[VO MegaThread] So...You Want To Be A Voice Actor

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > [VO MegaThread] So...You Want To Be A Voice Actor

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The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

I only had a half hour to record:

Bleghhh definitely not my best.

# ¿ May 6, 2012 01:24

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 12:01

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

SatansBestBuddy posted:

Not very well. You seriously have no room to move or your voice is going to disappear, and even when you're dead on perfect you'd not getting very good quality sound. Headset mics are preferable.

No.

King Lou posted:

Are people using them?

God I hope not.

# ¿ May 10, 2012 22:58

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

titties posted:

After reading this and shopping around a little on Amazon, I've come across a problem that I'm not sure how to solve.

I can afford either a boom stand and a (super sexy) shock mount, or the materials to build a portable sound booth. Even if I could afford both, I don't think I could mount the booth on the boom, and the shock mount probably wouldn't fit.

Since my recording space is pretty much the worst, I'm really not sure which way to go. I could really use the boom, because otherwise I would be forced to sit in a really awkward position and standing wouldn't even be an option. I won't know how necessary the booth would be until I start recording with the new mic.

What do you guys think my priority should be here? (I promise to stop making GBS threads up the thread after this!)

This really depends on how loud your environment is. I'd avoid a sound booth off the bat unless you absolutely need one. I record on a Blue Yeti (sturdy & heavy as hell so don't get a Snowball if the price difference is negligible), and I turn my computer fans down to minimum when I'm recording. I'm also next to a busy street but with the Yeti's gain control and directional sound, it doesn't pick up any background noise.

A nice mic should be your main expense. Anything else should be to compensate for whatever's lacking depending upon which mic you choose. There are guys in this thread that are much more familiar with actual hardware than I am so take my advice on "environment setup" as circumstantial. I would however recommend a pop filter until you get the hang of it. For the record I hate pop filters, I don't use one, I believe that people should learn how to speak without one, etc...but since you're just starting out, you should focus on getting comfortable behind the mic without worrying so much about constant pops or you're going to go absolutely ballistic trying to fix everything in post-production (and probably delete it anyways to start over for the 8,000th time).

Don't worry about making GBS threads up the thread (you're not); we're here to help.

# ¿ May 12, 2012 00:10

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

I have a ton of catching up to do so apologies if I'm not as in-depth with critiques as usual. Feel free to ask follow-up questions!

Fiction D posted:

I'm the gangly creature next to Miss Delaware.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtGC-P1i1Mo&feature=youtu.be

Thoughts?

This is pretty good, especially since it's an informational read. As previously stated, you don't sound like you're reading from a script (too much), and you come off as likable in both voice & looks. The only thing I noticed is that some of your "t's" in the middle-to-end of words was really weak. Overall though you did well!

(She was horrible).

Fiction D posted:

It seems that Delaware and Philly aren't prime areas for voice talent, so it's hard for me to really gauge myself with other professionals in the area. I tried for a brief time to get involved with acting, but ended up only being booked for auditions for business safety videos.

This is an amateurish question but are there agencies that specialize exclusively with voice talent? I'm not sure. Is it better to go with an agency that does it all?

This is completely dependent on area so I honestly can't tell ya. I know there's a couple here in the Twin Cities but I don't use them. I've noticed that some modeling agencies have tried to branch out into voice services, so maybe check around for that? If there's not a lot of local competition (within the agency), it's possible that you could pick up jobs from their already established clients. Don't be afraid of on-camera work either, and there's no shame in doing business safety instructionals or whatever. The more your face & voice is out there, the better off you'll be in the future. I hate on-camera work too but I just caved recently and agreed to do a pilot episode for someone. The reason I did it is because it's a LOT easier for people to attach a voice to a face. Hope it pays off!

JossiRossi posted:

Recently Halflife2.net rebranded itself as valvetime.net and we started up a weekly new roundup with me doing the voice. I've been doing it for about 2 months now but would appreciate some critical feedback. Right now I have people saying stuff like my voice reminds them of Clint Eastwood which... well I don't even know what they are thinking. So some outside opinions would really really be appreciated so I can improve.

Week 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV4QBnQs0D0

Week 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Trp3MiB1Uw

The biggest glaring problem with the most recent news bit is being a bit disjointed, I didn't have the time needed to clean that up and smooth the transitions unfortunately which drives me nuts as I listen.

So, what can I do better?

There's nothing glaring but it's just kinda boring...but I think that's the fault of the subject matter rather than you specifically. I noticed that you seem to place emphasis on staggered words in the middle of sentences (which you should do circumstantially), but the way you're speaking tricks the listener into thinking that the sentence is over when you're only halfway through. This is hard to explain so if I come up with a better explanation, I'll elaborate if possible. You also speak a little too fast, which can also be fine, but only if the previously mentioned emphasis is on the right words. As it is, you come off as a little robotic. It's not terrible, but there's room for improvement. Luckily, your problems are pretty easy to fix!

