Radio Demo Checklist from the pips.co.uk

Demo Checklist

 Have your best work at the START.

 Don’t start the demo with a jingle. Makes sure the first thing heard is you.

 Don’t have too many other voices on your demo. You’re the one trying to stand out.

 Don’t have too much music on your demo or talk over it. The music always wins.

 Make sure the sound quality is excellent.

 Do create your demo in the style of the station you’re sending it to.

 Don’t have too many long links on your demo. Aim for 5-7 links on a 3 min demo.

 Show personality/relatability in your demo but also show you can do the basics. Show you can present.

 Don’t have weather/traffic reports in your demo. They do not make you STAND OUT!!

 Show you can sell on a demo. Commercial radio loves presenters who sell competitions/other shows well.

 SEND SEND SEND. Get feedback and use it to improve.

More hints and tips at www.thepips.co.uk

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Voiceover Tips

 Get a GOOD demo together. The best demos will have work thats already been broadcast.  First impressions last! If you send out a weak demo you might not get a 2nd chance

 Do listen & learn from other voiceovers on radio and TV. Ask yourself "can I do it like that?"

 Record yourself and ask yourself if your voice and style is suitable for that brand.

 Did it take you 20 takes to get it right? If it did, clients might not call you back. Learn to be efficient.  Be prepared to work under pressure. More and jobs these days are last minute.  Be available. Your own studio and quality equipment will make you more desirable.

 Have a good attitude. It's the best job in the world. A good reputation will work wonders for you.  To make the most of the industry seriously consider working full time.

 Are you prepared to wait to be paid? You will have to learn to be patient!

 And the best tip? Respect and enjoy the freedom of working for yourself.

Thank you to Guy Harris for these tips - www.voiceoverguy.co.uk More hints and tips at www.thepips.co.uk

Voiceover Demo Advice

Demo NOT

Twitter--

(From the Voice123 staff)

I would like to quickly mention: What is NOT a demo?

A fast recording done at your desk, and edited with online software.
An announcement of what you plan to do in the industry.
‘Spoken word’ and poetry recordings.
A statement of who you are, and why you want to be in voice overs.
Recording something on your mobile phone in a closet.

I get this out of the way because since March 2009, a date I began keeping records as to ‘how many’ demos were approved/disapproved during quality assurance at my job, I realised I had listened to over 60,000 demos.

I began working for an online casting website in July 2007, and at that time did Quality Assurance by myself for the next year and a half, 10 hours a day. Even though I really sympathise with those who want to be in voice overs, and do not know how to get their first demo, it still needs to be done the professional way, if one is expected to have any chance of getting work.

You would never see a chef serve canned ravioli while stating, ‘Don’t worry. This is just for now, until I get out of cooking school’, and you should not do the same to yourself as a voice artist. Why? A poorly made demo has the following affect on those listening:

Makes clients feel bad for you
Makes clients annoyed
Gives them a reason to keep searching
Gives them a reason to remember not to look for you again
Serves as one big 24-hours a day/7-days a week campaign announcing you are not ready

When the idea of reading a sample script and recording it comes to my mind, just remember this is a way to “practice”. Practice recordings rank up there with a filmmaker recording a dog on a skateboard and uploading it to Youtube.

It is not a professional representation of your work. Even if you did something to get many listens, views, etc., it will be short-lived publicity for the wrong reasons.

Radio Journalist

Journalist Tips – Helping you take the next step in radio

One of the most competitive roles in radio is that of Broadcast Journalist. There are a good number of Broadcast Journalism courses right across the UK and that means every year there is an influx of new journalists that wish to work in radio.

Below are a number of tips from Liz Summers, a broadcast journalist with five years experience in broadcasting plus a BJTC accredited MA in TV Journalism and a BA (hons) in Media Studies. Liz has worked for a number of different radio stations across the UK and is currently reading the news on the breakfast show at Heart Cambridge.

If you’re sending off CV’s to stations make sure your spelling and grammar are perfect. If you can’t get those things right editors will conclude that you won’t make a very good journalist!

Find out the name of the News Editor at the station you’re contacting. I’ve known editors to throw brilliant CV’s straight into the bin even before reading them just because the covering letter wasn’t specifically addressed to them.

Take time to construct an exceptional CV that will make you stand out from the hundreds of other people wanting a job. Ask media professionals, friends and family for advice – think of yourself as a brand and sell yourself but don’t come across as arrogant.

Read, listen and watch the news every day – you need to live and breath news and current affairs.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re learning, journalists should be confident and inquisitive.

Take on board constructive criticism from those that you respect BUT learn to brush off negativity from others – you need a thick skin in journalism.

Print off radio news bulletins from the internet and practice reading them to yourself and others.

Listen to the way newsreaders on TV and radio use pitch and tone to add light and shade to a story.

Get as much work experience as possible. Not only will you learn a lot, you’ll also meet the right people. Everyone has a degree these days – you need something to give you an edge.

Don’t expect the work to come to you just because you’ve done a degree!You need to be VERY self motivated. Make a list of the companies you’d like to work for and write specific covering letters and CV’s for them – remember for every job that is advertised you’ll be competing against lots of other journalists. Create your own opportunities, don’t wait for them to come to you and you’ll get where you want to be a lot quicker!

DON’T GIVE UP!!!!! I know you’ve heard it a million times but seriously if at first you don’t succeed try, try, try again. Passion and determination will take you far and I’m a big believer that hard work is never wasted even if it doesn’t seem like it immediately.

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