my first shot at it...

Lydia Scholten · **Voice Talent** Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 20

Here's my first round of demo recordings... any constructive feedback is most welcome!
thanks!
Lydia

Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2007, 18:22 (GMT) Post subject:

Lydia,

First of all - and you wouldn't have known this being new to this forum - but this type of posting is better suited for the "voice over Idol" thread. That's where people go more to solicit critiques on their demos. But still... let me give you the bad news, and I'll try to be kind:

This isn't good. I'm sorry, but everything about it is wrong. First off, the production quality is HORRIBLE. Distortion, popping plosives... it sounds horribly home-made.

Next, your delivery is stilted and forced. Not at all natural, warm, friendly or even professional. Where you DID try to add emphasis, like on 'Bang' it's so phony and forced that I actually winced. I haven't looked at your webpage yet here on voice123 but I'd venture a guess that you have little or no training or experience and it really shows in this demo.

You're going to have to start at the beginning. You'll need a lot of coaching, training, classes, auditions and practice and then a long ways down the road you'll need to enlist a professional to assist you in producing a professional demo. This won't cut it in the big leagues.

I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it's the truth.

Lydia Scholten · **Voice Talent** Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 20

hey thanks for giving it to me staight! The studio upgrade is in progress. As for the rest...practice practice! I will post to the other listing from now on. BTW the narration is somewhat stilted, I agree... it had to be timed with the movement of the demo cursor on the web screen...so I had to slow it down for that...any suggestions on how to increase the 'naturalness' factor when you're dealing with an on-screen cursor that's way slower (so the learner can track it visually?).

L

Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2007, 20:24 (GMT) Post subject:

Nonie Craige · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 46

Hi Lydia,

I too want to be helpful and add that you might have a good voice or sound underneathe, but you need a year or two of voiceover lessons to know how to deliver copy. Delivery is all and everything and you need to not just practice reading, but learn how to read correctly and practice reading correctly every single time.

You're just not ready Lydia. We are in competition with those in the business 10-15-20 years and noone is going to hire us because we have the potential. We either have it or we don't. If this is a passion for you, you will be patient and take learning this art form seriously. It is not as easy as you think. It's not just reading.....when I started I had a great voice, that is why I went into this field, but reading copy, didn't know anything..I never would have been hired. So if you are serious, take lessons as if you are going to school to earn a degree. Start with voiceover 101 and keep improving for the next year or so and then you need to go to a professional studio to create a perfect demo. Don't create the demo until you are ready to nail a piece of copy in one or two takes in an audition.

When I started 3.5 years ago I would go to the library, make copies of the ads in magazines, (that I enjoyed reading) and acting out (acting is very very important) I would then go home and change it slightly and print it out as a TV commercial or radio commercial (and they're different reads by the way) and it would take me 15-20 tries!!! to read it through smoothly ( still didn't realize that I wasn't even reading it properly) I realiized then that I would not be ready to make a demo until I was able to read a piece of copy well in one -3 tries. After 2.5 years I made my first demo which is on this site. I hope you will listen to it. If you produce a demo too soon and you don't sound great....I hear that it will be very hard to get the same persons to listen to your new demo....so I waited.

I sound like a book, so sorry for this long winded message, but I really hope it is helpful. Good luck!
My best to you,
Nonie

Lydia Scholten · **Voice Talent** Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 20

Thanks to you both for the valuable feedback! I'll be working on it!
Smile

Lydia