I would be very grateful if

Mike Jones · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008, 00:35 (GMT) Post subject: I would be very grateful if

Thank you for your time

Scott Pollak · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008, 02:16 (GMT) Post subject:

Mike,

First of all, kudos for being the most 'to-the-point' person I've ever seen on this site. "Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts."

I must be honest with you and say there's a lot going on with this demo that doesn't work. Let me work thru it chronologically:

- The opening and closing slates are amateurish and since you only have about 4 seconds to grab the listener, you're likely to lose him by making him sit thru your introduction. LOSE THE SLATES!!!
- Next: You have a mix of... well, I'm not really sure WHAT on here... a bit of narration, some voicemail stuff and other things. It's a hodgepodge. I'm not sure what it's supposed to be. So let's say I'm a client looking for a seasoned British voice to do my commercial, and yet somewhere muddled in-between a bunch of IVR demos is one or two commercials, which get totally lost because YOU'VE lost me with some message-on-hold demos, which, honestly, I don't care about. Every demo should have a focus: THIS one is for commercials, THIS one is for messages-on-hold, THIS one is for narrations, THIS one is for e-books, and so on.
- GET RID OF ALL THE NARRATIVES IN-BETWEEN, such as "I've been a voiceover for..." yadda, yadda. Listen to the demos of the top talents here, and on voices-dot-com, and voicebank.net, and you won't hear any of them telling the listener what it is you're about to hear.
- The whole thing seems under-produced. It's so minimalistic that it struck me as a night-time sleep aid. Mike, I'm not trying to be mean... this is just my impression. There's just not much going on here. You have a pleasant voice, no question, but all of these demos are SNOOZERS. If someone needs a voice to hypnotize folks to sleep, you'd be a cinch, but these demos do nothing to show any dynamics or range or variance in your voice.

Here's what I'd do: I'd gather up everything you've ever done (and according to what you said here, you've done a lot) and carry it to a skilled producer or production house and say "Here! Create 5 demos for me of about 1:00 each, 1 for commercials, 1 for e-learning, 1 for documentaries and so on." Then leave and come back a week later. I think that would give you the best of the batch.

BTW, my #1 alltime favorite group EVER is Pink Floyd so your opening bit about Syd Barrett really caught my attention!

Best of luck!

Mike Jones · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008, 14:17 (GMT) Post subject:

Hi Scott

First of all thank you for taking the time to write such a lengthy nd honest piece and I really do appreciate it.

I sincerely take on board what you say and I will certainly act on most of thepoints you have raised which incidentally I agree with .

I do believe there is a significant difference between USA voices and British voices and what you may find sleepworthy British radio might not.

I do have samples on this website of various bits of work which I do need to update, but the reason what you listened to was a mixture, was that I was advised to put together a piece of a bit of everything no longer than 90 secs. Perhaps than that was poor advice.

Anyway thanks again for your comments and if you love the Floyd then check out Australian Pink Floyd when they are in town . I've seen all the rest and they are the best by far. Actually better than the original on occasion

cheers again

Mike

Bob Bergen