You’re given and script and told that your character is a small, very nervous hedgehog. What does this creature sound like and where do you begin to create its voice? That’s what we’ll be covering in the “Creating Character Voices” Workshop on November 25.
In this 3-hour workshop lead by Cecelia Ramsdale with Andy Wells, you’ll learn techniques to help you create unique character voices and put them into action right away as you record different character voices in the studio.
Leading up to the workshop we’ll be on the hunt for an audition opportunity that everyone can work on during your time with us, which could be a great opportunity for you to get started.*
You’ll leave the session with those recordings being emailed to you, plus some ‘where to now’ information.
The workshop format is; 1 x 3 hour in-studio workshop on Saturday November 25 (10am – 1pm or 2pm – 5pm) Location will be Bang Bang Studios in Southbank**.
Cost is $330 per person inclusive of GST.
*We’ll look for a public audition that anyone can access regardless of whether they attend the workshop or not. You are not paying to audition, but for in-studio coaching and recording for creating character voices. **Please do not contact the studio directly regarding any workshops.
10am Session is now fully booked.
Enjoy Cecelia and Andy’s Character Demo Reels below.
Sharpen up your Voice Over Recording and Editing Skills. With a focus on practical demonstration the session covers; Software Options – Free Vs Paid digital audio workstations Recording – Audio formats / Levels / Noise Editing – Getting the basics right / common mistakes / client expectations…plus a few handy tricks. Plus Andy answers questions from participants throughout the session.
Cost is $25inc GST per person. You will receive a link to the Zoom session automatically when you pay. The session recording will also be made available for 1-month.
Andy Wells is an award winning* audio producer with over 3 Decades of experience having worked for Radio Stations, Studios and Production Companies across Australia.
*COMMERCIAL RADIO ACRA AWARDS, COMMUNITY RADIO AWARDS, NEW YORK RADIO FESTIVAL AWARDS.
Andy just finished producing a Voice Over Demo for Rosalind Mackay as she looks to expand her professional talent as a civil marriage celebrant. Take a listen.
It sounds great right? But do you really need a Voice Over Demo.
Short answer: Yes Long answer: Read on…
In the competitive world of voice over acting, a professional demo reel can be the key to unlocking numerous opportunities and working towards a successful career. A demo reel serves as a voice actor’s calling card, showcasing their skills, versatility, and range to potential clients and casting directors.
Great. So I’ll just go ahead do it myself. That’ll work right?
Short Answer: Yes and No Long Answer: Read on…
While some aspiring voice actors may be tempted to create their demo reels independently (and that’s ok), there are several compelling reasons why investing in a professionally produced demo reel can make a significant difference in their professional journey. Here’s why.
First Impressions Matter:
In the voice over industry, first impressions are crucial. A professionally produced demo reel allows voice actors to present themselves in the best possible light right from the start. With a high-quality demo reel, voice actors can immediately capture the attention potential clients or agents, showcasing their talent and professionalism. A well-crafted demo reel creates a lasting impression, increasing the chances of being considered for potential voice over opportunities.
Showcasing Range and Versatility:
A professionally produced demo reel provides voice actors with a platform to demonstrate their range and versatility. Through a thoughtfully curated collection of voice samples, actors can showcase their ability to perform various styles, genres, and character voices. A professional producer source appropriate scripts, creating a reel that highlights the talent’s unique strengths and abilities. By showcasing a diverse range of vocal skills, actors can attract a wider range of clients and casting opportunities.
Industry Standards and Quality:
In an industry that demands excellence, a professionally produced demo reel reflects an actor’s commitment to maintaining high standards. Professional producers possess the technical expertise, equipment, and experience necessary to create a polished and high-quality demo reel. They understand the industry’s expectations and can provide guidance on script selection, audio editing, mixing, and mastering, ensuring that the final product meets professional standards. A professionally produced demo reel not only demonstrates a voice actor’s talent but also conveys their professionalism and dedication to their craft.
Targeted and Customized Content:
One of the significant advantages of working with a professional producer is their ability to tailor a demo reel to suit specific target audiences. By understanding the client’s needs and preferences, a skilled producer can create a reel that aligns with the desired market or niche. Whether it’s commercial work, animation, video games, or audiobooks, a customized demo reel can effectively showcase an actor’s abilities in a manner that resonates with potential clients. This targeted approach enhances the likelihood of being considered for relevant voice over projects.
Keeping Pace with Industry Trends:
The voice over industry is dynamic and continuously evolving. What may have been popular in the past may no longer resonate with current trends and demands. A professional producer stays abreast of industry developments and can guide voice actors in creating a demo reel that aligns with current market preferences. They understand the nuances of the industry and can provide valuable insights and advice on script selection, vocal techniques, and performance styles. By keeping pace with industry trends, a professionally produced demo reel positions voice actors as contemporary and marketable talents.
In summary. Your voice over demo is a powerful tool that allows you to quickly showcase your abilities – no matter how far into your voice over journey you are. Making sure that demo represents you well and is professionally crafted will make a good impression.
