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website critique and demo critique please!!
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mythwoman
Contributore Level V


Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 173
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:02 pm    Post subject: website critique and demo critique please!! Reply with quote

Okay everyone, its finally done! Please bear in mind this my first website... ever! And I know some of you disagreed with the domain name but I haven't gotten around to changing or doing anything yet.

I told my designer I wanted something very simple, almost like a business card. I think he did a great job. But your opinions are super important to me, since I've yet to build a credit list or such.

In time I will include a resume, and credits and so on, like I've seen on the many websites of established talent here.

Here it is:

http://www.justsaymary.com

One more thing, after I saw the site for the first time I thought about advertising myself as The Silver Voice. I sing as well and have CD out for meditation music (Enya styles). Its a www.cdbaby.com under the artist Bill Webb. The CD is titled Healing Music.

I have yet to add a demo of my singing. But who knows??

Thanks everyone!
Mary
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Jeffrey Kafer
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Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Location, Location!

PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I listened to your animation demo and you have a good voice for some animated parts. You remind me a little of Tara Strong.

However, your demo doesn't have much variety. Despite a few accents, I'm not hearing a lot of range. I hear "Japanese anime girl" through almost all of your clips.

Do you have any clips that show more range?
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mythwoman
Contributore Level V


Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 173
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My voice is very young and sadly (I've heard it many times already) I'm destined to be typecast in anime (which I love anyways). Of all the auditions I have had, the only few callbacks have been for animation projects.

For the time being, until my voice changes (I think a woman's voice matures a little more after 35, I'm still 27), my range is little girl up to young woman.
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Jeffrey Kafer
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Joined: 09 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fair enough, but you might want to feature clips that have a different mood or tone to separate them. The clips in your reel kind of all run together and it's hard to tell when one clip begins and another ends.

Listen to Tara Strong's demo reel at http://mkbmemorial.com/TOTS/filmo/Tara.mp3. She's the voice of Raven on Teen Titans and Timmy on Fairly OddParents. I think this is a rather old demo, but you get the idea.
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Doc
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mary,

You definitely have a "signature voice". Market it correctly and you should have more work than you can handle. There's a certain niche in which your voice fits. For some that's a good thing, for others it is not. The difference is in the marketing.

Did you listen to the web conference Dave put together? There are suggestions there especially for voices like yours.

Your web site doesn't send up any flares for me, but it is simple to navigate.

Good luck!
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bobsouer
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Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 9882
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mary,

Doc has said it well, you have a very marketable sound. And most certainly, not just for anime. I'm still waiting for the call of the Humpbacked Whale 5 minutes after listening to your commercial demo.

Now, here's the tough question: can you deliver the goods in the studio that are represented on these demos? I'm not suggesting that you can't. I just don't know you well enough to answer that question.

As for your website, I'm not really fond of the layout. I get what your designer was trying to do in suggesting kind of a business card. But, I think it's cluttered and confusing looking. Maybe that's because I'm such a linear kind of guy, I don't know. I just don't sense the site leading me to act. It just sort of sits there.

I'm sorry if the above seems harsh. I don't mean it to be. I'm trying to give you and honest evaluation as I see it. My opinion is almost certainly worth even less than what you're paying to get it. Smile
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
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mythwoman
Contributore Level V


Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 173
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all,

Thanks for the comments so far. I am beginning to see more of what I don't like in the website but now I'm stuck with the typical question:

How do I fix it?

I think it needs more color, and some sentences have to go (It does look cluttered). Other than those details. What else could be done?

Mary
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richgates
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mythwoman wrote:
Hi all,

Thanks for the comments so far. I am beginning to see more of what I don't like in the website but now I'm stuck with the typical question:

How do I fix it?

I think it needs more color, and some sentences have to go (It does look cluttered). Other than those details. What else could be done?

Mary


One of the key things you want to do when building your website is think about how you want to present yourself. For example, in your case you mention that you tend to be cast into roles that are for teenage to young adult women. Since you mentioned cartoon casting a lot, you might want to find some fun colors and graphics that would suit your style and branding.

What you may want to do is loook at other people's websites to get some ideas. Find what works for you and what doesn't. If you want to market yourself as an animation voice look at people like Pat Fraley and Bob Bergen to see how they present themselves.

