Services
Here’s what we provide at the friendly environs of Voiceover Studio Chicago...
Voiceover Exploration — $150, for one and a half to two hours
In the Voiceover Exploration session, we’ll meet and I’ll hand you some pages with copy. I’ll have you work on the microphone, coaching you through various pieces of completely generic copy chosen according to whether you're a boy or a girl. (You'll want to be sure of that before you contact me. Heh.) You’ll get an idea of what it’s like to do this job and be pushed around (verbally) by someone who will show you what it takes to achieve a good, usable recording of a commercial. Then you’ll have a seat and we'll listen back to what we recorded. You may be delighted or you may be dismayed. (Are you one of those people who hates the way their voice sounds on recordings? -- stay out of the VO biz.) I give you detailed information about how to practice and build your skills. I tell you what you need to create a home recording studio. I tell you where to find material to use for practicing. You ask any questions you like about the voiceover business and get my recommendations about where you should go from here. I hand you a cd with the best takes from what we recorded, and you pay me for my time. And after you leave, of course, you can feel free to email me with anything you forgot to ask while you were here.
Another reason I ask people to take the Voiceover Exploration session is so I can get an idea of what your vocal character is, gauge your experience level, and get an idea of what you're trying to sell. Working with you in an actual recording session is the best way to learn what copy to choose/adapt/write for you. I'll learn whether you have a young sound or a more mature sound. I'll find out if you're good at "sell" copy and retail, whether you're a monster truck announcer, or whether you should perhaps stay on the narration side of the business. (I had a client like that not long ago. We learned together that he enjoyed and was much more suited to narration, plus he had experience with audio recording. I told him that with his skill set, he could probably record his narration demo without my help. He went away happy -- and saved money.)
You see, there are plenty of people who advertise "Come in for a free Voiceover Evaluation!" And then do everything they can to sell you a demo. (Often for what I think are insane rates for a beginner, as I've said elsewhere.) Other people invite new folks to a casting session -- or to a "casting" session -- and then they somehow find a way to say "Heyyyy, you have a good voice... Do you have a demo?" You can imagine where the conversation goes from there. I charge a hundred and fifty bucks, not just because I think my time is valuable and I provide a good service. I charge that amount because I know that with my honest, straight-forward approach, I'll never see most of you again. :-)
Even if you never make a demo with me, by going through the Voiceover Exploration session, you'll get a seasoned pro's valuable assessment of your talent. You'll get a workshop in mic technique. You'll gain experience working with copy. You'll find out where you stand in relation to the voiceover business and your chances at making a living in it. And you'll get your money's worth.
(***See below for an additional free service you get by taking the Voiceover Exploration.)
Commercial Voiceover Demo Production — $850
The audio calling card of the voiceover business: a commercial voiceover demo, from a minute to a minute thirty seconds in length. You must take the Voiceover Exploration session, OR prove that you’ve had considerable experience OR be recommended by someone I know. This price includes everything: copy edited/written specifically for you, recording with coaching, finished spots with backing tracks/effects, six copies on cd and an mp3 version sent to your email address. This includes minor adjustments and tweaks, but don’t get nuts about it — it’s just a voiceover demo. :-) If you continue in the business, you’ll make other demos, updated with work you’ve done that's been on the air. If you don’t continue in the business, you’ll have a nice souvenir from a time when you went a little crazy, but you won’t have paid the price of a decent used Toyota. After recording, wait two or three weeks for delivery. Payment: half at the demo recording session, half on completion, by check or PayPal.
Narration Voiceover Demo Production — $650
The narration end of the business is where a lot of beginners can best make inroads, because this is an area where it's easiest to market. Those people from your company or your church that say "you have a really nice voice:" do they own companies? Local businesses? Do they have telephone answering machines that sound like they were voiced by someone with a grade school education? They're your target audience for marketing and getting work. Are you interested in narrating for web sites, PowerPoint presentations, corporate training videos, museum kiosks or anywhere the human voice can be used in the business world? Then you should have a narration demo. Depending on your voice type, this may include technical medical copy, multi-media scripts and other non-commercial material.
Voiceover Demo Compilation — $350 or less
You've booked some great jobs, and now you want to put them together to make a demo. If you're making a completely new demo using old spots, I'll charge the full price shown here. If you're just adding a spot or two into an existing demo, it'll cost less, possibly much less. Or perhaps you want to liven things up with a fully-produced spot. Talk to me and I'll cut you a deal.
Voiceover Coaching — $75 hour
By popular request. What usually happens is that people take the Voiceover Exploration, and I tell them they're not ready for prime time. I give you detailed instructions on how to practice on your own. (I know it's crazy, but I don't charge a dime for all the hours you practice by yourself and gain skills and get sharper.) You send me mp3s so I can see how your recording and auditioning skills are shaping up. But if you still need in-person assistance, you come back and we see what's going on, where the trouble lies. Repeat if necessary, or set a date to record your demo.
Home Studio and Audio Recording Assistance — $75 hour, plus travel and parking, two-hour minimum
Do you have a recording program set up, but it's driving you crazy trying to get good results? I can help with Audacity, Sound Forge, Pro Tools, Garage Band and other programs. Learn how to get a good recording, convert it into an mp3, and ship it off for an audition. Tips and tricks to make sure you're doing things right and putting your best voice forward.
Email Audio File Assessment -- negotiated
The best, easiest way to find out from a working professional whether your home recordings for auditions are being done right. What I mean is, after you have set up your home recording studio, you send me mp3 files. I let you know what they sound like and make recommendations. You shoot me out some $$ through PayPal. (***When you take the Voiceover Exploration session, you get three emails with three mp3s each coached for free.)
