A voiceover demo is an investment that every serious voice actor should consider carefully. Our demo package is quite comprehensive.
Many people cutting their first voice demos are intimidated about going into the recording studio. They're either unsure of their copy selections, their voice, or their delivery. That's why we provide a session director for all our demo clients (unless otherwise requested) to help put you at ease and focus on your delivery.
Lambert Studios utilizes the talents of Hollywood legend Anne Lockhart who has made a career of voiceovers in commercials, film, and television. She works hard to put the recording artist at ease by creating a friendly and casual atmosphere so the artist can relax and approach the microphone with confidence. (Subject to availability. When Anne is unavailable, David takes over.)
Voiceover demos come in different genres: Commercial, Industrial, Narration, Promo, Character/Animation, etc. Your first demo should always be a commercial demo as that's the demo you will cast 80-90% of your work from. Plus, it's the demo most agents will want to post on their websites for you.
To prepare for your session, you'll need to accumulate some copy for your demo. Now you may not have access to a library of voiceover copy, so the best source for commercial voiceover copy is to go through some of your favorite magazines and pull ads that appeal to you. Magazine ads are written almost exactly like commercial voiceovers. All we need to do is add music and sound effects and you're in business. Collect about 15-20 different ads and type them up in a document - each on a separate page - in a large, easy-to-read font and double-spaced so we can mark on and make edits if necessary. Bring 2 printouts - one for you and one for your session director.
Note that we will not record all 15-20 spots. Probably only about 8 or 9 of them. We just need a good collection to choose from. We'll fully produce each spot and then take clips from about 5 or 6 of them to put in the final demo.
The voiceover copy you select needs to showcase your diverse range. Don't make the mistake of bringing in boring, announcery material. That's the fastest way for your demo to find its way in the agent's reject pile. Find spots that are fun, exciting, humorous, and up-beat. And did I say 'funny?' You can bring in one or two announcer spots too but don't allow that be the majority of your selections. Also, if your copy reads like a TV commercial that requires a visual to understand what's happening, it may not be good for the demo.
Make sure your material is also gender-appropriate. For example, a woman might not record a spot for pickup trucks but they might for a luxury vehicle. A man wouldn't record a spot for cosmetics but they might for shaving cream.
If you still can't find enough copy, try downloading some from our Dropbox. But only as a last resort. Some of this material may be dated and we want your demo to be as fresh as possible. You can also find some material at Edge Studios.
Recently, I called around to 4 different recording studios in the D/FW metroplex to inquire about what they offered in terms of demo packages. Here's what I found:
There are lots of options available when it comes to producing your demo. But really only one choice: Lambert Studios.