Hi MCarter,
I think your voice pairs really well with the reads you picked. Your pace is good for both but I think overall they could both use a little bit more energy.
Wisteria:At the beginning just be careful of pauses as they make your read sound a little disconnected. Also, try varying your words as most of them are landing on the same note along with hitting Wisteria Bank. With diction, I hear ” we understand “the” behind every dream” and I’m thinking it should be “That” instead of “the.”
Priceline: Try varying your words with this read as well. I hear “Top the line instead of Top of the line” so just be mindful with that as well. I liked what you added to “But one of them is paying 40% less. Can you guess who?” nice job with those lines.
Good start. idk if you wanted technical feedback but the first thing I noticed is that your recording space doesn’t sound very treated at all. big echo/reverb, haha.
Performance wise, it sounded very back and forth if you knew who you were talking to and why (if that makes sense). For example, the ending tag line for both of yours are pretty on point, but the opening phrase for priceline sounded like it was a (internal) question, more than statement (then followed by the rhetorical question). Or at the beginning of the Bank ad, “Go for it” almost sounds like a deadpan challenge instead of an encouragement.
Overall a few things need tweaking but I think youre on the right track.
[[Disclaimer: I’m a rookie with ADHD. Sometimes I hyper-focus on something negligible and other times I make out-right ‘bad’ calls based on something I (wrongly) idealize. Also conversely, I can miss an elephant in the room. I focus on constructive criticism on the basis of improvement, so it may not be apparent how good I think a recording is; it’s not because I don’t want to gush about all the awesomeness 🙂 ]]
Hello!
These are for my commercial homework. I would love feedback on my read. I also tried out some new techniques in my DAW so any feedback on the sound quality would be very much appreciated.
I second that occasionally the pauses threw off the rhythm a bit. Other than that, the second one (purina) had background noise and a bit of reverb going on especially in “To help pet owner make a better place for pets!”.
These are very nice reads, very natural with lots of specifics. The only note I’d give is that sometimes the pauses between phrases throw off the natural rhythm a bit.
*Disclaimer: I’m not a SW fan, so I’m not sure how Darth Maul is actually supposed to sound. I did two takes, which one sounds better?
Maul: *Lost*. I am lost… And yet, I-I can *feel* his presence, so close. So close! I can… *see* him… in my mind’s eye. Kenobi. KENOBIIIII!… Will it end here, like *this*? *No*. NO! I must draw Kenobi out, *tempt* his noble heart. But how, *how*?… I know… I *know*.
I’ll avoid hardware feedback unless you want it. The second read was definitely stronger. I can’t tell you what Darth Maul sounds like either, but that’s the beauty of voiceover – uniqueness! (unless you’re an impressionist focus). I will say pumping up your sinister energy is working for you, there’s like a bit of s****m in each beat. I’m reminded of Scar from The Lion King pacing back and forth with his evil plans (mwhaha!). I think it’s an inner monologue so balancing over-acting with tepidity is probably the greatest challange. Strictly for practice, you can try adding a thoughtful conniving “Hmmm” after each thought to help frame the spontaity of the scene.
Great job Titus. I like the first read better, only because of the “KENOBI!!!” part. But I think the first Kenobi in that read should be more contemptuous, like it’s distasteful and he is spitting out the name.
Great energy in the read.
It may also be helpful to listen to Star Wars audiobooks (I do that a lot). This is a good one: https://starwarsaudiobook.com/star-wars-brotherhood-audiobook/
This will give you a good example of emotive reads.
You knocked it out of the park, my man! I’m jealous of the gravitas you have, haha.
Only thing I can really notice is the ‘s’ sounds really tend to blend into the adjacent letters when you speak. Might have to do a few regimines of “She sells seashells by the sea shore” type of enunciation practice. Once you’ve nailed that down, I wouldn’t hesitate to hire you.
Thanks Amitofu.
I’ve actually been working on that. Some of it is equipment settings. I’ve been playing around with it and wondered if anyone would pick that up. I’ll keep at it.
The intent and intonation when you said “alive” at the end was on point! I wanted to know what happens next! The background music was well chosen for the script and made your read even more intense and interesting. Great read!
Really good! but slow down! haha. If nothing else, the listener has to have time to process what you say. I have the exact same problem when I’m nervous so don’t put yourself in a catch-22; kinda just remember to be proudly plodding each sentence you make with distinction.
Also there was a varying amount of mouth clicks or something, especially noticeable in the first suave ad. seemed like every other word. Once you kinda tame those things you should be good to go otherwise!
[[Disclaimer: I’m a rookie with ADHD. Sometimes I hyper-focus on something negligible and other times I make out-right ‘bad’ calls based on something I (wrongly) idealize. Also conversely, I can miss an elephant in the room. I focus on constructive criticism on the basis of improvement, so it may not be apparent how good I think a recording is; it’s not because I don’t want to gush about all the awesomeness 🙂 ]]
I don’t think you have anything to be nervous about. These were great reads.
The only thing I would say is to try and bring just a bit more variation to the read and remember to hit on the key words, like the company name or the call to action. Those items should always stand out in your read.
Hi Grace Lee,
I really liked your read, I thought your pace and diction were good. Just be cautious of pauses they can make your read come across disconnected or choppy, I heard a few of them throughout the read. Otherwise really nice job!
This is a good read with good voice quality.
I think you were trying to be technically sound in your read which took away from the conversational delivery.
Keep in mind that voiceovers are intended for people listening to you. You are there to let them know what you have to let them know. So, try to speak more like you are talking to your friends.
Yes, you’re absolutely right. I’m working on sounding more conversational but I get too concerned about enunciation. Def need to practice more! Thank you for your feedback!