SatansBestBuddy posted:

My submission for Captain Fantastic's unnamed nemesis.

My headset mic was picking up my computers fans so I switched to a hand mic, which I can't hold steady for the life of me and only records sound from about 6 milimetres away. Took a half dozen recordings to get one where my voice doesn't disappear suddenly because I had the audacity to tilt my head up.

EDIT: Tindeck didn't like the first upload, replaced.

What the I can't I don't even

Go back and really read the thread from the beginning. All of it. PLEASE!!

invision posted:

Speaking of pop filters I don't know where mine is, but I recorded a thing.

Work on enunciation and slowing down. Also problems with emphasis on the wrong words. Small liberties can be taken but read and end each sentence as...well, a sentence. You're oozing into the next without properly finishing and by doing that, the read loses it's "oomph." This is possibly because you're trying to do the whole thing in one breath and that won't work. I'm sure I've posted advice previously in the thread regarding proper spacing and slowing down. If not, feel free to correct me and I'll write something up.

I also agree with everything that JossiRossi posted about your take so listen to what he says as well.

Meow Cadet posted:

Is it ever appropriate to ad-lib or slightly alter a script while recording? I have a video game gig, and the script seems a stiff on paper...

Not usually, no. If you're recording in-person then you could ask to try a different reading but otherwise they might consider it a waste of both your time. I kinda feel that the amount of liberties you can take is parallel to how little you're getting paid. I'm sure you know this, but don't make any REAL changes to the script. Just sentence structure so that it flows better.

Robersdee posted:

hey guys, just saw this thread. I actually do VO's for a living here in the uk.

I made a little video for ya

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xwLYngw2-Y

Great impersonation! Definite problem with popping though. You probably know this already but you could still record it "live," rip out the audio from the movie file, fix the popping in production, take the movie file and mute it, then overlay the fixed audio over the muted movie and no one will be able to tell the difference.

:frogsiren:

^^^^^ PRO TIP ^^^^^ :frogsiren:

blinkeve1826 posted:

Reposting this as it got lost at the bottom of the last page, and I really would like some opinions on it as I'm recording and trying to figure out what to put on this thing right now:
-----------------------------------------------------------
What's the consensus on commercial demos? Is it better for the quality of the different bits on the demo to sound different, as if they were actual spots, or for them to sound the same, so it doesn't sound like you just couldn't get a consistent sound? I've seen conflicting opinions and can't seem to find a straight answer one way or the other. I'm constructing a new commercial demo now (finally) and have a couple of real spots I'd like to use, but most of them are going to be fake--is that mismatch in quality going to work against me? Should I just record all fake spots for the sake of the demo? Additionally, what different types of reads should I be aiming to include? I have a naturally young, energetic voice, so most of what I include will reflect that--including one in character as a young girl--save for the clip of one of my recent commercials where I do the low, sexy/seductive thing. Should I be aiming for more variety (one "straight sell", one wildly enthusiastic, one "real person", one bright and perky, etc.) or just doing what will highlight what I do best? I know the answer is whatever will show clients why they would want to hire me, but is that a bunch of potential things they "would" want (i.e. all the different reads), or am I SHOWING it to them so that they'll hear it and say hey, we like this (i.e. what I think I do the very best)? And any ideas for fake businesses I should use? Right now it's a hybrid of real and fake--ideas taken from real VOs I've done, but with names changed, rerecorded, etc. if I couldn't find or for some reason couldn't otherwise use the original.

Variety is key on a commercial demo. Use real spots that you feel are your strongest, and feel free to mix them in with your fake spots. It doesn't really matter how you make the fake spots, but personally, I would record the whole thing with sound effects & music and then splice them up just like I would with a real one. If you don't, you might not have the same emphasis or rhythm that you'd naturally get on a full 30. If you can fake it well though, then sure, go for snippets if it'll save you time.

I don't exactly understand what you're debating towards the end there but just go for variety in a bunch of different styles & pacing. Don't worry about what they might infer from it. The main thing you want to get across is versatility.

blinkeve1826 posted:

I'm also working on my first narration demo, which is going to be REALLY hard to limit to just one minute, yeesh. I've got bits from an in-flight video, a tour bus audio guide, and an e-learning module I voiced (all real spots I've actually done, but rerecorded/with names and such changed, except for the e-learning thing which I'm taking straight from the recording I actually made), and I made up a children's audiobook excerpt (to show off some different voices in a childrens' story context), "real" book excerpt, and a phone message. Anything else I should be aiming to include? I'm a bit concerned about the redundancy of the in-flight video AND tour bus guide narrations, but the former is more instructional and the latter shows off my pronunciation of Korean words (I speak pretty authentic-sounding Korean for a very white girl) so I feel like they each have their own purposes, but I'm not sure. And is even a narration demo supposed to be kept down to a minute? That's REALLY rough.

