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King Lou posted:Thats awesome, Melanie. Congrats. Thanks Lou. I just found out it was actually TWO of my students who were called in for auditions. (One goon!) Out of twelve of us. And the casting director hasn't even held an audition since then for female roles yet, so there could be even more coming. I'm over the moon right now! RebBrownies posted:In terms or usb preamps are there any brands should I look for? Thanks, RebBrownies.  The recommendations I got from the person with whom I entrust my audio production knowledge and decisions recommended the Mackie Onyx Blackjack and the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. I've only personally heard the latter, which has the added bonus of a full plug-in suite with it. I wouldn't personally recommend the Snowball, but there are plenty of people who use it and are happy with it. From what I've heard it has a pretty high level of self-noise. (I can't find a figure anywhere online for the life of me, though.) Generally you want to aim for something with a noise floor of <10db. 10-20 is ehh, 20< is pushing it. 6-7 is industry standard. The AT2020 is at 20. The Neumann TLM103 (generally thought of as something of a gold standard in the industry for mics) is either 6 or 7, I don't recall which. So is my mic (Rode NT2A). The Rode NT1A--the same thing, but with a cardiod (unidirectional) pickup pattern rather than the uni/omni option present on the NT2A--is at an impressive 5. I love my mic and would totally recommend it in a heartbeat, although not blindly--in the end, it depends on what's best for your voice. Overall I do not recommend USB mics, unless they are also functional as a regular XLR mic--like the Yeti Pro, although I have my own reservations about that one in particular. If at some point you decide to expand your setup to include any piece of equipment that isn't specifically designed to play nice with a USB device, or want to bring your mic to another studio with you to record for any reason, you're screwed. It doesn't make sense to limit yourself when you can achieve the same effect with a decent USB preamp and have more control/freedom with your setup. Basically, if you just want a mic to tool around and create some basic recordings and you are okay knowing that you might want something better/more flexible a few years down the road, a USB mic is fine. If you're planning on seriously pursuing professional voiceover work and/or see yourself using this mic for more than a year or two, I would invest appropriately in the best mic you can afford. I had my first mic (a Behringer B-2) for about two years before upgrading to my Rode, which I've had now for about four years and don't see myself replacing anytime soon. Interestingly, I tried finding self-noise specifications for the Yeti and Yeti Pro and only found posts in forums with people emailing Blue with the same inquiry and not getting responses. Blue doesn't seem to like to give out that information.
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Dec 6, 2013 21:30
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I've been lurking this thread for a while now, and I definitely want to give this all a go. The only recording devices I have right now are a Rock Band mic or a headset mic (Skullcandy Hesh 2 if it matters, it probably does not). I haven't read entirely through the thread, so I haven't absorbed all of the info yet, but I like the price point, functionality, and accessories that come with the Audio-Technica ATR2100 from Amazon right now. Is anyone else using this particular mic? I am leaning towards a dynamic mic due to the probable recording environment (apartment), and I like that it is supposed to be strongly unidirectional. Also the huge number of positive amazon ratings makes it seem like a pretty good mic. Tl; dr Audio-Technica ATR2100 good or no?
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Dec 7, 2013 03:30
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blinkeve1826 posted:The recommendations I got from the person with whom I entrust my audio production knowledge and decisions recommended the Mackie Onyx Blackjack and the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. I've only personally heard the latter, which has the added bonus of a full plug-in suite with it. I have the Scarlett and I really like it. I use it in conjunction with Adobe Audition and my AKG C214 it works great for pretty much everything. Two thumbs up.
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Dec 7, 2013 17:15
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Ishamael posted:I have the Scarlett and I really like it. I use it in conjunction with Adobe Audition and my AKG C214 it works great for pretty much everything. Two thumbs up. Yeah, I might end up getting it myself. I haven't really needed it, but I would love a more portable alternative for my current setup. On a different note, anyone want to try their hands at copywriting? I'm going to be starting a regular voiceover workout group here in NYC and would love some two-person, three-person and group copy to be able to use for group VO spots for those and for my classes. I'm happy to Paypal a few bucks your way if you come up with some stuff we can use. Along those lines, if anyone's interested in writing copy for my students to use on their demos, shoot me an email (melanie at listentomelanie dot com) with some :15 and :30 commercial samples and/or animation/character dialogue samples, and some idea of what you'd want for payment for them. Most of my students write their own copy or I'll write it sometimes, but sometimes I just get sick of it and would be happy to pay someone else a few bucks to write a short spot or two.
