Please do visit and i'll appreciate any words of advice

Rupa Krishnan · **Voice Talent** Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 11

Hi there everyone..

I am a new entrant to V123 and it's been 3 months since i became a premium member. Reading about your experiences makes me feel a little enlightened, coz my hit ratio so far has been 20:0 apart from the 2 i actually got fm private leads, but couldnt do the jobs coz of the budget.

I dont have a studio at home, which is why i couldnt do the jobs. So now my priority is to get a recording system set up at home.

My details are at http://rupakrishnan.voice123.com/
Please do visit and i'll appreciate any words of advice.

Thanks
Rupa

Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006, 20:48 (GMT) Post subject:

Hey Rupa,

First of all, if you can't make it as a voiceover artist (and I can't imagine that you can't!) you could probably make it on-camera. You're simply stunning. Beyond that, I think your demo is great. Your voice is fabulous with a unique and gorgeous accent that we seldom hear.

Here are my thoughts, though, on POSSIBLY why your 'close ratio' has been so bad:
- First of all, we're ALL competing against a couple of hundred other really good talents out there everytime we answer a lead on this site. We start out with the deck stacked against us. And if your voice isn't close to what the client has already imagined in their mind, you won't stand a chance from the beginning. No one's fault, it's just what it is.
- While I found your accent to be pure exotic bliss, it will, unfortunately limit you quite a bit. Notice that so many of the leads we get on this site state a "neutral English non-accent" or something similar. The VAST majority of jobs are looking for NO accent whatsoever. I lose quite a few because I still have a trace of Southern in my presentation.
- Your demo doesn't show much range. You have a fantastic style, but you don't stray very far from it in the demo. Also, once I got past your incredible voice, I found that some of your spots lacked warmth or realness. There were others, such as the spot for Africa, where I could really feel it and thought you were tremendously strong there. But because of your accent, and your seemingly limited range and energy level, you may be seeing the results of less opportunities.

All that being said, I think you sound fantastic and can't imagine that you CAN NOT do well either in v/o or on-camera.

Best of luck, and do NOT give up!

Rajiv Hasan · **Voice Talent** Joined: 30 Sep 2006 Posts: 355

Hello Rupa,

Greetings from Nottingham.

As someone who's done a fair bit of work as an Indian accent voiceover, I can understand why your hit ratio hasn't been so great (yet) on a site like this. As Scott implied in his critique, most clients here would not be looking for accents that fall outside the conventional parameters. It's a shame, but unless more employers are brave enough to challenge the old stereotypes and preconceptions about 'otherness', I guess we'll all have to dance to their tune for the time being.

What I would say about your demos, though, is that , despite the natural beauty of your voice, your delivery is not always entirely convincing, and your emphasis is slightly awry in certain places. Perhaps a little coaching in these areas wouldn't go amiss. Hope you're not offended - none of us are perfect!

Getting your own studio set-up would also boost your prospects. And have you got - or considered getting - a foreign language/accent agent. I have one in London, through whom I've got all my Indian accent jobs (the irony is that although I was born in India, I don't actually speak great Hindi!).

Overall, I would say that you have the raw materials, and with a bit of polishing here and there, could do really well - even in a largely anglo-centric marketplace like this. Stick with it - you never know...

Mind you, judging from your resume, you haven't exactly had a bad career so far!

All the best.
Rajiv

Paxton Greene · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 91

Hey Rupa!

First of all welcome. You have a great voice that definitely sets you apart from the others. Hang in there with V123. It took me a few months to get a job too. Try to think of this site as another opportunity to make new contacts if anything. Best to you.

Pax