I already said that 90s is also a standard, and if it's longer reads, that should be just fine. If you have to do 120s then yeah, go for it but definitely no longer than that. I feel that if you're condensing your best stuff, 90s should be more than enough time.

blinkeve1826 posted:

So here are some rough reads and stuff that I have so far for the new commercial demo: http://listentomelanie.com/comdemsess05132012.wav

LIKE:
Vampire Diaries
Prom Dresses ("Farmingdale" slightly muddy)
Kohl's Thanksgiving

DISLIKE:
Power & Elegance
Comcast

LIKE BUT TOO LONG:
Air Jamaica

UNSURE:
Milk (Tone like a child but voice sounds like a 15yr old minimum. Clean read but I'm honestly unsure if you should include it. Suggestion is to rewrite it as a teen instead of a child but keep the same speech characteristics)

I know you have a lot more questions but I hope this is at least something helpful for now.

titties posted:

And in homage to The Joe Man, well ... I guess I'll continue to smoke incessantly, drink 6 pots of coffee a day, and down a couple pints of bourbon (oh god why do I do this stuff?).

So you can get comfortable behind the mic, DUH

# ¿ May 14, 2012 00:36

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

ChaosTheory posted:

The only issue is that this thread (so far) partly goes against the no soliciting rule. So someone needs to create a VO thread in the appropriate place to handle that communication. Plus the OP should be changed also.

What the hell dude?

Pipes!, I assume it's cool if we just keep doing what we're doing then? No more, no less. Just information, recordings, and the occassional job/contest.

EDIT: Also, did someone actually request that the thread get moved? We're going to get a lot less walkthrough traffic on a sub-forum primarily designed for writers than the window-shopping of GBS. I don't really care but since the thread is 90% informational, it's probably more helpful for "new arrivals" (GBS) than already knowledgable VA's (...still GBS, since CC is, again, for writers).

Who knows, maybe the marriage of writers & voice-actors will be great, but I have a feeling that the thread will become a lot more insular now...which is exactly the opposite effect I wanted for people interested in this field.

The Joe Man fucked around with this message at 17:33 on May 14, 2012

# ¿ May 14, 2012 17:18

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

pipes! posted:

For the time being, let's try keeping the job solicitation as-is. The rule is in place mainly to prevent work requests from driving content threads off the first page, but from reading through the thread, your system seems pretty tidy and straightforward. I may change it if it leads to drama/problems down the road, though.

As for moving, the powers that be thought that CC would be a better match: "Critiques, professional tips and looking for work, seemed like Creative Convention is a good long-term home." I definitely agree with this sentiment.

As for exposure and cliques, I'm cautiously optimistic. If you want exposure from GBS, make content to share with GBS.

Sounds good, and I agree with where you're coming from. Main thing I appreciate is allowing everyone to continue to post/respond to jobs. Not only are they great practice, but I don't want to lock out folks from the (rare) opportunities that manage to come in.

Thanks for rolling with it.

The Joe Man fucked around with this message at 20:54 on May 14, 2012

# ¿ May 14, 2012 18:16

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

blinkeve1826 posted:

There's a free "Talk With A Pro" teleconference from Edge Studios right now (9-10PM EST) about home studios, with a Q&A session going on right now. Aside from the odd person interrupting with a funny voice (seriously, HOW old are we???), it's pretty useful. Dial 1-641-594-7078 and stay quiet unless you're asking a question, for the love of all things holy

How did this go? I left the house before I saw your post so I had no idea. Any good advice you picked up that you can share with us?

# ¿ May 15, 2012 07:15

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

DaveP posted:

Hey there guys, I've just been stitched up last minute by a voice actor and I'm essentially wading deep in the butt mud. If anyone could fill in and have a shot at the following voice work for a 3D short I'm finishing up in 24 hours time (hence wading through poo poo -and why I've just posted the whole brief rather than waiting for soliciting work) I'd be mega grateful -compensation wise I'm currently poor student sans money but by the end of the week I could send over a donation of �10 or goods of equal value (via payment method of choice -Paypal preferred) to whoever I decide to go for (I suppose that's the done thing for such a token amount, any alternatives will be considered)

Concept:
Demonstration animation for a technical workflow for recreating the look of stop-motion/clay animation using CGi. Well known British cartoon actor has argument with (off screen) american advertising director.

Character ref:
Stressed American Advertising Director, back to the wall thanks to a prima donna (clay stop motion) actor playing it up all Brando on set. Grows progressively more pissed over course of animation.