Great job! I’d say, the energy is great, but slow down with that same energy. I’m not sure, but some of the peaks sounded a little too punchy; some glottals I think. Keeping that energy with an even keel volume is difficult but gets easier as you practice and be aware. Also removing some gaps between clauses might be worth looking at, if I’m being nitpicky, but I liked the performance though overall though; I’d hire you.
[[Disclaimer: I’m a rookie with ADHD. Sometimes I hyper-focus on something negligible and other times I make out-right ‘bad’ calls based on something I (wrongly) idealize. Also conversely, I can miss an elephant in the room. I focus on constructive criticism on the basis of improvement, so it may not be apparent how good I think a recording is; it’s not because I don’t want to gush about all the awesomeness 🙂 ]]
I won’t elaborate on the technical side since you seem to be using practice equipment like a phone.
Briefly, I’d say definitely slow down and connect to the words you say. Each word needs an impact of it’s own to collective make each sentence contagiously interesting. In particular, the “AFTCA”* acronym seems to be the biggest script hurdle to sound natural. It’s not easy, haha
Hi,
Nice work. I think what would help your reads a bit is thinking about who you’re talking to and why you’re telling them these stories. That might help you keep them more conversational and help you create natural variations througout the reads to highlight different points.
I’m really working on connecting with my listener and knowing my why if that makes sense haha. Feedback greatly appreciated 🙂
The script:
Learn Something New Today! Over 50,000 People Have Learned Crochet With The Woobles And You Could Be Next! Learn how to crochet with our beginner amigurumi crochet kits. They come with more than just materials – think step-by-step videos, easy-to-follow patterns, and a pre-started piece so you can jump right into your first crochet project!
This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by forceonature.
This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by forceonature.
Really awesome work! I really felt the connection to the audience.
Two technical notes (if you were looking for them)
1) low key hum in the background. Not horrible but just to be aware of.
2) at :20 (“Prestarted PIECE”) there wasn’t really a plosive but you could barely hear a vibration feedback on your mic (maybe a boom arm?). Idk if a shockmount would fix it or just treating your environment. A person would have to be looking for it to hear it, but best foot forward, eh
Subjectively, I would try the opener two different tones and see which you like better: TRY something new today! (imperative) vs Try something NEW today! (wonderment)
Other than that I thought all the ‘hits’ were stellar.
[[Disclaimer: I’m a rookie with ADHD. Sometimes I hyper-focus on something negligible and other times I make out-right ‘bad’ calls based on something I (wrongly) idealize. Also conversely, I can miss an elephant in the room. I focus on constructive criticism on the basis of improvement, so it may not be apparent how good I think a recording is; it’s not because I don’t want to gush about all the awesomeness 🙂 ]]
You have a great voice and vocal quality for this spot! The read is very friendly and warm. I wonder whether there are opportunities to vary the energy and bring in some of the excitement at the opportunity to learn a new skill and have it be so easy.
Hello everybody! Ignore my post with the unplayable files, they were too large for the forum! I fixed them so they should be good this time. I am looking for feedback on rhythm, pacing, and intonation. I have received feedback that my sentences fall off basically to vocal fry at the endings. (It is true and I’ve been struggling to fix it.) Does my intonation sound better here? Thanks everybody! <3
Great job overall! I can definitely list a much greater amount of things you did right than wrong.
However, For improvement’s sake, here’s what I noticed in a critical light:
I haven’t heard your previous work, but it does sound like you’re still grabbing the reins of enunciating with fluidity (which is difficult ofc, but pros make it look easy 😛 (I’m not one of them)). Sounds like you can nail it with a bit more practice; ideally we try make it sound like you are saying the words without thinking (while still being articulate). As the other person mentioned you do seem to run out of breath, so they become very noticably fading-out words. Also, subjectively, I feel like you’re reading too fast and that’s part of why you run out of breath toward the end of a couple of phrases (I have the same problem often). Don’t be afraid of slowing down and letting each word ‘sink in’ a bit (which will also help fluidity and articulation) as well as add a little emotional content (to be a little dramatic, haha).
I don’t know if you wanted technical feedback but briefly, I noticed some mouth sounds and smacks. You did a great job avoiding plosives for the most part. There is a very very light hiss in the background.
Again, overall good stuff.
[[Disclaimer: I’m a rookie with ADHD. Sometimes I hyper-focus on something negligible and other times I make out-right ‘bad’ calls based on something I (wrongly) idealize. Also conversely, I can miss an elephant in the room. I focus on constructive criticism on the basis of improvement, so it may not be apparent how good I think a recording is; it’s not because I don’t want to gush about all the awesomeness 🙂 ]]
You have a great voice for this read 🙂 I thought your pacing was really good on both reads! One thing that really helped me with intonation and rhythm was picking what word in the sentence was most important to me. So for example: in the first sentence of the Annie E Casey Foundation read I would say, for me, “every” is the most important word (it could be different for you) “EVERY child deserves to grow up with…”. Putting emphasis on the important word that we chose can help both with rhythm and with intonation for me because it gives me kind of a target to hit if that makes sense? You don’t have to go crazy with it though! For example you do this REALLY well in the next sentence when you say “HIS skills HER talents….”
I think the vocal fry issue might be coming from running out of breath? At 23 seconds you say “poor neighborhoods” and run out of breath before finishing with “where the chance to thrive….”. I had this issue too! What I did to fix this is I made sure to take a good quality breath from my diaphragm where my natural pauses would be. This even helped with my pacing because it sort of forced me to slow down a little bit.
Keep up the great work!!! You have a great voice and I’m so excited to see what you do!