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VOICE OVER TODAY - September 24, 2002

Published by EDGE STUDIO
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demos. training. guidance. CD duplication. resources.

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WANT WORK? visit www.edgestudio.com/marketingresources.htm <http://www.edgestudio.com/marketingresources.htm>
NEED SCRIPTS? visit www.edgestudio.com/scripts.htm <http://www.edgestudio.com/scripts.htm>
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THIS ISSUE INCLUDES:

1.)… 50% off the Industry Guidebook -- at Backstage’s Actorfest
2.)... Only marketing locally? And without a niche?
3.)… What type of demo is most popular?

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1.) 50% OFF THE INDUSTRY GUIDEBOOK -- AT BACKSTAGE’S ACTORFEST

Interested in meeting us or receiving the Industry GuideBook for 50% off ($10 instead of $19)? Then visit us at Backstage’s Actorfest on Saturday, October 26th, 2002 at the Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, New York City between 9am and 5pm . This offer is only valid with cash on the day of the event, and if you mention this special.

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2.) ONLY MARKETING LOCALLY? AND WITHOUT A NICHE?

Using phone-patch, email, and/or ISDN, a voice-over artist can market everywhere, and with a specialty. By employing these strategies, many voice-over artists increase their work.

Plus, since you’re acting as the voice-talent and producer, you can charge more.

The opportunities to expand your marketing coverage are tremendous. With the proliferation of the World Wide Web, both national and international work have exploded. Many companies now offer the following in their native language, as well as foreign languages:

• website narration, instruction, demonstration
• training films, new employee videos, trade show exhibits, presentations, etc.
• telephone systems: menu prompt (press 1 for this, press 2 that, etc), information-on-hold (“Thanks for holding.”), voice mail (“You have reached John Doe Enterprises. Please leave a message…”)

Within the next few years, expect to see the vast majority of companies offering their content in multiple languages.

Also, various productions are now being recorded and distributed in foreign languages:

• software narration
• educational videos and films (adult, children, foreign, etc.)
• documentary, biography
• dubbing (movies, commercials, videos, films, etc.)

IMPORTANT: Your marketing opportunity is the world. But simultaneously, your competition becomes significantly greater.

Thus, a new marketing strategy is essential - one with a niche, perhaps specializing in your strongest vocal delivery. This could be medical narrations, character animations, audio-books, automated telephone response systems, etc.

Your marketing can be mostly accomplished via a website. Either design your own site, or use a marketing site, such as www.MyOnLineDemo.com

Furnishing demos to potential clients can be done via emailing and/or standard shipping. All correspondence can be done by email. Make sure to send an introductory email, and a follow up to ensure that your demo was received.

You can offer your potential clients complete production services in one of two ways:

• building and maintaining your own home-studio
• using a local studio

Building and maintaining your own studio is very advantageous:

• no time pressure when recording (take as much time as you need)
• enhance your vocal delivery, as recordings are completed without time pressure
• work from home, and eliminate commuting costs

Yet using a local studio is often more advantageous. Even though you need to pay the studio part of your remuneration, you never invest time and money into your own studio. Find a local studio that offers:

• an experienced producer (to confirm that your vocal delivery is professional)
• computer and email capability - including MP3, WAV file, AIFF, and other common file formats
• sound-proofed recording room (for noise-free recordings)
• professional grade recording equipment (for a professional sound)
• music and sound effects (to be added to the background)
• telephone patch system (a system enabling you, the voice over artist, to be produced by your client, who is elsewhere...perhaps across the world)
• long distance hook-ups (phone patch, email, and/or ISDN).

Here is an explanation of long distance hook-ups:

#1. Phone-Patch. A telephone connects the voice-talent (at a local studio) and his client (acting as producer) from anywhere else (their office, home, etc). More specifically, the engineer at the voice-talent's local studio simply 'patches' the client into the mixer board, so that they have full communication. once the recording is completed, it is fed-ex'd to the client.

#2. Email. Just like you forward emails endlessly without losing quality, so to can audio be emailed with losing quality. Typically, the audio is “compressed” into a smaller file (MP3 is the most common compression format) - for if the audio was not compressed, it could take hours to email a short 30 second commercial.

#3. ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network). A system of digital phone connections, which allow recording studios to 'link up' digitally, and allows them to share and transmit files (audio data) simultaneously around the world with digital quality. More specifically, the voice-talent records at a local studio, and the client (acting as producer) goes to their local studio. ISDN connects them. Because they are digitally connected, the recording can be made at either location. Once the recording is complete, it is already in the hands of the client.

If you decide to house your own studio, be prepared for a steep learning curve (both technically and sonically). Once you’re up and running, recording should be somewhat simple. Just make sure to stay up with current music, sound effects, file formats, etc.

Finally, find potential clients through the web. Search under various key words dealing with your marketing niches.

Overall, think globally. Work is just about everywhere. And where work doesn't exist...it probably will in a short while - so marketing there can be very fruitful.

