Feedback Forum
- This topic has 10,021 replies, 716 voices, and was last updated 1 day, 11 hours ago by
.
-
Topic
-
Hi! Upload your recordings, and get feedback from your peers!
-
Replies
-
Hi all!
I am figuring out my mic volume, placement, and a good standing distance from the mic. I am aware of mouth noise (I am using a pop filter).
Here’s a short in-show/promo/commercial spot to test things out.
As always, all feedback is appreciated. Thanks!
Kathy
CBS Evening News / Puffs Plus
-
-
Hi everyone. Here is a read for a travelogue video. I’m really trying to sound spontaneous and vary my lists – trying to sound natural. If I don’t achieve this please let me know what I can do to sound more spontaneous. Thank you in advance!
Katelyn
This Official Alaska Vacation Planning Video is filled with plenty of breathtaking scenes. But more importantly, it’s loaded with all the information you need for planning a trip to Alaska. Like when to go, what to wear, and what to see. So if you’ve got Alaska on your mind, you’re going to love this video. Let’s begin with snow sports. This is definitely the place for cross-country and down-hill skiing. For snowboarding, tobogganing, and even ice fishing.
-
Hi Katelyn, this sounded really good! Very conversational, friendly and natural. The lists sounded good. I’m not sure how to make it sound more spontaneous (I wish I knew actually!), other than maybe varying the pace here and there. Like if you were telling a friend about going to Alaska, you might get more excited about 2 or 3 things and feel compelled to get to those thoughts more quickly or say those words maybe not quite so formally. I think there was a little bit of that in how you varied the tone and pace in “…for planning a trip to Alaska.” Good job on this one!
Mary
-
Hi, Katelyn. Lovely, inviting quality to your delivery. I think you definitely achieve a natural spontaneity once you hit the second line in the script, though I feel your beginning sounds more like you’re reading rather than, say, talking with a friend. Maybe try the old trick of speaking a few intro lines in your head to more naturally dive into the script. e.g. in your head: “Wow, Myrtle, I didn’t know you were into ice bergs”, out loud: “This Official Alaska Vacation Planning Video…” (I’m working on this myself, so I can certainly relate!) Maybe also hit “love” a little more on “you’re going to love this video…” Really great work!
-
Thank you! I was using a lead-in but perhaps I needed to connect more to it emotionally at the start, or need a different lead-in
-
-
-
-
Hello again everyone! I have another quick recording for you guys. I’m trying to recordings with very few takes so that I can identify common criticisms to focus on before my next appointment. I’d love any feedback you have!
Snapple
Attention shoppers: those of you who are over in home improvements, and are looking for Snapple, please be aware, you will NOT find any of Snapple’s assortment of flavors in THAT department. We realize a tasty drink like Snapple Raspberry Iced Tea or Kiwi Strawberry Cocktail would, in fact, be a FINE improvement to any home. But technically, Snapple is a beverage. Therefore, we are left with no choice but to keep it in the beverage aisle. With that said, thanks for your cooperation. And happy shopping, from SNAPPLE.
-
Hi, Svenbot. Another really fun read! It definitely forms an image in my head of what the colorful announcer on the other side of the P.A. might look like—-great character-building! On a tech note, I do hear a bit of crackle or static under parts of your read. Not sure what’s causing it, but something to fix so as to not impinge upon your fine performance.
-
-
-
Hello all! Here is a recording (done on my phone) for any and all feedback. Does it sound conversational? Enough energy and good enunciation? Let me know what you think. Thank you!
Mary
Travelocity
Congratulations! You’ve successfully planned another vacation. You’ve called the airlines, the hotels, the rental car places and you’ve just hung up the phone. So brace yourself – the nagging doubt, the one that says, did I get a good deal on this vacation? There’s a better way to book travel. Travelocity.com. You’ll have over 700 airlines, over 45,000 hotels, and over 50 rental car companies all at your fingertips. You’re in control. Even look at a picture of your hotel room, or choose your airline seat. Enjoy vacation, and save your nagging doubt for your auto-mechanic. Travelocity.com…go virtually anywhere.-
Hi Mary, As always, a clean, inviting read! My one note (and this is a personal preference thing), would be to try infusing even more conversational energy into your performance. For example, the section starting with “So brace yourself…” seems to beg a change in energy to become an emphatic aside to your listener (Perhaps a “Yeah, you think you’re covered, bucko, but just you wait…” kind of tone). You’re got the craft down, now continue to have fun with the expression of the message! Keep up the great work!
