VC Radio
Voice Coaches Radio Episode 707 “Demo Prep For Voice Coaches Clients”
John: [00:00:00] All right. It's time. Yay. Yeah. Voice Coaches Radio. I'm John.
Tina: And I'm Tina.
John: Yeah. So this is a special episode in my mind, at least. Mm-hmm. Um, this is an episode for our current clients coming through our voiceover program.
Tina: Yes.
John: Right. And we're gonna call it. Demo prep,
Tina: demo prep.
John: In other words, how 'cause, how to get ready for your demo, what should you have?
Mm-hmm. Um, the tools, uh, all of those things because, um, I think it's important and, and, and we wanna make sure that everyone is as ready as possible mm-hmm. Uh, to record their demo,
Tina: right? Yes, absolutely. So what we do is for, if someone is. Not in the program just yet. So we, we have classes before, right? And we have a couple classes.
Um, then we will go ahead and sit with our, [00:01:00] our students and, um, pick out scripts for their demo.
John: Yes.
Tina: All right. So we, we prepare for all of this, and then our fourth class, our last class before the demo, we go ahead and, uh, we go over scripts, we go over, um, what to bring. To the demo with you. Um, I even go over what to wear.
Oh. Only because booths you will find, um, get very warm very quickly. And that's, I think that's the biggest thing. 'cause people don't understand that there's no vents because like we were talking in one episode of traveling and just the noise, you know? Yeah. So you can't have a vent because air turns on, we have to stop recording, blah, blah, blah.
So what to wear, what to bring in regards to like water and apples and things like that. So we tell you exactly what you should be doing. What to expect at that demo.
John: So this will be just a companion to that then?
Tina: Yes.
John: A companion for, so, so let's talk, so let's talk about that. Mm-hmm. So, and I know [00:02:00] you have much more experience.
I mean, I used to do this. Mm-hmm. But I, I, I don't work, um, I don't do the fourth class. I, I get more involved in the demos when I do. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So, um. And, and I have had instances, I'll tell you. Right. In fact, um, not that long ago, I had an instance where I worked with, uh, one of our clients again, come that had been through our program, is at their demo and they didn't bring water.
Tina: Oh, yeah.
John: They came to the, the session without water. And, and I, I, I was like a little shocked by it, to be honest. Mm-hmm. I was like, of all the things to forget, that's probably not the thing you forget, but, but, so let's talk about the things you absolutely. Must have, and, and I'm gonna encourage something just from the stories I've heard.
Mm-hmm. First of all, we love our clients. Yes, absolutely. We've had some really great clients come through here and we, and we do now.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: Um, but I, I would encourage you just from my perspective, as, as a, as a producer who is currently in the industry, and this will help you long term as well. Mm-hmm. But make sure during your, all [00:03:00] your sessions, by the way, but, uh.
Pay close attention to whatever your coach is telling you as far as, Hey, here are the things you're gonna need.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: For your demo, which is your next session.
Tina: Yes.
John: Pay close attention to that. I know we can all be distracted, but you wanna make sure you show up with all the right tools. Right?
Tina: Absolutely.
John: Including, uh. Copy, right?
Tina: Yes, absolutely. So when we are, you're in that, uh, third class, third class, we go over scripts. We've, we've decided we're, we're making that decision of which direction we wanna go in commercial demo. A narrative demo? Maybe both. Maybe both. Yeah. Yeah, maybe both. So in that, we, we did pick out the scripts.
Fourth class we go over all that we tell you. Um, bring scripts. You have to bring the scripts with you. The you're in, you know, you're not coming here if you're not coming here.
John: Right. If you're doing a remote. Yes. So we have a lot of, we mentioned this before. Mm-hmm. We have a affiliate studios all over the country, so if you're going to one of our affiliates
Tina: mm-hmm.
John: [00:04:00] Um, that studio won't be, probably won't be able to, and, and there's exceptions because I've had them do this, but. You have to assume that those studios may not be able to print out your scripts for you if you did not bring them.
Tina: That's right.
John: Yes. And I have had studios that can do that for me.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: But again, that takes time.
Keep in mind now you're extending now, now you're making, now you're, you're eating up your, your time. Right?
Tina: That's, yes. And I think li going to that point. If you don't have your scripts with you and you're asking them to print it out, that engineer is probably looking at you like, huh. You're not prepared.
Not prepared at all. And remember, you are, even though it's an affiliate, ours mm-hmm. Or anything that. You're still building a relationship with that engineer.
John: Yes, and I have no, he
Tina: remembers that.
John: And I know many voice actors who have gotten voiceover jobs with our affiliate studios afterwards.
Tina: Yes, yes.
John: But not, if not, if you're not prepared.
Tina: Not if
John: you're, probably, probably,
Tina: yeah. Well that's the thing. So you, we, we usually, um, we'll say bring two, two copies of the scripts with you. [00:05:00] I, I can even tell you, I got this whole memorized tell you bring two copies of the scripts with you, one for you, one for the engineer.
