Gizmodo Alien Invasion

Scott Pollak · Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007, 13:02 (GMT) Post subject:

Joe, overall GREAT job! Cute, clever, well-produced. There are a couple of SMALL things I think could have been done better. Rather than looping the introductory news mux you used, I would have rather have just had it fade out. It was a pretty obvious loop and it caught my ear.

The stereo separation on things like the alien ship FX were nicely done.
Of course I know you did all the voices, and you did a good job. The challenge when we do multiple voices is to NOT have it sound like it's all the same guy doing the voices. One way is to - where possible - slightly overlap the lines from one character to the next. Maybe only by a millisecond or so, but just enough so there isn't a very evident micro pause from this character to that one to the next one and so on.

The SFX on the man-on-the-street scene (cars, horns, etc) started out pretty loud then faded out pretty quickly. I think a bit more realism would have been to have the background street fx be consistent throughout, at a level somewhere between what you started out at and where you faded out. Another benefit of keeping the sfx going underneath the whole thing would be to help the characters from sounding like they're coming from one guy reading one script; just a bit of audio 'coloring'.

Would have loved to hear the metallic creaking of the side of the ship opening up, if possible, too.

Loved the Elvis bit! How can you go wrong with Elvis? However, the echoing Elvis' drove me nuts as Arnie began to talk. I would have faded out the reverb'ing Elvis'.

Now that I've ranted and over-analyzed way more than I ever intended to (George will point out my curmudeonly streak), let me say GOOD JOB! Fun stuff, well done, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Joe J Thomas · **Voice Talent** Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 1521

Hey gang,

I entered a contest last March with the below audio. I didn't win, but it was a fun exercise for some editing practice.

Editing is not my forte, so I'd like to get some of you pros to guide me toward some better techniques (using this one as an example).

In any case, have fun listening to my "War of the Worlds" entry from last year!

Looking for my personality,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com

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

Bubbling Luttefisk, man, that was quite all right.
Can't help with the editing, Joe - not my forte either - so I'm also looking forward to what the Mad Mixers suggest.
Great voices. I'd love to have heard the winner.

Tom Greenlee · **Voice Talent** Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 945

Joe...That was really well done. I agree with Rob...I would love to hear what the winner sounded like. I'm sorry you didn't win....that was great.

Joe J Thomas · **Voice Talent** Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 1521

Joe J Thomas · **Voice Talent** Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 1521

Hey Scott,

Can't thank you enough for the comments. Great suggestions all-round, and I esp. loved the overlapping voices and non-looping. Easy fixes, but definitely make for a more polished product...

(now, how did you get your comment posted above mine???)

Thanks again,
Joe "editor in training" Thomas

Scott Pollak · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 15:24 (GMT) Post subject:

Joe J Thomas · **Voice Talent** Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 1521

[quote="Scott Pollak"]