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Meow Cadet posted:
For videogames, it depends. For local and national TV spots, I have set rates based on the final length of the piece ($x for a 30 sec. spot, $y for a 60 sec., etc.) For web videos, I charge by the minute. I don't have my rate sheet with me at the moment, but it is also dependent on the final length of the piece, or at least the final length of my section. Videogames are the most fun things I do in the VO world, but they are also the most variable in terms of pay. I have done jobs where I do several hours of work for $100, and I have done jobs where I get $300 per half-hour of work. It really depends on the game, the size of the game studio, and the people you are working for. Also, when you are starting out, just take what you can get and add it to your reel!
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Feb 13, 2012 15:11
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The Joe Man posted:Nah sorry, it works for me. Cold or room temperature liquids (water) constrict the throat, while warm or hot (coffee) loosen it up and relax it. I get a much warmer, deeper sound when my throat is warmed up and clear. Like I mentioned, the opposite can work better for other people (ie you). No, she's right, caffeine is not a good choice and will dry you out. Temperature is subjective, I guess, but extreme temperatures change the sound of your voice, so I have always been taught to stick to room temperature liquids. blinkeve1826 posted:
Looking through your site, I think it works. I can see your concerns about the design, etc. but that is pretty small potatoes. Having a dedicated site makes a good impression, and the specificity of your demos is smart as well. I currently just have a narration demo and a character demo, but if I re-do them in the future I might break them down a bit more specifically like you have done. One thing I have noticed though, you have a great video for Vampire Diaries waaaay down at the bottom. Clients really like seeing videos, it shows that you have actually voiced real projects that have been produced and are out there in the world. Put a couple of your higher-profile vids at the top, I think it will help sell you as a force to be reckoned with! And congrats on all the work, it seems like you are only a couple small steps away from being able to make a living as a VO actor. For the people just starting out, I think that something everyone should remember is that you are trying to become a voice ACTOR. So, if you have no training in acting, that is a good place to start. You can't just expect to jump into VO and not sound like a wooden robot or an amateur if you haven't learned to control your voice and speech patterns. There are lots of ways to start, but I really think that acting training is a good foundation for VO, because acting IS what you are doing. In fact, VO can be even more difficult, because you are acting without the benefit of your face. So, if you are wondering where to begin, and just don't feel like your voice is cutting it, maybe start by looking into some community theater or community college acting courses. If nothing else, it will help you learn breath control and how to project.
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Apr 20, 2012 03:33
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I sent you my submission, hope it works for you. Thanks for the opportunity! Any other VO folks going to be at the East Coast Gaming Conference today? If so, let me know and we can meet up!
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Apr 26, 2012 14:00
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Pretty excited about this - I recently did a very fun job for a game company, doing all the noises and reactions for their new Zombie game. I was given the character sketches and descriptions, and I had to come up with the following noises for each zombie: -Spawn -Path begin -Path end -Pause (confused/disoriented) -Eating brains -Getting shot -Dying And the following for each human: -Alert (notice zombie) -Reloading -Reloaded -Zombie Kill (celebrate) -Getting eaten I did 6 zombies and 7 humans, and they seemed to really love the results. None of the noises could be actual words, because it will be released in multiple countries in different languages and they didn't want to re-do the VO each time. It was a fun challenge! I just played the game and it's a fun little game, pretty cool! I don't think the humans getting killed noises are in there, not sure why. I guess they thought it was a bit too much? I have done videogame VO before, but this was unique because of the number of characters and the fact that it was really more noises than voices. Anyhow, if you have an Android phone or tablet, you can get it for free here: http://tinyurl.com/potz-download  EDIT: there is a little cutscene at the beginning, I had no part in that, I think that one of their internal guys did that. Ishamael fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Jun 21, 2012 |
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Jun 21, 2012 18:04
