DIY Voice Over Demos - DON’T DO IT!!!!

[@vo-pro]

▶ Watch this video next: kzbin.info/aero/PLVUuUfwNTG--FN1vPuoJlK4Hfl52pi5UA

[@VEBlessed1]

Hmmm. I'm confused and frustrated with all of these videos from so many pros contradicting on what to do and what not to do. I had a demo done by an audio engineer via my voice coach and it was pure crap. A lot of precious monetary sacrifice was spent and the end product was not up to par. Not an easy thing to just go get a professional demo when starting out and so many other monetary competing priorities for day to day living and trying to get a VO business off the ground at the same time. It is a balancing act that requires great planning to ensure I am not hurting myself financially.

[@vo-pro]

I get it. It can be confusing and frustrating. With a ton of information, there comes a lot of misinformation. That’s life. It’s hard to figure out. That’s why I’m doing my part to give the best advice I can and to combat the inevitable bullshit that’s out there.

[@kellilangvo]

wellwell3370, May I ask, why did you think your demo was pure crap? Was it the scripts? quality of audio? lack of direction?…I’m about to record a pro demo with a well known producer and want to avoid any pitfalls that may come up….

[@Elim-meister]

@@vo-pro I get what @wellwell3370's saying. For lean hungry VOs just jumping into the pool, we'd be hard pressed to come up with $1000+ for a pro demo. The first few clients I worked with had their own engineers, so I asked them for a copy of the mastered audio and used them in my demo. I also linked KZbin commercials I did to the demo page on my website. Perhaps that's a good alternative for those of us just getting started? Regards

[@EdgarHammer847]

​@@kellilangvoI'm curious to know what producer you selected? Care to share? Maybe after your experience. I hope it goes well and I wish you the best!

[@vo-pro]

@@Elim-meister The point is not to get the demo. The point is to get really good first and maximize the presentation of your mastery. Quality demos aren't cheap. Why should they be? They're one of the two main way you present yourself as a talent? This is a business and it has startup costs, but everyone wants to treat it with the same budget as fishing or bowling. If it's a hobby for you, then budget it like a hobby. If it's a business, budget it like one.

[@davemccord170]

I am clearly missing something here. With the majority of people working from a home studio and self-directing client's projects, wouldn't a dyi demo be more representative of a product one could give a potential customer?

[@vo-pro]

I'm not trying to be smug here, Dave, but did you watch the whole video? I think I was pretty clear. To try to play talent, script writer, producer, director, and engineer is ill advised. The most important piece you're missing is that there's a huge difference between the purpose of one spot you may do for a client and a collection of clips that work together to optimally present your range of abilities. That's the art of the demo.

[@bock1965]

The person you send your audition to does not expect your product from home to sound like the demo. He expects you to provide him with a solid product that he can make sound like your demo. You maybe a great voice person but a DIY demo can actually distract from your talent rather than highlight it well....

[@vo-pro]

​@@bock1965 WHAT?!?! The very job of the demo by nature is to set expectations. That's the whole point of the demo. It's not the client's job to make you sound better. It's your job to meet or exceed the client's expectations which you set when you sent them the demo.

[@bock1965]

@@vo-pro Maybe I am missing something. It seems obvious to me and I think the original asker of the question that the VO would provide as good of performance as they did for the making of the demo. The dry vocal. Not mixed with any music sound effects etc. Most people I believe , would think the vocal in the final mix sounds better than the dry vocal by itself. Even though it is the exact same file. Do you agree? With that in mind the asker of the question seemed in doubt of whether or not they could match the "sound" of the pro demo. I was saying that they will not in most cases be expected to be providing a sound equivalent to the finished mixed demo. Am I wrong? I was in a class with Terry the other day in which he said some of his clients ask for the raw un edited read and the producer on that end cleans it up and mixes it etc. Sounded to me like everything I said above. We nail the read and the producer puts it in the mix and makes it sound the way he / she wants it to sound. '

[@vo-pro]

@@bock1965 Yes, in 99% of the jobs, you're only producing dry tracks for clients. So, if you task yourself with mixing your own demo you're likely highly underqualified. That was my point in the video. Or am I misunderstanding your question?

[@andrewcrippsvo]

Anyone that tells you NOT to do it, is entitled, rich or a fool.

[@vo-pro]

And those who tell you TO do it are misinformed, delusional, and pretending.

