Rejected application from conflicting indications?
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Hello, I write as a Pro that's been rejected for something I was EXPLICITLY asked not to do. I was rejected because in the audition "there are plosives." And the solution given was "this problem can be fixed using a high pass filter around 90 Hz." In the audition description I was EXPLICITLY instructed NOT to use any processing, asking literally for a “FLAT EQ”, which I obliged. I am well aware of what plosives are and how to take care of them, which is part of my normal workflow, but to be rejected for something I was explicitly asked not to do is unfair. https://www.dropbox.com/s/9ho1fvgl8sh2cdu/FernandoMaciasJ_VoiceBunnyAudition_May14.wav?dl=0 This is my fourth time auditioning. Since my first audition I have hand built a $2,000 dedicated vocal booth, bought new equipment, paid hundreds of dollars in coaching and have spent countless hours developing my craft. I have landed projects with Ford, Honda, and am currently in the process of doing voice acting for an upcoming Nintendo Switch title. I believe I have the performance and technical qualities necessary to be on voice bunny, and to be rejected for something like this seems tremendously unfair. From what I understand the process is automated, and I really wish a real person could make the judgement. I believe this is a hard programatic line that a human could understand as acceptable. |
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Hi Fernando,
We require audios that are well-edited and have little to no processing. In other words, we don't want a mixed voice with tons of compression and EQ, but rather natural sounding voiceovers. In terms of plosives, it's ok if you use a high-pass filter. Subtle corrective EQ and compression are OK, as long as they are not aggressive (ie. no more than a 3dB reduction in gain). For plosives, you can also try recording these words at an angle so the air from your mouth doesn't hit the mic capsule directly.
Make sure you apply again once you've solved this issue.
Hi Sebastian,
Thank you for the feedback. I wish I had known that some processing is fine as long as it doesn't go overboard and truly benefits the recording. As I said to someone else in the company, I will not stop auditioning until I get in. I truly believe I have what it takes, so I will keep trying until I do.
One last question. Do you truly think the plosives in this audition are excessive? It was recorded through a pop filter and indeed angled to avoid excess plosives, but I believe the project called for a more energetic and emphatic read, which can exacerbate them. Is it really in that much excess as to warrant a rejection? Particularly considering the prompt is to have them unprocessed?
I appreciate your feedback.
Hello Fernando
I believe the plosives are indeed too noticeable. Take, for instance, one from the very beginning: 0:01 "Por"; It feels as if the audio had clipped. Another one at 0:07 "Proyecto", it is too rough and it is definitely an undesired noise as a listener.
Perhaps using another pop filter or recording just a couple of centimeters away from the mic will do the trick.
Best
Hi Oscar,
Thank you for the feedback. I don't agree with the assessment of the audio "feeling as if it had clipped" since I just analyzed the audio and there are no signs of any clipping or distortion, so this feels like a subjective assessment. In my mind, no one will use an unprocessed raw audio file in their project and plosives like these are something that is corrected in processing as a standard practice, either by the voice over artist or the project engineer, so I hope my frustration is understandable for being rejected for this reason when the issue isn't permanent in any way and is corrected regardless in every project.
There is no reason for further debate as I might just keep getting incrementally frustrated and will not get me any closer to getting in, so I'll stop here. I simply need to keep trying until I hit the sweet spot. I truly appreciate your time and your feedback. I will keep working at it and I hope to join the VoiceBunny family soon.
Best,
- Fernando
Thank you for being open to feedback, Fernando.
We look forward to welcoming you soon!
Regards