The Actor’s Voice Course is a one month vocal training program that will enhance your vocal skill, knowledge, and confidence. This course teaches fundamental breath and voice practices that will be able to help you as a voice professional sustain your voice for longer. Leading to greater vocal health and strength as well as vocal play. This course is based in the physicality of voice, what the voice feels like being produced in the body not how your ears perceive it.
The course is split into two parts. ‘Educational’ and ‘Exercises’
In the ‘Educational Videos’, one per week, you will learn: – Basics of Vocal Mechanics – How the voice works! – Vocal Health and Conditions – Vocal Management – Your Voice and The Future – Continuing your voicing journey! In the ‘Exercise Videos’, one per week, you will learn different foundational exercises that provide you with better: – Breath management – Breath support – Volume Management – Voice balance and awareness – Vocal fold co-ordination Basically, everything you need for foundational, effective, and safe vocal habits!
As well as all this you will receive an exercise routine to follow along and practice daily. Increasing in skill as the weeks go on.
As this is live teaching, you will be able to ask questions in the moment and receive helpful feedback on exercises.
What do you get out of it? – Peace of mind from taking the guesswork out of voice work! – Increased breath awareness and support – Increased vocal awareness for use and vocal health/management – Increased vocal confidence – A foundational warm up routine – Vocal practices you can use your whole vocal career – A strong, reliable, and confident voice
About Tessa Livingston.
Tessa Livingston is a speech pathologist, vocal coach, voice over artist, podcaster and content creator. She is a New Zealander who specialises in voice health, safety and production for vocal athletes, especially voice over artists. She is all about empowering people to feel how your voice is produced in the body for the most reliable and successful outcome. Tessa is on a mission to bridge the gap between ‘voice’ and ‘acting’ for the everyday voice actor. Knowing your voice and how it works is a foundational practice that all vocal performers should engage in. Look after your voice to look after your career. Everyone wants a voice that will last long term, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Begin your journey with Tessa and start developing your lifetime voice.”
Credentials
Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy with Honours (NZ)
Voice over artists use their voice to sell ideas or products in commercials and corporate videos, and bring characters and stories to life in animation, audiobooks and many other mediums. To be successful in this field, you don’t need to have a certain type of voice but you need to know how to use it to execute the best delivery of a given script. This includes the ability to follow direction.
In the days before home studios, self-recording and online casting platforms you really had no choice but to be directed by someone else as you’d be working in a space that’s not your own with an engineer, writer, other members of the creative team and even the client in the room, so the direction always came from someone else. Yes, this scenario still happens, both in-studio and with home-studio tools like Source Connect, but we’re also seeing a growing requirement for Voice over artist to self-record and self-direct which doesn’t always yield the best outcome.
Let’s dig a bit deeper into why..
Being directed helps voice over artists improve their skills. When a voice over artist works with a director, they receive feedback and guidance on their performance, which helps them identify their strengths and weaknesses. For example, a director may point out areas where an artist can improve their pacing, intonation or pronunciation. They may also suggest different ways of delivering a line, such as changing the emphasis on certain words or altering the tone of voice. By receiving this feedback, voice over artists can develop their skills and become better at their craft.
Being directed also allows voice over artists to work more efficiently. When working on a project, a director has a specific vision for how they want the final product to sound. By working with a director, voice over artists can understand this vision and tailor their performance to meet the director’s expectations. This can save time and prevent the need for re-recording or editing. It also ensures that the artist is delivering the desired performance, which is essential for the success of the project.
Another benefit of being directed is that it provides voice over artists with valuable networking opportunities. When working with a director, voice over artists have the opportunity to build relationships and make connections in the industry. These connections can lead to future work opportunities, as well as recommendations and referrals to other professionals in the field. Networking is a critical component of any industry, and voice over artists who work with directors have an advantage in this regard.
Finally, being directed can help voice over artists navigate difficult scripts or characters. Some projects require voice over artists to portray characters or deliver lines that may be challenging or unfamiliar to them. When working with a director, voice over artists can receive guidance on how to approach these difficult aspects of a project. This can include tips on character development, advice on how to deliver a particular line, or suggestions for ways to connect emotionally with the material. By receiving this guidance, voice over artists can deliver a stronger performance and bring the project to life in a more meaningful way.
Being directed is an essential aspect of voice over work. It helps voice over artists improve their skills, work more efficiently, build networks, and navigate challenging projects. Plus all of this experience can be carried into sessions where you will need to self-direct. This being the case, we recommend that aspiring voice over artists seek out opportunities to work with directors and receive feedback on their performances.
You’ll get a taste of this during our Voice Over for beginners workshops – hope to see you at one soon!
In today’s world, audio recording has become an essential part of our daily lives. From creating music to recording lectures or voice-overs, audio recording has become more accessible than ever. However, when it comes to saving the audio recordings, many people often face a dilemma of choosing between compressed MP3 format or uncompressed WAV format. In this article, we’ll discuss why it’s better to save original voice-over recordings in uncompressed WAV format rather than compressed MP3 format.
First, let’s discuss the basics of audio compression. Audio compression is a technique used to reduce the size of audio files by removing redundant or irrelevant data. This helps to reduce the storage space required for the audio file, making it easier to share and transfer. The most common compressed audio format is MP3, which is widely used due to its small size and compatibility with most devices.
