How to prep yourself to record your demo

Craig Crumpton · **Voice Talent** Joined: 10 Mar 2008 Posts: 58

I've spent years researching voiceovers and have taken workshops, but not once can I recall reading anywhere or hearing a pro explain how to fully prepare yourself to record a demo once you know you're ready.

The VO stuff I've done to date unfortunately isn't usable for a commercial demo, so I'm going to have to record everything from scratch.

And it looks like I'll be recording my commercial demo on Thursday the 17th, provided everything goes according to schedule with the studio and my producer.

I know I need some really crisp, tight, well-written copy that's suited to my voice and style, and I've been looking over magazine ads and emulating the kind of good scripts I've heard on the radio. I once used "The Voiceover Cyberstation" for practice copy, but that site has since gone belly-up.

What sites are you pros recommending for free VO scripts these days?

And in the advice I've gotten from some pros, they've said that since I specialize in character voices that when I do record a demo I could probably "cheat" and throw in a character voice or two if 1-2 of the spots are dialog bits. And I'm confident that I can alter my voice enough to have my character voices distinguishable from each other in dialog. (And if you've seen my "Casey At The Bat" performance I linked in the demo forum, perhaps you might agree with me.)

But how do you pros feel about that? Should I keep it straightforward, and just be real, conversational, and genuine? Or should I mix it up a little and add some quick dialog bits, or even do a "hardsell" announcery voice just for a little variety?

Any other helpful suggestions on prepping myself for this event (that's been a long time in coming) would be greatly appreciated... and not just in the days leading up to recording, but the day of as well.

Connie Terwilliger · **Voice Talent** Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 409

First of all, if you are asking these questions today and planning to collect your own copy and don't have anything, you may need to move that recording date a bit.

Second, what is the producer doing? I would think that part of the producer's job is working with you to first figure out what 'kind" of a demo to produce and help you get copy. Have you been working with a voice coach to help you find your niche? Do you have a marketing plan in place for what to do with the demo once it is done?

Are you going to be using the demo to market your voice doing radio and TV spots? Or do you want to try to break into Animation? Those are two very different demos. And how you get copy for both is different.

No matter what - do not use any copy that you buy from a script source - unless you tweak it to be different (different product, change the POV, etc.). Do not use any copy you find in any of the VO books - unless you doctor it. Mainstream agazines do make a great source for copy - particularly for a commercial demo.

Craig Crumpton · **Voice Talent** Joined: 10 Mar 2008 Posts: 58

Thanks, Connie for taking the time to offer a detailed reply.

Incidentally, your site was among the first I discovered that offered VO info back in the late 90's when I began researching the industry to see if I should bother trying to pursue it even as a part-time career considering how competitive the industry is.

I am also responsible for being the editor who first indexed your site at dmoz.org back in '99, and at the time I took the liberty of adding some of your subpages in related VO info categories too. No telling how much more web traffic you've gotten since then just from those additional listings.

So that royalty check is long overdue... Wink

Bob Bergen · **Voice Talent** Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 224

Craig Crumpton · **Voice Talent** Joined: 10 Mar 2008 Posts: 58

Connie Terwilliger · **Voice Talent** Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 409

Bob Bergen · **Voice Talent** Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 224

J. C. Bailey · **Voice Talent** Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 6

Just so everybody knows, Craig's my brother... has been since I was born (or dropped on the doorstep as he has suggested), so he's always giving me tips about recording.

I already have a site up and running, although I'm always adding content to it.

He suggested I have a commercial demo and a character demo on my homepage, just so people can get a chance to see (or hear) what I can do.

I kind of felt rushed, so I just pulled from some of my best stuff (in my own opinion) and mix-pasted them into a minute demo each. But I didn't want them to be my REAL demos. I guess my question is, in a commercial demo, you all suggest ONLY your own voice, but wouldn't a minute demo of nothing but my own voice be redundant and lose my target representation/customer? Shouldn't there be accents or just a modified version of my own voice to show flexibility in there too? Something that represents my ability to pitch my voice higher or lower or other vocal tricks that grab an audience instead of me reading copy as myself through the whole thing? I mean, Craig, you yourself told me I have to GET them in the first ten seconds.

I would RATHER try getting into animation, but right now, I just want something I can put on a resume!

My character demo is just my immitations of pre-existing characters, but like I said, it was just meant to be something people could hear when they go to my homepage. I am working on a demo of my OWN characters that would be my final demo for selling/promoting my voice.

Any suggestions? And how do I know which characters are my best?

I'd upload my demos but they are already on my VOICE 123 profile and my homepage @ http://manof1000voices.com but like I said, they are just temp demos so I'd have SOMETHING there.

Bob Bergen · **Voice Talent** Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 224

J. C. Bailey · **Voice Talent** Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 6

MUCH! Thanks. I'd ask for your autograph on my Duck Dodgers t-shirt, but I don't think that'll happen.

So should I remove my "demos" (if you wanna call them that) from my homepage?

Here are some other questions: how many different "spots" should be included in my frst REAL commercial demo; can you be specific about "different sides;" what all do I have to do/go through to get into animation (based on what you've done); and lastly, did I start trying too late?

As for having a talented family, that remains to be seen unless you have already heard something I've done... but thanks anyway. Of course, I AM more talented than my brother... just kidding.