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WhollyChao posted:I've been tweaking my demo over the past week or so, and I was wondering what y'all use for editing. I mean, basic stuff like removing extraneous noise or some freakishly huge breath I've got down, but I know some people apply filters and that sort of thing. Any advice as to what you use to make a recording sound more finished would be great. I use Adobe Audition for editing, and it works well for me. But overall, you shouldn't have to do much to your files except some basic EQ. Adding filters will not usually be worth your time. In other news, I upgraded to a new mic that I am loving so far, the AKG C214:  Nothing but good stuff to report about this mic so far, although it took me a bit of time to get the preamp tuned in properly so it sounded really good. EDIT: I realized I never put any examples up, so here are 2 semi-recent pieces I worked on. The first was for a client that specialized in IT solutions for church groups. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1id1xlDo1s And this one was fun, mainly because I can now watch my nieces and nephews play this game (it's a kids learning game). It was interesting to record, because I had to repeat hundreds of words, numbers, etc. and then the game engine puts them together as it goes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KKczglwMSo Ishamael fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Mar 28, 2013 |
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Mar 28, 2013 03:55
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blinkeve1826 posted:IshAmael, that children's game looks like a ton of fun. Thanks! I work with a videogame company pretty regularly as one of their voice actors, and they gave me a call for this one and wanted something "kid-friendly". Game work is always a little different, but this one was especially interesting because of the sheer number of words, letters, numbers, etc. that I had to say in the same tone.
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Mar 29, 2013 14:46
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blinkeve1826 posted:^^^^ My opinion on all USB mics is the same, which is that unless you are 100% sure you only want to pursue this as a fun hobby and will not need or want to adjust or expand your recording setup at any point in the future, they are silly choices. It makes far more sense to get a decent regular condenser mic and a USB preamp so you can use your mic with other equipment in the future, rather than just the USB port on your computer and having to buy a new mic entirely if you decide to add additional processors and whatnot to your setup. That said, among USB mics, the AT2020 has pretty good reviews and those I've spoken to who have had it have been pretty happy with it, for whatever that's worth. On the other hand, I would add that someone going out to buy a new mic as the answer to their VO problems is also a mistake. Most likely, the weak point in the chain is their voice. Remember - it's called voice ACTING. If you want to do this, you should be studying acting and, ideally, getting involved in some theater, plays, etc. to improve your acting abilities. A VO session is a performance the same as any other acting gig. A talented voice will come through even over a mediocre mic, while a weak one will still sound weak on a nice mic. So get your voice strong, THEN get the good equipment. Until then, "good enough" is good enough, in my opinion.
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Apr 6, 2013 02:19
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blinkeve1826 posted:If you're going to pursue it as something more than just a hobby, though, I think it's worth investing in a decent mic so you don't limit yourself to just USB capability and have to spend money on another mic down the road. I know some people are going to disagree with me and swear by their Snowballs and Yetis and that's fine. Maybe I'm just old school. But I also think it's potentially a smarter use of one's money in the long run. I do agree with this, I think USB mics are not professional grade and aren't a great choice for professionals. I just didn't want new people to think that buying high-end mics will solve voice issues.
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Apr 7, 2013 15:47
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titties posted:I'm sad that I missed it, I was really looking forward to it. Sounds pretty good! Since you seem to know what you are doing, I did some nitpicking. Hope you don't mind, I can't help myself - I have been a professional copywriter for the past 7 years and I love to tinker. My suggestions: Change the line "Things like getting outdoors, spending time with your family, and that special feeling that comes with building something from scratch." to "Things like getting outdoors, spending time with your family, and discovering that special feeling that comes with building something yourself." That way you have gettING, spendING, and discoverING, and it sounds a little nicer. Also, I didn't like "from scratch" but that's a personal preference. Change the line "...along with raised gardening boxes and our very own hoop-house. As well as a full range of tools and equipment to raise your own totally organic fruits and vegetables. " to "along with raised gardening boxes and our very own hoop-house. We also have a full range of tools and equipment that you can use to grow your own totally organic fruits and vegetables. " This will just smooth it out and keep it from being a "this, and this, and this. And this" kind of list. Also, I would change "environmentally-responsible" to "environmentally-friendly", because responsible sounds like less fun. :-) Finally, I would change your CTA from this: "To learn more about the Cornerstone Community Garden and its sponsors, to become a sponsor, or to reserve a gardening plot, contact Badonna Davis at 555-555-5555. " to "If you want to reserve a gardening plot, learn more about the garden and its sponsors, or become a sponsor yourself, then contact Badonna Davis at 555-555-5555." That way, you put your main hook (reserving a gardening plot) first, and it flows a bit better. Anyhow, hope this wasn't too nitpicky. Sounds good - good luck!
