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After all of your voiceover coaching, training, you need a voiceover demo! Demos showcase your voice and talent to clients, agents, and casting directors. They are essentially your business card and is the next most important aspect of the voiceover journey (check out my blog on Getting Started In Voiceovers). And just like updating your wardrobe, remodeling a room in your house, or getting a new car, the same thing should be done for voiceover demos. There is a lot that goes into it whether you are doing your first demo or updating, here are some of the things to consider when planning your next demo or doing your very first one.

WHY YOU NEED A VO DEMO

There’s no way around it – a voiceover demo is a must for any voiceover!  It had been a few years since my last demo was updated, and while we were doing some spring cleaning around the house, I thought it was time to freshen up my demos. Aside from being a voiceover, I am also a project manager for Voice Actor Websites where we build sites for voice talent. Our first criteria before working on a website? Do you have demos? If not, work on those first, then we’ll talk. A pro demo shows that you are serious about your craft and are ready to work.

Even if you have demos, the voiceover industry changes. New genres emerge. New products and services come to market that may need a new style of voiceover, so your demos need to stay current with those trends and styles and show that you can represent those changes to support your clients’ needs.

PLANNING AND PREPARING

Making demos takes planning and preparation – and it’s pricey! Do not be tempted to self-produce your demos! Agents and casting directors know a professionally produced demo when they hear one and can tell the difference if you tried to cut corners. Take some time to browse through demo producer samples and other talent demos so that you know what they’re listening for. Check out social media voiceover group pages and search for previous discussions on demos and producers. Also ask other VO friends for referrals.

Then start reaching out directly to demo producers for more info and pricing. Just like a home project, get a few quotes and see which one is best for you. Those who replied promptly and professionally with helpful background information certainly got my attention. Chuck Duran at Demos That Rock was that guy!

Once you decide on a producer, you won’t record right away. Producers may be booked out weeks or even months, so plan ahead for this! When you decide on scripts that you will use, use this time to practice!!! Work with a coach to ensure that you are ready when it’s time to record. Do your own test recordings to see how you sound with each script.

RECORDING YOUR VOICE DEMO

It’s a BIG day recording your demo! You might also be a little nervous, and that’s fine. Go through your normal motions like you would any other voiceover job. Stay as healthy as possible! Hydrate early on. Have your scripts ready with your notes. Ensure your home studio is ready to go – make sure you are comfortable in your recording space, either your DAW and/or Source Connect is tested, and that your connection to your producer (ie Zoom, phone) is set. Wear clothes that don’t make any noise. Ensure you address any other home studio sound issues. I planned a day when our neighbors’ landscapers would NOT be working!

If you’re going to a studio, scope out your travel route and ensure you arrive early and use all other in-studio etiquette.

You might also be a little nervous, and that’s fine. I remember my first coach played some tunes before recording and we just danced to loosen up and shake off any nerves! She just wanted me to focus on having FUN!

MARKETING YOUR NEW DEMO

You can relax a little after recording, but while you’re waiting for your demo to be produced, there is still work to do preparing to market your new demo! Expect at least a couple of weeks – if not more – for good quality production to happen. I have done audio editing myself and it takes time for music bed/sound effect selection and precision-editing multiple spots.

Get those emails and social media posts drafted so you can just plug in your demo and send! Research new clients and agents to whom you can send your new demo and tailor each of those intro emails accordingly. Have a voiceover resume ready to send if requested. Is your website updated? What about your social media sites to show that you’re active in VO?

Once you have your new demo, blast it out to the world! It’s a big step in your VO career, so don’t be shy or modest. Show clients you are proud and confident of your hard work. This is Marketing 101 and what EVERY business SHOULD be doing, so don’t hold back. Ensure you have your new demo posted on your website, any casting sites that you may be on, and especially update your agents! You can even put your demo to video, like this.

Don’t stop there! Your marketing journey is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s been said voiceover is 80-90% marketing, so plan on marketing just about every day and have some fun with it!

Thanks again to Chuck Duran for his audio expertise and my friend Humberto for his video production talents!

