Voice Over Demo Production at MineWurx...
Your Voice Demo Gets you Work, But only if You're Good Enough to Record it
Recording your voice over demo is probably the most exciting process you'll ever go through when first starting out. Second only to getting your first gig. During this excitement, we can make some really intrepid decisions if we don't take a moment to sit back, and truly think about what were getting into.
One thing you should know - we're not in the voice over demo business. We're in the voice over training business and we happen to produce demos for our students. We have never, and will never take somebody of the street and make a demo for them. We only provide voice over demos for people who are ready. Which means you must be trained.
No training, no demo... At least not from us. There are pleanty of people out there willing to make demos for people who don't know what they're doing. We don't intend to ever be like them. It's good for the spirit. That being said...
When you begin to compile the costs of recording, printing, duplication, distribution, and any other various expenses, the figure can and does get quite high. Take this example based on 100 CD demo copies for instance:
These are fee's other studios are charging.
- Recording Fee: $1500 dollars
- Duplication Fee: $400 dollars
- Graphic Design: $250 dollars
- CD Cost: $100 dollars
- Printing Cost: $400 dollars
- Distribution Costs: (Packing - Postage) $400 dollars
Total: Around 3 thousand dollars. Not every studio will charge these prices. Some will charge more, some less. These rates were complied from rates various studios have charged us in the past for graphic design, duplication work, printing costs and shipping.
There can be some big variations in these charges from place to place. Many voice over talent avoid extra charges by doing some of the work themselves. They print their own labels, do their own duplication, wrap their own CD's. This will save a lot of money in the long run, but here are some of the downfalls:
Paper labels will come off CD's with time, no matter how good they are. Self-labeled CD's tend to not look anywhere near as good as printed CD's and smack somewhat of "Novice". Self duplicated CD's if done incorrectly, might not play in some CD players. It would be a shame to go through all the trouble to get a demo into the hands of a producer to have it not play when they get it. Though this is rare, it does happen. To make a long story short, nothing can compare with a professional print and duplication job when it comes to your demo... Period.
It also depends on what market you are pursuing. If you want to work in the high paying, highly skilled Union market, you absolutely must have the best looking, best sounding product available. If you intend on working in the notoriously low paying non-union market, then you may not even need more than a few copies of your demo, and printing won't really matter. There are some very well paying non-union jobs, and some well paid non-union talent, but the entry level of the non-union market grossly under pays.
The reality of it, is that if you are going to get into voiceovers, and you are going to be good, you will eventually have to join the union. The biggest voices out there are all union members, and if you want to be one of them, you are going to have to have a good product... Period. So you should strive to put your best foot forward, as far forward as your budget will allow you. That being said, our demo production services are as follows:
Our Voice Over Demo Production Services at MineWurx are flat rate. The demo will be recorded in 3 to 6 sessions. Each session will be scheduled on a different day, to pick up a broader range of vocal characteristics. Post production on demo-only service is usually one to two weeks. Duplication work as well as artwork and printing can push the project toward 4 to 6 weeks. We offer two demo packages at MineWurx.
Master only Service: costs 800.00 dollars and includes:
As much studio time, coaching and direction as it takes to get the job done; however, it is highly recommended that you not pursue the production of a demo without being ready. I have seen students go through as much as 6 months to a year or more of steady coaching before ever attempting to compile a reel.
MineWurx Studio does not produce demos for untrained talent. If you are fresh off the street with no formal voice over training and think you need a demo reel, we ask that you look elsewhere for the production of it. Or, sign up for coaching with our studio. Just know that we are not in the business of launching unprepared talent into the market. We wish others out there shared the same philosophy.
If you have been approached by someone, or told by anyone (no matter who they are, who they represent, or how much experience they say they have in the business) that after two days of training or a weekend seminar you are ready for a demo reel and the voice over business, you have been lied to. Don't believe it? Call and we'll explain it to you.
You will get two edits of your demo. A full length (normal time: 2:30 - 2:45 minutes) and a demo short (1:00 to 1:15 minutes)
Master and Duplication Service: 2000.00 dollars
Includes the above, as well as 100 copies, and design service with printed J-cards/ Tray cards.
Pricing information can be found at The MineWurx Store.
For more information about our demo services, or any other question, feel free to contact us by clicking the contact button anywhere in this site.
Watch the movie to see how the new voice over isolation booth construction is going.