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Apr 11, 2013 14:50
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titties posted:
Cool - glad I could be of some assistance. Good luck with the finished product!
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Apr 16, 2013 14:54
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Just a small plug - a game I did VO work for is now available for PC (or you can download a free trial). I did all the zombie and human noises in the game, and it was a lot of fun. (I didn't have anything to do with the little intro cut-scene). http://tinyurl.com/ccq33xn
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Apr 24, 2013 20:27
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Kleptobot posted:After being told I had a "distinctive voice" from an increasing number of people who aren't in my family, I thought I'd give this thing a try. Recorded a clip of myself using Marc Antony's monologue from Act 3, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. This is the result. Any feedback you can offer would be appreciated. Are you from the UK? EDIT: OK, let me go on without this information. It sounds like you are putting on a bad British accent. If you are actually from the UK, then it means you are adopting a very stilted way of speaking (enough to where it sounds like a parody of a British accent). Also, you should practice with something that is not Shakespeare. Odds are, you will never be hired to do a Shakespeare VO. Read some product or ad copy, or that awful Sommerset Hills thing that everyone uses as good practice material. It's really hard to give you pointers when you are speaking in such an affected way. You have a medium-low voice, which can be good for VO, but it's hard to tell anything past that using this piece. Also, you probably know this, but your recording setup is not good. What kind of microphone are you using? Ishamael fucked around with this message at 16:55 on May 23, 2013 |
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May 23, 2013 16:49
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titties posted:
They'll only know you're a poser if you act like a poser. I know because I am a poser who has gotten a lot of VO jobs by acting like I knew what the hell I was doing. 
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Jun 7, 2013 02:51
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titties posted:I appreciate hearing that. It is always an option for me to record it at home and then pay someone I wouldn't get too hung up on the studio space. If they are donating the space, it wasn't being used at that time anyways. Use it as a learning experience and take advantage of it. Whenever you are in business for yourself (and that includes being a VO artist), you have to grab every opportunity and not look the gift horse in the mouth, I think.
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Jun 11, 2013 19:49
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to make it broadcast ready, which is initially how I pitched it to them. They offered to negotiate the studio time, which would be a much more valuable experience for me.
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cucka posted:
I think that the delivery is pretty good, but that microphone is really bad. It sounds like you are recording it over a phone line or something. And it is clipping a lot, which makes it unpleasant to listen to. Is that an xbox headset mic? I would invest in a USB mic to start, and then post another sample to get feedback on the reading. It's hard to offer feedback when the actual recording quality is bad.
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Jul 5, 2013 14:43
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Just finished a job for a healthcare simulator game, and I had to say a lot of unpleasant medical things in a calm doctory way. Here are some random examples: -I can see why you are complaining of stinging and pain. Your groin area is red, warm and slightly swollen. -Mr. Jones, I am going to spread your buttocks so I can see your tailbone. It's weird doing VO sometimes.
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Jul 17, 2013 15:03
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DrSunshine posted:I don't plan on becoming a Voice Actor or anything, but I figure that this is the best thread for the question I have. Rather than trying to change your voice, which will make you sound strange and unnatural, instead be honest and listen to your voice. See where your voice fits in the spectrum of voiceover, and go for jobs that fit your voice. There are roles for every type of voice, so figure out which ones work for you. I have a fairly young-sounding voice, so as much as I might wish, I will never get the "Movie Trailer Guy"-type gigs. So instead I go for jobs where they want someone like me, and I have been working a lot since doing that. It's hard to be honest with yourself, but you can do it. So I would say, don't try to fix your voice, but instead try to hear your voice like it was a stranger's voice and figure out what type of roles you would be right for!
