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Jason Huggins · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:08 am Post subject: eLearning Demo

Hey All. I just put an eLearning demo together and would love your opinions on it. Thanks!

http://therealcoolguy.com/audio/JasonHuggins_ELearning.mp3

FinMac · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 11:29 am Post subject: I like it!

Never produced an e-learning demo, so I cannot speak from experience.

However, I like it. Nice variety with some challenging texts. Now I know who has been getting those tough jobs!

Mac
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George Prince Voice Overs · Joined: 01 Mar 2014 Posts: 6 Location: London, UK

Seriously good, Jason. Super fluid delivery, clear and engaging - despite tricky material. Great job!
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Scott Pollak · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 6:16 pm Post subject:

Jason, approximately 50% of all my work is e-learning, so maybe I'm qualified to offer up my thoughts.

First thought: a lot of really good stuff happening here:
- good variety of pacing and subject matter
- great voice 'age'
- Even if you didn't record these clips in different places on different mikes, it sounds like it, which is good. Adds a bit of 'coloring' and flavor to the different bytes
- Nice having a name brand like Home Depot in there

Now, even though e-learning seldom has music behind it (although, occasionally, the lessons DO end up with some music and/or SFX behind them), I think it's okay to put a spot of music behind one or two different bytes simply to help differentiate between cuts and to make the demo zing a bit. I put music behind a couple of my pieces on my own demo just to keep it from being so..... well.... dry, literally. You might want to think about adding a bit here or there just to put the bow on top of the present.

Oh, and there's one teeny, tiny thing that jumped out at me. Enough so that I went back and listened a second time. Early on, in the first clip, you say EE-sential and it just sounded a bit weird to me, as opposed to UH-sential. But maybe it's just a regional thang.

Otherwise, nice stuff.
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vkuehn · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:16 pm Post subject:

Pam · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:33 pm Post subject:

I'm on the EE side as well!
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DougVox · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:14 am Post subject:

According to the fine folks at Merriam-Webster. it's i-ssential. \i-ˈsen(t)-shəl\

Of course, at Dictionary.com, the only pronunciation listed is UH-ssential. [uh-sen-shuhl]

And EE-sential always sounds overly formal to my ear...the same way that it drives me nuts when news anchors always say THEE, rather than THUH: "THEE fireman was released from THEE hospital this morning, following THEE five-alarm fire last night."

I've always said i-ssential.

But like Scott said, it's probably just a regional thang.
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Jason Huggins · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:06 am Post subject:

Thanks for all the great input! I'll take a look at the EE thing...this is the first time anyone has pointed it out. I also often say ofTen which some would say is wrong or too formal.

One of my agents suggested adding a little music as well. Would it flow best to do that on the first spot or one other than the first?

Thanks again!

DougVox · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:12 am Post subject:

How about some music on 2 and 4? It'd also help signal the transition from one piece to another.

To my ear, a couple of them are a bit too close together – both in time and delivery – making it a little tough to tell when one ends and the next begins. The music would certainly cure that.
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Jason Huggins · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:00 am Post subject:

Good thought. I'll mess with that today.

todd ellis · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:05 am Post subject:

awesome work, and yes - i think the home depot piece, especially, begs for some music.
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Jason Huggins · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:14 am Post subject:

Ok, so here is one more question. I know one answer, just not the best solution.

My narration demo has the HD spot on it with music. I need to pick one demo or the other to have the spot or not put one on my website. The eLearning demo was primarily for a specific casting site, and I wasn't necessarily going to put it on my website. But, if I DO add it to my website, the demos can't have the same spot in them. So, if I put it on my site, which should have the spot? I don't do a TON of e-learning, but I do a bit and that market has been increasing enough that I thought I should have a demo.

My initial thought was to pull it from the narration demo because I already have some narration in a similar tone on the demo. Would you concur?

http://therealcolguy.com/audio/JasonHuggins_Narration.mp3

heyguido · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:31 am Post subject:

I would not.

Your assumption that a prospective client is going to listen to each and every one of your demos is not only invalid.... It's not rational thought. Wink

You're overthinking it.

Make sure each demo shines.... And move on. Inoccent

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DougVox · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:04 am Post subject:

What Don (so eloquently) said.
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Jason Huggins · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:07 am Post subject:

Thanks!

Ok...here is one with some production. I moved the HD spot to 2nd (at the recommendation of an agent) and did spots 2 and 4 with music. Here's the link:

http://therealcoolguy.com/audio/JasonHuggins_ELearning2.mp3

Thanks so much for all your thoughts already (and for pointing out rubbish thinking...though I'm not 100% convinced they SHOULD have the same spot Smile

)

I haven't re-recorded the EEsential part...still thinking about that one Wink