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Dec 9, 2013 21:03
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So I've got the kind of voice that has every random stranger I meet going "Well gee, why aren't you on the radio with that voice!" Most people don't really seem to expect a 130 lb. white guy to have a voice like he's gone through puberty at least 3 times over. Now I've always kinda brushed these comments off like "yeah right, what do these people know," but after meeting a guy who actually does professional work in this industry and seeing him get giddy as all hell at the sound of my voice, I've been starting to think there may actually be some merit to those comments. That, along with just really wanting to mix up my life lately and make some big changes, has me seriously looking into this route as a potential option to actually do something kinda interesting for a change. Now I'm probably going to try and get in contact with that guy again and see what advice he could give, but I also would like to ask here to see what advice anybody could give for someone who wants to get a start in this line of work. I'm at work right now, but I can record a few clips later tonight and post them up if anybody's interested. Also, I live within easy commuting distance of NYC, if that helps at all. Now I'm not really holding out hopes of making a career out of this, as I realize it's probably a long shot, but if I can even manage to land a gig or two on the side somewhere down the line, well, that'd be pretty drat cool.
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Dec 11, 2013 21:16
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Blinkeve runs a course that you could take in NY (also she does online courses) so you could look into that for a "running out of the gate" thing. There is a minimum investment you'll need to really get started as well for your gear. However, before you make those kinds of choices on if you should buy a USB Yeti, or get a XLR mic and USB interface (which is the way I prefer) you should get some experience with stuff in your free time, for fun to see how you like it. Having "the" voice is really only part of the equation. It can be a really beneficial one, but there's still a lot of other factors like gear, vocal muscle strength, dexterity, and longevity, knowing how to alter your voice for an intended result, and simply taking a project to completion. Ultimately, the best start is to take whatever mic you currently have and make the best of it for practice purposes. And that should be the focus, is practice. There's some copy samples in the OP, or you can just take any thing you want/find and read it aloud. That I think is the best place to start.
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Dec 11, 2013 21:50
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I've been lurking this thread pretty hard for awhile, and I've got some takes I would love everyone to rip apart! The Timeless Classic: Sumerset Hills.  This is just a mildly energetic version of my normal speaking voice. I took multiple takes and made some cuts of unfortunate noises (licked my lips twice, I'll have to make sure not to do that). Is it cheating to take a nice deep breath and then cut it in post? Other than cuts, nothing was done to this audio; it is presented as is. If I can make a much better take in the future, I will work on further improvement in post (gating, compression, etc). Here's a quick (not quite single take) version read in a more... sensual? voice.  Finally, I managed a half read of the script using a counterfeit of everyone's favorite ball of raw beef:  I had to cut it short because I found myself slipping uncontrollably into some sort of mix of Meatwad and Bill Cosby? It was very strange. It was interesting to me, because I think this might be the longest I've ever tried to hold that character voice. Clearly I need to keep practicing with that. All takes were recorded using Audacity on a Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB. Edit! For Blinkeve's sake I would like to mention that the atr2100 has simultaneous usb and xlr output, as well as a headphone jack for lag free monitoring! I took these things into account when purchasing based on things she said. Hit me with your best advice, and I'll be ready to record more on Friday! I haven't quite made it through the rest of the thread, so if anyone could point me in the direction of any of the other calibration scripts that were posted, that would be awesome! Zorblack fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Dec 12, 2013 |
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Dec 12, 2013 01:13
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Managed to do a few quick readings for you peeps to judge.   I gotta say, even just reading these dumb practice scripts, I'm really having quite a bit of fun with this. All done on a Samson Meteor Mic through Audacity.
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Dec 12, 2013 02:26
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Zorblack posted:Hit me with your best advice, and I'll be ready to record more on Friday! I'm just another lurker, but the thing that stood out the most is your accent. It doesn't come to the fore too much until you hit an "o". You pronounce the long "o" in a Valley Girl way--sort of like the French "aux", with that extra touch of sinus not typically found in "Region-Free" American English. Likewise, the "oo" sound in "moving" is about halfway to "ew". (I wish I could describe it better.) Perhaps it stuck out because it's something I notice myself doing. Is that your normal speaking voice, or are you pushing it? If the latter, I'd be curious to hear a more natural take. Only thing I'd really add to that is: while your enunciation is pretty solid, you could work on not hissing when you hit a word that begins with "s", be careful to pronounce the "g" in the "ing" suffix, and make your "t" more crisp (so that "community" doesn't come out "communiddy"). Now going back to lurking and learning...
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Dec 12, 2013 03:27
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Thank you Budgie, I will work on my "o". Also, canned bread, you have an awesome voice but very slow pacing. This is my opinion as a total noob. Real question: if I sign up for acx and do loads of erotica, will I be blackballed from cartoon work forever? Looking at the work people want done, any one of us could essentially become the king of gay erotica.
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Dec 12, 2013 18:45
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Zorblack posted:Thank you Budgie, I will work on my "o". Also, canned bread, you have an awesome voice but very slow pacing. This is my opinion as a total noob. I figure that a track-record of successful projects is going to count more positively than the genre would ever count negatively. Has anyone heard any stories about voice actors getting shut out from future work opportunities based on past contracts?
