12.1 The VOHeroes demo production process

As a professional voice talent, you have to be able to pitch potential clients on being just the right voice for their project. And to do that, you need world class voice over demos.

That means being as realistic and authentic in your production as you possibly can, with each of your demos. Some demos are made from work you’ve already done, perhaps from spots airing on radio, TV or the Internet. Other demos, including the very first demo you make, will be wholly created – a demonstration of what you’re capable of doing in the studio.

And we make it even better: we come to you.

What if you could get a professional grade demo produced, in a studio in Los Angeles, but without ever leaving the comfort of your home? No matter where you live?

With VOHeroes, you can.

Wait, I don’t have to travel to Los Angeles?

No. You don’t.

We use a process we pioneered a decade ago, called remote voicing.

(And no, that doesn’t mean we record you over the internet. We just monitor you that way.)

Here’s how the remote voicing works: you and our team, usually David and Trevor, connect via Zoom.

We do a technical check of your home studio sound before we begin recording. Through post production magic, we can make your mic sound even better than it does in your studio (and we do).

We then coach you through copy we’ve assembled just for you, to get just the right read and sound. All the while the session is going on, you also record the full-fidelity audio on your home studio’s microphone in Audacity.

And, during the session, you email all of the audio in WAV file format to us for editing and post production in our studios in Los Angeles. We then produce your demo, sending you the resulting demo when finished.

That way, you get everything that someone in studio would get: custom copy selection, best of breed coaching and direction, high quality recording, superb post production and a finished product that is world-class competitive.

We help you serve your audience of one.

Each type of VOHeroes demo, from commercial to narration, from audiobook to IVR, from promo and trailer to animation and video game, is designed to do one thing: completely immerse the buyer of that type of voice work in how you’d sound to their customer.

For commercial casting people, your demo has you stepping out of the speakers of radio and television.

For IVR, you walk the phone prompt buyer through an actual IVR tree, touch tones and all.

For narration, the network producer is transported to a world where you serve the picture and story.

And each demo we create has the perfect production density for that category: where an audiobook demo is as dry as a bone, our animation and video game demos show off your ability to create every character’s fantastic personality.

Hold on…there’s more than one demo?

Although commercial demos are the most common, today’s voice talent market demands specific demos for specific buyers – commercial demos for commercial projects, audiobook demos for audiobook projects, animation and video game demos for those projects, etc.

Professional voice over talent knows that to be successful, the most important tool you need is a portfolio of demos: a series of short (one minute to three minute) examples of what your voice would sound like to the producer if you actually booked the job.

Kind of like having specific headshots for different kinds of on-camera opportunities.

And no matter what demo you want produced, we have over four decades of experience creating incredible demos that get results – and at a cost that’s around half of the going rate.

Expert guidance.

Each VOHeroes demo session is, usually, directed by David and Trevor. David is your mentor through the entire process, and works with Trevor Algatt, another VOHeroes coach, as the producer and director of your demo – there’s no handing you off to a rookie engineer or producer. You get, as every Pro does, best-of-breed white glove treatment.

High speed.

We also eliminate the wait – in most cases, you might wait many weeks or months between recording your tracks and getting your finished demo with another demo producer. With VOHeroes, you get your demo, in high-bitrate MP3, within a week or two the day you lay down your tracks – and you end the process ready to post your demos on all your profiles…and to work.

No delays, except…if you’re not ready.

Some people need coaching and prep classes to make their demos. Some don’t.

To many demo producers, it doesn’t matter. They’ll take your money whether you’re ready to do your demo or not.

We refuse to do that: if it’s clear you’re not ready to produce your demo, not only will we put the session on hold, we’ll give you a complete analysis of where you need to improve your performance, and, if you like, we’ll help you achieve those improvements.

And we won’t take your money, and we won’t try to Frankenstein together a forced set of performances that you can’t easily reproduce when you audition for real work. You’ll never be embarrassed by not being able to meet the impossible standard of a demo that isn’t really you.

More on how to know if you’re ready in an upcoming lesson.

Life support.

After you’ve done your demo with us, we become your allies, helping you find the audition sites, answering questions about the industry, reviewing auditions while you get started, helping you navigate the industry – anything you need. Our coaching and training speaks for itself, and we love being your secret weapons.

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That’s a lot to take in, and not exactly what you might have expected (I mean, c’mon…how hard can making a demo be, amirite?). And now that you understand our process, let’s listen to some samples of our demo work, then let’s talk about prices.