Yes. 'cause he needs to follow along. Mm-hmm. As he, as you're recording, if you have a stumble, he's able to mark that. He's able to mark the track. This is where it is. He can see it on the script. Yep. When he is trying to find it and to edit it out. And I always say, put whatever notes you want on your scripts.
Go ahead, give him a clean copy.
Yes.
Tina: He doesn't need to see your notes. Right, right. So that's the, that's the biggest thing. If you have, if after the fourth class and you're coming up on your demo and, um, you're like, huh, wait a minute, are these the scripts? Call us. Call us and say, can you look to see if these are the scripts I'm supposed to bring?
Right. That's the visa Or email us. Yeah, email us. You can email scheduling. She'll look, Brady or Laura will look for you. And if they don't know, they'll find one of us and say, Hey, can you, can you tell me what scripts they need? So if you're not sure, do not [00:06:00] show up at the demo without scripts. Absolutely.
Because that engineer doesn't know what you're doing.
John: Yeah. Right, right. They don't know and they don't know the script. No. And and by the way, it's also for, for you or I as the producer mm-hmm. Whoever, like whoever's producing your demo, right? Mm-hmm. We're doing it, we're we're through your headphones, right?
Tina: Yes. Yes.
John: So, and, and really it's gonna be, I'm gonna say to the, uh, you know, the engineer, Hey, do me a favor, can we go back to when she said this? Yes. And. And if the engineer doesn't have that script, they're like, I don't know. Mm-hmm. I don't know where that is. Yeah. And they have to go, now they have to listen to it again.
Mm-hmm. All these little things can extend the time and make and give you less time mm-hmm. To record your demo. Because if, if, if that studio has two hours blocked off for you
Tina: Yeah.
John: It's two hours.
Tina: It is two, it's two hours. It definitely two hours.
John: Most of the time they're gonna have something back to back with, with what you're doing.
Tina: Yes,
John: absolutely. And so, and even if they don't
Tina: mm-hmm.
John: They're booked for two hours.
Tina: Yes. That is it. Yeah. That is definitely the time
John: for, so you're gonna find that. Mm-hmm. This one thing about our industry is typically, and I'm sure [00:07:00] there's exceptions typically, um. Studio time is very punctual.
Tina: Yes, they are.
Yeah.
John: So like there is a hard out usually.
Tina: Yep, there is. So, yep.
John: So yeah. Okay. So cool. So, so have your copy, have all of it. Mm-hmm. Have two copies of it. Love that.
Tina: Yes, absolutely. Um, that's
John: something I wouldn't have thought to say. Mm-hmm. But I know that's accurate and you're, you're, I'm glad that you are kind of involved in that all the time.
Mm-hmm. So two, two, uh, copies of every piece of copy
Tina: Yes. Of every piece of copy that you are, that you have. Um,
John: yep. And, uh, water.
Tina: Yes. I tell them to bring, uh, room temperature, water room temperature water. That's the best for you. Yeah. And then also bring with you green apple slices or lemon water.
John: Yeah.
Tina: All right.
So a lot of people are like, well, why? I'm like, not for snack time. I go, if we don't use them, then you can have snack time after. Um, but that the green apples and the lemon water, I, 'cause I have students who do not like green apples. [00:08:00] Um. So one or
John: the
Tina: other. Yeah, one or the other. You do not need to bring both.
It gets rid of that If you, if it's not saying it's gonna happen, but sometimes you get mouth noises. It's like
John: saliva
Tina: clicking. Yes. Yes. That's,
John: yeah.
Tina: And the microphones are sensitive.
John: Yes.
Tina: Microphone picks up everything. Absolutely. Every. Everything. I um, I had a student, we were doing her demo in between sentences.
Her stomach growled.
John: Yeah, yeah,
Tina: yeah. And so it's funny 'cause she heard it but did not think the microphone, when we played it back, you hear that in between the sentences. I was like, she's like, oh my goodness. I said, told you the microphone's sensitive. And that's the same with going with, you know, um, the microphone.
If you have jewelry, no jewelry. Mm-hmm. Microphone picks all that up. Yeah, definitely. But the green apple slices will get rid of that. Uh, went off topic there. Green apple slices will get rid of if we have that. Yeah. Any mouth noises. It happens. It happens. It does happen.
John: And some people are natural. You have your saliva carriers than others, and that's fine.
Tina: [00:09:00] Yeah.
John: It does not mean you can't be a voice actor or No, no. You just, again, the, I know the green apple works for about 10 minutes at a time, so that's important to know. Don't do this. I've had someone do this. I ate the green apple. I'm like, what? I ate it before I came in. I'm like, no, no, no. The green apple, the reason to slice it up, put it in a container is a green apple works for about 10 minutes at a time.
Tina: Yeah.
John: So you bring it with you, and then if we say, Hey, I hear some clicking in your mouth, you just eat one slice and then it'll be gone for 10 minutes.
Tina: Yeah.
John: Yeah, so it's so funny, I only had the apple once, but as someone say I ate the apple, I'm like, what?
