CV Newsletter-December/03

Troy's Production Tips

Introduction: Platinum CV Member Troy Duran has been in the voiceover business for around 20 years, performing national and local spots and narrations for clients like Mastercard, Boeing and the National Credit Union. In addition to voicing spots and promos for agencies and radio stations around the world, Troy also owns and operates SpeedofSound.com, a specialty production and voiceover website marketed exclusively to radio stations. Here are some tips from someone who has worked on both sides of the glass, as a producer and voiceover artist:

"When Rick Gordon asked me to write some tips on producing a good demo, I readily agreed, and then spent the last two weeks writing and re-writing these paragraphs you see below. I guess the reason I had such a hard time writing them was not because I don’t know what goes into making a good demo- it’s that making a good demo is often so damned hard. It doesn’t have to be, but it’s so personal. Kind of like taking off your clothes and asking strangers ‘Well… What do you think?’ These strangers can and sometimes do point out love handles, moles and sags. Nobody wants that. Worse than that is getting a sideways glance as they walk by, as if to say ‘please, don’t waste my time.’

So before reading the following paragraphs, here’s my caveat: Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to conform to these “rules”. Instead, put together a demo that sounds cool to you. Don’t worry about the length, or the levels, or anything- Make it a fun thing. Then, use the paragraphs below as a kind of litmus test to polish your already cool demo. Because just like your naked flesh, it’s a lot easier to deal with the external when you’re happy in your own skin.

Is it specific?
General demos are too – general. Most people are looking for a very specific sound when they’re listening to demos. Create separate demos for your commercial, trailers, animation, TV promos, narration, radio imaging, etc. That way you’ll have a better chance of being heard.
That’s why I like CommercialVoices.com. It’s a place where I can showcase my commercial work. For my Radio imaging stuff, I use SpeedofSound.com. Targeting your audience is the key.

Is it compelling?
People are looking for what sounds best for their specific project. They won’t listen through crappy production for your stellar read. For that reason, use the most polished production you can while assembling your demo. Put the best stuff up front. Even if they don’t hear exactly what they’re looking for immediately, they’ll keep listening if what they do hear sounds good off the bat.

Is it Pretty?
Pleasing to the ear seems like a natural request. But I can’t tell you how many demos come to me with the levels jacked up like a Dave Clark 5 song where the levels spring to -.01 and don’t move ‘til it’s over. Listening to those demos, I feel somehow violated, like the person is shoving themselves up against the glass demanding to be heard. There is something to be said for a demo having good, consistent level. But leave the dynamics in. Let your audience hear quiet passages too- That’s part of your artistry and shouldn’t be sacrificed at the alter of loud.

Speaking of which, take the time to go through your individual pieces and tweak the levels so that they’re consistent from one to the next. Do the same with EQ- Is one spot heavy on the bass, and the next strident with sibilance? Roll off the bass at 20hz and use a notch filter to find the offending upper mids that make the other spot too strident. Do this separately on each piece. If you don’t feel comfortable messing with stuff like this, hire a professional producer to do it for you. For an investment of a couple of hundred bucks, you’ll present a much more polished product.

Where’s the fire?
Pay attention to tempo- Demos with nonstop action are tiring to listen to. The same applies to slow stuff. Vary the texture and tempo of your demo throughout, and you’ll add dimension. Try butting opposites together to showcase versatility, or to wake your demo up after a pensive spot… Or to provide a much needed breather after a flamethrower.

The Natural
Do you ever watch a movie on TV (especially local TV) and they’ll cut to a commercial break right in the middle of a scene, and you feel like someone just dumped you off a merry-go-round? The same thing happens to your listener when you arbitrarily cut your demo pieces to fit a certain length. The journey from the beginning of your demo to the end should be natural, like a good story. If it sounds good, They’ll keep listening. If not, your demo can be 30 seconds long. If they don’t hear what they’re looking for, they’ll move on.

Strip for a small audience first
Find a tough critic- This is the most important part. First, you’ve probably spent at least 5 hours listening to your own voice. Take it to someone whom you respect and ask them to please be brutally honest. And mean it. Often people will ask me to listen to their demo- when I start to tell them what I think, some justify their choices to me. Others I can tell are little hurt. Both types of people are missing the point. When someone gives you input on your demo they’re giving you free market research based on their experience. If this is a person who you respect, chance are he or she has some knowledge about what works and what doesn’t. And being critiqued beats the hell out of being ignored."

Troy Duran Troy Duran.com
Troy is a Founding Member of CommercialVoices.com
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Sprinter (Commercial/Imaging) or Long Distance Runner (Narration/Characters)?
Finding your Niche in Voiceovers…?

It's no secret that there is more money per spot available to "Sprinters" vs. more voice work available to "Long Distance Runners". This, however, shouldn't be the deciding factor in determining which domain is best for you. Voice talent is certainly encouraged to explore all of the different genres of voiceover work throughout their career. “Versatility” is an intangible quality that agents, producers and casting directors ultimately yearn for...even though a “signature” voice can translate into more consistent work and great success. Again, the key is trying it all to the best of your ability in hopes of discovering a niche that you particularly excel in. This competative edge will help when marketing yourself in the industry.

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Your input
Your questions, concerns and comments are very important to us at CV. Whether you are a client wishing you were a Producer or a Producer looking for VO talent, contact us at your convenience and we will point you in the right direction. Many of our VO talents wear Producer hats, script writing hats and marketing hats, so questions in just about any category are welcome. We will add a Q&A section as these questions come along but at this point everything is wide open. Send us an e-mail and watch for the reply in our next Newsletter. Your query will be answered by one of our top VO talents. E-mail us here.
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Contest
In issue #3 we are pleased to offer a professional production of your demo. Hats off to Troy Duran for offering this month's prize. A 1:30 to 2:00 demo in whatever format the winner chooses (commercial, promo, narration, character, etc) – The package will consist of a max of 9 pieces comprised of your choice of liners, sweepers and portions of two promos that the talent provides. This production retails at $179.99. Troy can record the demo via ISDN (you dial him), or send the vo on mp3. To enter for this draw click here The winner's name will be published in our January Newsletter ..........good luck!

Congrats to: Connie Terwilliger & Francine Wolf, our November contest winners of Harlan Hogan's book entitled "VO Tales and Techniques of a Voice Over Actor". Harlan will contact you shortly, enjoy!

Happy Holidays Everyone All the very best to you and yours in the New Year