have been doing V/O and industrials for a couple of years, albeit P/T and I just came across this site. I'd really appreciate some 1312objective C & C

[Richardgreen98]

I'm having problems with ITunes at the mo and cannot play back the attachment, so here's a link Richard Green Images- powered by SmugMug (http://richardgreenimages.smugmug.com/gallery/4768936_7JniA#282887800_dgRz8):idiot2:

[Scott Pollak]

Richard, I'm somewhere where I can't play audio online at the moment, but why don't you upload your demo as an .mp3 here? You'll probably get a lot more responses. Making people jump to your site (or a mirror site) and having to play a somewhat unconventional file such as an .m4a may be more trouble than people are willing to go to.


Just a thought.

[Richardgreen98]

Thanks Scott, I did try to upload an Mp3 to no avail. Do I attach it ? Sorry for being so dumb...

[Diane Havens]

Hello, Richard --

Did you post using " Go Advanced", and then "manage attachments"? That should do it.

[Richardgreen98]

Thanks Diane (in anticipation )...Sorry it's filed as an m4a - I need to rip it from CD... I'll try again tomorrow:angry::stinkingcrap: I love the emoticons here

[Richardgreen98]

At last, I managed to attach an actual Mp3.. Amazing what this old geezer can do... Not!:2funny:

[Richardgreen98]

I guess I got the wrong forum...:embarassed2:

[Scott Pollak]

Well, honestly I was waiting for someone else to get the ball rolling here, Richard. I feel like I way too often hog the forums and just wanted for you to hear some other opinions.

But since you used that pathetic little sad icon, I guess I'll jump in...

- Your slight British accent is exceptionally pleasant and natural. You have a very listenable voice that is soothing and believable.

- Your demo is about as interesting as watching paint dry.
For one thing, it starts out with a very, very weak spot that sounds as if a novice banged it out at home and laid it down (due to no production elements behind it). Also, no one fades out between soundbytes any more. Jump from on piece to the next. Everything pretty much sounds the same here, too. If I needed a pleasant Brit voice to narrate something that fell right into this level of energy (or lack, thereof), then you'd be in the running. But I have no clue if you can do anything else. And if you have ANY clips that include dialogue or stronger production elements or different pacing or energy levels, we need to hear them.

You have a beautiful voice and delivery. But you need to show us you can do more than one thing. And by all means, enlist the aid of a talented producer to create a demo for you that really zings, instead of one that snoozes.

[Richardgreen98]

Wow, thanks Scott ( I think) I would be the first to hold up my hand and confess to a lack of experience but I don't think my sound guy would... Which could be good reason for finding someone with more vim....I am attaching another, earlier one which is to my thinking even less varied and more mundane.:crybaby:

[audiobob]

Hi Richard, I'll throw in my 2 cents. I will agree with Scott and say you have very pleasing and listenable voice. This works for industrial reads, like the cholesterol piece at the beginning, where the scripts are long and the voice should be able to be tolerated for an extended period of time. The second demo you posted was better on the variety but could use more. Do you have access to another voice talent...like a female to be able to play off of for some retail ads?

On the production, the whole piece is too long. Drop it to a minute. And each element sounds like it was produced the same way in the same studio with the same mic and processing. This makes it sound canned. Try using different mics, stand closer on one spot, farther away on others. Different processing and EQ. Even standing in a different position in the record booth will give a different flavor. This makes it sound like the elements were recorded in different studios. I have this issue on my demo too since all were recorded in the same room. It's tricky.

Good luck Richard.

[jsgilbert]

Richard,

Being as most of us here are Yanks, I assume you are looking for input from across the pond regarding potential marketing to US projects. At least this is the approach I will take with regards to my critique.

It would seem that this demo is designed not for commercial work, but more corporate presentations, interent and similar work.

I write and produce material for Flash and INternet presentations, trade show and kiosk type projects and some other corporate work and have ocassionally been asked to find European voices, more specifically British voices.

To that extent, I would have no problem presenting your first read, the HDL and also the shorter piece later on that regards Branding.

They both represent a very straight ahead ands acceptable "British" sound for this type of work that in my opinion meets the expectation level on the part of an American ear for that sort of work.

I would also agree with quite a few of Scott's comments in so much as the demo itself isn't very entertaining and the humor doesn't seem to come across, and I'm a big fan of British humor, so...

This is a demo that might work better at marketing yourself within the U.K. or Europe. I honestly don't know becuase I don't approach the listening experince from that perspective. I have listened to corporate narration demos from English voice talents that primarily work within England and I can say that many of the working talent don't seem to have demos that differ much from yours.

I personally do quite a bit of accent work as a voice actor and often I beat out native speakers becuase their is a big difference between the way someone might say somethig and the way a person expects to hear it said. To that end, it seems that much corporate work both hear and abroad often has a bit of the Pierce Brosnan quality to it.

I have also found that there is an expectation for acting choices here in the U.S. with regards to voiceover to often be quite a bit bigger than in the U.K. This perhaps owes itself to voiceover being more analogous there with BBC types and statesmen and here it is often based around celebrities and real people.

I hope this has been helpful

[Richardgreen98]

Bob
Thanks for your time...And you are correct, everything in the first demo was done in the same studio ( 3' x 4' under the stairs) , I wrote my own copy, and the director/ sound engineer directed and edited. The reason I posted was to get exactly what you guys are doing and I really appreciate it. Thanks. I'll be investing some cash in the next demo soon...

[Richardgreen98]

JSG
Again Thanks ever so... I am actually already across the pond in Philadelphia, and you are quite correct that my experience, at least, has been corporate and training/ narrative. So, yes I am looking to increase my business here in the US and I would like to get into more commercial work and I am starting to think that I may do better by approaching an agent in NYC who may also be able to line me up with a studio that would be more suitable for putting together some appropriate demos.

[Colin Campbell]

I'm not a big fan of one piece fading into another.