Voiceover demos are your calling card, and I can't emphasize enough how crucial it is to have them professionally produced by a demo producer who understands the industry well. It might be tempting to cut corners and create the demo yourself, but believe me, a talent agent or producer can detect a DIY demo in five seconds flat.
When I first started in voiceovers, I tried to create a demo myself. Unfortunately, I almost got blacklisted by two prominent talent agencies for wasting their time and not taking this seriously. Sure, you might get away with a DIY demo on a Fiverr profile, but if you want the best chance at a successful voiceover career, seek plenty of coaching upfront and have your demos professionally produced. Talent agencies and high-level production companies will tell you the same thing.
Professional demos are strongly recommended for your website as well. You don't want to post DIY demos and risk losing a lifetime client who might discover your site when searching for voice talents on Google! A professional presentation is essential. When you visit a professional photographer's site, you will see their best work. They didn’t just take a couple of quick shots with their iPhone.
How does UVT produce voiceover demos?
After our students go through several months of coaching, we start writing original content for their demos. The content is based on their skill set, range, and personal interests. We think recording scripts catering to the talents' hobbies is essential. Once the demo content is complete, we schedule both the rehearsal and demo recording sessions. These two sessions are only days apart.
I produce, mix and master all the demos for our students. The student or studio engineer sends me the recording files at the end of each demo session. Then, I begin editing and producing. My role is to ensure every clip in the demo sounds like an actual television or radio commercial. If it's a video game character demo, I work to make each clip sound as if it’s coming from an actual video game! I also enjoy selecting various music tracks and sound effects for every demo I produce. Demo production is a meticulous process, but I love every minute of it and take each one very seriously. The ultimate goal is to make the demo agency-ready! Below is a link to a five-minute VO demo sampler that showcases my demo production skills. It includes snippets from a commercial, a video game character, and a radio imaging demo! Please pay attention to the talents and their range. For instance, national voice actor Rebecca Lee sounds distinct in every clip of her commercial demo, which opens the sampler. Variety is crucial in a voiceover demo. This shows talent agents or VO buyers that you are not just a one-note performer and can handle a wide range of projects! Click the link below to listen...
If you're interested in coaching and having your voiceover demos professionally produced by the UVT team, please visit our voiceover coaching programs page on this website.
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