On Screen actor ref:
British popular claymation animation character past his prime on advert set.
Beat 1, 00:10- Sits back disrespectfully.
Beat 2, 00:17- Grabs and drinks main advert prop (drinks can).
Beat 3, 00:22- Acts personally offended.
Beat 4, 00:27- Starts smoking, then storms off set

Main script:
Listen. I've told you enough times but since you were busy getting drunk last night I've gotta tell you again: You walk over to the mark, you pick up the can, take a drink, then say [Cheesy Ad voice] 'Powerthirst sets me in motion!'
[Beat 1 -00:10]
It's so easy a monkey could do it; You think you can strut on set and do whatever you want because of who you are?
[Beat 2 -00:17]
Hey, what do you think you're doing!? Stop that! You're on my set, wasting my time, my money! Someone get this guy out of here and call Gumby!
[Beat 3 -00:22]
Yeah, you heard me, Gumby -at least he can pick up a can.
[Beat 4 -00:27]
Hey, HEY! Get this guy off my set, I'm never working with british actors again!
[End -00:35]

Any and all attempts would be much appreciated.

# ¿ May 21, 2012 18:03

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

CaptainYesterday posted:

Thanks for the input. I'm using a Fostex X-14 Multitracker. Here's a new take, using your suggestions along with others I have heard.

Better, but still sounds like your mouth is full of air. Like you're somehow talking with your cheeks puffed out. A little sing-songy in parts. Define a solid "vision" of how you want to come across, and then practice it repeatedly using your natural voice. You can still sound authoritative using your natural voice, but if you try to sound like someone you're not, it definitely comes across as fakey.

Also, watch enunciation on your "N's." I've noticed that when you pronounce a word with an "N" towards the end, you instinctively rush it and end up muddling the entire word. Listen to how you say "furniture," "linens," and "additional" to hear what I'm talking about.

# ¿ May 30, 2012 23:29

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Shalinor posted:

We're spinning up the SA GameDev VII game dev challenge, if anyone's game. Past entries have definitely made use of voice actors, and without folks like you, we'll suffer the hell of "programmers yelling into webcam mics".

I'm sure we're all game, but any specific way you want to us to do it? I figure the easiest way would be to just give them a heads up that we're available, and they can stop in and request whatever they need when they're ready.

Eh?

EDIT: vvvvv Gotcha, thanks vvvvv

The Joe Man fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Jun 1, 2012

# ¿ Jun 1, 2012 22:01

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

CuddleChunks posted:

I love watching voice actors at work. Here's a big bunch of them reading the Star Wars screenplay in different character voices.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBzRmWeC6Ds

This was great, and Maurice LaMarche continues to be my favorite. Wish he was asked to do more of The Brain, but his Vincent Price was great too.

Rob Paulsen's Pinky is still perfectly spot on.

Tara Strong is.....getting too much work.

I've been pretty busy lately and haven't had time to critique stuff. I'm gone all weekend for an acting thing (ughh), but if anyone would like to record something (or quote a previous recording to review), I should be able to listen & give specialized advice starting Monday/Tuesday.

EDIT: vvvv Thanks. Just got back from the first day of shooting. It was okay.

The Joe Man fucked around with this message at 07:33 on Jun 20, 2012

# ¿ Jun 9, 2012 06:19

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

titties posted:

e2: I am always eager for feedback, no matter what the tone of it. This was the reading for the gumby thing:

Any critiquing would really be appreciated!

Very solid technical quality: you're at the right distance from the mic, no popping, no background noise.

On this recording specifically: the more you read it, your emotions and output get stronger and more refined the later it goes on. The beginning feels weaker, and I'd peg the reason as not having a solid idea/emotion of how you want to sound, and then as a result, not really knowing how to finish the sentence. This happens to me as well, but for slightly different reasons (my throat's not warmed up and I haven't developed a feel for how I want the final script to sound without doing the whole thing over and over again until I groove into a solid vibe). What I usually end up doing is scrapping the entire first half of my recording, and re-recording it. If it sounds disjointed, I scrap everything and do the whole thing over again. And maybe again. However many times it takes. It's best to think of it as, "well, sure, I just scrapped 30 minutes of work, but it's always going to sound 100% better on the next take." It's annoying, time-consuming, and can get frusterating, but if the project really matters and is important to you, it's soooo worth it to do a few more re-recordings until your voice finally feels/sounds right for the script.

I remember a previous comment you made about how your voice feels thinner when it's gametime. This happened to me when I first started, and while it mostly got hammered out while doing 8-billion radio commercials back in the day, it still sometimes hits me if I have to go into someone else's studio to record. All I can promise is that it gets better and goes away on it's own with time, practice, and comfort level.

titties posted:

And this was a selection from the OP read in a very bad accent:

This made me laugh pretty hard. Should get a script together and have everyone in the thread record it in their best "Watto" from Star Wars impersonation.

# ¿ Jun 13, 2012 22:54

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Fiction D posted:

I need some advice on this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA5gMRb5dQs

The voice, the recording, do they sound good? I know it's a monster voice, but I did all of the recording from home because the game company I'm doing this for is stationed in Quebec.

