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  • #15468
    David Goldberg
    Edge Studio Staff

    Hi! Upload your recordings, and get feedback from your peers!

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  • #100813
    Catherine Hayden
    Participant

    Hi all! Forgive any distractions and background noise as I just started coaching and am still working on my at-home studio. I’ve uploaded reads of two scripts from the narration library. I’m not sure that I am getting the hang of sounding natural or conversational and I’m also working on not rushing through the reading so I’d love to hear your thoughts on either but welcome all feedback. Thank you in advance!

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    • #102512
      Catherine Heitman
      Participant

      You had fun with both of the reads, and it really came through in the delivery. Nice.

    • #101105
      JamesB
      Participant

      Good job! I grew up in California and speak fast naturally, so I’m in the same boat. Sarah’s advice is great. I’d suggest doing a few different reads of the script with a different person in mind each time. You may be surprised with how different each recording is and you’ll find your ideal person to visualize for different commercial types/topics.

    • #100968
      Sarah DeMike
      Participant

      Nice job! I think you have a great voice for the scripts you picked, especially the recycling one. It seems that in your effort to not rush, you got a little choppy in your read. I’ve been doing something very similar. A tip that helped me was to really imagine the person you’re talking to with your script. If you have a specific person visualized in your head, you tend to talk more naturally and your flow will be better. Keep it up!

  • #100765
    Adrianne Price
    Participant

    Greetings from Southeastern US! I did this audition yesterday and it includes 2 different takes. I rarely get work these days, so I’d love advice on how to improve! Thank you in advance!

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    • #101104
      JamesB
      Participant

      Thank you for sharing. Our peers here have given good feedback, so my advice on how to improve is to take that advice and practice as much as possible. Best of luck on your V.O. Journey, hope to hear your progress on here in the future.

    • #100969
      Sarah DeMike
      Participant

      I enjoyed listening to your different takes on the same script. I think the second take was my favorite of the two. I agree with the previous poster that your read sounded a bit robotic. I think it might be based on your pitch. If you have less pitch variation, it sounds a bit more artificial. The other thing that might help your read would be to work on the flow of the sentences. If it feels like each sentence has a beginning, middle, and end, it might be more interesting for the listener. Good luck!

    • #100809
      MARCUS BOOTH
      Participant

      Greetings Adrianne! I took the opportunity to listen to your VO audio file. You have a very nice voice. The way you pronounce words are clear and precise. However, it sounds like you’re reading off a script. It doesn’t sound naturally conversational. Your pace seems somewhat slow and robotic. Also it seems you are speaking in just one tone. This is just from my perspective. I would suggest to set your pace a bit faster. Also consider the flow of words you read from as if you’re speaking naturally to someone. Imagine talking with someone who is interested in learning more about the topic. Make it sound like you’re explaining it to said person as if you’re having a natural conversation. I wish you the best in your improvement and furthering your VO career.

      -Marcus

  • #100729
    Karyn Bennitt
    Participant

    Hi there! Would love to get creative feedback – recorded on my phone. I realize I fumbled “other than that”. I’m very new at this and would love to hear about the pace, tone – anything! Thank you!!

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    • #101103
      JamesB
      Participant

      First, I agree with Marcus that it sounds great. You are speaking clearly while keeping conversational. If you hadn’t mentioned the “fumble”, I probably wouldn’t have heard it. For being very new, you’re getting this quicker and better than I am. I could be wrong but there is a slight difference in delivery once you get to the list of differences, to my ear. Not a bad thing, just something that stuck out to me. Keep up the good work!

    • #100810
      MARCUS BOOTH
      Participant

      Hello Karyn! I just listened to your VO audio file. I must say the way you read your script sounds very conversational and believable. It really sounds like I’m listen to a commercial on the radio. You also sound clear and precise when you speak as well. I listened closely to the file several times and I couldn’t find anything mistakes or any fumbling. I’m a fellow VO peer who is new to VO as well, so I’m learning and improving too. Overall great job.

      -Marcus

  • #100693
    Sarah DeMike
    Participant

    I’m back with a new recording. I was trying to focus on making it sound more natural and conversational, would love to get some feedback from you guys. (still haven’t gotten a great recording space set up, so just creative feedback please)

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    • #100727
      Karyn Bennitt
      Participant

      I think you sound great! I would just slow it down a bit – that is something I struggle with :-). I like your tone the overall read was really great!

