Bob starts off:

“There are lots of folks who think that voiceover work is all about the voice. Sure, there’s an element of truth in that idea. When we audition, many times the final choice the client makes is based on whose voice most closely matches what they’re looking for; but be careful how far you carry this idea.”  Read More.

It’s something I really enjoy doing and I am pretty good at it if I may say so myself.  If you would like to discuss producing your next demo please contact me.

Samples of Demos produced by Brian Hart

Russ McLamb Rock Imaging

Russ McLamb Country Imaging

Caryn Clark Radio Imaging

I produce all my own demos so you may listen to them also.  Read more after the jump if you are interested in learning about the demo production process.

Evaluation:

Now this subject is a bit tricky and I’m going to try to write it without being rude or arrogant.  I’ve recently implemented an evaluation process before I produce any demos and I may ask you to send me a copy of your current demos or samples of your work before I agree to produce anything.

Why?  Well, here’s the deal:  I love producing great demos. On the other hand it really drains my enthusiasm and saps my creative energy if I feel you aren’t ready for me to produce a demo for you yet.  I hate the idea of wasting your time and mine by creating a demo that isn’t going to bring you work.  My wife says I should just shut up and take the money but I can’t do that.  Producing a good demo is a very time intensive process and it’s expensive.  I need the satisfaction – and since you’re paying for my expertise you deserve the peace of mind – that comes with knowing it’s the best work it can be from your delivery and my production.

How much does it cost?

Well that depends.  Do you already have pieces you wish me to put together and re-master as a coherent demo or are you asking me to provide sample copy for you to voice?  Do you want me to direct a session or two via phone patch (I like to do this with newer talent)?  Do you want your demo to have a huge production value or should it be more minimalist?  There are a lot of variables that I customize for each individual’s style and type of demo so discussing your needs with me while asking me for a quote is best.

Right now my base rate for a commercial demo is $500.00 if you provide the workparts.  Imaging demos start at $750.00 each.  Expect to pay a bit more if I provide the copy or if you want a sound that is very labor intensive.  I have literally thousands of royalty free music beds and sound effects I include in my rates but if there’s a particular bed you want to purchase from a music source that might cost a little extra.  If you want me to produce more than one demo I have discounted rates available depending on how many and what type of demos you need.

I’ll ask for a deposit up front, with the remaining balance due upon completion of your demos (when you are satisfied with them of course!)

How many demos do I need?

Good question.  For starting talent I generally recommend one commercial demo along with one or two other styles such as narration, audiobook, IVR/telephony etc depending on your interests and where you think you might find work.  If you are interested in radio imaging you should count on at least three different specialized imaging demos.  Imaging and promo work are very tough nuts to crack so I highly recommend you explore the field and realistically analyze your commitment and chances for success fully before committing to making demos.

What files do I get?

When you are satisfied with your demos I will provide you with the produced version in your choice of .wav, .mp3, or .aiff files as well as providing you with a copy of the session files you may use for future revisions.  I also archive all my projects locally so if you wish for me to revise your demo in the future (add a new commercial for example) it’s easy for me to do so at a very reasonable rate.

Do you have more questions or would you like to discuss your demo with Brian Hart?  Contact Brian Hart for further information.

The new voiceover booth is coming along nicely thanks to the generosity of some fantastic people that know much more about acoustic design than I do.  The isolation walls and ceiling are done.  Over 300 square feet of acoustic insulation is on it’s way.  The new door should be delivered on Monday or Tuesday of next week.  It’s a heavy beastie but it has to be to provide the kind of isolation I want (and feel that you as my client deserve).

The Hart Voice Overs Booth

Today I got the flooring installed. Boy it looks pretty. And it won’t mess with the high frequencies in the voice range the way carpet does.

The new floor in Hart Voice Overs Vocal Booth

I’ll have the door system installed next week. The acoustic insulation should arrive in about another week. As soon as it gets here I’ll be able to treat the walls and hang a “cloud” on the ceiling. Then the new booth will be ready to go!