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Jul 24, 2013 21:32
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DrSunshine posted:Well, as I said I'm not trying to become a Voice Actor, I'm just a guy trying to sound less like Steve Urkel, but that is very reassuring. Thanks. Ah, well then just carry around one of those Darth Vader voice-changer masks. Bingo, problem SOLVED! (and new problem created)
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Jul 24, 2013 22:39
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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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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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weirdsauce posted:Cubemario, this is something i churned out a bit ago. It's just a quick demonstration of my voice. You have a very nice tone, with some practice I can definitely see you getting plenty of work. And you have a nice natural delivery, if you work on your enunciation and pacing you will be most of the way there. For music, if you can't find any free tracks you like, you can invest $40 per track and get some tracks from premiumbeat.com. You really only need a few tracks to use as backing for your demo reel. EDIT: Do I detect an accent there? There are a couple non-neutral vowel sounds but I can't quite place you. EDIT 2: It's the word "tonight" and "lights" that sounds southeastern, I think. Carolinas? Ishamael fucked around with this message at 00:39 on Apr 16, 2014 |
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Apr 16, 2014 00:37
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blinkeve1826 posted:So Haruki Murakami posted an article about Y2K, the game in which I recently voiced one of the main characters, to his Facebook page and 900,000+ Facebook fans this past weekend. That was pretty cool. Awesome! Congrats. A tech video I was hired for is finally out, I think it turned out nice, the animation looks good. We recorded at their studio and I didn't do the audio editing, so there are a couple spots that I would want to smooth out if I could. But overall I am happy with it. And there are a few more of these coming up over the next couple weeks, which is cool. These types of techie scripts are good practice, if anyone wants the copy to practice with I can post it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN33Fej9tiU Also, I got a pretty big VO job in a high-profile game, I have to wait til next month to talk about it though. But I am excited!
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Dec 15, 2014 18:21
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Pretty excited about this - got a cool gig as the narrator for the tutorials in the new videogame Firefly Online. The characters are being played by the original cast from the TV show, but I will be the helpful voice that tells you how to use the program and game functions. Pretty awesome! The game doesn't come out until later this year, but the first 3 videos with my voice are up on steam now. This one is just a run-through of the Cortex app, which is really a news app that will eventually hook into the game once it is released. (The other 2 are about the map function and the collectible cards) They wanted a Firefly-verse kinda voice, and after working with the director for a bit they settled on this one. Fun stuff, but I haven't gotten to meet the real cast yet, which is just not right! http://store.steampowered.com/app/343750 EDIT: Here is one of the vids on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr9ynNb6NXE Ishamael fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Jan 29, 2015 |
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Jan 29, 2015 21:20
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JossiRossi posted:This is super solid. Great work, really fits with the Firefly aesthetic. Was it done at the game studio or outside contracting studio or just by yourself? Thanks, I really appreciate it! I recorded it in my booth but two guys from the game studio were on the line. It took some time to find the right tone for it, but I think it turned out pretty well (it is hard to be objective with your own voice, I just hear the stuff I want to change). I have recorded with this team before for some other games, and in the past we have recorded at an audio post house that has a super sweet studio, but this time they were happy with the sound from my booth, so that was good. There are more pieces coming out over the next few months, and from what I understand some of the pieces will be in the game, but all the actual characters are SAG and being recorded in LA. They have recorded all the original actors with new dialogue and now they are getting the secondary characters and player characters. It's a fantastic group of people, I hope the game is good and people enjoy it! EDIT: another one is on YT now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kDbXwcyAtM Ishamael fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Jan 30, 2015 |
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Jan 30, 2015 19:18
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Ishamael fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Mar 24, 2015 |
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Mar 23, 2015 22:40
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blinkeve1826 posted:Gotta make this quick as I'm swamped with this, BUT I'm casting an awesommmmmme video game and you are all invited to audition for it! This is really cool, thanks for telling us about it!
