Looking for demo feedback

Michael Marino · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007, 08:44 (GMT) Post subject: Looking for demo feedback

Hello all.....

This is my first post here, started reading this forum tonight and I enjoy the fact that good advice is given out from true professionals in the business. I have a moderate amount of experience - currently working in radio - I have taken a few voice-over courses (itching to take more soon!). Please let me know what you think of my most recent demo.......the majority of this demo was taken from various radio commercials that I've done recently. I love this business and really want to learn more, grow, and develop as a voiceover professional - any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks very much,
Mike

Scott Pollak · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007, 13:29 (GMT) Post subject:

Hey Michael,

Seems like I'm usually the one to get these replies going. Guess I just don't have a life.

I'm going to be cruelly honest here.... this isn't a horrible demo, but it's not good for a number of reasons. The opening Oriental Rug outlet spot SCREAMS of amateur production. It reminds me so much of the truly awful production I hear on one of our local radio stations here it LITERALLY made me cringe. The 1970's effect of overblown reverb is so long-gone it's just not funny. Even car dealers don't use it any more. Plus, you're trying to be a "BIG" voice on that spot and you don't have the pipes for it.

Next: pretty much every read sounds alike. You have the same tone and delivery and pacing, for the most part, on every single spot. I've been in and out of radio for about 35+ years and when I posted my first commercial demo here, which I thought was pretty darned good, I got some face-slapping advice from a real pro here (who teaches v/o workshops) who said.... "well, you sound okay, for a radio announcer". But no one WANTS radio announcers. Your reads here are, for the most part, just READS trying to SELL me something. You're not winning my belief or confidence.

Additionally, to me it sounds like you have a cold in most of these clips. Perhaps you have a nasal quality to your voice, maybe it's the production quality (which would be odd), but I found the nasal delivery to be off-putting.

Your delivery of the "basement or crawlspace" spot was one of your best, but the music sure didn't fit the text or context at all. Sounded like the theme song from Lord of the Rings going on back there. The next few reads were better in that you got away from the announcer style, but - while conversational - they're not good enough, or real enough, or believable enough - to make me, as a producer, hire you. Frankly, you probably ended on your best take, the phone book spot. I think you need to work on making everything head more in that direction and totally forget everything you ever learned or practiced in radio. I'm really serious. Radio announcing does NOT carry over well into the v/o arena. Work on becoming friends with the listener and trying to win their confidence, NOT trying to sell them something.

Hope this helps... I KNOW it's hard-hitting, but you gotta hear the truth if you want to make it in what is a VERY competitive and tough field.

Good luck!

Phyllis K. Day

Michael Marino · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007, 17:58 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks for the replies, both Scott and Phyllis - I really appreciate the honesty and deep insight (much better than a quick 'it's ok' (or not ok!) type of comment - keep them coming, I love feedback. I'll start out by talking a bit about myself - I am working with Curtis Media in Raleigh, as you had mentioned, Phyllis. Currently I'm a Jack-of-all-Trades: I work the front desk for part of the day and the second half I work for 570 AM, WDOX (board op, production, and occasionally get to voice a spot that airs on all of our stations). Actually for a week I filled in for our group production director and voiced many spots that are on that demo (ironically I had a nasty cold that week, which Scott did mention - I'm not making any excuses, however like they do on Amercian Idol....lol) With that being said, I believe I do have a tinge of a nasal quality minus the cold as well. The highlight of my career thus far was working in the sports field, when I worked for ESPN for a number of years - mostly behind-the-scenes work, but I also spent a few years as a freelance talent voicing halftime reports on our International networks (some of them aired on ESPN2, which was a bonus!)

I would say that my toughest obstacle would have to be taking the announcer style out of my deliveries. Does anyone have advice on how to do that? Even when I think I am sounding natural, it just does not seem to convey that in my recordings. I try to add extra juice to what I am saying, which is not how you would normally speak to somebody. I have even tried an exercise where I hold a picture of my wife and read the copy as if I am talking to her - which I think may have made a little difference, but still not perfect.

Phyllis - tonight I will add a post on here with a PSA read to show more of my natural voice.....again I thank-you both for your insight and I look forward to more comments soon!

Thanks,
Mike

Colin Campbell · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007, 18:56 (GMT) Post subject:

Wow... that echo sounded like "tape echo" or "slapback echo." There's not a reel-to-reel machine at that studio is there? Does anyone remember tape echo? In the 60's and 70's it was the most overused effect known to man because it didn't require anything other than the tape machine you already had. You would bring the playback audio up into the mix while you are recording. Since the play head was an inch or so after the record head, you get that slapback echo. Just awful.