Profile Movie Trailer Sample Rejection
I would love some feedback and advice on a movie trailer sample that was rejected for my profile. The note I got is as follows:
- The voice sounds undesirably robotic, as if it is computer generated. Our clients expect natural and engaging reads.
Here's a dropbox link to the file.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ivb48res672eo0j/Onis_McHenry_MOVIE_TRAILER.wav?dl=0
Thank you.
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Hi Onis
I don't work for Bunny Studio but I am a working VO artist for nearly a decade, with three decades of professional acting experience, and I'm happy to share my thoughts with you here. Hopefully you'll find them helpful, but feel free to ignore me if not.
I took a listen to your sample, and there are a few things that I can point to.
You have a strong, deep voice. That's great and it can really work in your favor, but you're not helping yourself with the processing that's taking place. For example, at six seconds there's a serious compression artifact on the word 'space,' and that artifacting takes place in numerous later spots. This doesn't help with the 'robotic' impression that the QC team member referred to, but it's not unsolvable. I highly recommend dialing back all your compression and/or filtering and effects to zero and starting over, adding them very very gradually until you get the desired effect without compromising your voice. Mike Delgaudio has some wonderfully informative videos on how to do this on his YouTube channel.
Secondly, your voice is rich, clear, and evocative. You'll benefit yourself enormously if you take some time and work on your performance. The 'natural and engaging' quality they're looking for isn't an intangible, and you can get there. The first thing I would recommend to anyone looking to do this as a sustainable gig would be to get a voiceover coach. There are some who specialize in trailers if that's your jam, but starting with one who can go over more general techniques would be great, too.
Also, remember that much of VO is acting. If you haven't taken an acting class, or haven't taken one in a while, I'd consider it. You've got a great voice, and you've come this far (and acting classes can be really fun), so there's no harm in it. Acting techniques can help you to approach the text with an understanding of the intent - in turn creating a dynamic and engaging read with varied pacing and emotion. You're close and you've done much of the work, you just need to light that extra spark that pulls the listener in with your unique voice and qualities.
You're on your way, now keep going!
Hi Jack,
Thank you for listening to my sample. I appreciate it.