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Have you ever heard the phrase; "You don't know what you don't know"? Often times we think we know what makes a great Voiceover demo. You'll be tempted to make one on your own. But the reality is you really don't have the expertise to make a killer demo. Your VO demo has to be killer because you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
One of the most important reasons that you want to hire a professional to produce your demo is that the professional you hire has years and years of industry experience, so they are going to know what people are looking for. They're going to really know what the current trends are in the industry and they're going to be able to craft a storyline to really help showcase your voice in the most positive light so that you can get hired from your demo.
I know that when I produce demos, my main goal is to showcase the talent so that they get hired from their demo. You are not just paying for somebody to put your voice to music. I think that's a common misconception is that most people think that "well I know how to add music to my voice and so I can I make my own demo". I really think the point here is that of course technically a lot of people can do that and I would never say that you wouldn't technically be able to, however, you're paying for the experience of the producer and the experience and the knowledge of the producer in the years and years that they've had.
Another important reason for you to hire a professional to produce your demo is that you want to be the one that focuses on your performance and your performance only. You don't want to have to worry about checking your levels, saving files, uploading files, you wanna be focused on just your performance. They can showcase your voice and your acting in the best light.
The producer is going to be able to hear those subtle nuances in your performance as you are performing. It's really very difficult for you to hear your own performance while you are performing and so it helps to have that second set of ears. Remember that this demo is your first impression on a potential client or potential buyer. There is never a second chance to make a great first impression and a professional producer can help you detect the nuances in your performance. They will direct you through a nuanced performance that can be 100 times better than you just trying to direct your own performance. That extra set of ears can really help you in making that great first impression.
Now a good coach will let you know when you're ready to produce your demo and I cannot stress this enough, you want to be ready to produce your demo. You want to be able to perform just as the director directs you on your demo. A lot of talent get their demos done too soon and they're not able to perform to the level that they performed on their own demo. You want to be able to re-create the performance that you have on your demo and that's very very important because a lot of times I'll have clients who listen to my demo and they'll ask me I'd like that voice on the fourth spot or whatever spot that it is on the demo and I should as a trained voice actor, should be able to reproduce that sound on my own. So it's very important to make sure that you're ready before you produce your demo.
Much love and Keep on rockin' your biz!
XOXO,
Anne
About the Author: Anne Ganguzza is a full-time voice talent and award-winning director and producer who works with students to develop their voice over and business skills - including VO demo training and production. She specializes in Conversational Commercial and Narration styles, including Corporate, E-Learning, Technology, Healthcare - Medical, Telephony, and On-Hold. Located in Orange County, CA, Anne offers private coaching and mentoring services to students in person and via Skype, ipDTL or Zoom.