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Dec 12, 2013 19:09
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Zorblack posted:Thank you Budgie, I will work on my "o". Also, canned bread, you have an awesome voice but very slow pacing. This is my opinion as a total noob. I read Bitcoin Erotica, if that doesn't destroy me, nothing will. So might as well be the gay Prince to the current Gay King. Also, hello new people! I'll try to get to reviewing in the morning!
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Dec 13, 2013 09:14
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Oh god, I got swamped with gay erotica titles until I just decided to cut my ends and leave ACX. I've nothing against voicing it, but it's either badly written or I'm requested to do it with the voice of Michael Jackson. You've heard my clips. This is impossible. Plus, I didn't wanna be pigeon-holed.
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Dec 13, 2013 10:42
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Canned Bread posted:So I've got the kind of voice that has every random stranger I meet going "Well gee, why aren't you on the radio with that voice!" Most people don't really seem to expect a 130 lb. white guy to have a voice like he's gone through puberty at least 3 times over. Now I've always kinda brushed these comments off like "yeah right, what do these people know," but after meeting a guy who actually does professional work in this industry and seeing him get giddy as all hell at the sound of my voice, I've been starting to think there may actually be some merit to those comments. That, along with just really wanting to mix up my life lately and make some big changes, has me seriously looking into this route as a potential option to actually do something kinda interesting for a change. Gahhh I wish I'd seen/been able to respond to this sooner! I just put up a boatload of new classes and events and things that would definitely very much interest and benefit you (which is what I've been busy with in the meantime...). If you happen to see this by tomorrow, I'm actually starting a new voiceover workout group at a studio in NYC (midtown Manhattan) tomorrow. It's an informal practice group that I intend to make a regular opportunity for practice, ideally biweekly--once a month on Sundays and once on a weeknight. Tomorrow will double as our launch party/holiday get-together, and I have some surprises planned myself, so if you can make it that would be super great! All the info is on my website, http://www.listentomelanie.com/voiceoverclasses.html. If you can't make it to that, I do have my One-Day Intensive Beginner Voiceover Workshop coming up on Sunday, December 29th. These classes are super small and personalized and we cover eeeeeeverything you need to get started--commercial, character/animation and narration VO techniques, as well as some of the important business and technical aspects of voiceover work as well. Goon tested, attended and approved.  I also just set up three (and may soon add a fourth, but we'll see) events in January with voiceover industry guests, which are pretty much the best things ever. On January 12th I'm running a commercial voiceover class with Angela Mickey, manager of casting at Liz Lewis Casting Partners (huge bi-coastal casting office); on Tuesday, January 14th I'm running a commercial VO technique class with David Bellantoni, casting director at Beth Melsky Casting (another huge bi-coastal casting office); and on Monday, January 27th, I'm running an educational narration voiceover class with Barbara Vlahides, producer and head of educational narration at John Marshall Media (huge studio in NYC, and the largest independent producer of audiobooks in the world). Though I'm a pretty great teacher--if I do say so myself--I always emphasize that I'm first and foremost an actor myself, and one of my main goals in running these events is connecting with industry professionals with whom I'd like to form professional relationships myself. So that alone should tell you something about these classes--these are GREAT people to get to know and work with if you're serious about pursuing voiceover work in NYC. As I mentioned a few posts ago, the last one of these I ran was with the casting director/voice director at 4K Media, and he just called in two of my students last week to audition for Yu-Gi-Oh (and he hasn't even had auditions for female roles since then, so that number could go up). That being said, the main point of these classes is NOT to go in hoping to get work; it's to learn more, further develop your craft, and make valuables connections with others in the industry. I would NEVER guarantee work or auditions or anything from such classes, but as I've seen they are certainly a possibility. In setting up my classes and everything in general, I always approach it by asking myself what would have benefitted me most if I was just getting into all of this now. If I were starting now, I would recommend to myself regular training and meeting VO industry folks AS EARLY ON AS POSSIBLE--this way, by the time you're really ready to work professionally, they already know who you are! So for someone in your position, where you know you're interested in pursuing this further and can manage to get to NYC, I'd take an in-person, on-mic class--any class that seems like a good fit for you, though of course I'd recommend mine, and not just because it's mine, but because it's a solid class. Find a teacher with whom you resonate and settle in for some regular