the imaging voice

Written by Justin Coombes-Pearce

Your demo

This is without doubt the most important investment you will make. I often get asked how much does it cost to produce a good demo and this is how I generally respond.

Before we talk dollars there are other investments you need to consider:

Investment of time: This is probably your biggest investment as your demo should never be rushed into. There are many schools of thought on when you should produce your demo and they’re all pretty much valid. What I can tell you is when NOT to produce your demo and that is when you are first starting out.

Investment of education: You need to take in account all the things you have learned before you produce your demo. Always think of the tips you picked up at that weekend acting workshop, the information you got from that experienced voice actor you met at a party and even the things you learned from listening to the hundreds of other demos on the internet.

Your demo should be the best showcase of your abilities and needs to reflect exactly what you can offer a client. Remember this… in most cases you will only ever get one shot at a client or agent so make it your best shot.

Ok, so let’s say you are ready to record your demo…

If you are not an experienced producer then I strongly suggest you find one and pay him or her. This in mind be very careful of a producer who promises to deliver a cracker demo before they even hear your work… if they promised to build you a mansion without any idea of the foundations then there is a good chance they are thinking dollars and not your career.

What should your demo include?

Now this question is a doozy. Firstly you need to decide what type or types of work you would like to target. Once you have a clear idea on that then you should work on creating a demo for each of those categories. Keep in mind that as much as a voice showcase with multiple types of reads is great to show off your talents if you are auditioning for a corporate narration job then the chances are the client doesn’t want to sit through your cartoon voices and radio commercials before they hear the voice they are looking for.

How long should my demo be?

Simple answer… 60 to 90 seconds is best for each category, but if you must go longer then don’t go beyond 3 minutes you are only wasting your time. Keep in mind also that demo’s with a heap of samples crammed into 90 seconds can sometimes sound like they are going on forever. Think variety of styles not number of samples.

How do I know if my demo is any good?

Well if it gets you work you could pretty bet you’re on the money but I would suggest you seek some opinions from those in the know before you start promoting it to prospective clients. Send it off to some voice artists and producers and ask for their advice and suggestions, believe it or not most people are only to willing to pass on wisdom to those who genuinely seek it. 

Auditioning

Always audition like you were already being paid. This basically means that you should approach an audition like you would a paid job with the same level of professionalism.

Whether you are on-location for an audition or you are at home in your own studio you should always be on you’re A game. Go through your normal vocal warm up routine beforehand, make sure you have had your water and that your mouth is well lubricated. Make sure you understand the copy and remember it needs to sound like it’s coming from you not the sheet of paper. Also remember to follow any direction given, whether it’s attached to the script or given to you by the producer.

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