It's time...I think I need some feedback...please

Marian Hussey · **Voice Talent** Joined: 21 Jan 2008 Posts: 6

Well, I've been doing this seriously for about 6 months now. After about 12 decent and pretty diverse jobs, I think I've now got enough confidence to deal with the constructive criticism of my peers... so hit me with your best shot. I appreciate it. Thanks!!!

Melba Sibrel · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008, 02:06 (GMT) Post subject:

Nice. Love your voice. Your American on the Clorox clip sounds especially sweet -- just a drop of "southern". The only clip I don't like at all is the Advil. Too hard-edged -- I just don't buy it. I also don't think the first clip is your strongest. I think your best clips are those that showcase the rich, textured, playful side of your voice -- those feel more natural.

Marian Hussey · **Voice Talent** Joined: 21 Jan 2008 Posts: 6

Thanks Melba, for taking the time to listen and also your helpful comments. I think I'll take your advice, do some switching around and maybe change a couple of the spots. Although, I think I really need to sit down and take the time to write some material better suited to me. Thanks!

Michael J. Schoen · **Voice Talent** Joined: 21 Jan 2008 Posts: 198

I would drop the first two clips -- and start from there.
You got softer and more appealing.
Nice voice.
It's hard for me to evaluate the British accent -- but the last clip sounded plausibly American.
Good job.

Haneen Arafat · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 122

Marian,

I also think you have some lovely work on there, and most all of your pieces are a pleasure to listen to.

I think the biggest question for me is, do you think it's helpful or confusing to have all of your accents on one demo? Honestly, I don't know, as I do most all of my work in one accent.
You're certainly talented enough to do them all, but I wonder if going back and forth between them within the space of one demo, is more distracting than useful?
Notice Michael said that it's hard for him to judge a British accent. (Michael, hope you don't mind as I use you as the example here.) Will you cancel yourself out for jobs in an American accent if someone with a similar ear is looking to hire you, but you have two RP jobs up front? Or, if a casting director knows they want an Austrailian accent, are they going to wade through this to find the two pieces that qualify?

Perhaps you just intend this to be a compilation for our purposes on this board, but I do believe that you need separate versions of each accent for your marketing.

Marian Hussey · **Voice Talent** Joined: 21 Jan 2008 Posts: 6

Thanks, Michael and Haneen!

Haneen, I definitely think you've hit the nail on the head about me needing separate demos for each accent. I think it will definitely help. At this point I am already starting to compile separate material using jobs that I've done and material that I'm writing. I think it may take some time...I probably need to produce material not only for each accent but for each VO area, ie Australian- commercial demo, narration, e-learning etc.. then the same with my other accents.

What do you think?

Haneen Arafat · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 122

Yes, as cumbersome as the job will be, doing a separate group for each accent will probably give you the most mileage. At least, that's my opinion. If you're doing a character demo, you wouldn't need to worry about mixing dialects there, though.

If being multi-talented means a lot of work up front, you'll still have more chances for success in the end. Good luck with it.

Maxine Dunn · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Apr 2004 Posts: 675

Hi Marian ~

Just a few of things I’ve noticed....as I'm British as well and do a lot of v/o work using an American accent, I tend to be hyper-sensitive when I hear either Brit's doing American, or American's doing Brit.

I think your American could use just a tad more work. Your voice is truly beautiful but what I noticed is that your dialect isn't consistent in your American spots. Except for the utterly British spots, it's a bit muddled and you go backwards and forwards between the two.

For example in your AT&T spot, it starts out sounding almost British, but then gets more American as the spot progresses.

On the spot right after the AT&T spot, the whole spot is half and half.

For example, in the word "horsepower," the "horse" is said with an American accent and the second half of the word "power" is said with a British accent. Then later the word “four” (of 4.2 liter) is said with a British accent but “automatic” is said with an American accent.

The One-A-Day commercial sounds very British in the cadence, but you pronounce “vitamins” with a slightly American accent. I really can’t tell what kind of accent you’re trying to render in that particular spot. Remember that speaking with a dialect or speaking a non-native language, it also means re-creating the rhythm and cadence. The cadence of American speech is very different than the cadence of British. Much like the cadence of Italian is very different from German.

I’m not saying you can’t work using an American accent, and you have a marvelous voice but when using any dialect, Australian, southern, Brooklyn, it’s always good to be very consistent throughout the whole read. Just my opinions of course, and bravo on doing your demo! (Also as aforementioned in other posts, Brit and American should definitely, positively, have their own separate demos…)

Best of luck!

Maxine

Marian Hussey · **Voice Talent** Joined: 21 Jan 2008 Posts: 6

Hi Maxine,

Thanks for your insights! I really get your comments on cadence!

