Tag: Midwest Voice Over Conference

One of the panels that took place at the Midwest Voice Over Conference was a demo critique. A few brave souls anonymously submitted their demos for a panel of experts to review and share their thoughts.

Sitting on the panel, moderated by J Michael Collins, where “Uncle” Roy Yokelson, David Goldberg, Cristina Milizia, Rodney Saulsberry and Joe Cipriano. With a panel like that, let me just say, God bless the people who submitted their demos for those ears to judge! I’m too chicken. 🙂

Here are a few of the takeaways from that panel…

What Goes On Your Voice Over Demo?

“Put on your demo the kind of work you want to do in the future.” This was a quote from Rodney Saulsberry, and it’s really great advice. When it came time for me to put together my new commercial demo, every spot on it is for a client I want to work with one day. It’s equal parts motivation, goal setting and law of attraction.

“Originality of characters is important for character demos. Not shades, colors or impressions of other characters.” Cristina Milizia offered this really great insight. You need to create your own characters in your own voice.

Uncle Roy discussed the importance of having a personal connection the scripts. When we worked together narrow down scripts that would be on my demo, this was a big deal. Because I was choosing brands I already wanted to work with, I had a much more personal connection to what I was reading in the booth. That definitely came through in my performance.

Another common theme shared by every panelist was the importance of range. A demo needs to demonstrate all the styles you’re capable off. Whether it’s authoritative, sexy, cool, friendly, passionate, or whatever. Range in this sense isn’t about characters or voices or accents or dialects. It’s about the performances you’re capable of delivering.

Make A Wise Decision

Your demo is one of the most important investments you’re going to make for your business. You want to make sure you’re getting it right. As you’re looking at the different options for who is going to produce it, these are a few of the things you’re going to want to consider.

Choosing the right producer is a big decision. Take your time, do your research, be prepared! Then choose wisely.

Read about my demo experience – What It’s Like To Record A Demo With Uncle Roy