American VOICE OVER Idol... any members with golden pipes?

MattinSTL

MattinSTL

Sound Modulator
I suspect this thread will quickly fade into the unsearched archives... but if you think you could do voice over why not shoot 15-30 seconds of yourself? Let's hear it!

I've got a local friend in STL who has got a great voice... but for GOD ONLY KNOWS what reason... I can't get him to take it seriously! I've tried for YEARS... I posted some of him on here before, but I'll put it up again...

So do you (or somebody you know) have a great VO voice?

Let's hear it!
 
I hate my voice, but after years and years of doing scratch VO I guess I learned something because lately a couple clients have used my voice instead of getting a pro. Could just be because they are cheap. I'm not about to hold myself up to ridicule, though.
 
Give me some copy you'd prefer, as I don't actually have any examples really, but why not try it? I'd like to think I have a decent voice. :happy:
 
A few years back, I convinced my family to do an audio version of "A Christmas Carol". I thought it would be a fun keepsake for all involved. I used all copywritten music, of course, and any sound effect I could find. My friend is a very talented sound-guru who skillfully pieced it together with appropriate transitions, pitches, fades, and voice FX for Scrooge who was played by my brother. I directed it (hey, best I could. These were family/non-actors) and was the narrator. Would you be interested in something like that? Or something Movie-preview-ish?
 
Oh man... I'm getting really excited. Responses of enthusiasm? Well... since we have some talented writers on this board maybe we should ask one to write a short paragraph of copy, which promotes DVXuser? Then we could all load our individual clips onto youtube using our screen names, plus a DVXuser plug? I'm not sure if this idea has legs... but I know I'd be really entertained by finding out what some of you guys sound (look?) like... and I'll break out my white zoot suit and do one myself... even though I also dislike my own voice.

I'm game if you guys are...

I want to put in a plug for cheese-fest also... hence the zoot suit. (Oh who am I kidding... I love that suit.)

*ahem*... also... why not make at least ONE fake mustache the requirement?
 
I don't know but if anyone is good it would be a good way for them to make some money and get free advertising.

My neighbor is a VO actor, it's amazing how much money he makes, he has a studio in his basement here in the midwest. He did the Oscars a couple years ago, lots or dreamworks carton voices for their animated movies, he also use to be the voice at the theaters for all the movies before this last guy who died.

He has done several projects for me for free :) he does hundreds a year ranging in price from $500 for a few seconds for radio to $100K+ for hollywood projects. It's amazing how many different voices he has and they are all really good.
 
I worked with a guy locally who looks a bit like Leslie Neilson and sounds like him too... We did a Snapple commercial with him... where he's backlit, so that you hardly see anything of him physically... except that he's a shadowy figure in a suit... with gray hair, etc. Then he imparts this powerful (yet almost comedic through it's "seriousness") voice.

I wanted to get him for a minor thing for DVXuser (in a past fest) and was totally deflated when, instead of talking to me directly... I called the number he gave me... and got an agent stating a cost structure like you have above there Chip...

So anyway... I probably won't be seeing him again any time soon... and oddly enough... he wrote that number on the back of his "other" business card... his and his wife's embroidery company.

:)

Seriously... so you get $500 for a couple hours, but don't have $20 for business cards? Hmm... anyway... true story... and the reason that I thought more people would be interested in this also.

If you've got the pipes for VO... and got hired... it would be the best way to make a buck that I can think of.
 
I nominate our own Erik Olson...

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I AGREE
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Funny this should be bumped back up now, because just yesterday I met an American pal here in Kyoto, and he told me that he had bought a Zoom H4N and also a studio mic setup (don't know what, but he never goes cheap) because a guy at his church did a bible reading that knocked his socks off, and he said he wants to record the guy to get him into audiobooks or VO or something.

I have a Zoom H2; I think I'll record something since I speak for a living, and it would be fun and interesting to get your evaluations.
 
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Doc Bernard said:
Hey Matt, where's that copy? I got things set up here, going to use the BV-1.
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So can we just write something in this thread to have a standardized "copy"?