I think one thing many voice over people do is skimp on their website after spending considerable time, effort and money on their demo, packaging, etc. Your site doesn't need to be overly complex, in fact it should be easy to navigate and locate the important information, but it shouldn't look it was done by an amateur.

I hear your demos and they sound upbeat and fun, but to be honest your site doesn't match. It is lifeless and projects a completely different message than your demos.
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bobsouer
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Joined: 15 Jul 2006
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA

PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mary,

A couple of thoughts. (And again, please don't take these as Gospel; just the opinions of one guy who is NOT a web developer.)

How about you merge two of the lines into:

The Young Voice of Success and have that placed at the top where the line "Opening Doors..." sits now.

Next, remove those 2 lines: "Young Talent" and "The voice of success".

Third, replace the line "Talent you need for..." with the "Opening Doors..." line at the bottom.

This way, you'd have a head line at the top of the box, and closing line at the bottom, with your name, email address and demos in the middle. I don't know that more colors are needed, just un-clutter a bit.

On a separate note, in Firefox 2.0, I'm seeing only the bottom half of the mouse over action on your demos. (That is, I see rounded corners on the top and square corners on the bottom of the demo buttons.) While, in Internet Explorer 7, I'm seeing the full mouse over effect, square corners top and bottom.

Hopefully, these kinds of updates and corrections are part of your agreement with your web designer.
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
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Jowillie
Lucky 700


Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Posts: 714
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why not just DROP the first two lines. "Opening the door to your imagination" really does not talk to or motivate a potential client for your excellent services.
Why pigeon-hole yourself into the "Young Talent" category? Leave the possibilities truly in the mind of the beholder. Let them decide how to best make use of your skills.
Move the "Mary Morgan, Voice Over Artist" to top of the frame and you have a clean image with a direct and positive message.
Now, go-get-em......Kid.
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Jeffrey Kafer
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Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One other thing. In IE7, when I mouse over your email, I suddenly can't read your email address as it is now a white block.
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bobsouer
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Joined: 15 Jul 2006
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JeffreyKafer wrote:
One other thing. In IE7, when I mouse over your email, I suddenly can't read your email address as it is now a white block.

Mary,

The same thing happens in Firefox 2.
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
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mythwoman
Contributore Level V


Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 173
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Again, I appreciate everyone's thoughts. I must say that Richgates made it more clear to me how I need to promote myself.

I have to admit that after seeing many, many, many VO websites from members of VO-BB and anything I could find through search engines (till my head throbbed from hours of staring at the computer day after day), I had decided to go with a subtle image because I figured that was what people wanted to see. I personally don't like flash sites or images that take time to upload (And I saw quite a few outside of VO-BB).

But due to the upbeat youthful sounds in my demos (according to listeners so far), the site is NOTHING close to advertising what I can do.

My voiceover goals are mainly with anime, videogames (I REALLY want to do these), and other projects with character voices.

So I will talk with my designer, and pray tell I may have to brush up my drawing skills (since I can't use cartoon images from other shows). I want to get the website right!!

Thank you all, this board is a blessing!!
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bibliobound
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 4:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Mary:

Really enjoyed your demo. Your voice is wonderfully unique and marketable. Something that may help with the typecasting is to really work into the lower ranges and upper ranges of your voice. I tend to have a natural lower range and have to work at it to sound squeaky, shrill or high pitched. This will give you a bit more variety instead of it being in the same tonal range. I also think if you can sing you should highlight that somewhere on your website.

I took a great character workshop with DB and Pat Fraley which pushed my comfort zone and I came out with some usable demos for characters. I highly recommend them.



Best wishes for your voice,
Nancy

nancygerman.voice123.com
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mythwoman
Contributore Level V


Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 173
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nancy,

Hello, and thank you for your thoughts. Yes, I know of Pat Fraley's workshops and I'm trying to save money for a trip to LA because I REALLY want to learn hands on from him. In Texas there are three anime companies, two of which are in my area (Fort Worth)!! But I cannot find anyone who teaches animation voice acting. My training has been mainly through commercials and narration but I've been told numerous times my voice is better suited for animation.

So my best bet is to save money and try to attend Pat Fraley's workshops.

My designer and I are working (slowly) on some changes for my website, since my demos are rather upbeat and energetic and the current design is worth yawning at.

As for singing, well actually the current website might be a good place for that since the CD I have is a new age sound. I guess I'll have to have two contrasting websites. We'll see.

Thanks again for your thoughts!!
Mary
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