training. A class to teach you the basics will give you the most cost-efficient start, but eventually you'll benefit more from private training. That's the path I took working with Stinkmeister, who took my online class over the summer and kept working with my privately afterwards and now is nearing completion of an awesome audiobook demo. If I could recommend a path to someone starting out in NYC right now, it would be beginner group training-->private training-->training with other industry pros, as I more or less said before. I actually just set up a holiday special package thing with that in mind, which includes the One-Day Intensive, two private lessons and a guest event for a nicely discounted rate. If you're serious about producing your own voiceovers (which you should be if you want to getting regular work), I'd also recommend the REALLY cool Four-Week Audio Production for Voiceovers Class I'll be teaching with a talented audio engineer friend of mine (who actually started out as one of my VO students) in January and February, and we're running a free demo class on the 7th to promote it. We're limiting that one to ten students, for a 1:5 teacher:student ratio, and it's going to be pretty awesome. So the summary of everything I have coming up in the next few weeks, as of now: -Tomorrow, Sunday, December 15th at 3PM: Voiceover workout group -Sunday, December 29th, 10AM: One-Day Intensive Beginner Voiceover Workshop -Tuesday, January 7th, 7PM: Free Intro to Audio Production for Voiceovers class -Sunday, January 12th, 1PM: Commercial voiceover class with Angela Mickey, Manager of Casting at Liz Lewis Casting Partners -Tuesday, January 14th, 7:15PM: Commercial VO technique class with David Bellantoni, Casting Director at Beth Melsky Casting -Monday, January 27th, 6PM: Educational narration VO class with Barbara Vlahides, producer/head of educational narration at John Marshall Media Ooh ooh guys alsooooooo. I'm thinking of doing this for everyone but I'll start it with you guys: From now through December 31st, share the link to my website (http://www.listentomelanie.com/voiceoverclasses.html) and/or link to my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ListenToMelanieVO) on Facebook or via email with friends, and you can get your first VO lesson with me in person or via Skype for 50% off Now to the most of you in this thread who aren't in the NYC area, I've been thinking of running SOMETHING online for a while now--I'll have to stick to one-night events from now, as I'm in Manhattan most nights teaching or taking classes myself, and when I am and am not available varies by the week. I'm thinking of either an online workout group (limited to like 8 people, via Google Hangouts), guests events (also limited to 8 people, via Google Hangouts), or maybe both. Workout group would be around $15 for one hour, or $25 for two hours or something, and guest events would be harder to predict--and would depend on the guest--but would probably be around 40-50 for 1.5-2 hours or so. Who would be interested, and in what? If I get some solid interest now, I can work on setting something up by next month. Edit: JossiRossi posted:Blinkeve runs a course that you could take in NY (also she does online courses) so you could look into that for a "running out of the gate" thing. There is a minimum investment you'll need to really get started as well for your gear. However, before you make those kinds of choices on if you should buy a USB Yeti, or get a XLR mic and USB interface (which is the way I prefer) you should get some experience with stuff in your free time, for fun to see how you like it. Having "the" voice is really only part of the equation. It can be a really beneficial one, but there's still a lot of other factors like gear, vocal muscle strength, dexterity, and longevity, knowing how to alter your voice for an intended result, and simply taking a project to completion. Thanks for the shoutout, Joss! And for the record, I agree with and second everything here. Except the Yeti. Please do not buy a Yeti (or invest in any mic) until and unless you have tried out a bunch of different mics and definitively decided YES, THIS IS THE MICROPHONE I LIKE THE MOST FOR ME AND MY VOICE. Zorblack posted:All takes were recorded using Audacity on a Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB. Attaboy! I wouldn't normally recommend a dynamic mic, and this one has a smaller frequency response than would be ideal (20-20khz is the range of human hearing, so this uts off a bit on either end), but all things considered is not a bad choice for a first mic. Enjoy it!
blinkeve1826 fucked around with this message at 07:32 on Dec 15, 2013 |
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Dec 15, 2013 07:24
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There was no way I'd be able to make the one today, thanks to the weather and all, but I'll definitely try and make the one on the 29th. Depends on how much of a toll Christmas takes on my wallet. Sundays are generally always good for me, though most of the ones that fall on weekdays conflict with my work schedule, so I'd have to see what I can work out if I intend to make this a regular thing.budgieinspector posted:Is that your normal speaking voice, or are you pushing it? If the latter, I'd be curious to hear a more natural take. It's basically my normal voice, just maybe a bit more pronounced. I'll try throwing up a take that's more just me normally talking. And thanks for those pointers. I'll definitely keep those in mind in the future.
