| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Jeffrey Kafer
Assistant Zookeeper
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Location, Location!
|
 Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:54 pm Post subject: Experiences on the other side of the mic |
 |
|
I'm in a position to possibly produce, and therefore hire, an audiobook narrator for a book. After pinging a few people personally, I went to Voices.com with the following post:
| Quote: | I need an authentic British Male narrator for a ~70,000 word audiobook. It's a fictional story about modern-day pirates. This is not shiver-me-timbers or yo-ho-yo-ho stuff. This is a violent, adult story.
Other accents include (but not limited to) Afrikaans, Arabic, Swiss, French, Ukranian. But the narrator is British, so please be authentic. No fakers.
Please include quotes for edited and unedited. Bids without this information will not be considered.
All chapters must be delivered DRY. No post processing, all the knobs on your boxes set to straight up and down. Don't try to sell me on making your voice sound pretty. Sell me on how well you can tell the story.
Please submit audition of the attached copy DRY with no post-processing, no limiting, no gating. |
Pretty clear, right? I want a custom audition, and I want quotes for edited or unedited. And I want the audition unprocessed, dry.
Here's what I got in 11 auditions/bids:
- 1 bid with generic non-audiobook demo. Deleted.
- 1 American. Deleted.
- 1 audition for someone wanting to just do the characters. Deleted.
- 1 bid with no demo or audition. Deleted
- 3 auditions in which there was very obvious computer/fan noise in the background. Deleted.
- 3 auditions with plosives so bad, I felt like my eardrum was going to pop. Back off from the mic people. Deleted.
- 2 auditions in which the narrator raced through the copy so fast, I couldn't follow the narrative. If you're selling yourself as an audiobook narrator, please have some idea of how audiobooks are paced. Good place to start would be listening to one. Deleted.
- 4 auditions had no bids for edited vs unedited.
- 2 possible contenders.
I know the above does not equal 10, because some of them had multiple problems. I went in to the process with low expectations and I was not disappointed.
So what does this mean? If you follow directions, have good sound quality, you would seem to have a good chance of being hired.
_________________
Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
bobsouer
Frequent Flyer
Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 9883
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
|
| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Jeff,
Wow. Thank you for sharing those details.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
asnively
Triple G
Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 3204
Location: Los Angeles
|
| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Why don't you post it to V123 so we can see if you get different results?
_________________
the Amy Snively family of brands for all your branded thing needs.
Amy Snively
Faff Camp
FaffCon
TalkerTees |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Deirdre
Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 13023
Location: Camp Cooper
|
| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Amy, have mercy on Jeff.
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
|
| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Those stats are disturbing! There are some gross/unprofessional errors listed there. I have to admit I considered auditioning, but was a tad intimidated by all the accents... what the hell... stand by for a broadside (it's a pirate thing) 
_________________
Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Lance Blair
M&M
Joined: 03 Jun 2007
Posts: 2281
Location: Atlanta
|
| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
ARrrrrrgh! Methinks most VOAs on the P2Ps need to be keelhauled! There's seldom a pro in the lot o' them!!!
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jeffrey Kafer
Assistant Zookeeper
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Location, Location!
|
| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
There was one who was fabulous (sounded like Jim Dale), but he didn't give me the price for unedited narration. As the Producer, I've got time to edit it myself and don't need to pay his higher rate for the menial labor.
_________________
Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Philip Banks
Je Ne Sais Quoi
Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 11076
Location: Portgordon, Scotland
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
| asnively wrote: | | Why don't you post it to V123 so we can see if you get different results? |
You AWFUL girl! What has Jeff ever done to you? I want you to go to your room now, think about what you've done and you may come back when you're ready to apologise! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
roger
King's Row
Joined: 30 May 2007
Posts: 1064
Location: Central Kentucky
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
Jeff,
Most enlightening.
Being able to follow directions is so important.
I'll not divulge how I learned this lesson.
_________________
Roger Tremaine
www.MyFavoriteVoice.com
http://rogertremaine.voices.com/
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. AESOP (The Lion and the Mouse) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Diane Maggipinto
Spreading Snark Worldwide
Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 6679
Location: saul lay seetee youtee
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 10:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
at the risk (or pleasure?) of joining amy, is THIS the problem?
| Quote: | | I went to Voices.com |
_________________
sitting at #8, though not as present as I'd like to be. Hello!
www.d3voiceworks.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jeffrey Kafer
Assistant Zookeeper
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Location, Location!
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 10:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
Not sure what other resources to use. Craigslist? no thanks.
1) Needing a British narrator adds an extra layer of challenge.
2) I can't afford Philip Banks.
_________________
Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
roger
King's Row
Joined: 30 May 2007
Posts: 1064
Location: Central Kentucky
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jeffrey Kafer
Assistant Zookeeper
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Location, Location!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Deirdre
Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 13023
Location: Camp Cooper
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
We do have a couple of other English types here. Maybe next time you could post it in the WORK forum?— only we registered members can see that.
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jeffrey Kafer
Assistant Zookeeper
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Location, Location!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