It's really interesting. I've been living in the US for 6 years now and while my overall natural accent/pronunciation hasn't changed the cadence of my speaking voice definitely sounds more American...funny that...

Another funny thing about my natural accent is that it is a bit over the place... I grew up in England, spent my teenage years in Australia and since then have lived in back in the UK, Canada and the US.

People often get confused as to where my accent is really from...

However what seems to work for me really well is when clients are looking to project an international image and they don't want a stuffy sounding British accent, they seem to like the slight Australian inflection with that subtle American cadence. Having said that, I have booked a number of gigs using my American accent (I'd like more...) and using my "full on ocker" Australian accent.

The demo was recorded a year ago now and since then my American accent has come along way... I now cringe when I hear that car spot... Also the Vitamin spot when I did it, my coach told me to try and "split the difference" between my autralian and american accents... go figure. And the ATT I was told to "tone down the American"...

You obviously have a fantastic ear Maxine and I really appreciate that you took the time to listen and add your comments.

Over the next few weeks I'm going to put together some new material for each accent. I can't wait to hear your thoughts again (if you have the time) once I post them.

Jenna Sharpe · **Voice Talent** Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 46

I'm going to be completely honest here. The thing that stood out for me is not the consistancy of your accent but the fact that you have a slight lisp on some spots. This was most evident on the first read and the Glade plug ins one. The strange thing is it only appears to be a problem on your more British reads.

I did like your reads though and thought it was well written and mixed. It could perhaps be chopped down a little to make it more snappy as 1:35 is on the longer side for a commercial reel.

Best if luck with it all!

Marian Hussey · **Voice Talent** Joined: 21 Jan 2008 Posts: 6

Thanks Jenna, It's interesting that you picked up on this!
The first time I heard my demo after I received the fully produced copy, I was like, what? How come it sounds like I have a lisp?

I never really did ask my producer why some of the S's sounded like THs. I guess after a while I stopped picking up on it. T

The funny thing is, is that I'm pretty certain I don't have a lisp.
I've just been listening to some recent stuff I've been producing at home and I can't detect a lisp anywhere, Plus nobody has ever told me I have a lisp, and, after 32 years on this planet I would have thought it may have come up. (you never know though...)

Have a listen? I know what I'm posting isn't great stuff by any stretch of the imagination, but can you still hear a lisp.
Could this have been a compression issue?

Melba Sibrel · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008, 20:38 (GMT) Post subject:

I think what you're hearing is just the noise that accompanies compression of bright audio into these small mp3 files. You would know if you had a lithp. Laughing

J.S. Gilbert · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008, 04:43 (GMT) Post subject: You can do much, much more

Compression or not, I'd have not listened past the first spot because of the lisp. Whether it's an aspect of bad recording or an actual deficiency of an actor isn't going to be the concern of the person whose job it is to book talent. A major reason why NEW talent don't often get a shot to begin with is because it's hard for producers and directors to take chances on unknown quantities. Send out the lisp recordings and I can guarantee that most producers, agents, etc. will toss your demo in the bin.

Going beyond that, I would simply give you the same advice I give to most people in your situation. Make it less about you and less about the "voice" Many of your reads were pleasant. A few were quite good, but most of this lacked a strong emotional commitment to what you were saying and again no personalization. Picture one very specific person, a real person, such as your best friend or husband or boy friend or father or ... and figure out why you would be saying this to them. What are your goals? Who are you and where are you?

Maybe there was a time when the ability to pleasantly get through the copy was enough and perhaps that alone could support you in getting entry level auditions, but with 100 or more people seemingly vying for evey v.o. job out there, the ability to really act will allow you to give a great audition and performance everytime.

The question you need to answer is After performing any of the pieces on your demo, did you feel emotionally drained? Did you feel like you really worked? Did any of these reads make you have goose bumps or cause the hair on the back of your arm to stand up?

Let that be your goal.

Maxine Dunn · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Apr 2004 Posts: 675

Hey Mr. I Thought You Were Brazilian ~

Since I have very little body hair, the hair on the backs of my arms doesn't stand up, no matter what the hell I do.

Got any other analogies to help guide us in measuring our emotional investment in our reads?

Xoxo

J.S. Gilbert · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008, 23:28 (GMT) Post subject: Well Max

UNfortunately for you Max, you don't even have to say a word for it to be a magical , awe inspring experience.

I have called the assistant to the Minister of Weights and Measures to ask exactly how we would be able to measure a Maxine Dunn v.o. "moment" and they are hoping to get back to me soon.

I am imagining that a really good audition for you might be similar to that now infamous scene from "Harry Met Sally", but I'll wait for the government to advise.