Which to keep, and which to trash?

Brad Venable · Character Demo (8-12-2005).mp3

OK...I want to update and fix up my character demo, but I'd like you all to give a listen and let me know which characters (by description) that I should keep, and which to get rid of.

I appreciate all your help.

Brad Venable

Scott Pollak · Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006, 13:28 (GMT) Post subject:

Hi Brad,

Let me see if I can help here, in my very limited way.
First thing... It's obvious that you recorded each voice for the demo, then laid them all down over one continuous music track. I don't like that for a couple of reasons:
- It sounds like you've had no 'real work' from which to pull actual demo samples
- There's just nothing happening in the demo... it's one voice after another after another. In a real demo where you're moving from clip to clip, there's a forward momentum, and you never know what to expect around the next turn, it might be an upbeat sample, an emotional cut... etc. But in yours I knew I'd hear another voice and I couldn't hang with it all the way through it.

Also, your samples are too short and too many. Instead of trying to showcase every one of your voices on one demo, just tease us with perhaps a half dozen or so of YOUR BEST. Choose your best, then produce each one into a real (or simulated real) spot that you can then edit into a demo. Let us not only hear some real variety in characterization, but in energy, mood, feeling, etc. As it is, with all the voices flying by, it's kind of like on MTV when you see a video where they've pieced together little cuts of stuff that zooms by at about 10 images a second. You know you've seen a lot of SOMETHING, but nothing really stands out individually.

It sounds like you have some good talent, and I honestly think you could do well as a character voice. That being said, my final caveat is one I always throw out here to people doing character voices: As a voice talent AND a radio producer myself (where I often hire talent), there seems to be a very limited market for character voices. Listen to the radio one day (or tv) focusing on nothing but the commercials and write down how many you hear using character voices vs. real voices. Don't be discouraged by that, just be realistic about the demand, as you can also see by the number of postings by clients here looking for character voices (very small). You may want to simultaneously work on your 'straight narration' while honing your characters. You have a good voice and should be able to get some work.

Finally, I'm going to attach my own character voice demo as an example of what I was talking about above in terms of length, samples, pacing, etc. Not that I'm that great, cuz I'm NOT, but the demo seems to work okay.

Hope all this helps, and I wish you all the best!

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

Hey Brad!

Great range in character voices. Yes, I agree with Scott to tighten this demo up. Right now too long, and too many voices. Pick those top 8-10, and put them on there. Another suggestion would be to watch TV transcribe some commercials down. Re-write them or use them as inspiration for a spot you can write, and put that on your demo. Character voices are fine, but in the long run agencies, producers, and companies are wanting to see what you have done. Good luck.

Pax

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

Brad:
Phew; lots to digest there. Probably too much. I mean, you skip back and forth and return to similar sounds throughout, which makes it difficult to honour your specific request for which to keep.
Personally, I think a hodge-podge of character voices is overkill. Should someone be looking for an elderly leprechaun wizard, for example, they don't want to sit through a long mix of cowboys and helium sounds. Especially for V123, methinks that a stored collection of 5 or 6 individual characters permit you to send in whichever is suitable.
But if you want to stick with the standard range demo, yours is impressive. Still, I would certainly ditch the clip following the Direct 32 intro, as well as the Brit (they do it better). I liked the opening, Card Boy, and I Know a Man bits.
And you sounded real good with the Adventurers thing towards the end, which demonstrates that you may well do as well - or better - with straight reads. It is brutally tough to break into the unionized cartoon field.
GO GET 'EM,
Robert Jadah