I did it.
One hundred voiceover demos. In a row. 100! From various people in various verticals.
Commercials. Animation. Corporate.
Some were glorious.
Some made me doubt the concept of time.
Here’s what I learned.
1. The first spot matters A LOT
If your demo doesn’t grab the listener by at least second 7, congratulations, you've joined the vast and growing collection of demos that live in the “eh” pile. I don’t believe the actor sucks… however, I think they were being inauthentic with the spot they thought was the best. Most of the time, the best spot is buried around the :35 second mark and for the life of me I cannot conceive why.
Most casting folks decide within the first few seconds whether they’ll listen to the rest. That means:
Cut the fade-in. No one has time. Just START.
Stop saying “Hi, I’m [Name] and this is my demo.” I think this is kinda outdated and I know a lot of agents and CDs who cut this out when they send it off.
Start strong, not safe. Lead with your signature sound. Or your weirdest take. Just not your blandest. Because…
2. Everyone sounds… the same
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