Santa Clarita Magazine readers continue to send in pertinent questions about the voice-acting business. This is the sixth part of my answer regarding voice-over demos, and in this case, a few things not to do:
Q: I’ve voiced a number of commercials, and think I’m ready to make a demo. But do I really need to? Any suggestions as to how to go about it? –Roberta K., Santa Clarita, CA
A: There are many things to consider and remember before plunging into the project that will be your audio calling card, help you find an agent, introduce you to casting directors and producers, and help get you work—providing you have achieved proficiency in voice acting. Here are a few tips to insure a successful outcome:
•Do not make a homemade demo—it sounds cheap and amateurish, and no one will hire you based on that sound. If you want to make a rough demo for your ears only, in order to hear the flow of the segments, fine, but when you produce your demo, you want to put your best foot forward, and have it professionally presented and packaged.
•Do not record a dialogue with a person who’s the same sex, e.g., if you’re a woman, perform your dialogue segment with a man, and vice versa, and make sure you have the lion’s share of dialogue. The only exception to this rule is if you perform the segment with a young child.
•Do not write your own copy—unless you can write better than professional copywriters. A good demo producer will have many samples of some of the latest copies for you to pick from and work with. You can also find great copy in magazines and newspapers that you can adapt to fit your style of read. Ad agencies will sometimes give you older scripts from their files, as well as Radio and TV stations.
I hope this information helps. I’ll have more to add regarding your question next month. Good luck!
Cashman Commercials © 2008
Marc Cashman creates and produces copy and music advertising for radio and television. Winner of over 150 advertising awards, he also instructs voice acting of all levels through his classes, The Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques in Los Angeles, CA, and through private coaching.
He can be contacted at cashcomm@earthlink.net or his website, www.cashmancommercials.com .