Remember: Global marketing leads to flexibility, additional work, and the ability to move anywhere in the world without losing your clientele.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this article. For more information, visit our answer series at www.edgestudio.com/answerseries.htm

David Goldberg
director, edge studio
www.edgestudio.com 888-321-edge

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WANT CUSTOM CD DEMO CARDS?

We can work by phone, Internet, or IF YOU LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY I can meet you at your place of work, home or even Starbucks. If you live out of the New York City are, I cannot travel to you.

Together we’ll listen to your demo and create artwork suitable for it! Everything is stored on file for future duplicates.

CD Front Card - $1 per card
CD Tray Card - $1 per card
Cassette J-Card - $1 per card
One time Set-up fee - $40
Cutting Charge - $8 per order

Paul Liberti (212) 229-7856
PlibertiNY@aol.com

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TYPES OF DEMOS

question:

What type of demo is most popular?

answer:

Commercial and narration demos are the most popular types of demos - most professionals have both. A third type of demo, a specialty demo, is almost as popular.

Determining which type(s) of demo to market with is an important decision. This article will help you determine what is best for you.

First, here is a definition of the three types of demos:

• Commercial demo - Due to the “glamour” of being heard on national television commercials, this is the most popular type of demo, even though only 10% of the work is commercial work. A commercial demo demonstrates a variety of different kinds of commercials. For example, conversational, hard-sell, nonchalant, public service announcement, etc.

• Narration demo - To work full-time in this industry, it is generally necessary to have a narration demo, as narrations are 90% of the work. A narration demo demonstrates a variety of different kinds of narrations. For example, audio-book, documentary, voice-mail, website narration, children’s educational film, etc.

• Specialty demo - This is a demo that serves one niche of the industry. This type of demo makes it easier to obtain work in one specific segment of the industry. For example, a “nature-film voice-over demo” increases the chance of being hired by a nature-film producer. However, its difficult to obtain other types of work with this type of demo. Specialty demo types include: character demo, audio-book demo, foreign language demo, nature film demo, children’s work demo, etc.

In most cases, I suggest marketing at least a commercial and narration demo - this is what most professionals market with. This allows you to all types of work, thus not limiting yourself.

Adding a specialty demo can give your marketing efforts a head start in a specific sector. Here are a few types:

CHARACTER DEMO: A demo showcasing character voices, impersonations, animation voices, etc. This demo will be used to market for cartoons, video games, multi-media games, commercials, educational productions, audio-books, etc. Your demo should be 1 to 1.5 minutes long, beginning by demonstrating your 10 or 15 best and varied voices (only 5 to 10 seconds of each is necessary). For marketing information, visit our “marketing resources” information at www.edgestudio.com.marketingresources.htm

TELEPHONE SYSTEM DEMO: If telephone information on-hold (“Thanks for holding, we’ll be right with you, while you’re on hold, we’d like to tell you about…”), menu prompt systems (“Press 1 for this, 2 for that”), and voice-mail systems (“The person you are calling is not at their desk, if you would like to leave a message…”) interest you, then create a telephone demo. This demo would be between 1 and 1.5 minutes long, and would demonstrate approximately 5 different recordings (each recording around 15 seconds long). Market this demo to corporations, ate a demo like this. For marketing information, visit our “marketing resources” information at www.edgestudio.com.marketingresources.htm

DOCUMENTARY DEMO: Intrigued by documentaries? Then market a documentary demo to film and video publishers. This demo would contain 5 different documentary styles, approximately 15 to 20 seconds of each. Styles could include an adult documentary, and children documentary, one on people, one on a country, one upbeat, one slow, etc. For marketing information, visit our “marketing resources” information at www.edgestudio.com.marketingresources.htm

MEDICAL DEMO: Familiar with medical lingo? Then market your unique combination of talents (trained voice and medical terminology) to the medical community. If you fit this category, you’re probably familiar with the volume of medical training films and procedure films out there - and how many of them are not narrated by professionals. Record 4 or 5 different styles of recordings on your demo, each approximately 15 to 20 seconds long. Styles could include a college medical school educational film, procedure film, health hotline, training video, etc. Market to hospitals, medical schools, textbook publishing companies, etc. For marketing information, visit our “marketing resources” information at www.edgestudio.com.marketingresources.htm

Fortunately when duplicating your demos, it costs no more whether you have one or more demos on it. And fortunately, it costs no more to mail a prospective client a demo with one or more demos on it.

This is because most professionals put all of their demos onto one CD. For example, track 1 may be the commercial demo, track 2 the narration demo, etc.

Really the only consideration when choosing to produce one or two demos is the one-time cost of producing them. However if you obtain even one additional job due to multiple demos, it will probably pay itself off.

Hope this helps,

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HAVE A DEMO? We're always searching for new talent. Please mail us your CD demo to: Edge Studio, 251 West 30th Street, suite 9-fm. NY, NY 10001 USA
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Voice Over Today is an Edge Studio publication
- advancing voice-over careers since 1988 -
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888-321-edge

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