Tina: Yeah. Snack time. That's why they're like, no, no, no.
Wait until we say we hear something. You know? Um, the other thing is in the going to dress comfortably.
John: Yes. Yes.
Tina: That, that's the biggest thing. And, and so, because again, going back to there's no vents inside that booth. You're shutting that booth and after 30 minutes, you, you still felt the air conditioning, but then it starts to get warm.
Yeah. So that's why I always say layers. Layers, yes. Layers.
John: Also move around. This is gonna sound [00:10:00] silly, but this is why I tell people, um, there's my stuff that's funny on cue, by the way, so I dunno. Uh, but so, uh, what I tell people is. Uh, if you have an outfit that you wanna wear to the studio mm-hmm. Get in front of the mirror and start moving.
Tina: Yes.
John: If you could hear it.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: The microphone hears it.
Tina: Absolutely.
John: So try to dress quietly. I know that sounds silly.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: But you know, you know the materials that are matter than others. Right. So just to dress. Quietly if you can, uh, because we do want you to move. Yeah. Again, we don't want you to be stiff.
I want you to move your arm. No, I want you to move your hands. Move your arms. Mm-hmm. So just wanna make sure that you're not making a ton of noise, you know?
Tina: Yeah. Think of those, uh, nylon, uh, jumpsuits.
John: Yeah. Windbreakers. Yeah.
Tina: Yep. All of that. They make noise and the microphone will pick that up. Definitely pick that up.
Yeah. Um, the other thing that I tell them besides like inside the booth and things like that, um. Prepare. Read your scripts.
John: Not too much though,
Tina: but not too much. There's a fine
John: line
Tina: there. That's it. There [00:11:00] is, yeah. Because we don't want you to memorize them.
John: Correct? Absolutely. And we don't want you to get stuck in your head like you think it goes.
Yes. Either. Because you'll get direction and, and this is collaborative. Mm-hmm. We want you certainly to do what you think works. Mm-hmm. But.
Tina: Yes.
John: We don't, what I don't want is you to read it a certain way where you can't, I can't get you off it.
Tina: Yes.
John: Because it might not work. I might say, oh, that doesn't work and you're not, believe me, sometimes you can't hear it.
Tina: No. Yeah.
John: And I'm saying, eh, I don't like, let's emphasize this word, but then you can't get off of it 'cause you just memorized the way you
Tina: do it. Ab Absolutely. Um, I had a student just doing a demo the other day. Um, we were doing a commercial piece that was upscale and sophisticated and I wanted, you could hear that this is perfect for her.
For her voice. But I wanted her to go a little more deeper, a little more, you know, that upscale. And it was funny because the way she, 'cause I didn't have her as a student, I had her just for the demo I, and so I was like, I like how you did that. I said, but now I really want some sophistication. Bring that, think of high end and really bring your voice down a little [00:12:00] bit.
And it was funny, the, the second time she read it. Didn't hit it because she's like, okay. She goes, yeah, in my mind is what I'm like, you know, hearing what we practiced. And I'm like, oh yes, I know that. I get that completely. Let's, let's try it though. Let's give it one more try, because I wasn't gonna beat her up over it either.
Yeah, yeah. You know, and it was just like, if she can't, if she can't get it, then that's fine. It was a good read, but I was looking for something a little more sophisticated. It took us a little bit, but we got there. Yeah. That's the whole thing. You just never know. It could in our minds and us reading it out loud could sound great, but then when we go to listen back to it, we're like, nah, it doesn't hit it.
So we need to make some changes. Yeah. So don't memorize them, but feel comfortable with
them.
John: Absolutely. That's a great, and also bring, uh, something we didn't mention, um. The, the copy most likely. And this is professional work as well. Mm-hmm. But we're here for demo prep. Mm-hmm. Bring a pencil Yes. With an eraser.
Tina: Yes. Yes.
John: Uh, we're gonna make, we're gonna give you some mm-hmm. Direction. So you wanna make notes also? We may even change the copy a bit.
Tina: Yes.
John: [00:13:00] Hey, cross that out. Right. This, but then I might change my mind. Hey, you know what? Nevermind. Yeah, let's go back to that. Yeah. And if you, if you've only have a pen now, you've marked up your copy, you can't erase anything.
Yes. So bring a pencil with an eraser, and this goes for your professional work as well.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: Because, uh, the copy will change. Absolutely. It changes absolutely. So often.
Tina: Yeah. Yeah. And you can't, it doesn't. You know, yes, you'll be going into a studio, but will they have a pencil on that music stand? You don't know.
John: Right?
Tina: Yeah. You don't know at all. They
John: often have to do, but
Tina: bring it. Yeah.
John: Do be a professional. Yeah. Isn't it part of being a professional and bringing the tools of the trade? Mm-hmm. Right?
Tina: Yes.
John: And uh, a pencil with an eraser is again, mm-hmm. A tool of the trait. So
Tina: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. The the biggest thing on, uh, you know, being, getting set for the demo as our, as our student is ask those questions in that fourth class.