    • #100695
      JamesB
      Participant

      Good job! You have variety throughout the read and nailed emphasis on those ‘money’ words, drawing my attention to them. The delivery sounded conversational, perhaps more like speaking to colleagues on the topic than one-on-one conversation but I think that works for this script. It sounds like you have natural pauses breaking up the word flow making it sound more conversational, but there are times when it sounds almost a little rushed to my ear. That could be reverb from your recording space causing the pause to sound shorter than it actually is, so maybe nothing. Again, good job!

  • #100679
    kellcbell87
    Participant

    I feel like something is a little off with this read I did. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

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    • #100689
      JamesB
      Participant

      I think it’s the same issue I have. The pacing and delivery sound a little like you are just reading a page causing it to seem ‘flat’. I believe that’s what you’re feeling is off about this read. I can only give advice that I hear and usually works for me. Find the words that deserve emphasis and give some variety in your delivery of those words to draw attention to them. Then, once you got that figured out go back and read it as if you are speaking to someone about the product. Hope that helps and hopefully some of our more experienced colleagues will give their thoughts.

      • This reply was modified 6 months ago by JamesB.
      • #100701
        kellcbell87
        Participant

        I think that’s it – thank you!

  • #100589
    JamesB
    Participant

    Hello all, looks like I had one more that I couldn’t add to that last post.

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    • #101326
      Catherine Hayden
      Participant

      This is great! I don’t have much to say other than that it’s a really strong conversational read. I see some comments on your other audios that one or two spots don’t have that same time of read so I’m guessing you really connect with the content here. Great job!

  • #100584
    JamesB
    Participant

    Hello all, looking to get some constructive feedback on these reads. Thank you.

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    • #101415
      Laura Sparks
      Participant

      I really enjoyed Curiosity Stream, your voice and use of inflection to make the read engaging to the listener. I notice there are a couple of breaks in the flow, but overall great job!

    • #100690
      Sarah DeMike
      Participant

      You’ve got a great variation in pitch in your voice while still sounding natural. It’s really nice to listen to and I love it for commercial-style reads, especially the Curiosity Stream recording. I agree with the previous poster that the Ancestry spot doesn’t quite hit the same, I think because it’s a more personal/intimate subject. That particular copy has a much more solemn vibe and I think that’s the difficulty. Good stuff so far though!

    • #100644
      MGoh
      Participant

      Hi there, I enjoy your voice. The thing I’m not hearing is the thing I’m working on myself — connection. I like your pacing and appreciate how you’re landing on some words or injecting some attitude into others. But it doesn’t still doesn’t feel like you’re talking to me in person. The ancestry clip, for example, I don’t feel like you’re actually asking me the questions so much as reading them. How would you ask me these questions if I were standing right in front of you — and you really wanted to know if it was my mom in those pictures? How can you translate that kind of engaged energy to the copy?

      • #100691
        JamesB
        Participant

        Thanks for the input! Going to redo these and focus on that.

  • #100582
    Karyn Bennitt
    Participant

    Thank you so much!!

  • #100509
    kellcbell87
    Participant

    I think I nailed this one on the first try! What do you all think? Some night time baby music and bam!

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    • #100618
      JamesB
      Participant

      100% nailed it.

    • #100553
      MGoh
      Participant

      Yep, it’s a great read! Great pacing and feel! I’m looking for something to work on here, but if I were hiring this would be in the final selects!

  • #100503
    kellcbell87
    Participant

    Hey! I can’t pick a best take for this American Express spot that I’ve been practicing. Very minimally edited as I wanted to nail the whole thing in one take. Which one do you all like best and why? Thank you so much!

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    • #100617
      JamesB
      Participant

      First, great job on all three. In my opinion, take 3 was your best. It had more emphasis on keywords and sounded more conversational than take 1 or 2, to my ear. It also sounded like you had more ‘energy’ at the end of the third take than the other two. All were good, I just liked 3 the best for those reasons. Again, great job!

    • #100507
      kellcbell87
      Participant

      Here’s the script!

      American Express – Private Payments
      Do you know me? Probably not. In my business, recognition is always important, but when I’m buying goods online, I prefer a little privacy. With Private Payments from American Express, I get the security of a unique number created for each business transaction I make. Because my private information is my business.

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