~Cameron

I know – it’s not a groundbreaking revelation. And I’m not trying to say this as a “health nut” or to subscribe to any sort of fitness or diet plan. Let me just say first, I admire those who, with little sleep and no caffeine, that are bursting with energy and creative ideas. I’m not that kind of person. I struggle with energy and inspiration.I am simply saying that after 30 plus years of working in either the military, private-sector jobs, and freelance work, the one thing that has been consistent this whole time has been some degree of exercise.

The Physical Routine To Power You Through

By the way, after purchasing a new Pro-Form treadmill, take advantage of the really unique and helpful built-in video training programs

So you just got your voiceover demos done. Congratulations! If you don’t already have a website, you’re probably thinking of building one. But there are a few things to consider before you start that can impact the site-building process.

As a project manager at Voice Actor Websites, I was on a panel discussion with our team on a recent podcast of Voice Over Body Shop discussing these very things, so I wanted to break them down for you here.

Let’s back up just for a second. There is one item that goes without saying really, and that is your demo(s). There are times when folks want to launch a site without having their demos, so that really is the number one showstopper for a site. If you don’t have a demo to show, you’re probably not ready for a website. Work on that first, then focus on your website.

To Brand Or Not To Brand Your Voice

You have probably seen many other websites with cool branding either with logos, taglines, caricatures, and you’re probably thinking “I gotta have a brand!”

No, you don’t.

If you have already one, great – go with it! But for most folks, especially those just starting out, a brand is not required. I have noticed that some people put the pressure on themselves to develop a brand which can lead to overthinking their site design and frustration.

When I work with talent on their sites, we always have an eye towards branding. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll land on one right off the bat. Knowing what kind of work, genres, and clientele your voice is best suited for is the first thing you need to consider. You can then tailor your site and brand towards those genres either with a logo, or image, a unique font, or a tagline. You may not know what that brand is and that is OK!

For example, you may want to work on animations or video games but end up booking more work for e-learning, corporate, or even audiobooks. All of a sudden that wild and wacky animated caricature that you spent all of that time and money on doesn’t really fit you anymore.

Take your time with it.

Cast a wide net with your site early on and keep things clean, simple, and professional. Over time, you’ll get more feedback from clients about your style and ability and you’ll start to see a common theme emerge. You can always update your site with more branding over time.

A great branding book is the Voiceover Achiever by Celia Seigel. Read that and do the branding exercises that she lays out. Make notes. LOTS of them. I have dozens of pages of branding ideas before I landed on something that suited my voice and work. Do this prior to your website design so that you have a solid idea going into it so that you don’t struggle with rethinking your design during the process.

Website Images and Headshots

Imagery is a big part of website design. It may be a headshot or perhaps a nice photo you took on a vacation. While we work with imagery all the time, there are some limitations that can interfere with a design.

Often times, headshots or imagery that you may have are low resolution images. Low resolution images do not work well on a website – they will looks pixelated when trying to fit into the dimensions of a site. Or perhaps your current photos may be cropped or have background features that interfere with the site layout. So the images that you wanted to use on your site may not work. We can help evaluate what current images might work and provide pointers so that your next photo shoot will result in some really nice photos that will work well with your site design.

How Do I Get My Voice Over Site To Rank High For SEO

I get asked this question a lot. Well, there are 2 types of sites – one that is an extension of your demos on a one-page landing site for direct marketing purposes – or an SEO heavy site that can help drive traffic to your site. They are two totally different animals. While a nicely designed and branded one-page site is great to send to potential clients, a one-page site can only do so much SEO-wise.  There are literally hundreds of factors that goes into site SEO ranking – here is a small batch of factors that affect SEO ranking.

An SEO site has multiple pages and subpages – maybe dozens or hundreds of pages. Each of those pages has relevant content that folks are interested in reading. This helps with viewer engagement but it also provides content for search engines look for when ranking sites. Here is a textbook example of an SEO site. As you can see, all of the text content on these pages and subpages are what drives a site higher in the ranking.

The more content your site has, the better. This takes a LOT of time and money to develop and just about everyone underestimates the significant commitment needed for an SEO site. So it’s important to consider the purpose of your site and prepare yourself for the fact that:

1) a new, single-page site will not rank high, and…

2) there is a lot more work in store for you for an SEO site.

I enjoy the process of working with other voice talent to highlight and showcase their heart and soul to the world and I pride myself on making the process go as smoothly as possible. Hopefully these considerations will prepare you for your next website.

