Live, 90-Minute, In-Depth Studio and Performance Technical Evaluations:
Many times, we never hear anything back concerning our auditions. Good, bad or indifferent, our auditions frequently vanish into a black hole. It is rare to get open, honest feedback on our reads, how they sound, and if we are performing and delivering our product at a professional level.
This evaluation is meant to provide voice over talent with clear details, guidance and feedback on their audio and reads, direct from the producer’s chair.
On average, thirty to fifty percent of all audition submissions we receive here at the studio are rejected for quality alone. Poor sound quality, noisy recording environments, poor editing or over editing, unbridled mouth and nose noises, wrong file types, too much processing, lack of connection to the material, improper pacing, and the list goes on.
It is extremely rare in fact, that we as editors and producers find ourselves struggling to decide between a bunch of great demos or auditions. Most of the time – it is more like finding a few gems and then sorting through the best of the worst. A lot of otherwise capable talent get set aside, regularly, because their audio is simply not up to passable standards.
With most talent working from home studios, it has become imperative that we send out the best quality product we can produce. Unfortunately, many auditions don’t make it past the front door based on audio quality alone. Having your audio, studio setup, and delivery professionally reviewed, and further, making any recommended changes after the evaluation , can put you on your way to winning more auditions.
During this evaluation we will examine, in detail, every aspect of:
Your Studio Setup:
- Your recording equipment, environment and noise floor.
- Audio signal path, A/D converter and wiring.
- Reference monitoring and hardware
- Sound isolation, soundproofing and acoustic treatment.
- Your ability to make remote connections via ipDTL, and Source-Connect.
- Your editing and production software and process.
Audio and recording specific concerns:
- Microphone signal to noise ratio.
- Pre-amp settings and signal send level.
- Microphone type, style and placement.
- Performance angle and distance.
- Sampling rates and file types for recording and export.
- Audio file quality and editing capabilities.
Technical performance review:
Voice talent will receive a detailed review and evaluation of (3) pre-recorded scripts – both raw and edited – 6 files in total.
Due to time constraints – individual files should not be longer than 3-4 minutes in length.
Your recordings will be reviewed and evaluated from an editor/producer’s perspective as to their quality and deliverability – i.e. – can they be passed along to downstream clients with little modification or additional editing.
Audio file submissions will be reviewed during the session.
Any areas requiring additional editing will be marked – and the files will be returned to the talent to continue working. Marks will cover areas of concern such as nose noises, mouth clicks, noise floor issues, EQ imbalances, acoustic and resonance issues, and other distracting noises or tonal distortions.
Submission audio will be reviewed for appropriate level, microphone proximity, delivery and projection, pre-amp settings balance, room reflections, frequency buildup and any other areas of concern.
Concerning the delivery of the copy, special attention will be paid to pace, cadence, timing, tone, inflection and connection to the copy.
Benefits to the voice talent:
A complete and thorough overview of your studio sound, recording and editing capabilities.
A clearly defined list of action items requiring more attention.
Live review and feedback of your pre-recorded audition files, complete with editing suggestions. These files will be returned to you with marks and visual cues in areas that need attention.
A better understanding of what producers and editors are looking for in audio submissions, and what they absolutely don’t want to see or hear.
A better understanding of remote connection quality requirements, level setting, and running backup copies of the recording session.
A clear understanding of why your audio is good, great, or needs improvement.
Tips on eye and ear training for cleaning up audition audio and making appropriate edits, as well as not over-editing or over-producing your audio submissions.
Expert guidance on the quality of your studio setup and equipment, sound isolation, and a strategy for what improvements will make the most difference should any need to be made.
One-on-one time with a tenured producer and audio editor specializing in the field of Health Science and Medical Narration, and audio production for Biomedical Visualization and Animation.
Cost for the evaluation is $500 – and includes:
- Our studio time during the live session.
- Fees for 1-on-1 consultation and coaching covering all of the details outlined above.
- Our initial review, detailed analysis and evaluation of your (6) raw and edited audio files prior to the session.
- The marking, commenting and return of those audio files.
- Remote connection testing and quality checks with ipDTL and Source-Connect.
To schedule an evaluation, or ask questions, please use the contact form on this site. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.