Using a Presonus audiobox and a ST51 condenser mic.

Gave it another listen. Sounds pretty good! You were able to deliver appropriate emphasis on most words even though were doing an unnatural voice. If you want nitpicking, I would've put more anger on "but NO MORE!" and stronger finality on "This ends...TODAY!" Also a stronger "RAH RAH"-type buildup on the final line, "We will be STRONG! We will PREVAIL! WE. WILL!..."

Technical quality comes across as solid, and if there's any problems, I can't hear them because the bass in the musicbed washes over them.

Overall, it's definitely airable.

# ¿ Jun 19, 2012 19:25

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Fiction D posted:

Thank you! I'm trying to branch out and see if there's anything in the Philadelphia area. I have no idea how to advertise voice acting on a resume. The pitches I can hit? Impressions? What's the best way to market a voice talent that's just starting out?

99% chance that a job won't come to you even if you have a professional website, resume, etc...I wouldn't put freelance VA work on a resume anyways unless I was actively applying for a long-term audio production job.

You're gonna have to pound the virtual pavement and look for odd voice jobs in every major US city you can find (Craigslist). Also check out local acting lists in the Philadelphia area and maybe some audio work will slip through there.

Prepare to do a shitload of spec recordings for free and not get a response from the person wanting to hire. It sucks, but you should get one eventually (or at least a reply). Make sure to link that Youtube clip in the initial email if it's appropriate for the job.

Fiction D posted:

The pitches I can hit? Impressions? What's the best way to market a voice talent that's just starting out?

No, that's meaningless to mostly everyone. If possible, link to actual professional work that you've recorded (like the Trog clip). This is where having a completed general voice demo comes in handy.

The Joe Man fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Jun 19, 2012

# ¿ Jun 19, 2012 20:01

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Oh hey look what I just found:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frGExg98n0Y

This is the one I wanted to go full-on Skeletor for but was told to tone it down.

Eh.

# ¿ Jun 20, 2012 07:08

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

invision posted:

SM-57 and a pop filter.

Yeah, go with this. Hardware's not really my specialty but from prior experience, you should get a nice clean sound with minimal background noise pick-up.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2012 00:41

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

hairysammoth posted:

Alright folks! It's not strictly VO work, but it's not a million miles away either - I've got a �250 gig going on at the SA-Mart here. It's unusual as it's going to be done live. I wasn't sure if this should go here or in Work for hire thread - that seemed more graphic design/writing though, and this seems more like acting. Lemme know if I'm wrong...

This is awesome (much like your last job posted), and I would've jumped on it if I had boobs. Looks like you've already found someone through SA-Mart, but please don't feel hesitant to pop back in the thread again if you have more fun stuff planned.

Thanks for the offer!

Ishamael posted:

Zombie Game

This looks fun, but seeing as how I don't have a cellphone past 1995, I unfortunately can't check it out. Thanks for sharing though! Character/odd voices are always fun to do.

Looks like I'll be helping out on a project for the SA GameDev Challenge, and I'm waiting on word for a larger RPG release coming up. Otherwise, does anyone else feel that summer's kind've a deadzone? Not much work to go around.

# ¿ Jul 3, 2012 19:42

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Sarcastic_MrFox posted:

Hi all.

I'm currently producing a 3D animated short film based off a goon written script and am in need of three really short lines read out. basically its a scene where a character flicks TV channels over to different news shows, each one saying something a bit different.

Below are the three lines I am in need of.

"Where thousands gathered to mourn the
billions lost."

"The sudden, inexplicable appearance
of the airborne M-Virus."

"Remember that a gas mask at all times is
essential when not in an air-locked
home."

I'm not really able to pay for these but if you can do a cool newsreader type voice I'll definitely shove your name into the credits for the film. Which will hopefully be going around some film festivals when its complete.

Obviously I'm hoping to get 3 different voices for each of the lines as they are supposedly different news readers but if you can put on two or three voices you're a champion I have no real preference of gender or accent.

But yeah if you want to do a reading go for it and you can PM me about it or just post it if that's cool here.

Take whatever you want out of these:

If it hops on IMDB (after festival eligibility), linking it to my profile would be appreciated: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4104438/

# ¿ Jul 7, 2012 01:11

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Stinkmeister posted:

Here's some:

Let me know if you use any of it! Good luck!

You have a much better "newscaster voice" than I do. These are great; good job!

# ¿ Jul 7, 2012 21:02

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Fun job opportunity for an upcoming RPG:
http://www.indiedb.com/games/malevolence-the-sword-of-ahkranox/news/raise-your-voice

# ¿ Jul 8, 2012 01:01

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

FEEDBACK:

The Aphasian posted:

Too late to the part but maybe some feedback will come my way:

These are excellent and I have zero advice for improvement. Great job.

CuddleChunks posted:

Here are two separate takes for the three lines.

