Finally...

Brad Venable · Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008, 18:44 (GMT) Post subject: Finally...

So I have finally gotten around to putting together some real demos.

So here's the great unveiling. Be gentle.

Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008, 19:23 (GMT) Post subject:

Brad, I love ya man, and when time allows I'm going to come back and really offer an in-depth critique, but there is one thing YOU GOTTA either fix or delete off you narration demo, and it's right up front... the incorrect pronunciation of mischievous:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mischievous

Pros can't be mispronouncing no words like that, bro!

Brad Venable · Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008, 20:25 (GMT) Post subject:

But Scott...the second pronunciation is exactly as I said it.
"÷mis-`chē-vē-us" (I replaced the schwa with 'u')

I have noticed that this is a region-dependent word. Maybe it's my southern upbringing. Razz

Lee Gordon · Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008, 21:33 (GMT) Post subject:

But Brad, the note following the second pronunciation says:
"A pronunciation \mis-ˈchē-vē-əs\ and a consequent spelling mischievious are of long standing: evidence for the spelling goes back to the 16th century. Our pronunciation files contain modern attestations ranging from dialect speakers to Herbert Hoover. But both the pronunciation and the spelling are still considered nonstandard."

I added the boldface on the last sentence, but essentially it says a lot of people say it that way, but that doesn't make it correct.

Robert Jadah · Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008, 23:51 (GMT) Post subject:

Tom Pagnotti · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008, 15:53 (GMT) Post subject:

Brad:

I thought that the Honda piece was the best on the commercial demo…
That said there was a lot that bothered me:

I felt that your commercial demo sounded very “radio”… that is, like a disc jockey doing a typical radio production read.

Many of your consonants are wet or sloppy… (Listen to the “T” in tools, the “th” in thank you. This may be due to the amount of compression on the piece.)

Your dialect is quite pronounced – especially in the way you bend and stretch your vowels. Scott Pollak is an example of how a regionalism totally works – but I’m not certain that it works for everyone.

And about your narration: It was – well, confused.

This is more like a character demo and I’m not certain what a voice seeker would expect for a demo titled "narration".

If you want an example of how a narration demo should sound have a listen to Allen Brown. In my mind, he is a master at the art of narration. http://voice123.com/allenbrown
You might also listen to Lance Blair who also has a tight industrial presentation.

Hope you’ll take these comments in the spirit in which they’re offered.

Best of luck.

Tom