That's, that's what we have that before that, go ahead. A no question is a, a stupid question. They're all great. Just ask them. You just never know. Yes. You know, and if you, uh, have in doubt before the demo, [00:14:00] call us. Just
John: call us. That is a great point. I, I, I want to, I wanna, um. Really drive that home, I think.
Many people, ve all been kind of guilty of this. Mm-hmm. Many people feel awkward asking a question. Mm-hmm. They think they should know the answer to
Tina: Yes.
John: Like, they're like, I should know this. Mm-hmm. And if I ask this question, they're gonna think I'm not paying attention. Which maybe you weren't, but Yeah.
That's Even if you weren't or you weren't, I want you to ask. I would rather have you ask.
Tina: Yep.
John: You know, if you're not sure about something. Don't think that, oh, I, I should have known this, so I'm not gonna Yeah, no, no, no. Please ask.
Tina: Absolutely not. '
John: cause you know what I'd rather have is you show up to the demo.
Mm-hmm. And be ready.
Tina: Yes. Right. Absolutely. Absolutely. Then going, oh, I was supposed to do that. Yeah. Okay. Yep. No, no. Yeah. Yes you were. But that's all right. You know, but in doubt questions, just call us email. It's, we will get back to you. Yes, absolutely.
John: Great. Yeah, that's great. So don't, don't be shy and [00:15:00] don't be, don't feel, you know.
Mm-hmm. Hey, you're the client here doing Yeah. Getting, learning how to be a voice actor. Ask as many questions as you want. Mm-hmm.
Tina: Yes, absolutely. We want you to have. Uh, a great experience doing your demo in that booth.
John: Absolutely, man. We only have a great experience all the way through. It's all the through.
Tina: Oh, all the way through. Absolutely.
John: We want you to leave here happy and, and get everything you want outta this. Mm-hmm. And that's what I, you know, listen, there's only so much we can do, and I, and that's something I try to get across to people mm-hmm. Is there's only so much we can do. We want you to get what you want outta this.
Mm-hmm. And that's, and that's also on you. Mm-hmm. Right. It's on you asking, Hey, what about this? Hey, what about this? Hey, I, I wasn't sure, I know you mentioned this, but I, I'm not 100% sure what you meant. Mm-hmm.
Tina: Yeah.
John: You know. Uh, don't, don't, there, like you said, there is no stupid question.
Tina: No, absolutely. We want you to succeed in this.
Yes. We really, really do.
John: Percent. Yeah.
Tina: Yeah. Because we enjoy it. We love this. Yeah. I absolutely love it. It is so much fun. It really is. And so we know that you are, [00:16:00] you, you came into this program because this is an interest of yours. Your this is something that you wanna do, so we want you to succeed in it.
John: Yeah. And if, uh, you become successful. Guess what? You'll be a guest on the podcast? Yeah. You can come on here and you can talk about how you did it.
Tina: I want you, when you get the awards, I want my name mentioned and how great I was.
John: There you go.
Tina: I wanna thank, I wanna thank Coach Tina. She was awesome.
John: Yes.
There you go. Without her,
Tina: I'd be
John: nowhere. I've never,
Tina: yes.
John: Yeah. Yeah. So awesome. Yeah. There you go. So, uh, that is demo prep. Is there anything we forgot? I wanna make sure anything I, I think, you know, bring your script, bring, uh, dress appropriately. Yeah. Uh, bring room. Tempera your water with a greensmith apple or a little lemon in your water.
Mm-hmm. Uh, pencil with an eraser.
Tina: Yes. Yep. And I think I, um, be friendly to the engineer.
John: Yes.
Tina: That's the also Yes, yes. Start talking, I always say have little conversations. One though. I also [00:17:00] forgot. Show up early. Show up early. Yeah. Do not be late. Do not be late. Even late. Even if it's five minutes. Is is great.
10 minutes. That's good. 15. That's fine. That's fine. Yeah. You can even show up 30 minutes. It does not matter. It does not matter. Show up early. Do not show up late where they are waiting. We're waiting for you. Um, and because again, go back to the hard out. Yeah. They do have other things going on. They're not just sitting around, you know, they've got, they've got a, a lot of times I will, if I'm calling in or doing the Zoom, I'll talk to the engineer, do you have a, or do we have a hard out?
And he will say, yes. Yeah. You know, he will give that time. Mm-hmm. You know, so that's the, that's the biggest per it's professional. Yes, you can do this in your pajamas at home, but when you're showing up to a studio and doing your demo. Professional.
John: Absolutely. Mm-hmm. Great. Awesome. Well, there you go. That is our demo prep episode specifically for our voiceover clients coming through our [00:18:00] voiceover program.
Mm-hmm. Voice Coaches' premier program. I wanna thank everybody again for listening and watching.
Tina: Yes. Appreciate it.
John: Yeah, we do. We appreciate it. And so again, uh, John [email protected]
Tina: and Tina at voice coaches com. Thank
John: you so much everybody. You guys are the best. We out.