First two normal lines are missing some emphasis. Third normal line is better, but needs empasis on "essential" and I would artifically cut out your breath in the middle.

First two accented lines are good, and the emphasis is on the right places. Third accented line is still lacking emphasis.

Advice for next time would be to listen to your accented lines where you applied the correct emphasis, and try to match it in your normal voice.

Maide posted:

I gave this one a shot, in two flavours!

Regular:

More Dramatic:

DJ Voice TO THE MAX!!! Dude is way too pumped for those billions lost. Sounds fakey. For the next thing that pops up, try recording in your normal voice and we'll try to patch up any actual cracks that arise.

Stinkmeister posted:

Jumped on this. Here are a couple that I submitted. Feedback is welcome of course:

1. I think it'd sound better if you talked a little faster. Right now, it kinda drones. That might be what you were going for (Low class citizen) but just think of hearing it in a game over & over again. I recommend short & sweet.

2. Better, but still, go a little faster (line 1 & 3; 2 is fine).

3. Getting better! I'm started to see that speed is the main issue here. It'd sound fine if slightly faster. Getting some background mic static. Good death sound!

4. Speed it up, check your poppin' p's and you're golden.

The Joe Man fucked around with this message at 20:16 on Jul 14, 2012

# ¿ Jul 14, 2012 20:14

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

SynMoo posted:

One of you gentleman did an awesome GBS thread I believe maybe a year or so ago, just doing VO of whatever random junk people posted for you. I'm trying to find the thread and hopefully the bits that were done for me. Anyone by chance have a link to the thread? It's probably in the archives.

Edit: Found it! It was Research Indicates. Thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3359762

Wonder what happened to that dude. Maybe he's gotten better by now.

Any news from anyone? I'll be available to do critiques this coming week if anyone would like to share their recent stuff.

Never thought I'd say this but I actually miss GBS.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2012 20:19

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

FEEDBACK

Dove: Great

New Balance: Light clicking or maybe a mouth thing from start to 8secs. Should be an easy fix. Otherwise great.

Old Navy: Great

Swiffer: Great

ING Direct: Great but sounds a little hollow. Boost the vocals.

Overall, this is top-quality stuff Blinkeve!

# ¿ Aug 5, 2012 21:55

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

JossiRossi posted:

Radio Drama

I'll audition if I have time but do you know if there's any pay?

Blinkeve, I'll check the demo soon when I have some time. I took a quick listen last night and noticed there were a few spots that you could trim a little to make it to the 60sec sweet spot. It's probably quicker if I just edit & upload the trimmed demo so I'll have something for you hopefully within a couple days.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2012 02:50

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Here's the sample we were using. I had a hard time finding it too:

quote:

Getting that promotion at work must feel good. Why not celebrate moving up by moving to Summerset Hills?

The neighborhoods of Summerset Hills are now entering into their third phase of building! Choose from dozens of single-family homes on pie shaped lots tucked away on Lilies Fair Court, perfect for young families and parents who want a safe and secluded street on which to raise their kids. With homes selling quickly, you�d better act now so that you can move into your dream home before the first snowfall!

Open houses are being held every Saturday and Sunday from 12 until 4. To learn more about the Summerset community, visit our website online or call 555-3125.

Summerset Hills: move in today and stay for a lifetime.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2012 23:20

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

blackswordca posted:

Can we adlib at all or is it a word for word thing? Also is this real? if so the copy writer needs a smack to the head.

I'd go word for word unless it's really subtle. Pretty sure I grabbed that from Voices.com's "FREE SCRIPTS!!" Terribly written scripts are the norm so better to get used to it now than later.

It was the best one of the bunch.

I know.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2012 23:35

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Fuzzy Modem posted:

Sci-Fi vs Fantasy

I should have something whipped up for you by Sunday afternoon at the latest.

# ¿ Aug 11, 2012 06:42

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4104438/

# ¿ Aug 12, 2012 20:09

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Fuzzy Modem posted:

Sounds great!, but can you send it to my email so I don't have to install this software? Or am I just not seeing a simple link?

It should be possible to play/download it but I'll shoot it over to your email in a minute.

Fuzzy Modem posted:

Thanks Much appreciated

I'll give it another week before I hand the audio over to JossiRossi for processing. So if anyone else wants to give it a shot, or knows someone who might, you have 'till next Sunday (the 19th.)

Thanks again

No problem; good luck with your KickStarter!

The Joe Man fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Aug 12, 2012

# ¿ Aug 12, 2012 21:03

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Congratulations Stinkmeister, looks like you made it!

https://www.facebook.com/MalevolenceGame

For anyone else that auditioned, they've listed the new VA's in a recent post.

BlueGrot posted:

A friend of mine needs voice acting for his music project.

Thanks! Got in touch with him and I'll have something for him to listen to by Friday night.