Voiceover Exploration — $150, for one and a half to two hours
In the Voiceover Exploration session, we’ll meet and I’ll hand you some pages with copy. I’ll have you work on the microphone, coaching you through various pieces of completely generic copy chosen according to whether you're a boy or a girl. (You'll want to be sure of that before you contact me. Heh.) You’ll get an idea of what it’s like to do this job and be pushed around (verbally) by someone who will show you what it takes to achieve a good, usable recording of a commercial. Then you’ll have a seat and we'll listen back to what we recorded. You may be delighted or you may be dismayed. (Are you one of those people who hates the way their voice sounds on recordings? -- stay out of the VO biz.) I give you detailed information about how to practice and build your skills. I tell you what you need to create a home recording studio. I tell you where to find material to use for practicing. You ask any questions you like about the voiceover business and get my recommendations about where you should go from here. I hand you a cd with the best takes from what we recorded, and you pay me for my time. And after you leave, of course, you can feel free to email me with anything you forgot to ask while you were here.
Another reason I ask people to take the Voiceover Exploration session is so I can get an idea of what your vocal character is, gauge your experience level, and get an idea of what you're trying to sell. Working with you in an actual recording session is the best way to learn what copy to choose/adapt/write for you. I'll learn whether you have a young sound or a more mature sound. I'll find out if you're good at "sell" copy and retail, whether you're a monster truck announcer, or whether you should perhaps stay on the narration side of the business. (I had a client like that not long ago. We learned together that he enjoyed and was much more suited to narration, plus he had experience with audio recording. I told him that with his skill set, he could probably record his narration demo without my help. He went away happy -- and saved money.)
You see, there are plenty of people who advertise "Come in for a free Voiceover Evaluation!" And then do everything they can to sell you a demo. (Often for what I think are insane rates for a beginner, as I've said elsewhere.) Other people invite new folks to a casting session -- or to a "casting" session -- and then they somehow find a way to say "Heyyyy, you have a good voice... Do you have a demo?" You can imagine where the conversation goes from there. I charge a hundred and fifty bucks, not just because I think my time is valuable and I provide a good service. I charge that amount because I know that with my honest, straight-forward approach, I'll never see most of you again. :-)
Even if you never make a demo with me, by going through the Voiceover Exploration session, you'll get a seasoned pro's valuable assessment of your talent. You'll get a workshop in mic technique. You'll gain experience working with copy. You'll find out where you stand in relation to the voiceover business and your chances at making a living in it. And you'll get your money's worth.
(***See below for an additional free service you get by taking the Voiceover Exploration.)
Commercial Voiceover Demo Production — $850
The audio calling card of the voiceover business: a commercial voiceover demo, from a minute to a minute thirty seconds in length. You must take the Voiceover Exploration session, OR prove that you’ve had considerable experience OR be recommended by someone I know. This price includes everything: copy edited/written specifically for you, recording with coaching, finished spots with backing tracks/effects, six copies on cd and an mp3 version sent to your email address. This includes minor adjustments and tweaks, but don’t get nuts about it — it’s just a voiceover demo. :-) If you continue in the business, you’ll make other demos, updated with work you’ve done that's been on the air. If you don’t continue in the business, you’ll have a nice souvenir from a time when you went a little crazy, but you won’t have paid the price of a decent used Toyota. After recording, wait two or three weeks for delivery. Payment: half at the demo recording session, half on completion, by check or PayPal.
Narration Voiceover Demo Production — $650
The narration end of the business is where a lot of beginners can best make inroads, because this is an area where it's easiest to market. Those people from your company or your church that say "you have a really nice voice:" do they own companies? Local businesses? Do they have telephone answering machines that sound like they were voiced by someone with a grade school education? They're your target audience for marketing and getting work. Are you interested in narrating for web sites, PowerPoint presentations, corporate training videos, museum kiosks or anywhere the human voice can be used in the business world? Then you should have a narration demo. Depending on your voice type, this may include technical medical copy, multi-media scripts and other non-commercial material.
Voiceover Demo Compilation — $350 or less
You've booked some great jobs, and now you want to put them together to make a demo. If you're making a completely new demo using old spots, I'll charge the full price shown here. If you're just adding a spot or two into an existing demo, it'll cost less, possibly much less. Or perhaps you want to liven things up with a fully-produced spot. Talk to me and I'll cut you a deal.
Voiceover Coaching — $75 hour
By popular request. What usually happens is that people take the Voiceover Exploration, and I tell them they're not ready for prime time. I give you detailed instructions on how to practice on your own. (I know it's crazy, but I don't charge a dime for all the hours you practice by yourself and gain skills and get sharper.) You send me mp3s so I can see how your recording and auditioning skills are shaping up. But if you still need in-person assistance, you come back and we see what's going on, where the trouble lies. Repeat if necessary, or set a date to record your demo.
Home Studio and Audio Recording Assistance — $75 hour, plus travel and parking, two-hour minimum
Do you have a recording program set up, but it's driving you crazy trying to get good results? I can help with Audacity, Sound Forge, Pro Tools, Garage Band and other programs. Learn how to get a good recording, convert it into an mp3, and ship it off for an audition. Tips and tricks to make sure you're doing things right and putting your best voice forward.
Email Audio File Assessment -- negotiated
The best, easiest way to find out from a working professional whether your home recordings for auditions are being done right. What I mean is, after you have set up your home recording studio, you send me mp3 files. I let you know what they sound like and make recommendations. You shoot me out some $$ through PayPal. (***When you take the Voiceover Exploration session, you get three emails with three mp3s each coached for free.)