[@andrewcrippsvo]

@vo-pro Why do you say that? I found the opposite. I'm not saying don't strive to get a pro demo done ASAP, but if you've no experience and no money, you can get started by using a DIY demo. It's confidence building, it allows rookies to get a feel and some practice without the worry of having a paycheck wiped out. I was told I'd HAVE to get a pro demo by a 'coach' and that DIY demos are useless. Since getting a second opinion I've realised that person was ONLY TRYING TO MAKE MONEY from me. And That's what most people that advise not to do DIY are all about, offering a pro demo for some big £. Fine if you are at that stage, but many aren't.

[@vo-pro]

@@andrewcrippsvo I do not produce demos. I am not an affiliate of anyone who produces demos. I have precisely zero to gain whether you or anyone else does a pro demo or not. Confidence comes from being well-prepared. From being well trained. Not from a shitty demo. Rookies (the untrained or undertrained) have no business making demo of any kind. There's nothing to demo except a bad performance, most often in a badly treated room. Just because the neophytes don't think (as in, don't even have the ear to know) it's bad, doesn't mean the people they're sending them to - paying clients, producers, and casting directors - those people can spot a shoddy demo in the first 3 seconds and that's not an exaggeration.

[@andrewcrippsvo]

@vo-pro Listen to yourself. 😆😆 Exactly, being well prepared. Hence, practice and experience. Understanding of software and hardware. Stay rigid famo.

[@vo-pro]

@@andrewcrippsvo Have fun in the dollar store, Skippy.

[@BannerSound]

Actually, during Covid, I DID cut my own hair before I was married! Had no choice in our small town, as the few haircutting places here were all closed, and sadly, some chose not to reopen. Anyway, I do sound editing also, which is FAR different than producing quality demos.

[@vo-pro]

I did too. 🤣

[@h20doctor]

I think when it comes to voice-over acting there's been a lot of people like you said in the beginning of this video that just want to do it for fun and earn a couple of bucks but I have seen people go down that path and then turn into paraprofessionals so.. Sometimes , a beginner part-time can get discovered can become a professional so remember it's always about , timing and The place and the moment

[@vo-pro]

No. If you can’t act an compete with the pros, you don’t work. This isn’t American Idol. And yes being a musician or and an audio engineer is fine, but if you can’t act, it won’t matter how good your audio is. Bad audio is way easier to fix than bad acting.

[@cach0085]

I've heard that you need a demo to get started on certain platforms even fivver... Should i hold off or give it a try to mke one. Truthfully I do not have the money to be paying for a demo. But i don't think ill get any business without a demo. Its like needing a car to get to work but needing work to get the car...

[@vo-pro]

Why do you want to make a shitty DIY demo to then get shitty jobs for shitty rates?

[@ZimCrusher]

One of the best infomercials I've heard in while. Great work.

[@vo-pro]

@zimcrusher Why do you call it an infomercial when I don’t produce demos?

[@ZimCrusher]

@@vo-pro 12:33 The whole video was leading to this. "The VO Freedom Master Plan" Still, all good points, but it was obvious by the end of the intro, you were (like 99% of the Voice over coach channels) going to sell a course or product. Seems the best way to make money in VO is to sell a course on how to be good at VO. Any video with tips on how to get into VO, the final tip is "join my course". No disrespect. I prefer hard truths to flowery lies. I just happen to have good equipment, since I do lectures for studios on animal biomechanics, and I'm asked once in a while to do a voice for a project a studio is working on, so... I had some time off and was poking around to see how open this market is. Like most side-hustles, they are only "side hustles" for those dipping their toe in, for the rest of the people, it's a full on piranha feeding frenzy. Goes for children's books, shirt design, candles, indie games, review sites, merch, and even YT.

[@rdbvoices]

Could not agree more, our ears lie to us. Having a professional produce and engineer is the best way to showcase your authentic voice, not what we hear in our heads

[@vo-pro]

Bingo. Thanks, Ricky!

[@thejohnmcduffie]

So gibe up on a voice career? Most people looking at this are hunting a way to make more money. Now you tell them they need to spend money they probably don't have. It's easy to make videos like thus from a place of comfort. So many voice actors got started on a DIY demo and built on that.

[@vo-pro]

@thejohnmcduffie I speak from experience. I’ve made my own demos. Granted, I didn’t make that clear in the video and that’s on me. Making my own demo was, in retrospect, a mistake. I highly recommend against it. You can disagree. It’s a business. Starting a business takes investment. Only in VO do people bitch and moan about this. Do you think McDonald’s cares if you don’t have the franchise fee? Does EY give a shit that you don’t have the money for your CPA exam? Starting a business isn’t something someone is going to hand you. You’ve got to figure it out, find a way, and do what it takes. For some people, that’s taking the completely avoidable hard lessons from doing a bad demo. For others, that’s doing it the better way and investing in themselves and approaching this as a business.

