Do stations request demos of multiple voices before they officially decide to either continue with the voice they're with, or change? I've been listening to a lot of imaging demos lately, and two stand out to me. I can't remember the voice's name, but I heard one for 95.7 The Jet Seattle, but the voice in the demo was not the one they use, and have never used. Another one that I've heard is Pat Garret voicing KCDA/Spokane, which unless they used him for only about a year between 2016-2017, they've never used him. What's happening here?
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station imaging
- Thread starter bobdavcav
- Start date
There are a few possibilities. It could be the station requested a demo, or the talent just pitched one to the station.
Or maybe the talent created a public demo of his voice work using that station as the example, even though he never actually did that imaging for the station.
Where did you find the demos?
Or maybe the talent created a public demo of his voice work using that station as the example, even though he never actually did that imaging for the station.
Where did you find the demos?
One small-market station I was with was in awe of a particular station in NYC that aired a similar format. They found out who the NY station used for imaging, contacted him and the guy was happy to do their stuff as well. Even though it was a smaller market, I remember the guy being gracious to work with and when a few of the staff weren't completely happy with some stuff he'd done, he was happy to recut it. In that case, a record rep paid for the whole package for that station.
In another case, the station had an imaging guy voice some stuff for them for a re-branding they were considering. They didn't follow through with the branding change, but some of the stuff he'd voiced for them stuck around for years after, even when they tweaked their format but kept their calls.
In another case, the station had an imaging guy voice some stuff for them for a re-branding they were considering. They didn't follow through with the branding change, but some of the stuff he'd voiced for them stuck around for years after, even when they tweaked their format but kept their calls.
I think the Garret demo I'm thinking of is the one on Benztown's site, but I don't remember for sure. The other one is on a site called Digital Sound and Video. I can't remember the name of that voice, but it's one of the males they have. One of the females they have also has a demo for WODS/Boston in the later years as Amp Radio, but she doesn't sound like the voice CBS would have used. Admittedly though having not listened to that station in several years, she could have been the voice of that station at the end and I didn't know it.
The same person tends to do the imaging for numerous stations in the same format and even different formats. For example, the person who does KRWMs imaging also does WLTWs imaging even though she isn’t local.
I think sometimes they already decide the voice based on the format while at other times they may test different voices. Some have only male voices some have one male voice and one female voice and some just have a female voice.
When im working on imaging at a particular commercial station, and were going to make a change... i know what "sounds" and "attitude" im looking for.. i have this idea playing in my head and I usually go looking for people that fit that by doing my own leg work and asking for friends who they know that fits that particular sound.
When ive done this at commercial stations, im pretty picky and know EXACTLY what I'm looking for and keep going till I find it. The imaging overall sound is part of the attitude and presentation im trying to create, so without sounding hippy dippy, its all part of the aura im trying to put forth into the world with the station.
When im at a station and for instance, were doing a big contest and our voice guy (at one country station it was paul dickson) id email him the copy and say... read as is or ad lib a little if something flows better. be serious, be funny, poke fun, make jokes... and here's what im thinking for sound effects and bed music... and i always got back 10x better than what i imagined.
It's all about theatre of mind.
When ive done this at commercial stations, im pretty picky and know EXACTLY what I'm looking for and keep going till I find it. The imaging overall sound is part of the attitude and presentation im trying to create, so without sounding hippy dippy, its all part of the aura im trying to put forth into the world with the station.
When im at a station and for instance, were doing a big contest and our voice guy (at one country station it was paul dickson) id email him the copy and say... read as is or ad lib a little if something flows better. be serious, be funny, poke fun, make jokes... and here's what im thinking for sound effects and bed music... and i always got back 10x better than what i imagined.
It's all about theatre of mind.
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