If you're looking to start a voiceover career, one of the most important things you can do is produce a great demo. A demo is a collection of your best work, and it's what potential clients will use to determine whether or not to hire you.
It is always suggested that voiceover artists hire a professional demo producer to produce their demos before submitting to agents, doing extensive self-marketing, or going for high-profile jobs. However, if you're new to voiceover or haven't yet honed your acting skills, a professional demo can be a waste of time and money. In that case, a self-produced demo is a great temporary solution.
In this blog post, we'll talk about how to produce a voiceover demo that will make you stand out from the competition.
When it comes to producing your voiceover demo, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, you should create one demo per voiceover genre. This will help potential clients see what kind of work you're capable of for their project. Voiceover genres include commercial, eLearning, political, audiobook, corporate narration, promo, radio imaging, gaming, telephony, etc.. You can also create demos for a specific niche, like automotive, movie trailers, medical narration and COVID-19.
Second, as a general rule, demos should be no longer than one minute and five seconds in length. This ensures that the client can get a good idea of your work without having to listen to a long recording. A good rule of thumb is to include between five to seven total spots within your demo, with each spot running no longer than 10 seconds.
Third, all scripts should be written for your voice and tone. This means that the words should fit your natural way of speaking, and the tone should match the mood of the project. For example, if you're a millennial woman, like me, you will likely get jobs as a young mom or college student. Your scripts should reflect that.
Fourth, your demo should include a range of emotions, from conversational to inspiring to serious. This shows potential clients that you're capable of more than just one emotion, and it helps them to imagine you in a variety of different projects.
Fifth, your demo should include a broad range of companies. For example, you'll notice many professional demo producers include a car advertisement, a fast food company, a clothing company, and a tech company. This helps the client see that you're versatile and can perform a variety of different types of voiceovers.
Finally, your demo should include background music and sound effects. This adds production value to your demo and makes it more engaging to listen to.
If you follow these tips, you'll be on your way to producing a great voiceover demo that will help you get the jobs you want. Good luck!