EDIT for streamlined copy, thanks to MAINSTREET. Should be a tidy 15 second bite. Suitable for an official commercial... which will make a good second thread... a 15 second "trailer" using the winner's VO clip...

Tell me that isn't a good idea? combine the winning VO with a separate "make a trailer for DVXuser" contest... then post the winning vid + VO combo... again... youtube. We're talking about a mini-fest type thing... where the stakes may be low... but the fun factor is high and it's damn quick and easy to do... instant gratification!


"In a world wide web of confusion and misinformation... one site stands alone... one site, on a quest to inform, educate, and entertain everyone in the film community. That site... is DVXuser dot com"


Does that count as copy? PLEASE feel free to edit this (anybody) for a smoother phrase... but I think if we have something relatively short and sweet... with some challenge for articulation, but free to interpretation... maybe we'll end up popping some of these on future fest entries... or trailers for youtube or something... as I was saying before... it could be a great way to promote the site while we all have a chuckle and some appreciation for the variety of voices and personalities all saying the same thing. :)
 
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You know how practically EVERY movie trailer starts with:

"In a world..."

or

"One man..."


The idea is that if it's funny (aiming for somewhere between dry, and genuinely funny... think "the onion" but yet a real enough statement that it's actually selling DVXuser)... then maybe more people outside of this thread will watch these and be entertained by them. More people will do it... since we're clearly having fun with it. If somebody stands out... it won't matter what they say anyway... and maybe we'll get some video responses doing VO (promotion) for DVXuser... from real VO pros who stumble across the vids? (since they'd get free promotion of their own ability... a mutually good thing... bringing more audio pros to the site... and bringing the site to more audio pros.)

This will spark some interest in guys and gals that don't know much about this site... and as long as we make it fun... we'll get significant views.

As an added benefit for youtube searches... and to let people hear what a bit of gear does... why not put subtitles (or an end frame) saying what mic or special gear was used?*

I am by no means attached to that copy... but please, if you think it should say something else, or be changed, offer a suggestion... such as "replace ____ with ____"... or write an alternate "copy" for us all to do. (This applies to anybody... but I think we should say the same thing... having our own takes on it.)

I'm thinking if we all post these on youtube... with whatever visuals you choose (ideally something that shows us doing it)... and all title them the same, such as "DVXuser VO Challenge"... then it would be fun for people to go there and just see each person taking a stab at it.

I definitely think it should be funny though... or people will be bored with it after the first one.


*I'm amazed that I've got over 9K views on a simple NTG-3 vs. 416 comparison I did a year ago. That blows my mind. Clearly people want to know what mics sound like before they buy one.
 
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Screw it... here... I have no shame. Let's agree on some copy... then get this started... all I'm wanting to do here is break the ice... this is not my official entry.

EDIT: My "official entry" is on the last page... or page 6(?) if the thread grew.

RX782 said:
Oh come on, that makes it so much harder to take it seriously, though I guess that's the challenge, right? :happy:
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RX782 said:
Give me some copy you'd prefer, as I don't actually have any examples really, but why not try it? I'd like to think I have a decent voice. :happy:
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Please offer some "copy" or alternate suggestions and I'll submit something else ASAP... feel free to suggest copy, and then do it... all I'm saying is put your mouth where your mouth is.

And this is not my official entry either. It doesn't matter if you take it seriously... I hope some people don't. When I say I have no shame... I mean it :)

EDIT: Other stupid vid removed... official entry, page 6-7 from me.

Doc Bernard said:
Hey Matt, where's that copy? I got things set up here, going to use the BV-1.
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Ball's in your court Doc.

Batutta said:
I'm not about to hold myself up to ridicule, though.
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Watch my second vid... get over it :) This could be a growing experience for you... or something that haunts you for the rest of your life like a cackling scream in the middle of a campaign rally... either way it'll be fun for the rest of us... besides... I'm dying to know what you really look like.
 
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My wife says I have a good speaking voice.

Of course, she also eats my cooking and laughs at my jokes, so...
 
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