Tina: And I'm Tina.
John: Yeah. So this is a special episode in my mind, at least. Mm-hmm. Um, this is an episode for our current clients coming through our voiceover program.
Tina: Yes.
John: Right. And we're gonna call it. Demo prep,
Tina: demo prep.
John: In other words, how 'cause, how to get ready for your demo, what should you have?
Mm-hmm. Um, the tools, uh, all of those things because, um, I think it's important and, and, and we wanna make sure that everyone is as ready as possible mm-hmm. Uh, to record their demo,
Tina: right? Yes, absolutely. So what we do is for, if someone is. Not in the program just yet. So we, we have classes before, right? And we have a couple classes.
Um, then we will go ahead and sit with our, [00:01:00] our students and, um, pick out scripts for their demo.
John: Yes.
Tina: All right. So we, we prepare for all of this, and then our fourth class, our last class before the demo, we go ahead and, uh, we go over scripts, we go over, um, what to bring. To the demo with you. Um, I even go over what to wear.
Oh. Only because booths you will find, um, get very warm very quickly. And that's, I think that's the biggest thing. 'cause people don't understand that there's no vents because like we were talking in one episode of traveling and just the noise, you know? Yeah. So you can't have a vent because air turns on, we have to stop recording, blah, blah, blah.
So what to wear, what to bring in regards to like water and apples and things like that. So we tell you exactly what you should be doing. What to expect at that demo.
John: So this will be just a companion to that then?
Tina: Yes.
John: A companion for, so, so let's talk, so let's talk about that. Mm-hmm. So, and I know [00:02:00] you have much more experience.
I mean, I used to do this. Mm-hmm. But I, I, I don't work, um, I don't do the fourth class. I, I get more involved in the demos when I do. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So, um. And, and I have had instances, I'll tell you. Right. In fact, um, not that long ago, I had an instance where I worked with, uh, one of our clients again, come that had been through our program, is at their demo and they didn't bring water.
Tina: Oh, yeah.
John: They came to the, the session without water. And, and I, I, I was like a little shocked by it, to be honest. Mm-hmm. I was like, of all the things to forget, that's probably not the thing you forget, but, but, so let's talk about the things you absolutely. Must have, and, and I'm gonna encourage something just from the stories I've heard.
Mm-hmm. First of all, we love our clients. Yes, absolutely. We've had some really great clients come through here and we, and we do now.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: Um, but I, I would encourage you just from my perspective, as, as a, as a producer who is currently in the industry, and this will help you long term as well. Mm-hmm. But make sure during your, all [00:03:00] your sessions, by the way, but, uh.
Pay close attention to whatever your coach is telling you as far as, Hey, here are the things you're gonna need.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: For your demo, which is your next session.
Tina: Yes.
John: Pay close attention to that. I know we can all be distracted, but you wanna make sure you show up with all the right tools. Right?
Tina: Absolutely.
John: Including, uh. Copy, right?
Tina: Yes, absolutely. So when we are, you're in that, uh, third class, third class, we go over scripts. We've, we've decided we're, we're making that decision of which direction we wanna go in commercial demo. A narrative demo? Maybe both. Maybe both. Yeah. Yeah, maybe both. So in that, we, we did pick out the scripts.
Fourth class we go over all that we tell you. Um, bring scripts. You have to bring the scripts with you. The you're in, you know, you're not coming here if you're not coming here.
John: Right. If you're doing a remote. Yes. So we have a lot of, we mentioned this before. Mm-hmm. We have a affiliate studios all over the country, so if you're going to one of our affiliates
Tina: mm-hmm.
John: [00:04:00] Um, that studio won't be, probably won't be able to, and, and there's exceptions because I've had them do this, but. You have to assume that those studios may not be able to print out your scripts for you if you did not bring them.
Tina: That's right.
John: Yes. And I have had studios that can do that for me.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: But again, that takes time.
Keep in mind now you're extending now, now you're making, now you're, you're eating up your, your time. Right?
Tina: That's, yes. And I think li going to that point. If you don't have your scripts with you and you're asking them to print it out, that engineer is probably looking at you like, huh. You're not prepared.
Not prepared at all. And remember, you are, even though it's an affiliate, ours mm-hmm. Or anything that. You're still building a relationship with that engineer.
John: Yes, and I have no, he
Tina: remembers that.
John: And I know many voice actors who have gotten voiceover jobs with our affiliate studios afterwards.
Tina: Yes, yes.
John: But not, if not, if you're not prepared.
Tina: Not if
John: you're, probably, probably,
Tina: yeah. Well that's the thing. So you, we, we usually, um, we'll say bring two, two copies of the scripts with you. [00:05:00] I, I can even tell you, I got this whole memorized tell you bring two copies of the scripts with you, one for you, one for the engineer.