But just for fun, you can hear my now ridiculous-sounding demos... the funny thing is, I thought they were at least okay. I know you CAN be harsh, but bare with me... I'm a noob and I absolutely know that none of the characters in my character demo are mine. They are just clips I recorded for fun and rushed together a demo to have something to show... apparently, not the brightest thing I've done thus far. And after listening to it more, the commercial demo DOES have some of "just me" but now that I think about it, some of them should be considered character voices too. Oh, well. You should at least be able to tear up by laughing at them so hard that it makes you cry. Embarassed

Bob Bergen · **Voice Talent** Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 224

Hey bud!

Well, first of all, characters don't belong on a commercial demo. You want one minute of just you.

Before answering your questions. read this from my website:

http://bobbergen.com/faq.htm

It's a tad out of date. My website is in the process of being updated and redesigned. But for the most part, the info is acurate. Demos are a minute now, not a minute and a half.

My advice is, yes, never have anything representing you on your website that isn't brilliant. By virtue of having a demo, you are presenting to folks that you are as good or better than everyone working today.

Read away at my FAQ page. Then if you have more questions ask away.

Wink

J. C. Bailey · **Voice Talent** Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 6

I did know about the whole 1 minute rule... like I said, I sort of got it in my head that I just needed something there.

Wow. That was a lot of info to take in. But after reading your faq, you say that your animation demo SHOULD be a minute and a half and it should be different clips... so I think maybe at least I had the structure right, and my clips (although they weren't my own characters) were "doing" something, for the most part and I think I had a good variety. So I think I was at least thinking in the right direction as far as how to put one together.

But you never actually said whether or not you would pull my "demos" from my homepage for now (if you were me). And no personal offense, seeing how you're already established and all and I'm a zero as of right now, but your "taco" bit sounded a lot more like a "character" rather than the "real you," but that's just me. Wink

But from what I listened to, what you mean by "different sides" is basically different pitch and tempo? Am I close? It's good to know that I at least got a couple of things right about how to go about it. I just have ALOT of fine tuning to do.

Craig seems to think that I've got the equipment to do my own demo. I've got the ability to give them different quality "sounds" like you suggest about sounding like radio, vcr or cd-type quality... and yes, all mine have that "demo" sound, so thanks for that tip. I didn't even realize before reading that.

Anything else you can suggest? And (if you even bothered listening) do I even have the talent necessary to pursue a career in this field. I honestly believe I do, but it's hard to get honest opinions from friends and family because they are so optimistic about everything. You can be as critical as you want because you are already a professional for one thing and you aren't concerned about hurting my feelings (which you shouldn't, I WANT honest feedback).

Thanks again for all the help! I actually LOVED the improv idea. I'm a childrens' church preacher and a father of four, so improv is part of my daily routine. I love throwing together characters for the kids at church... I dressed as different Bible characters and gave them each a different impression, Arnold Schwarzenneger for Samson, Patrick Warburton as Gideon and Jim Carrey (as Ace Ventura) as Noah. My oldest son has Autism and can cause a bit of a rucuss so I HAVE to improvise. But it's fun and it's funny.

Bob Bergen · **Voice Talent** Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 224

Wow. That was a lot of info to take in. But after reading your faq, you say that your animation demo SHOULD be a minute and a half and it should be different clips... so I think maybe at least I had the structure right, and my clips (although they weren't my own characters) were "doing" something, for the most part and I think I had a good variety. So I think I was at least thinking in the right direction as far as how to put one together.

I was referring to your commercial demo being a minute. An animation demo can be a bit longer since you have more to demonstrate in an animation demo than you do in a commercial demo. An animation demo needs to showcase vocal range as well as acting range very different from a commercial read. To accomplish this you need a bit more "meat" in each byte.

Craig seems to think that I've got the equipment to do my own demo. I've got the ability to give them different quality "sounds" like you suggest about sounding like radio, vcr or cd-type quality... and yes, all mine have that "demo" sound, so thanks for that tip. I didn't even realize before reading that.

I myself don't advocate doing your own demo. Unless you are an expert and have a background in demos, know the current trends in advertising, know what the agents are looking for in talent, etc. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

But you never actually said whether or not you would pull my "demos" from my homepage for now (if you were me). And no personal offense, seeing how you're already established and all and I'm a zero as of right now, but your "taco" bit sounded a lot more like a "character" rather than the "real you," but that's just me. Wink But from what I listened to, what you mean by "different sides" is basically different pitch and tempo? Am I close? It's good to know that I at least got a couple of things right about how to go about it. I just have ALOT of fine tuning to do.

I told you that you never want to post a demo unless it is as good or better than those working today. If it were me, I'd pull them. But you need to do what's right for you.

And you are correct in that my commercial demo has more characters. I am indeed established and don't need to have the same demo as those looking to break in.

What I mean by different sides is, different sides of your personality. Has nothing to do with pitch. Think pitch and you are thinking technically. You need to think like an actor.

i don't know if you are close commercially because I've not heard your commercial reads. I've only heard you read commercialss with character deliveries. I need to hear the real you. I need to hear your personality, your branding, your own individual style.

As for if you have what it takes to make it in VO? I absolutely hear your vocal range. Commercially, as I said, I need to hear you. As for your characters, I need to hear more originality in character. You are on the right track. Originality all around will make you more marketable.

Wink

Connie Terwilliger · **Voice Talent** Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 409

Bob Bergen · **Voice Talent** Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 224

Once again Connie shows what a pro she is! All good stuff!!!!!!!

Wink