-
-
Nice read, Mary!
I liked the chuckle at the end, lol. It sounded clear and conversational, but I felt like there should be a little more energy to the read.
A suggestion is to vary your pitch in your list (especially You’ll have over 700 airlines, over 45,000 hotels, and over 50 rental car companies all at your fingertips.), but don’t pause after each comma — by varying your pitch, you can make the read flow better without having to micro-pause. Make sense?
I hope this helps!
Kathy
-
Hi Kathy, thanks for the feedback! That makes sense to vary pitch in that list of items. I see a comma and I feel compelled to pause at each one, but sometimes it’s not fitting for the script, so I’m working on that. I think the pauses also slowed the whole thing down a little more than was necessary. Thanks again!
Mary
-
-
-
Hello, hello! I’m trying out these scripts geared towards kids. I’d appreciate every and all feedback especially on my tempo/pacing, hitting key words, and sounding interesting/engaging. P.S. I recorded these on my iPhone, so please excuse my poor sound quality. Thank you! Scripts are below:
Type to Learn Jr
Welcome to Type to Learn Jr! Click on Shelby and me to go to the Learning Center. To practice your keyboarding skills, click on Cassie, Hopkins, or Tiny. To return to the Login Screen, click Login. When you are ready to leave the program, click Quit. You can return to this screen at any time to change activities. Have Fun!Children’s Education Space Game
Today we’re going to explore all of the planets in our solar system and some other places as well. We’ll travel into the future when astronauts live throughout the solar system. On each world we’ll see what the weather is like, what we would wear, and what we would do to have fun! Grab your oxygen, put on your seatbelt, and let’s blast off!-
HI there! I’ll give my notes on the second one as its getting rather late here for me. I thought you sounded so genuinely warm and engaged and you have a great voice for kids stuff, so these are both great script choices.
I would echo what Mary said where you have some smoothing out you can do with this read. You should pause between sentences but not within sentences. If you smooth out this read and remove the pauses I think it would be great! You’re talking to kids so I think the pacing is good so they can absorb what you are saying, it’s just smoothing out those pauses.
Nice work!
-
Hi Eelalanee! Those were great! I can really hear the smile in your voice and I like the tone, enunciation and enthusiasm for both scripts. The pacing felt good for this genre.
The first script sounded really good on pacing – you made the statements and let the kids catch up with the instructions.
For the second script I heard a pause after “Today” (first word), but there was no comma. It also ended sounding like a question “…other places as well?” as the tone raised at the end, as opposed to sounding like a sentence. (I do this too). I really liked the extra enthusiasm starting with “..what we would do to have fun!” through the end of the script. I too liked the “…let’s blast off!” It sounded very kid friendly. Really good job, keep it up!Mary
-
-
Hi all ! I’m trying out a few food-related commercial scripts. I felt very comfortable that my voice and style connected well previously with luxury car and high end whiskey commercials but these feel a little different – I don’t feel as connected with these. Maybe it’s just a bad day. Let me know what you think about tempo, volume, pitch, tone and anything else you care to offer. Thanks, Chas
-
Hi Chas!
Arbys – Really nice read! I don’t have much to critique 🙂
Atkins – This one is a tough read because its pretty much like one long list. I think you did a pretty great job, though some of it felt like it could be a little more conversational. In the middle around “you lose weight – see”, perhaps it is a pacing thing. Could be stopping and really asking someone “see?? (I told you this works!)”Really nice work. Great tone and audio quality.
-
-
Hey Chas82! Overall, I really think your tempo, volume, and pitch were steady throughout for both scripts. I noticed that in your Arby’s read, you kind of gained energy towards the end but didn’t have that same energy in the beginning of the read, so try to keep the same energy throughout. I think you have a great voice for these food-related commercial spots (especially for that Arby’s one).