Yes. 'cause he needs to follow along. Mm-hmm. As he, as you're recording, if you have a stumble, he's able to mark that. He's able to mark the track. This is where it is. He can see it on the script. Yep. When he is trying to find it and to edit it out. And I always say, put whatever notes you want on your scripts.
Go ahead, give him a clean copy.
Yes.
Tina: He doesn't need to see your notes. Right, right. So that's the, that's the biggest thing. If you have, if after the fourth class and you're coming up on your demo and, um, you're like, huh, wait a minute, are these the scripts? Call us. Call us and say, can you look to see if these are the scripts I'm supposed to bring?
Right. That's the visa Or email us. Yeah, email us. You can email scheduling. She'll look, Brady or Laura will look for you. And if they don't know, they'll find one of us and say, Hey, can you, can you tell me what scripts they need? So if you're not sure, do not [00:06:00] show up at the demo without scripts. Absolutely.
Because that engineer doesn't know what you're doing.
John: Yeah. Right, right. They don't know and they don't know the script. No. And and by the way, it's also for, for you or I as the producer mm-hmm. Whoever, like whoever's producing your demo, right? Mm-hmm. We're doing it, we're we're through your headphones, right?
Tina: Yes. Yes.
John: So, and, and really it's gonna be, I'm gonna say to the, uh, you know, the engineer, Hey, do me a favor, can we go back to when she said this? Yes. And. And if the engineer doesn't have that script, they're like, I don't know. Mm-hmm. I don't know where that is. Yeah. And they have to go, now they have to listen to it again.
Mm-hmm. All these little things can extend the time and make and give you less time mm-hmm. To record your demo. Because if, if, if that studio has two hours blocked off for you
Tina: Yeah.
John: It's two hours.
Tina: It is two, it's two hours. It definitely two hours.
John: Most of the time they're gonna have something back to back with, with what you're doing.
Tina: Yes,
John: absolutely. And so, and even if they don't
Tina: mm-hmm.
John: They're booked for two hours.
Tina: Yes. That is it. Yeah. That is definitely the time
John: for, so you're gonna find that. Mm-hmm. This one thing about our industry is typically, and I'm sure [00:07:00] there's exceptions typically, um. Studio time is very punctual.
Tina: Yes, they are.
Yeah.
John: So like there is a hard out usually.
Tina: Yep, there is. So, yep.
John: So yeah. Okay. So cool. So, so have your copy, have all of it. Mm-hmm. Have two copies of it. Love that.
Tina: Yes, absolutely. Um, that's
John: something I wouldn't have thought to say. Mm-hmm. But I know that's accurate and you're, you're, I'm glad that you are kind of involved in that all the time.
Mm-hmm. So two, two, uh, copies of every piece of copy
Tina: Yes. Of every piece of copy that you are, that you have. Um,
John: yep. And, uh, water.
Tina: Yes. I tell them to bring, uh, room temperature, water room temperature water. That's the best for you. Yeah. And then also bring with you green apple slices or lemon water.
John: Yeah.
Tina: All right.
So a lot of people are like, well, why? I'm like, not for snack time. I go, if we don't use them, then you can have snack time after. Um, but that the green apples and the lemon water, I, 'cause I have students who do not like green apples. [00:08:00] Um. So one or
John: the
Tina: other. Yeah, one or the other. You do not need to bring both.
It gets rid of that If you, if it's not saying it's gonna happen, but sometimes you get mouth noises. It's like
John: saliva
Tina: clicking. Yes. Yes. That's,
John: yeah.
Tina: And the microphones are sensitive.
John: Yes.
Tina: Microphone picks up everything. Absolutely. Every. Everything. I um, I had a student, we were doing her demo in between sentences.
Her stomach growled.
John: Yeah, yeah,
Tina: yeah. And so it's funny 'cause she heard it but did not think the microphone, when we played it back, you hear that in between the sentences. I was like, she's like, oh my goodness. I said, told you the microphone's sensitive. And that's the same with going with, you know, um, the microphone.
If you have jewelry, no jewelry. Mm-hmm. Microphone picks all that up. Yeah, definitely. But the green apple slices will get rid of that. Uh, went off topic there. Green apple slices will get rid of if we have that. Yeah. Any mouth noises. It happens. It happens. It does happen.
John: And some people are natural. You have your saliva carriers than others, and that's fine.
Tina: [00:09:00] Yeah.
John: It does not mean you can't be a voice actor or No, no. You just, again, the, I know the green apple works for about 10 minutes at a time, so that's important to know. Don't do this. I've had someone do this. I ate the green apple. I'm like, what? I ate it before I came in. I'm like, no, no, no. The green apple, the reason to slice it up, put it in a container is a green apple works for about 10 minutes at a time.
Tina: Yeah.
John: So you bring it with you, and then if we say, Hey, I hear some clicking in your mouth, you just eat one slice and then it'll be gone for 10 minutes.
Tina: Yeah.
John: Yeah, so it's so funny, I only had the apple once, but as someone say I ate the apple, I'm like, what?
Tina: Yeah. Snack time. That's why they're like, no, no, no.