However, when it comes to saving original voice-over recordings, it’s better to use uncompressed WAV format. Unlike MP3, WAV format does not compress the audio data, which means that the original sound quality is preserved. This is important because voice-over recordings require high-quality sound to be clear and understandable. When audio is compressed in MP3 format, some of the audio data is lost, resulting in a loss of sound quality. This loss of sound quality is not noticeable in most cases, but it can become significant in voice-over recordings.
Another reason to save original voice-over recordings in uncompressed WAV format is because it provides greater flexibility in post-production. When editing a voice-over recording, it’s important to have access to the highest quality audio possible. With WAV format, you have access to the original, uncompressed audio data, which makes it easier to edit and manipulate the sound. This is especially important when it comes to adjusting the levels, adding effects, or removing background noise.
It’s worth noting, when you save your voice-over recordings in uncompressed WAV format, you can always convert it to other compressed formats like MP3 later if you need to. However, if you save it in MP3 format, you cannot convert it back to its original uncompressed format.
To conclude, saving original voice-over recordings in uncompressed WAV format is a better option compared to compressed MP3 format. WAV format preserves the original sound quality, which is crucial for voice-over recordings. It also provides greater flexibility in post-production, making it easier to edit and manipulate the sound. While it may require more storage space, the benefits of using uncompressed WAV format far outweigh the small inconvenience of larger file sizes.
When you’re ready to put your voice out into the world, a Voice Over demo is a powerful tool you can use to help showcase your talent.
In many cases, especially with online platforms, you’ll still be asked to submit auditions, however it’s quite realistic to also be cast from your demo, so it needs to sounds GREAT while also reflecting performances that you can replicate when cast for a job.
What exactly does that mean? Well the truth is that always anyone could walk into a recording studio and record a Voice Over Demo and with excessive coaching during the session and LOTS and LOTS of takes, PLUS clever editing and post production you can end up with a great demo. However this all comes undone very quickly when that person is cast for a job and struggles to deliver a performance that’s even close to what’s on the demo that landed them the job in the first place.
With that in mind, take a listen to this VO Demo created this week for Joshua Peter White.
Here’s the process I use to create a Voice Over Demo for someone.
Firstly I listen to an existing demo if they have one (or recorded voice samples)…or we just have a conversation so I can get a feel for what types of scripts their voice may be suitable for. On that note I rarely suggest that people choose their own scripts for a demo as in the ‘real world’ it’s the scripts that choose you, not the other way around.
Speaking of the real world, I also prefer that the ‘talent’ not spend too much time with the scripts in advance, again because with many voice over jobs there’s not usually much time between getting the script and recording it – no time for days of ‘practise’.
Once we get into the studio, the talent is directed, not coached through each script, recording no more than 3-4 takes on each script, which means their ability is well reflected in the demo recording and can be replicated when recording with others.
Following the session each recording (usually about 10) goes through post production and then a compilation of around 2minutes is created that highlights a variety of different styles that the talent can perform.
The result…is what you hear above.
If you’re ready for your first VO demo or looking to update your demo with some fresh material to fill some gaps in showcasing your talent, book in now to get started at https://www.voicesoftomorrow.com.au/voice-over-services/ or get in touch for a brief chat.
There’s now just TWO places available for the “Creating Character Voices” workshop that’s happening on the evening of Wednesday February 22 in Melbourne.
Here’s a short video of Cecelia and Andy talking about this upcoming workshop. Hope to see you there!
One of our goals here is to deliver a Voice Over Coaching experience to suit YOU. For some that means getting individual coaching, for others it’s about running a group workshop on a day and at a time that suits, while for some it comes down to ensuring it’s also affordable with the possibility of payment options. In more recent times, we’ve also been able to cater for individuals on an NDIS plan.
With all this in mind we’re now pleased to be offering a new Half-Day Voice Over Workshop on March 25. This shorter format workshop is, like our other full-day workshops, designed for beginners, however we’ve scaled back one some of the content and amount of recordings to make this an enjoyable 4 hour session for $330 per person inc. GST.
The 4-hour session will focus on basic skills for voice over in the context of Commercial and Corporate genres. It’s important to note that there won’t be any discussion or recording of character voice over in this shorter format workshop.
We’ll be running 2 workshops on March 25. The first session from 9am to 1pm, and a second session from 2pm to 6pm. There will be 6 places available in each session.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out any time, otherwise we look forward to seeing you at a workshop soon!
To kick things off for the year we’re starting to roll out some new workshop dates for the coming months, starting with the Voice Over for Beginners Workshop on Sunday February 12.
This workshop is perfect for anyone (Age 15+) who is interested in finding out more about the Voice Over industry and getting in a studio and seeing what they can do with their voice, guided by experienced Voice Over professionals.
Previously we had called this our “Introduction to Voice Over” workshop, however we were getting a lot of enquiries from people asking if it was suitable for beginners so have renamed the workshop just to make it clear that it’s PERFECT for beginners.
This group workshop runs with a maximum of 6 participants and is lead by Cecelia Ramsdale and Andy Wells, who are both working voice over professionals with decades of experience.