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Dec 15, 2013 21:34
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Zorblack posted:Thank you Budgie, I will work on my "o". Also, canned bread, you have an awesome voice but very slow pacing. This is my opinion as a total noob. If you're willing to do royalty share stuff, you can easily get a lot of work as a narrator for gay erotica if you have a decent voice. Going to be honest and say that there's not a -ton- of money in erotica audiobooks at the moment, though. You'll still likely make plenty of money to cover your initial costs, but it might take quite a long time. I'm more on the author side of things, and I just find narrators that I like, so I have a different perspective on it, but I know the sort of time and everything that goes into it and what's involved somewhat. But yeah... for random reference, my absolute worst selling audiobook has only made the narrator and I $27 each. Granted, it was a 20 minute audiobook, and it's only been live for a little less than a year, but still. Longer stuff is quite a bit more lucrative, and "romance" stuff is even more lucrative, so if you can lean more towards gay erotic romance, that's probably going to fetch you a ton more money than erotica. You could do the short erotica for practice and/or to build a profile if you want, though. I mean, how long would it take you to record an hour or less of audio, edit it to sound nice, and so on? I don't have an exact count, because ACX sales reporting is weird/bad, but my best selling contemporary erotic romance book has made something like $1000-$2000 for both the narrator and I? But that's over the course of almost a year, so... it's more like $50-$100 a month, so on and so forth, for 7+ years (and then auto-renewed contract if neither of us wants it removed for whatever reason, which I can't see why we would). It's not bad, but I don't think you're going to get super rich off of it. Royalty shares are good long term money, though. I mean, even the $27 one, for 20 minutes of work (two to three times that for editing, I think)? If it continues to do $27 a year, that's ~$189 for 20 minutes of narration, but the obvious downside of taking 7 years to actually get paid all of that. If you do a bunch of those, it could work, I guess. Just kind of being realistic with how it works, though. The really nice thing about ACX and working with indie narrators/authors (in my opinion) is the fact that you can get some nice acting out of the parts. If you can do that, then people will really like you. Lots of traditionally published audiobooks are really bland and monotone. My favorites are the people that really get into it with tone and reading it like it's part of a old timey radio show. The Fifty Shades audiobook should technically have been really well done, but it's so boring to listen to (it's not the worst, but...). All of my narrators use pseudonyms, too. One of them has narrated children's books/YA books, in addition to some of my books, and as far as I know she hasn't been blackballed from anything, but she doesn't actually list my books on her resume/credentials anywhere, which is sad. I have one gay erotica short that you (or anyone) can practice with if you want. It's pretty much my worst selling e-book ever, and my only gay one, so I'm not going to make it into an audiobook because it'd be pointless, but I guess it could be good for practice? No idea. I have some male parts for erotic romance stuff that you're welcome to practice with, too, if you want to build a "Samples" collection for ACX stuff. You could practice with the first person female ones if you really wanted to, but I don't know how that'll go  Feel free to PM me here if you're interested. Cerys du Lys fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Dec 16, 2013 |
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Dec 16, 2013 02:27
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blinkeve1826 posted:Thanks for the shoutout, Joss! And for the record, I agree with and second everything here. Except the Yeti. Please do not buy a Yeti (or invest in any mic) until and unless you have tried out a bunch of different mics and definitively decided YES, THIS IS THE MICROPHONE I LIKE THE MOST FOR ME AND MY VOICE. Rob Paulson uses a Blue Yeti whenever he is on the road podcasting, and he's a pretty big deal in the VO world. Just offering that dissenting testimonial. Also, consider the ATR2100 kit on Amazon. 40 bucks gives you a dynamic mic that will forgive you for living in a giant wooden box and it has usb, xlr, and a headphone jack output. That means you get free, instant monitor action and it can go through a nice preamp later. Also, it's 40 bucks, so it's not really like "investment" level equipment wise. I thought of it like this: yes you can buy a microphone for 10 dollars, but for 40 bucks you can have something that at least resembles and acts somewhat like pro equipment to work with for a good long time. I forgot to mention that it comes with a desktop stand, usb cable, and xlr cable. That's also a bonus. Zorblack fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Dec 16, 2013 |
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Dec 16, 2013 02:41
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I've been asked to read a role in a radio drama, playing a space station scientist. I'm not a stranger to recording work, and the character comes pretty naturally. The director and producer both enjoyed my read and asked me to take the role, so maybe I'm over-thinking this but: The character description sheet lists him as Asian, American-born, with an American accent. So my thing is, why even mention he's Asian? They liked my read so it seems pretty clear I don't need to do anything differently, but I want to do the best job I can. Am I over-thinking it, or should I watch a bunch of John Cho movies and listen to his inflection? edit: obviously I am not Asian.
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Dec 16, 2013 17:34
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Honestly, I would suggest talking to the director about that. After all, only they are going to know what they really mean by "asian but sounds american". Some directors have no problem giving the actors a lot of leeway on production, others tend to have more specific ideas in mind for their performances. So it really could go either way. I will say though that if they liked your read of the character then, just go with what they said they liked. If they wanted something different then they really need to communicate that to you, otherwise how would you know?