–
-
-
Hi, I’m seeking feedback on this voice sample. Voice quality – (pacing, articulation, connection), recording quality – (mic level, background noise etc…) It is for an audition that requires no production and they also want to hear my home studio setup. It is for a local company that produces e learning, explainer etc… It is about 1min 25sec. I purposely left transcripts out. Thanks so much.
-
-
Hello! I think your pacing and articulation overall were solid and crisp. I didn’t hear any background noise per say, but I did pickup some mouth noise occasionally. Also the first sentence for the eye spot (towards the end) sped up a little bit, so I felt like I didn’t quite catch what you were saying about the epithelium. Oh, and I forgot to say that you sounded so relaxed and calm for the first spot which is great!
-
-
Gifford Birthing Center
Welcoming a newborn baby into the world is one of life’s most joyous moments. Gifford Medical Center is committed to the health and wellness of you AND your baby. We provide top quality maternity care through your pregnancy, labor, and birth and help you process the postpartum period. Because we care.-
-
Hi JensenJacobs! I think your read was smooth and clear. The only constructive feedback I’d give is to hit the word “and” between “you and your baby” since it’s all-in caps and to convey to the listener that both yourself and your baby are taken care. I also think you can hit either “we” or “care” in the last sentence more. Keep uploading!
-
-
Hello you fine folks!
Back again with my practice reads for commercial voice over! This time I went with the following three scripts:
Trendi Clothing Site – Trendi.com. It’s the #1 shopping site for top name brands at up to 75% off. Great style, great value and everything ships free. Trendi.com. Everything you love, for less.
Butterball Turkey – Butterball brings you the joys of turkey day. Friends and family drop in to bask in the warmth of the season. Celebrate this summer with Butterball turkey on the grill. Tender, juicy, surprisingly simple. HAPPY THANKSGRILLING from Butterball.
Six Flags – Kids hate the word no. As in no you can’t stay up late, no you can’t have more ice cream and no, you may not paint the cat. No, no, NO! Well isn’t it time for a yes? We think so. Six Flags Great Adventure. Yes!Let me know what you think, I tried my best to keep an ear out for emphasizing important phrases, eliminating uptalk, having no unnecessary pauses/glottal stops, making sure no words are under enunciated and that any list had differentiated tones/cadence to them. I am still learning how to train my ear to pick up on all these things so I very well could’ve missed some things.
-
Hi HulyK! Good reads! I think you had great energy for all 3, good enunciation, and good emphasis of words and phrases. I too hear an echo in the background, but am myself not fully soundproofed yet. I heard just a slight uptalk for script 2 at “…turkey on the grill.” (I have a tendency to uptalk too and it is hard to get rid of for me!). For script 3 you might try it with a little more smile in your voice to accent the humor, it sounded a little firm / harsh to my ear. Really good for all 3, keep it up!
Mary
-
I think you nailed everything you wanted to address. Nice tempo, nice energy, nice differentiating the lists, nice choice of words and phrases to emphasize, etc. What I also noticed is there is an echo throughout all three scripts, like you were recording in an area not treated for optimal sound adsorption. Perhaps that can be treated in editing with your DAW; I don’t know enough yet about everything DAW’s can do.
-
-
-
Hey everybody. I have recorded a new script. I just received my first commercial demo and I want to continue honing my “strike zone.” What do you think of my performance? Do I come off as a witty and confident “friend” the listeners want to hear? Is my recording setup still working well? I’d appreciate any feedback.
Lowes
Lowe’s knows you’re the deal hunter who does things right. Who is armed with research and finally ready to roll. We do it right too. With huge savings on the brands you want. So happy hunting. Get up to 30% off select appliances like this Whirlpool refrigerator.
Do it right for Less. Start with Lowes.-
Hey Tim! Great read–you definitely nailed the witty and confident energy you set out to capture. One thought: to my ear, your conversational flow seems to halt a bit in a few spots (sounding more like you’re reading rather than leaning over the fence to give your neighbor the inside scoop on kitchen appliances). Perhaps change up your emphasis a bit (Hit “We” harder on “We do it right, too” for instance) to continue the flow of conversation in an even more natural manner. Keep up the great work!
-
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