# ¿ Aug 16, 2012 19:29

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

titties posted:

This is from a while ago, but I've watched this 3 or 4 times since you posted it and I think that it definitely would have been better if they'd have let you read it like you wanted.

Also, you're a sentient telepathic house. I would have expected that weird reverse echo fading in effect thing.

Yeah I have no idea what kinda vibe she was going for. Is it supposed to be funny? Is it meant to encourage sobriety and becoming a cop??

I really wanted to go full-on Murray: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3OT-ppvii4. At least it would've been kinda funny and being an old sentient house, there'd be an excuse for the over-the-top insanity.

# ¿ Aug 24, 2012 17:38

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

INTERNET NERD RAGE posted:

Boy I wish I found this thread a few months ago.

Name: INTERNET NERD RAGE

Specialties: Corporate, Professional "Banker" sound, Guy Next Door, and some character voices.

Tindeck: Here is my commercial demo and character demo.

Contact: I have PM's enabled but I never check them, email is better.
david.cramb @ gmail

Payment: Paypal!

I'm interested in hearing some reactions to the two demo's. I know I'm my own worst critic and I'm not the biggest fan of some of the music and effects put in (I didn't have a choice) but it is what it is. Tear it to shreds, goons!

Just took a quick listen to both. Character demo isn't linked right; use this: http://tindeck.com/listen/acqs (or don't; see below)

Without getting into the nitty gritty (yet), your Commercial demo is pretty decent. There's a couple little things you could work on (like robotic rollercoasting problem on 2nd commercial), and you should either rework or completely trash the Spec-Ops part at the end.

As far as the Character demo, I think you should delete it and never, ever look back. The only decent voice in the entire thing was the last one (the superhero), but it's not going to win any awards. Ditch it; your commercial demo is a TON better and you're a lot more believable when not trying to force a weird voice.

# ¿ Aug 27, 2012 17:16

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

titties posted:

E: I posted about reading for them, but nobody seemed interested. They kept talking about paying $600 for a studio session.

I saw that too and it looks like they'll end up doing their own, much more expensive thing. Eh, so be it. Thanks for trying to help them/us though!

khan! posted:

Hey everyone,

I'm currently in SA Mart looking for voice recordings (on a now and ongoing basis) for telephone related use. I know it isn't high end voice acting, but maybe it's a way to make a few bucks quickly now! One very cool guy who put in a recording suggested maybe I crosspost here.

My thread is at: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?noseen=0&threadid=3503193

Posted in the other thread too but did anyone get hired for this?

Fuzzy Modem posted:

Hi there! I'm hoping to find two voice actors, one male, one female.

For the male part, I'd love to hear those of you from Ireland or Scotland, but it's by no means a prerequisite.

I need to replace the narration in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKGS00aq7wE

Or this?

The Joe Man fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Sep 5, 2012

# ¿ Sep 5, 2012 21:29

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

King Lou posted:

I have a Blue YetiPro that I had to send back 2x because of audio drop outs and issues with random bursts of static. They admitted that there was some sort of issue with the Yeti Pro and that they were fixing it. However I'm not happy with the 3rd one they sent me. I'm not convinced they fixed it at all. Also their tech support hasn't returned my emails/phone calls about it. I'm sure they think I'm a crank. Luckily I have Snowball & Mbox Mini that I can use instead. I would still buy Blue products but I think the Yeti Pro is sort of an over promised device.

Sure it's not the recording program you're using? My Yeti was basically unusable (constant static) with Adobe Audition 1.5/WinXP, but I upgraded to AA 3.0/Win7 and haven't had a problem since.

Sounds like a software issue.

# ¿ Sep 13, 2012 15:18

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

blinkeve1826 posted:

Also, crossposting from this thread, where the OP abandoned his thread after getting a bunch of VO samples:

Just a heads up to everyone who posted in this thread who's interested in doing any VO work in the future, especially through semi-anonymous means of communication like this--I don't know exactly what happened on the OP's end, but this is a prime example of why you should somehow watermark your auditions. Like a visual watermark, this just means doing something to your work so that it can't be used without your knowledge and/or permission. For audio files, this can mean making/sending a lower quality file than that which you would send for a real booking (like IzzyFnStradlin did), or adding intermittent sounds, like a beep or tone, throughout the file (that's what I do). This was a lesson I had to learn the hard way myself and hopefully it'll help some of you in the future.

This is also why voices.com is a complete waste of time. As for the linked thread, that probably won't happen since I highly doubt the dude works for Umbrella. Good advice though. When I was auditioning for gigs on voices.com, I would put highly inappropriate music as the background bed. I have a feeling they used it anyways.

# ¿ Sep 23, 2012 18:35

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Nothing new on my front either other than a couple new IMDB credits (Malevolence RPG & Customer Service, which was on-camera acting). Was going to wait until I had footage or something to show for it but this caught my eye:

Volmarias posted:

I'm curious if any of you have tried using ACX, and if so what your experience has been. I didn't see it listed in the jobs in the OP, so I figured I'd ask.