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Dec 16, 2013 18:13
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Perhaps he just wants good english with a slight Asian twang, like this particular instance, which isn't stereotypical and sounds quite nice. Otherwise, if it's a space station scientist you're doing, there's no way You can't do this
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Dec 16, 2013 20:22
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I submit for the thread a few more samples as I work around my voice a bit more and learn my new microphone. First, I just straight recorded a few different approaches to the opening line of the perennial classic:  Then, I took a take or two as a stereotypical news announcer type (and kept the best one for here). Listening to it again, I could put even more energy and schmalz into this. I'll work on it; I can do better:  And here's something I've wanted to record for a long time. This is very much a work in progress, and this is honestly an embarrassing thing to post because it's so bad, but I want to contribute it anyway. Maybe people will hear my embarrassing amateur hour stuff and post their own embarrassing work and then we'll all get constructive criticism and improve!  Realtalk though: There are some bits in there that I think are not objectively terrible, and I feel like with some work, I can really make the characters different and make this monologue shine! Also, listen to my take, then go listen to the actual original: A Miserable Little Pile of Secrets. When compared together, I don't feel so bad about my take.
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Dec 18, 2013 02:52
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Sorry I haven't been able to critique the new arrivals; I've been exhaustingly busy trying to get everything ready for an upcoming move. Plus each review really does take a long time to repeatedly listen to & evaluate. I'll hopefully have some suggestions for folks within the next few days.
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Dec 18, 2013 03:34
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Zorblack posted:And here's something I've wanted to record for a long time. This is very much a work in progress, and this is honestly an embarrassing thing to post because it's so bad,  Oh. You weren't kidding. Well, at least your diction is clear but I don't hear much differentiation between the two parts. At least, not enough to know if this is supposed to be two people having a confrontation or just one guy yelling vidya game lines into his mic. Still, you can look at it as having an opportunity to make loads of improvements.
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Dec 18, 2013 20:10
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CuddleChunks posted:
Good god yes. I know I can do better, and this was an early take. If anything, it is here to show the difference between starting off and finished product, and to lower the bar and encourage more posting. Seriously. That bar is low now. So goddamn low.
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Dec 18, 2013 20:27
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Well, if you really want to spit Castlevania lines at yourself you might as well put some effort into it. Here are some things to try: - Watch this scene and make note of what's going on with the voices. Bogart (Sam Spade) has a fairly flat delivery until the end because he's the skeptical hard-boiled detective that's puzzling things out. Greenstreet (the fat man) has a range of volumes from a whispery tone to normal conversation. He never raises his voice throughout the scene but Bogart goes nuts at the end and lets him have it with both barrels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aogWdNKef2o Close your eyes and listen to these two guys a second time. Without seeing the action on the screen you can tell that there is distrust and dirty dealings and verbal fencing going on between the two. THAT is what you're trying to do, give a performance with your voice that conveys as much information as any stage actor. Okay now that you've watched and listened to the loudness of their voices it's time to listen to their cadence. Bogart usually speaks faster than Greenstreet and very clearly. Cadence in this case is the pacing of how they speak. You really notice that Greenstreet has a TON of text and just blows through it in his own sassy way. Now, watch this man at work. Maurice Lamarche is *amazing* and this is the level of attention to detail and vocal control you need for serious work. Also, it's a funny video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fJOaqsBXAc Things to take away - varying the loudness, cadence and pitch of your voice can dramatically effect the final product. Time to practice. Fire up your recorder and start reading some of your Castlevania lines. Read them and vary one thing at a time. Try making your voice softer. You still have to be understandable but try and be quieter as you go. Now louder. Okay, slow down your delivery. Really sit there and linger over every single word. Slooowwwwwllllly read the text. Change the pitch up. Who cares if it's silly, make a really high pitched whispery reading for a bit. Now go as low in pitch but as quickly as you can read the text. It's just practice so you can't make mistakes. The thing is to start feeling how different parameters shape the final sound coming out of your mouth. Listen to people talking around you and see if you can imitate them when you're back at your little recording hut. Keep recording yourself, you will find that you can get some cool vocal effects depending on how you work with the mic itself. For now just keep recording and dicking around. Then go take Melanie's class and you could learn to do this for a living.
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Dec 20, 2013 03:56
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CuddleChunks posted:Lots of things. I will do most of these things, record some more on Saturday, and then I will get back to this thread. Are my "o"s getting any better? Also, I would love to hear any other specific things to work on out of all the garbage I have posted.
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Dec 20, 2013 21:16
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Hahahah you need to check out this overly dramatic reading of an HP Lovecraft piece. It's glorious! http://www.relicradio.com/otr/2013/11/the-outsider-by-the-black-mass/ Now THAT is some drama conveyed by a single voice. Woo hoo!