I’m very excited about the upgrade to this booth and I hope you, as a client or potential client, are excited about the great enhancements it will provide for your projects with Hart Voice Overs as well.

photo credit: re_birf

How do you write good copy for voice over?

Writing for the spoken word can be dramatically different than composing a piece that is meant to be read.  Take a magazine article or newspaper and read it out loud and you will quickly see what I mean.  You have to think about the context, the target audience, the speaker’s point of view… and on and on.  A lot goes into good VO copy.

I referenced good copy in my article “How to Hire A Voice Over” to some extent with the intention of addressing copy later in a separate post.  Digital Newsgathering has beaten me to the punch with a great  piece called “Say What? Best Practices for Writing Voice Over Copy” that you should read before sending that script off for the VO.

Its all good stuff but pay particular attention to the section on timing.  It can be very hard to condense your message into 30 seconds and keep the pacing at a good speed but it’s critcal to having a great voiceover read.

It is also good practice to read your script out loud after you have written it.  You’ll find things that may seem clear on paper but don’t translate well in speech.  We also tend to write rather formally and your VO may call for a more informal approach.  For example I might write  “We are all going to the store”.  However you might not say we are in casual conversation, you might say we’re.  It’s those little details that can really bring out the character and enhance your message in great copy.

In addition to being a professional voice actor Brian Hart also offers copywriting consults and services.

I’ve participated in several radio station builds over the years as well as building two studios for myself.

I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly ways to hang acoustic foam.

While there are options for leaving an air gap between your panels and walls, for this discussion we’ll focus on placing foam panels directly on the wall.  Here are 5 examples of how and how not to hang that expensive foam.

1.

Direct From the Manufacturer.

For the first option I’m going to stick with the Auralex Studio Foam since that’s what I own but other manufacturers have adhesives/fasteners they sell with their foam products as well.  Auralex recommends using Foamtak, Tubetak Pro, or Temp Tabs.  From the Auralex site:

“The world’s best acoustic foam adhesives, guaranteed to keep your foam up for as long as you want it there and not to “eat” your foam. Also works great to attach various materials to each other during construction of your studio. Our adhesives apply easily and give a solid, permanent bond that actually improves the sound isolation of your construction. You don’t want to use Liquid Nails brand because its very manufacturer published a memo some time back advising that it not be used with acoustic foam due to possible chemical interactions that can cause the foam to disintegrate prematurely.”

I haven’t used any of these products but I know many people that have and have been satisfied with the results.  I especially like the idea of the Temp Tabs for Studio Foam as it’s a temporary solution and allows you to move your panels around when needed.  But all of these are expensive and there are cheaper options.

2.

Another alternative is construction adhesive from the local hardware store but that’s a bad choice as the excerpt from Auralex’s site mentions above.  I worked with a client station that used the Liquid Nails brand to hang their foam despite my recommendation against it.  Now I love Liquid Nails in the right application but this isn’t it.  Why is it a bad idea?

As you can see there are a couple problems.  This type of adhesive tears up the foam and that stuff is expensive!  It also tears up the walls you attached it to so when it comes time to remove your panel you have to do sheet rock repair and repaint.  Another potential problem is that some adhesives will actually eat away at acoustic foam.  I always recommend checking with the foam panel manufacturer before using a 3rd party product.

3.

Your third option is to use a 3rd party spray adhesive.  I’ve had mixed success with 3m’s Super 77 spray adhesive.  As you can see in the following photo it does a great job of holding this Sonex to my “portable” VO booth’s wood surface.

I built this box a few years ago and I’ve never had to reapply the adhesive.

On the other hand, at one radio station we used this spray adhesive to attach Sonex panels to sheetrock.  After a few months they started coming down.  Trust me, you don’t want to be respraying that stuff on your panels around all your expensive electronics.

So sometimes it works great and sometimes it doesn’t.  It depends on what materials you are attaching.

You might consider testing any adhesive in an inconspicuous area with a small piece of foam first to make sure it’s suitable for the job.  Actually, that’s good advice for lots of projects if you have the time, not just hanging foam.

4.