I signed up earlier today and I'll probably throw down an audition or two tomorrow and see what happens. It looks like the safest option are books with an additional stipend attached (you can filter them through your search). The stipend is paid directly by ACX, so even if the book flops and you barely receive any royalties, you're still looking at around $1k profit. ChaosTheory (or anyone else), definitely report back if you have any success and I'll add it to the OP. I'd like to have at least one success story before we recommend it to folks.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2012 04:42

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Huge thanks to whoever picked up a couple banner ads for the thread! Just noticed them.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2012 19:16

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

There's a lot of things we could work on (enunciation, breath control, and just generally slowing down) but I 100% agree with Jossi that getting a decent setup & cleaner mic sound needs to be your first priority. I'm not really a hardware guy but take advice from the ones in the thread that are. Once you get your technical problems mostly resolved, I'll be happy to work with you on actually fine-tuning your speech.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2012 04:32

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

JossiRossi posted:

The performance talk does remind me The Joe Man, any comments on the video I linked above as an Example? That's my latest weekly news thing, it's the 30th week. I think I hit the compressor too hard, and the editing has been rushed and sloppy so there's a few bad cuts, but I could use a fresh set of ears on what I've been doing with that from you (or anyone else) willing to give me some suggestions.

Actually this weeks is weaker than usual: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHen8KxsXYI
Here's last weeks too which is a little stronger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tfSRXhfBZ4

Technically clean but very sing-songy. If you started high, I knew you were going to end low. If you started low, I'd bet money you were about to end high. Insanely telegraphed.

Sure, the subject matter might be boring and you might go nuts by spending this much time on it, but break down each sentence's guts individually (while slightly factoring in the variable "expected" reactions from prior & next sentences) and just read it naturally instead of looking at them in blocks. Blocks that you want to complete as fast as possible and never have to read or record again. From the tone, speed and rhythm of your voice, my guess is that you've fallen into a routine. You've realized that going up & down/down & up will technically get those lines out the door quicker because there's (almost) zero risk due to zero deviation from the routine.

Am I on the right track?

# ¿ Nov 14, 2012 06:23

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 12:01

The Joe Man: Apr 7, 2007; Flirting With Apathetic Waitresses Since 1984

Cerys du Lys posted:

This is a really cool thread! I need to read more of it, but I liked what I saw so far. I've actually just started looking for VA stuff for an audio book, so I'm glad I saw the ad on the bottom awhile back.

I saw someone mention ACX earlier and that's what myself and some other writer goons here I know are using, since it's the easiest/only way(that I know of) to get your audio books onto Amazon/iTunes(and potentially other places.

And... I realize this is a bit out there for some of you, but if anyone's interested, I'd definitely be willing to take/consider auditions for erotica books I have(with the end intent of going through ACX to have them put up on Amazon/iTunes). Or if anyone wants to practice in a new sexy voice I'd be happy to let you read parts of my eBooks as a sample, for your portfolio or whatever. I don't really know how useful a sexy voice sample is, but hey, you never know?

Most of my stuff is female main character(lots of options there), though I have one gay werewolf styled thing, a classy billionaire man(small sections), and another fairy tale werewolf(Beauty and the Beast-ish) guy.

If seriously interested in doing the audio book thing, I'd need the person to join ACX and get approved by them first, and then my preferred method of payment would be a royalty share(50:50, and they pay writer/VA 50%-90% of audio book sales depending on how many sales are made in a certain period. Audio Book prices are set depending on length of script, so I couldn't tell you off hand exactly what the royalty would amount to, but I believe $6 is for a very short audio book). ACX handles all the payments there, so you'd get royalties on a monthly basis depending on sales after awhile. (my email is cerysdulys (at) gmail (dot) com, but I'll check back here, too)

Anyways! Cool thread and it's neat to hear some of your samples. Here's my author page if anyone's interested: http://www.amazon.com/author/cerysdulys
Also, there's this thread where I imagine you could find people potentially interested and/or willing to let you do samples of their stuff for your portfolio/whatever, too: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3503700&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1

Fake edit: I saw erotic/erotica stuff mentioned earlier in the thread, and that someone actually linked to the self-published erotica thread, but not too much. How much interest is there in that? I think it could be fun, though I'm obviously not a VA, but I can see where there might be a moral high ground kind of stance towards it.

I'll record anything for money. Already signed up/approved on ACX so if you'd like to send a small audition script (with a brief summary of the "vibe" of voice you'd like) to REDACTED, I'll email a spec clip back and if you're game, we'll go through the process officially on ACX (unless there's a better way for you to do it).

The Joe Man fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Oct 2, 2018

# ¿ Nov 18, 2012 20:32

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > [VO MegaThread] So...You Want To Be A Voice Actor

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