LEADS AND READS - WEEK OF 2/18 TO 2/24

Robert Jadah · **Voice Talent** Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 2627

Bask away, Karen; you deserve it.
But adjectives don't pay the groceries. We've learned over the years that what's said here means nothing out there.
In fact, I've heard more jaw-dropping reads here than over at the 'Who Won the Gig' thread.

And they're never the same ones.

As I've mentioned before, a seeker will stumble on to V123 looking for a discount Adam Sandler or Hillary Duff.
Then they get John Gielgud and Dame Judi Dench.

They will usually take the safe way out.

Cira Larkin once passed on to me what her mentor reminds her: sometimes you have to remember that you're really only selling cat food.

(...all said just to confound things....)

Voice On!

Deby Cedars · **Voice Talent** Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 1482

Karen and Thom.....great job from both of you....I want to know what your compression levels are!!!! I've been playing with mine....but I just haven't found the magic formula yet.

Thom I think your production will give you the edge

I've done a lot of jingle stuff lately.....but I'm not ready to post it...Here is a read I did today that I usually pass on. They said they wanted young adult.....but I bet they go with middle aged.

On the first one there is no compression
On the second there is compression on the low end.

which is better???

Travis . · **Voice Talent** Joined: 23 Feb 2004 Posts: 55

Here's my shot at "Tornado".

Caryn Clark · **Voice Talent** Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 1000

Deby,

I like your sexed up sound!! I haven't really learned how to use compression yet... I'd like to though.

Mine's completely different. And, here's the seeker's description as well. I love the song "Our House."

We are looking for a talent to record a Local TV commercial, the length is approximately :20 seconds approximately. This is for a window company trying to get people excited about saving money on their power bill. The background music is the song "Our House". Please find sample script for auditions below.

Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008, 14:47 (GMT) Post subject:

Karen, I'm so jealous I didn't get that tornado lead! Well, actually I did, but it had already closed. If you go to my page here you'll actually hear me doing a tornado bit on my 'documentary' demo. I'm dying to do stuff like that!

Your delivery reminded me a LOT of Sigourney Weaver's on "Planet Earth". Obviously that's a compliment. But like David, listening thru headphones, the obvious room noise behind your reads, contrasting with the deathly silence in-between, leaped out at me. You MUST fix that! You read too well to let a technical issue like that take jobs away from you. And it sounded like you had a lot of room noise, too, possibly a computer fan?

Thom, yeah, bud, I'm with the others here. You Wilkinsed it. I sure hope you or Karen lands this one.

Deby, I listened first thru speakers, then thru headphones to be able to really critique the compression. The first take is VERY clean with just a hint of room noise behind you, but nothing as noticeable as Karen's. I personally didn't care for the compressed version nearly as much. It's okay but sounded a bit too muffled for my old ears. But see what other people think before you jump to conclusions.

Travis, you're becoming one of my new favorite voices. You have a marvelous delivery. It's sort of a nice balance between an old-school announcer and a real pro documentary voice talent. You have a very pleasing tone and texture, good pacing, and empathy. The ONE single thing is that, listening through headphones, there's SOMETHING about this recording that almost sounds slightly flangey in your voice (not the mux). I'm not a techno-geek, but the vocal quality had a slight ring behind it. Did you add any sort of FX to your vocal track?

Caryn Clark · **Voice Talent** Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 1000

Did anyone get the lead for The Plaza? That would be a sweet one to land.

I did this at like 11:30 last night after a long day - I had just come home from a budget meeting. Here's the description and my aud. Fire away. Wink

2 Minutes corporate Video. NEED THIS ASAP. CHOOSING TALENT FRIDAY 22 AT 930AM MST. RECORDING IN THE AFTERNOON. Must be able to record Friday 22 late afternoon.

Young, positive, elegant. Not over the top, but lovely and sophisticated.

Travis . · **Voice Talent** Joined: 23 Feb 2004 Posts: 55

Deby, Compression is an art! - In Hollywood, it's one of the skills that top recording engineers are hired for. There is no "magic forumla" for determining compression settings. In fact, you'll find that each spot deserves it's own setting, which you learn, over the years, through trial and error. How to find that "sweet spot" where the compression does it's magic with out being detectible.

I use different compression levels for auditions vs. actual release material. You need to remember that when you record an actual job, there will be a bunch of other people adding their own compression to the program. And of it's going to radio, it will be squeezed to death just before it goes to the transmitter.

Scott, One of my clients insists that eveything be sent 64kbps .mp3. I inadvertently left that setting on when I uploaded to V123. (SFX-Sound of hand hitting forehead followed by male voice - "DOH!") Then (adding insult) V123 recompressed to its standard 96kbps. I was at home when I posted this so I had to download the mangled audio from V123 before posting - hence the "flanging".

David Bosco · **Voice Talent** Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 281

Travis:

I particularly liked your Tornado read as very even, clear and genuine. All of those submitted here were impressive. As I feverishly prepared my audition for this job, the audition filled up quicker than a signal light going green to red in rush hour!

I did not get to submit because time ran out, but I'm still posting it here. It's a little bit cheesey with drama, but sometimes that's what they want.

September Day Leach · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1526

Caryn: Good pay for a two minute presentation,no? I really liked your second read on that! Did you get rated yet? I just looked and the lead is closed so hopefully you or I will be getting a call soon!! Very Happy

Here's my submission. I got a 5, but the average rating was a 4.3, so he's scoring high Smile

Caryn Clark · **Voice Talent** Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 1000

Hey Ember - nice read!! You're sounding wonderful! Definitely hit upon "elegant." They didn't rate me at all, though they did "open" it... so I think it's highly likely you'll get the call on that one!!! It appears that perhaps the seeker only rated the ones he liked (which is fine by me... I'd rather no rating than a bad one). Good luck!! Let us know!!!!

I did get a 4 on the windows read... average is 2.4.

Deby Cedars · **Voice Talent** Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 1482

I think I'm going to do massages today. I did not get the plaza lead.......but I got my first 1 star rating on the windows lead. I noticed the average score was 2.5. I hope you got a better rating Caryn.

Maybe I'll go sledding......I'm snowed in. Rolling Eyes

September Day Leach · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1526

September Day Leach · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1526

David Bosco · **Voice Talent** Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 281

Deby Cedars:
David Oxford:

Buncha snow today eh, neighbors?

Hey Deb, don't sweat the '1's. You're much better than that!

David Oxford · **Voice Talent** Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 505