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Mar 28, 2015 23:59
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supermikhail posted:Despite the danger of inducing seizures in especially sensitive ears, female voice attempt n. 2 (+0.5). I feel like I'm hitting something, but only at the beginning of some takes, and then I quickly slip back into the shrill squeaky male (which everyone knows and loves)... I wish I didn't immediately try to recapture the good bits, overwriting them, and instead kept them for reference and study. Oh, well, live and learn. And no pain no gain. Sorry man, that sounds like a guy doing a falsetto, and I also cannot understand a word you are saying due to the accent. Is there any reason you can't cast a real woman to play whatever part you are trying to do?
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May 11, 2015 21:24
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I understand the enjoyment of trying new voices, but I guess I am still confused why this is the only voice you are attempting. I'd be hard-pressed to think of any male voice actors who do a convincing woman's voice, and I can think of 0 real-world applications for it other than an audiobook of Tootsie or Some Like It Hot (both of which are stories about men pretending to be women, none of those guys actually sound like women). Are there other voices that you think would be enjoyable to try? Maybe you could try working on accurate accents or dialects, those are very difficult and take a lot of practice. If you like the challenge of creating a sound, that is a skill that would be very useful to have, and would actually be obtainable. You could try to become this kid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dABo_DCIdpM and if nothing else it's a fun party trick. A weird falsetto man-woman's voice isn't going to get you much.
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May 12, 2015 18:22
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supermikhail posted:Apparently, a southern accent is hot, What? no. supermikhail posted:And my reference turned out to be no that good in the end. I... in fact picked out a Let's Play from the forums, but it turns out that the commentator talks much less than it seems if you're simply watching, so I ended up simply wasting a lot of time. The story of my life. If only there were a place on the internet where there were videos of people talking. OK, let's get back to actual voiceover chat, rather than whatever this has become.
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May 13, 2015 12:57
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supermikhail posted:drat. Still doesn't work for me. I don't know, maybe it's blocked in my country. Sorry man, you sound very Russian. But that isn't a bad thing, there are lots of Russian characters that are usually played by English speakers with bad fake accents, I know because I just directed a videogame voiceover with several American actors playing Russians! So you could show these folks how to do it right, you just need to find the right parts for your accent, or go for VO jobs in Russian. Удачи!
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Jun 2, 2015 17:06
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CuddleChunks posted:If you're trying to sound like a native English speaker then you should probably go talk to a professional vocal coach, spend a few grand and work for several years to build the skills necessary to sound like a native so that... well, why are you trying to do that in the first place? Agreeing with this. Even native English speakers couldn't do an accurate version of most other English dialect accents, it's really hard. Start with the emotions and "selling" the concept, then work on the accents later.
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Jun 2, 2015 22:54
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Cubemario posted:Depends on what you're trying to do. But I have a great and loving relationship with audition, when it comes to just pure VO work. Yeah, I have used Audition for years and have found it works great for VO.
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Dec 10, 2015 15:07
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The Joe Man posted:What's a decent rate for audiobooks/per page these days? Have a potential private connection coming up and want to be prepared. Last time I did an audiobook project was probably 2016, and it was $3/page at that time, IIRC.
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Apr 10, 2019 20:07
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This is pretty exciting. I haven't done a lot of VO in the last couple years, but I did get a call from Hasbro to do something that has been on my bucket list forever: be the voice of a toy! I was the Red Ranger for the new Beast-X UltraZord Power Rangers toy. No idea if its a good toy, but that's definitely me doing the one million catchphrases! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tayGE1G_DOw&t=36s It was a fun job, I had to do a soundalike for an existing actor, which ended up being that kinda surfer-sounding voice you hear there. There weren't a lot of retakes, except when it came to the trademarked phrases like "it's morphin time", where they had very specific notes about timing and inflection. Overall, really fun! And I am a toy, which is as cool as it gets.
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Aug 13, 2019 22:53
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