Wait until we say we hear something. You know? Um, the other thing is in the going to dress comfortably.
John: Yes. Yes.
Tina: That, that's the biggest thing. And, and so, because again, going back to there's no vents inside that booth. You're shutting that booth and after 30 minutes, you, you still felt the air conditioning, but then it starts to get warm.
Yeah. So that's why I always say layers. Layers, yes. Layers.
John: Also move around. This is gonna sound [00:10:00] silly, but this is why I tell people, um, there's my stuff that's funny on cue, by the way, so I dunno. Uh, but so, uh, what I tell people is. Uh, if you have an outfit that you wanna wear to the studio mm-hmm. Get in front of the mirror and start moving.
Tina: Yes.
John: If you could hear it.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: The microphone hears it.
Tina: Absolutely.
John: So try to dress quietly. I know that sounds silly.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: But you know, you know the materials that are matter than others. Right. So just to dress. Quietly if you can, uh, because we do want you to move. Yeah. Again, we don't want you to be stiff.
I want you to move your arm. No, I want you to move your hands. Move your arms. Mm-hmm. So just wanna make sure that you're not making a ton of noise, you know?
Tina: Yeah. Think of those, uh, nylon, uh, jumpsuits.
John: Yeah. Windbreakers. Yeah.
Tina: Yep. All of that. They make noise and the microphone will pick that up. Definitely pick that up.
Yeah. Um, the other thing that I tell them besides like inside the booth and things like that, um. Prepare. Read your scripts.
John: Not too much though,
Tina: but not too much. There's a fine
John: line
Tina: there. That's it. There [00:11:00] is, yeah. Because we don't want you to memorize them.
John: Correct? Absolutely. And we don't want you to get stuck in your head like you think it goes.
Yes. Either. Because you'll get direction and, and this is collaborative. Mm-hmm. We want you certainly to do what you think works. Mm-hmm. But.
Tina: Yes.
John: We don't, what I don't want is you to read it a certain way where you can't, I can't get you off it.
Tina: Yes.
John: Because it might not work. I might say, oh, that doesn't work and you're not, believe me, sometimes you can't hear it.
Tina: No. Yeah.
John: And I'm saying, eh, I don't like, let's emphasize this word, but then you can't get off of it 'cause you just memorized the way you
Tina: do it. Ab Absolutely. Um, I had a student just doing a demo the other day. Um, we were doing a commercial piece that was upscale and sophisticated and I wanted, you could hear that this is perfect for her.
For her voice. But I wanted her to go a little more deeper, a little more, you know, that upscale. And it was funny because the way she, 'cause I didn't have her as a student, I had her just for the demo I, and so I was like, I like how you did that. I said, but now I really want some sophistication. Bring that, think of high end and really bring your voice down a little [00:12:00] bit.
And it was funny, the, the second time she read it. Didn't hit it because she's like, okay. She goes, yeah, in my mind is what I'm like, you know, hearing what we practiced. And I'm like, oh yes, I know that. I get that completely. Let's, let's try it though. Let's give it one more try, because I wasn't gonna beat her up over it either.
Yeah, yeah. You know, and it was just like, if she can't, if she can't get it, then that's fine. It was a good read, but I was looking for something a little more sophisticated. It took us a little bit, but we got there. Yeah. That's the whole thing. You just never know. It could in our minds and us reading it out loud could sound great, but then when we go to listen back to it, we're like, nah, it doesn't hit it.
So we need to make some changes. Yeah. So don't memorize them, but feel comfortable with
them.
John: Absolutely. That's a great, and also bring, uh, something we didn't mention, um. The, the copy most likely. And this is professional work as well. Mm-hmm. But we're here for demo prep. Mm-hmm. Bring a pencil Yes. With an eraser.
Tina: Yes. Yes.
John: Uh, we're gonna make, we're gonna give you some mm-hmm. Direction. So you wanna make notes also? We may even change the copy a bit.
Tina: Yes.
John: [00:13:00] Hey, cross that out. Right. This, but then I might change my mind. Hey, you know what? Nevermind. Yeah, let's go back to that. Yeah. And if you, if you've only have a pen now, you've marked up your copy, you can't erase anything.
Yes. So bring a pencil with an eraser, and this goes for your professional work as well.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: Because, uh, the copy will change. Absolutely. It changes absolutely. So often.
Tina: Yeah. Yeah. And you can't, it doesn't. You know, yes, you'll be going into a studio, but will they have a pencil on that music stand? You don't know.
John: Right?
Tina: Yeah. You don't know at all. They
John: often have to do, but
Tina: bring it. Yeah.
John: Do be a professional. Yeah. Isn't it part of being a professional and bringing the tools of the trade? Mm-hmm. Right?
Tina: Yes.
John: And uh, a pencil with an eraser is again, mm-hmm. A tool of the trait. So
Tina: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. The the biggest thing on, uh, you know, being, getting set for the demo as our, as our student is ask those questions in that fourth class.