Power Surges and Your Voice Over Studio

We were enjoying a nice pleasant Christmas day when all of a sudden lights and appliances started to flicker. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw sparks shooting out from a nearby outlet. The smell of burnt electronics filled the air. After a few moments of flickering, popping, and zapping, we still had power but it was limited. A few lights worked but faintly. A few items worked but not many. Our neighbors’ houses and outdoor Christmas lights were all shining bright while ours went dark.  And what just got fried? Oh my God, what about my home studio and office?!

With more folks working from home offices these days, is this what you want to be asking yourself?

WHAT HAPPENED?

After a panic call to an on-call electrician and the power company, we discovered a neutral power line that runs from the utility pole to the house broke. The neutral line allows power sent to the house to return back to the power line. If it breaks, the circuit is broken, power cannot return, and all of that power is sent surging rampantly through the house frying everything in its path.

We lost our modem, router, stove, a few vent fans, security system, radon mitigation system, battery chargers, hot water heater, and furnace.

Oh no! What about my studio? My laptop, microphone, audio interface, and speakers? My voiceover work?! My website development work?! My livelihood?!

Panic set back in as I tried to start everything up. With a gush of relief and a prayer of thanks, it was all spared. Why? Most likely it was farthest down the line away from the surge with items upstream taking the brunt of it. Plus, the circuit breakers on that side of the house worked, and my studio and office gear were all on surge protectors. However, this was barely enough to save my studio. Had it been further upstream closer to the surge, it may have blown right through the circuit breakers and surge protectors, so this was a complete stroke of luck.

I didn’t care that we didn’t have heat in the middle of a New England winter – I’m ok layering up. I didn’t care that we didn’t have hot water –  I can handle a cold shower. They are actually quite invigorating.

I was just thankful that I could still work! I was never more happy to record an audition or send a work email than I was then.

TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR VOICEOVER STUDIO AND OFFICE

Power surges are most likely during storms with high winds, heavy snow and ice, or thunderstorms. Lightning strikes occur quite often but you have time to take precautions before storms hit. However, surges are most common from downed power lines or other random surges without warning.

There is no way to predict a random power line break. And remember, power companies do NOT cover storm related surge damage. But there are steps to take to protect your voiceover studio, recording gear or home office equipment.  Any one of these items alone may not be enough protection, but a combination of these steps will give you the peace of mind and protection for your voiceover home recording/office setup and to always be available for your clients.

• Install WHOLE home surge protectors
• Use power strip surge protectors and/or Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS)
• Unplug your studio/office equipment when not in use, especially during storms
• Inspect home wiring
• Have backup gear – an extra laptop, mic, interface (if possible)
• Back up your work data on external hard drives/flash drives/cloud services

As a New Englander, I love the home improvement show This Old House. Many episodes cover home electrical systems, but here is an article that covers more detailed power surge protection for your home.

This Old House – Electrical Protection

So enjoy your next holiday with the peace of mind that your pricey home recording studio, gear, and/or home office is protected and you can remain up and running for your clients at all times. Take some time to review your power setup so you don’t lose your livelihood in a flash.

Source Connect. If you’re a voiceover, I hope you know what it is. As the pandemic hit this year, studios shut down and talent were forced to scramble with home studio setups. Most voiceover jobs are done from home studio anyways, so for many, this is business as usual.  But for those who work exclusively in studios, this was a huge challenge. Regardless of the circumstances, Source Connect is a critical life line for home studio talent to connect and record directly into other studios worldwide. So here are a few “Tried & True” tips for your next voiceover session.

SET IT UP

Approaching a Source Connect session is the same as a phone patch, Zoom, or any other client directed remote recording session. Set up is needed well ahead of time.  Source Connect has a few options available. A full perpetual license or a monthly license, and even a free 14-day trial is available to see how it works for you. Source Connect NOW is another option that runs through Google Chrome, but you may find that some clients and agents may require a paid version of Source Connect. Do your homework and do the free trial run to make sure everything works well ahead of time, such as ensuring your ports are mapped – more info on that here. Then you can decide on paying monthly or for a perpetual license. Some folks may opt to forego a paid license until booking a job and be Source Connect “ready”; however, do you want to risk any registration or setup snafus just before a voice over session? Save and stress, or pay and prepare? Your call.