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Dec 21, 2013 04:43
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Edited to more relevant last-minute post about Sunday's One-Day Intensive Beginner VO Workshop and Voiceover Workout Group (both in NYC; all info on my website). Workout group is $30 until 3PM today, then goes up to $35.
blinkeve1826 fucked around with this message at 17:15 on Dec 27, 2013 |
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Dec 22, 2013 02:27
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By the way, I wanted to re-ask an earlier question: To the most of you in this thread who aren't in the NYC area, I've been thinking of running SOMETHING online for a while now--I'll have to stick to one-night events from now, as I'm in Manhattan most nights teaching or taking classes myself, and when I am and am not available varies by the week. I'm thinking of either an online workout group (limited to like 8 people, via Google Hangouts), guests events (also limited to 8 people, via Google Hangouts), or maybe both. Workout group would be around $15 for one hour, or $25 for two hours or something, and guest events would be harder to predict--and would depend on the guest--but would probably be around $40-55ish for 1.5-2 hours or so. Also considering different one-time classes (2-2.5 hours or so) on a particular type of technique or area of the business (i.e. commercial VO technique, character work, home studio setup/recording/production, etc.), which would probably be around $30-40 each. Who would be interested, and in what? If I get some solid interest now, I can work on setting something up by next month.
blinkeve1826 fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Dec 27, 2013 |
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Dec 27, 2013 18:24
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So I'm on the phone all day (internet tech support) and had call earlier today from a lady in New Mexico who told me that her husband does voice over work for a living and she said I have a really good voice and thought I should take a look into voice work. I figured I might record something, but I'm not sure how would it sound as I just have a gaming headset and also a really cheap seven dollar mic. What should I record, and is it even worth it with the equipment I have right now?
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Dec 31, 2013 23:45
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Crow_Rodeo posted:So I'm on the phone all day (internet tech support) and had call earlier today from a lady in New Mexico who told me that her husband does voice over work for a living and she said I have a really good voice and thought I should take a look into voice work. You know the answer to this. After all, getting that promotion at work must feel good.
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Dec 31, 2013 23:54
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Ishamael posted:You know the answer to this. After all, getting that promotion at work must feel good. One of us. One of us. Gooble gobble single family homes on pie shaped lots in lillies fair court. I think I could write that script almost from memory.
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Jan 1, 2014 01:45
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I didn't really see anything about conflicts in the OP so I thought I'd share something I learned recently. As everyone here knows when you are hunting down and submitting applications and auditions for jobs yourself you are "freelancing", and when an agent is doing those things for you, you are "signed." After talking with a voice acting agent recently he told me that there is a thing in the acting/voice acting world called conflicts. For example, if I was signed to an agency and I booked a job doing a voice over for a Scion car commercial I would be unable to do to voice over work for a Mazda commercial because it would be considered a conflict. Depending on the life of the commercial and my contract with Scion, this means that this Scion commercial would be my car commercial for 1-3 years, and I would be unable to represent any other brand. If you have a poo poo agent and that somehow happens where you end up trying to represent two car companies or two cleaning products, you can get in major trouble legally. MAJOR trouble. Now when actors start freelancing they don't really think about this. But many voice over artists and actors that freelance can book online jobs like "industrials" or online commercials which can have a lifeline of up to five years, with contracts that enable the company to renew your work over and over again if they see so fit. If any of you do go out and submit your work to an agency, the agents I have talked to advised that you make them completely aware of the freelance work you have done so they can avoid conflicts and know what jobs to send you out on (that is when you sit down to discuss being signed to them). A freelanced industrial for an online cleaning product could actually keep you from booking the voice-over work for a national Scrubbing Bubbles commercial, if you were signed. I just thought this was some useful info .