That's, that's what we have that before that, go ahead. A no question is a, a stupid question. They're all great. Just ask them. You just never know. Yes. You know, and if you, uh, have in doubt before the demo, [00:14:00] call us. Just
John: call us. That is a great point. I, I, I want to, I wanna, um. Really drive that home, I think.
Many people, ve all been kind of guilty of this. Mm-hmm. Many people feel awkward asking a question. Mm-hmm. They think they should know the answer to
Tina: Yes.
John: Like, they're like, I should know this. Mm-hmm. And if I ask this question, they're gonna think I'm not paying attention. Which maybe you weren't, but Yeah.
That's Even if you weren't or you weren't, I want you to ask. I would rather have you ask.
Tina: Yep.
John: You know, if you're not sure about something. Don't think that, oh, I, I should have known this, so I'm not gonna Yeah, no, no, no. Please ask.
Tina: Absolutely not. '
John: cause you know what I'd rather have is you show up to the demo.
Mm-hmm. And be ready.
Tina: Yes. Right. Absolutely. Absolutely. Then going, oh, I was supposed to do that. Yeah. Okay. Yep. No, no. Yeah. Yes you were. But that's all right. You know, but in doubt questions, just call us email. It's, we will get back to you. Yes, absolutely.
John: Great. Yeah, that's great. So don't, don't be shy and [00:15:00] don't be, don't feel, you know.
Mm-hmm. Hey, you're the client here doing Yeah. Getting, learning how to be a voice actor. Ask as many questions as you want. Mm-hmm.
Tina: Yes, absolutely. We want you to have. Uh, a great experience doing your demo in that booth.
John: Absolutely, man. We only have a great experience all the way through. It's all the through.
Tina: Oh, all the way through. Absolutely.
John: We want you to leave here happy and, and get everything you want outta this. Mm-hmm. And that's what I, you know, listen, there's only so much we can do, and I, and that's something I try to get across to people mm-hmm. Is there's only so much we can do. We want you to get what you want outta this.
Mm-hmm. And that's, and that's also on you. Mm-hmm. Right. It's on you asking, Hey, what about this? Hey, what about this? Hey, I, I wasn't sure, I know you mentioned this, but I, I'm not 100% sure what you meant. Mm-hmm.
Tina: Yeah.
John: You know. Uh, don't, don't, there, like you said, there is no stupid question.
Tina: No, absolutely. We want you to succeed in this.
Yes. We really, really do.
John: Percent. Yeah.
Tina: Yeah. Because we enjoy it. We love this. Yeah. I absolutely love it. It is so much fun. It really is. And so we know that you are, [00:16:00] you, you came into this program because this is an interest of yours. Your this is something that you wanna do, so we want you to succeed in it.
John: Yeah. And if, uh, you become successful. Guess what? You'll be a guest on the podcast? Yeah. You can come on here and you can talk about how you did it.
Tina: I want you, when you get the awards, I want my name mentioned and how great I was.
John: There you go.
Tina: I wanna thank, I wanna thank Coach Tina. She was awesome.
John: Yes.
There you go. Without her,
Tina: I'd be
John: nowhere. I've never,
Tina: yes.
John: Yeah. Yeah. So awesome. Yeah. There you go. So, uh, that is demo prep. Is there anything we forgot? I wanna make sure anything I, I think, you know, bring your script, bring, uh, dress appropriately. Yeah. Uh, bring room. Tempera your water with a greensmith apple or a little lemon in your water.
Mm-hmm. Uh, pencil with an eraser.
Tina: Yes. Yep. And I think I, um, be friendly to the engineer.
John: Yes.
Tina: That's the also Yes, yes. Start talking, I always say have little conversations. One though. I also [00:17:00] forgot. Show up early. Show up early. Yeah. Do not be late. Do not be late. Even late. Even if it's five minutes. Is is great.
10 minutes. That's good. 15. That's fine. That's fine. Yeah. You can even show up 30 minutes. It does not matter. It does not matter. Show up early. Do not show up late where they are waiting. We're waiting for you. Um, and because again, go back to the hard out. Yeah. They do have other things going on. They're not just sitting around, you know, they've got, they've got a, a lot of times I will, if I'm calling in or doing the Zoom, I'll talk to the engineer, do you have a, or do we have a hard out?
And he will say, yes. Yeah. You know, he will give that time. Mm-hmm. You know, so that's the, that's the biggest per it's professional. Yes, you can do this in your pajamas at home, but when you're showing up to a studio and doing your demo. Professional.
John: Absolutely. Mm-hmm. Great. Awesome. Well, there you go. That is our demo prep episode specifically for our voiceover clients coming through our [00:18:00] voiceover program.
Mm-hmm. Voice Coaches' premier program. I wanna thank everybody again for listening and watching.
Tina: Yes. Appreciate it.
John: Yeah, we do. We appreciate it. And so again, uh, John [email protected]
Tina: and Tina at voice coaches com. Thank
John: you so much everybody. You guys are the best. We out.
John and Tina talk about being prepared for your demo session.