You can always use nails to hold your acoustic foam panels on the wall.  Obviously they won’t let go so that’s a plus.  But I don’t like to put the big holes in the wall.  That’s just more stuff to repair later.  And you’ve got the whole “I hit my thumb with the hammer and my thumbnail turned purple and is falling off” thing to explain to your friends.

5.

My personal favorite option is to use T pins:

You can find them just about anywhere that sells sewing supplies.  I usually get mine at Wal-Mart.  They are cheap and come in different lengths.  The beauty of these little guys is that they leave small holes in the wall that are easily filled later.  They “disappear” into the foam panels nicely so you don’t see the pins and they don’t damage your foam.  Check the photo in the intro of this post.  Those panels are held by two pins each.  The “T” head holds the foam panels in place very well and it only takes two pins to hold up a 2′x4′ sheet.  You can usually push them in by hand.  They make it very easy to experiment and move your panels around for the best placement.

So there you have it.  5 ways to hang (or not hang) acoustic foam.  Do you have another example of how or how not to do it?  Leave a comment below.  I always love to hear new ideas.  I hope you found this information helpful.

In addition to being such a great designer, he is also kind enough to help out the little guys and do it your-selfers. John hosts a wonderful forum at www.johnlsayers.com that is all about studio design and construction and is one of my main sources for research into studio construction. There is a ton of great knowledge and plenty of experts willing to help you apply it as long as you show them you’re willing to listen and learn.  Bookmark it. Read it. Use it.

John has posted a sketchup file of plans for a vocal booth designed to fit in the corner of a room.  (Click on the sentence to go to the post).  You need to install the free  Google SketchUp to view the plans.

John Sayers' designed vocal booth

John says the aircon ducting is an option.  Anyway, at first glance the plan looks fantastic!  Pay particular attention to the wall construction as well as the absorbers in the corners.

Two more thoughts:  If you choose to build this design or something similar you should create a build diary on John’s forum.  You’ll get lots of advice and expert help.  And if you do build on John’s design consider making a donation to his site to help him defray the costs of providing all the great information for free.

Voices.com Mixer Schedule and City Tour Coming Up!

The site struck me as a delightful use of the potential of audio and social networking.  I eventually asked the originator of the site – Ivan Reyes – if he’d mind responding to a few pointed questions about Chirbit, specifically the possibilities for voice-actors.

It looks to me like the future holds a lot of promise for this way cool application – Chirbit.  Check it out by clicking on the quote.

photo by loop_oh

My wife was looking at my website and noticed all the links I have to other voice actors and she asked me “Aren’t you promoting the competition?”  Excellent question.

I suppose that is one way of looking at it, that yes I am promoting the competition but I think that’s a little too simplistic and here’s why: 

The Competition

Most of the time I don’t really think of other voice actors as competition.  They are colleagues and some are true friends.  There are some voiceover artists I admire greatly and some I am very thankful they take the time to mentor me.  Others are not as far along the professional curve as I am and I try to take the time to help them when they ask.  So no, in my mind they are not competition.

Many Styles

As a professional I want you to have the perfect voice over.  Hopefully I can provide that to you but if my voice isn’t the one you need for your current project that’s okay.  There are certain styles of VO I excel at and get paid well to do.  Other voiceover actors have styles that they perform better than I.  In that sense we are not competing at all since we bring different things to the table.  I want your project to be a success.  If I can be a part of that success that is fantastic but if another voice is better suited, that’s cool.  Hopefully you will keep me in mind for your next project.

Promoting The Industry

photo by Brian Hart

When I promote another voice actor by adding a link to my site or posting about them I’m not necessarily promoting the competition, I’m promoting the voice over industry as a whole.  When a movie theater puts up several posters of different films on their wall are they competing against themselves?  No, because regardless of what movie you select the theater profits.  When you hire a voice actor the entire industry profits.  So again, while I hope I am right for your project and can work with you on it, I’m very happy to see my friends and colleagues in the industry getting work and gaining exposure too.

Now you know why I feel it is okay to provide links to other sites on my blog.  But I pose the question to you: Am I promoting the competition?