TEST IT OUT

Do a test run! A day or so before your session, ask me (send me a note below!) or anyone in a VO Facebook/LinkedIn group or forum for a quick connect test.  Some clients may even ask for a test connection beforehand as well, so be prepared well ahead of time. Gear setups vary widely from person to person and there very well may be incompatible components that you’ll want to iron out well ahead of time.

When you confirm that the software works, prepare yourself just as you would for any VO recording session. Hydrate, warm-up, log in early, review the script, make your notes, etc. Jot down names of folks on the other end to keep track of who you’re emailing afterwards too. After working with them for a while, I like to connect with them on social media, so it’s good to make sure you search for the right names.

I usually do not use headphones (cans) when I record so I rely on in-studio speakers. However, headphones are a must during these sessions. Any sound going through in-studio speakers will feed back through your mic resulting in a terrible echo effect, so mute your speakers and use headphones.  There may still be a delayed echo chatting with the client or engineer but it goes away when recording.

BACK IT UP

And one of the biggest tips is from a session when the audio engineer’s computer software glitched in the middle of the session. He had to do a reboot of his entire system. We didn’t lose the whole session recording but a few lines that we were working on were lost. He asked me afterwards if I had recorded the session. Even though I was set up ready to record, sadly, I forgot to hit record. Thankfully I only needed to record a few lines afterwards but this was a good reminder to record on my end in case of those nasty gremlins messing things up.

Who knows how next year will shape up. Chances are that Source Connect will be an expected standard feature of any home studio. So remember these “tried & true” tips – set it up – test it out – back it up!

~CTV – “Tried & True”

Have you auditioned for voicover jobs that you thought were perfect for you, and didn’t land? The world of voiceovers can be funny and frustrating at times. Think of all the auditions that we send out, all in the hopes of landing each and every one. There are some you think you nailed but no call back. And there are some that you don’t expect to land and you end up getting the job.

What Are The Chances?

So, funny story. Before I went full-time with my voiceover career, I worked at a few other jobs. One of them was at an online university. One day, the school put out a notice that they were holding a voice competition as they were looking for someone to help with some marketing and promotion projects. Wow! A voice contest? Here? Perfect! I was already doing voiceovers part-time and here my current employer is looking for a voice talent. What are the chances of that?! After all, I had already landed many other jobs with companies like McDonalds, Nationwide, Hewlitt Packard, Nikon, even other colleges. So, yeah, I was feeling confident.

Everyone in the building – 1000+ people – were invited to try out. Auditions were sent in and reviewed, and eventually a shortlist of finalists was made.  To help decide the winner, they held a blind listening competition for the final candidates in front of everyone who worked there.

I didn’t make the finals – I wasn’t even in the top 10. Actually I don’t even know where I ended up. And you know what? I was ok with it.

A Voice Doesn’t Fit Every Job

I don’t know the reason, nor did I really care. Just like all of the other hundreds of auditions that I didn’t land before, this was no different. You can drive yourself crazy wondering why. But it all comes down to a simple fact.

My voice does not fit every job.

My voice may not fit every client. It may not appeal to every producer, creative director, promoter, or every person. My voice may fit a certain audience for one project, and a whole other audience for a different project. Everyone has different preferences. If you think you are going to fit every one of their preferences all the time, then you need to rethink your approach.

Handling Rejection

Sure, there were plenty of jobs for which I thought I would be perfect, but then nothing.  I thought back to all of the jobs that I auditioned for that were a complete long shot, and ended up landing!  I thought back to times when clients may not have preferred my voice at first but eventually hired me.

Whatever the reason, this just goes to show that auditions are subjective and sometimes don’t make sense. The reason may not even be anything you did wrong. But don’t be surprised when you don’t land the job. Don’t get angry about why you didn’t get a call back. Don’t demand reasons. Perseverating over an audition is completely counterproductive.  Get in the mindset of submitting your audition and forgetting. Submit and forget. Let’s say that again – submit and forget. Just enjoy the jobs you land and be thankful that you do appeal to someone.  Like an old Weather Channel commercial said, “how can you appreciate the sun, if you don’t have the rain.”

~Cameron