[@MyStutteringLife]

Thank you for this video. I've attended workshops and a VO training program but I changed my niche so the demos I was supposed to record are not what I want to do. I'm creating 'samples' right now but I'm still new and I'm working on my website and I continue to make strides. I started in January 2022 and I know I'm going to be successful.

[@vo-pro]

I love your mindset. Consistent, daily effort, over time compounds.

[@MyStutteringLife]

@@vo-pro Yes sir it does. I read out loud every day for 15 minutes and study my VO manual. I'm already ahead of the game because rejection doesn't affect me; I've lived a life of rejection for 35 years but now, it doesn't phase me. I'm going to fail my way to success. My brand is very apparent and I've added a playlist titled "My VO Journey" to my YT channel where I chronicle this amazing and rewarding journey. I know that investing in myself is key.

[@vo-pro]

@@MyStutteringLife Yes it is. Very inspiring. If I can ever be of help, let me know.

[@MyStutteringLife]

@@vo-pro Thank you sir, will do!

[@DiabolicalAngel]

This is spot on. I'd also add that even if by some stroke of luck, an actor is able to land VO work without training (and/or a professionally produced demo) this will be readily apparent to vets in the industry. It doesn't pay to cut corners.

[@vo-pro]

Absolutely.

[@andrewcrippsvo]

It's not 'cutting corners' when beginners do this BEFORE getting a pro demo. It's practice, confidence building, a look at the practice, knowledge and understanding of both software and hardware. Not everyone has the money off the bat, so this is a GREAT way to get some basic jobs and experience.

[@dinogami01]

Always heard (and believed) not to do my own demos, but never heard the reasons WHY put so cogently as you did here. Very informative--thank you!

[@vo-pro]

Thanks so much, Jerry. Super kind of you.

[@h20doctor]

I'm in musician have you ever seen somebody come in to the voice acting world that was a musician or a studio engineer ? They came from music industry when it comes to mixing and mastering... ?

[@vo-pro]

Can you act? 🤔

[@tomconklinvo]

Thank you for always telling it like it is, Paul!

[@vo-pro]

Thanks for watching, Tom.

[@bock1965]

How did you hear about my Hair , voice and vasectomy studio? It is indeed called great snipps.. and is located just outside my bedroom.... hahahahaha....

[@larrywomac8404]

Awesome!

[@vo-pro]

Thanks, Larry. 👊

[@nogginnogg1788]

But people buy AI voices. That’s not based on a pro demo. Do you truly think many clients are concerned with the quality of performance any more? Seems like good enough is often good enough. Sure, if you’ve got designs on being the next Don LaFontaine, I can see you probably should get a lot of training and a pro demo. But realistically, technology has democratized vo as it has many creative industries, and it seems voice acting is more of a side hustle to most rather than a career? If so, how is the expense of a pro demo be justified, especially in the beginning? And what’s wrong with earning while you learn, even if it’s only a few bucks at a time?

[@vo-pro]

Because a few bucks at a time, learning as you go, and doing the bare minimum makes you a hobbyist. I’m talking to pros and those who want to be. When you accept shit rates you damage your career and accelerate the race to the bottom you yourself bemoan.

[@nogginnogg1788]

@@vo-pro I think you’re living in the past. You can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Voice acting has lost its mystery and it’s certainly lost its exclusivity. Nobody needs to wait for a guru to tell them they’re good enough. The market will do that. Of course, coaching can help you improve, but pay for it with somebody else’s money, which is now available to all who dare to try.

[@vo-pro]

@@nogginnogg1788 You're allowed to think that.

[@vo-pro]

@@nogginnogg1788 If you're working for these rates, the market is telling you you're not good enough.

[@nogginnogg1788]

@@vo-pro Not at all. If I do x5 jobs in a week for $500 and you do one job, you’re time rich but not cash rich by comparison. So, unless you can double or triple down on your weekly $500 gigs we’re both as good as each other . And there’s more chance of me getting multiple $100 jobs than there is of you getting multiple $500+ gigs in the same period because people don’t part with big bucks as readily, largely because nowadays they don’t need to. But you do you, and good luck with your strategy.