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By Guy Michaels
With my expertise as a voice-over artist and producer, I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of voice actors to help them craft the perfect set of voice reels. Let’s connect to see how I can help you.
Tips on creating a Voice Actor Demo Reel
From my experience, voice reels are an essential tool for showcasing your skills and attracting potential clients. I believe they serve as not only a representation of your talent but also your versatility in voice overs.
Although it is common to create a custom demo for a client (using a small snippet of their actual script), voice reels can work as the powerful introduction to you and your voice.
Learn about Guy’s unique approach to Voice Over Demo Production
IMPORTANT VOICE REEL TIP: I suggest avoiding the creation of a mega mix type reel that encompasses genres and targets multiple markets. Such reels often end up trying to appeal to everyone but fail to resonate with any audience. For instance it’s advisable not to mix a children’s fiction narration with a monologue followed by examples of commercial work since these tracks cater to vastly different audiences.
Tips for professional voice reels
Your voice reel acts as an audition in that it is often the first opportunity to spike interest from casting directors, client and voiceover agents. When creating your voice actor demo reel (or reels), it’s crucial to include the following elements to make a lasting impression:
1. Variety of Voice Samples
Your voicereels should showcase a range of your vocal abilities. Include samples that demonstrate your proficiency in different genres, such as commercials, narration, animation, video games and character voices. This variety will highlight your versatility and increase your chances of landing diverse voice acting opportunities.
2. Professional-Quality Audio
Ensure that your voice over demo reel has high-quality audio. If you are attempting to produce a homemade demo, then invest in a good microphone and optimise your recording setup to capture your voice clearly and without any background noise. Clean and crisp audio will make a lasting impression and demonstrate your commitment to professionalism. Dodgy, hissy, noisy audio will simply expose you as an unemployable amateur.
3. Short and Engaging Clips
Keep your voicereels concise and engaging. Aim for a duration of around one to two minutes, as casting directors and potential clients often have limited time. Select your best voice samples and edit them together seamlessly to create a captivating voice actor demo reel that leaves a lasting impact.
No matter what genre you are creating a demo for (commercial, narration, gaming specific), work to create ‘shifts in energy’ throughout your demos to show your vocal range and keep the listener’s interest.
4. ‘Natural you’ first
Especially true for a commercial demo or corporate demo, start your voicereel (the compilation) with a track that is as close to your natural speaking voice, energy and personality as possible. It is a serious mistake to begin voicereels of these types with a ‘character voice’ or a performance which is far away from your natural voice.
Show the potential client who you you are first, followed by what you can do after. The order of tracks in a commercial demo is a very important consideration and when I’m producing a voice actor demo reel, I spend a lot of time going back and forth until it’s just right.
NOTE: I would argue that as a voice over artist, you are likely to get booked more often using your ‘own voice’ than in work that utilises your acting chops. Although in such a massive industry, there is plenty of opportunity for voice over work that uses your acting ability, focus first on tracks that show your own voice to prospective clients.
5. Showcase a range of Emotions and Characters
Include samples that highlight your ability to portray a wide range of emotions and characters. This can include energetic and upbeat voices, as well as calm and serious tones. Demonstrating your versatility will make you more appealing to casting directors who are looking for voiceover artists capable of bringing various characters to life.
In a world of voice acting opportunities, voice actors should always consider having a professional voiceover demo reel showing different characters for the gaming and animation markets. Check out my character voice over demo service if you are interested in something truly unique and that caters to your and your skills.
NOTE: For a commercial demo it’s really more about ‘intentions’ rather than emotions. Most of the time, you’ll want to position the listener as the hero in the narrative and then influence them to make a decision – whether that is to visit a website or make a purchase. You want them to take an action. Look for the CTA (call to action) in each script and bear this in mind.
6. Professional Editing
Having spent significant time in the voice acting business, I know that professional voiceover work goes far beyond just the voice. I always recommend investing in professional editing for your voice actor demo reel, or even better, working with a dedicated voice over demo producer like myself.
Smooth transitions between different samples, background music if appropriate, and well-balanced audio levels will enhance the overall quality of your reel. Music and sound effects should only be used to enhance and not create atmosphere.
Remember my key advice: voice first! I often see voice acting demos overwhelmed by sound effects or distracting music. For me, production elements should always be secondary to showcasing your skills as a voice-over artist.
7. Updated and Relevant Content
Regularly update your voice actor demo reel to include your latest and most relevant work. As you gain more experience and improve your skills, replace older samples with newer ones that showcase your growth as a voice actor.
Keeping your voice actor demo reel up to date demonstrates your commitment to improvement and staying current in the industry.
Remember, your voice over demos are your calling cards in the industry. It is important to make sure they represent your skills, professionalism, unique voice and versatility as a voice actor in the best possible way.
With a well-crafted voice actor demo reel, you’ll increase your chances of attracting the attention of casting directors and securing exciting voice acting opportunities.
Ready to record your voice acting demos?