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Jan 2, 2014 15:33
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I've been doing a lot of studying on this subject lately, and I'm getting into it more than I thought I would. As I've skimmed through the internet, I found a ton of awesome resources that everyone should be checking out if they have any interest at all in the industry. Crispin Freeman is a very successful actor with a totally free biweekly podcast that covers everything he can think of in the industry Here. Bonuses on his website: the toolbox section, where he outlines all the best equipment he has used or knows of for beginners, intermediates, and pros. It's a really well thought out section that gives some options outside of the Blue Yeti (not that there's anything wrong with the yeti). He also has no equipment snob attitude, which is great. Of particular note: This episode covers finding a coach. This episode covers vocal health, which is important to think about when you're starting out and practicing. Rob Paulson is a legend in the field, and his podcast can be found here. His podcast is less informational (although he does some Q&A stuff here and there) and more entertainment based. Go check his podcast out for a who's who of the voice acting world that will give you a great idea of who is doing what kinds of voices, where they came from, how they got where they are, etc etc. Also Dee Bradley Baker runs a great website with links, tips, and general help about this and that over here. It's definitely worth a quick read through and bookmarking as a reference. DBB is also crazy successful in voice acting. For all three of these guys, you can check their IMDB profiles and know that they are not blowing smoke. They seriously get tons of work, and they are all still working hard today. For anyone interested in classes, I've found the following info by poking around: Rob Paulson IMDB Website does private one-on-one coaching in LA or online via Skype for $500 bucks per 90 minute session. He frequently does small group online question and answer sessions for serious voice acting questions along with successful voice actors (he books different people every time, they are always working, successful voice actors). These sessions usually run $100, last for a few hours, and include tons of QA, so this is a good place if you have a few specific questions that would be best answered by working voice actors. Crispin Freeman IMDB Website does private one-on-one coaching in LA or online via Skype for $150 per hour. He also offers live or online small classes (limited to 8 people) for $185 for a 4 hour session. Everyone gets time "in front of the class" with direction from Crispin. Note: You can not sign up for private lessons with Crispin until you have taken one regular class. He really feels that the classroom setting helps a lot with the basics and lets him know where someone is with their skills. Also, there are benefits to the group setting, so he'd prefer to start everyone off with at least one class of that type. Pat Fraley IMDB Website has a number of options available. He has two home based options for $185 each. They are five week courses with assignments to complete. Pat will then give asynchronous feedback on all the work you do for the course, helping you to improve. This is a nice option for someone who wants something more structured. He also offers an asynchronous direct option for $200 per hour. The way it works: he sends a script and direction, you record your best take, and then you go back and forth until the total time he takes recording notes and direction equals an hour. Both of his options are very different from the other options out there, so I included them for the sake of a completely different offering. General tips I have found that are interesting: 1)Don't record a demo until you reach a plateau in your skills. You don't want an early demo to reach the ears of anyone you want to impress, or they may close their door forever. You only get one chance at a first impression! 2)Don't showcase your skills in any way in front of casting professionals until you have skills to showcase. Same reason as number 1. 3)A bite of a granny smith apple (specifically) will quickly cure spitmouth. Weird, but true. Voice acting studios actually keep granny apples on hand for this reason. This is what I have so far.
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Jan 3, 2014 15:23
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Super basic question, but are there any average rates for really basic voice work consisting of just a couple of lines or so? I literally mean like... maybe three or four sentences, nothing crazy. Along with that, is there a huge difference between rates for things like ad copy compared to a more "acted out" type of thing? I'm going to be looking more for the latter in the near future, so just trying to figure out the logistics of that sort of thing before I get too far into it. For random reference, it'd be for a book trailer I'd be putting up on YouTube, Amazon (on my author profile, not for sale), Goodreads (as a "video related to this book") and (maybe) Facebook and possibly Vimeo. So basically I'd just like some character dialogue spoken in an "in character" sort of voice.
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Jan 3, 2014 19:51
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Cerys du Lys posted:Super basic question, but are there any average rates for really basic voice work consisting of just a couple of lines or so? I literally mean like... maybe three or four sentences, nothing crazy. Along with that, is there a huge difference between rates for things like ad copy compared to a more "acted out" type of thing? I'm going to be looking more for the latter in the near future, so just trying to figure out the logistics of that sort of thing before I get too far into it. $50-$100 is okay and might be worth it to someone who's ready to go and can whip it out quickly. My price is variable for small things like that but it's usually around $75+. Zorblack, lotta good research there and I'll add it to the OP (along with some others) when I'm able. Just moved and nothing is setup so things are kind of a mess right now.
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Jan 3, 2014 20:29
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The Joe Man posted:Zorblack, lotta good research there and I'll add it to the OP (along with some others) when I'm able. Just moved and nothing is setup so things are kind of a mess right now. While you're at it, I also just found out that Melanie Chartoff teaches as well, but I haven't checked her site out totally yet because it doesn't work on my phone. Her website is here. You may remember her as the voice of Didi Pickles. She specializes in Improv, which I hear is essential for voice acting.
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Jan 4, 2014 01:29
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Are the estimated lengths for an audiobook on ACX usually right? I auditioned for a few and managed to get a shorter one. ACX says it's about .6 hours, but it's really not that long of a script or a read.
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Jan 7, 2014 03:59
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seaborgium posted:Are the estimated lengths for an audiobook on ACX usually right? I auditioned for a few and managed to get a shorter one. ACX says it's about .6 hours, but it's really not that long of a script or a read. I believe they're based on word count; .6 hours is certainly possible for a sub-10,000-word short story.
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Jan 7, 2014 05:30
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Also you don't want to rush your readings. While it is equally bad to drone on slow, it's VERY easy to read too fast as you are going through a piece. At least for me, I had to work really hard to slow my pace down. It makes other bits easier though because if you do a pre-read and you speak at a casual pace you can do better initial takes and have fewer re-dos. Also holy poo poo, a lot of good advice dropped in here this week, thanks RebBrownies and Zorblack!
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Jan 7, 2014 05:36
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