Loving the audio show format! And this is GREAT. It's a reminder for us to keep our heads-up and see where things are going, so we can tailor our auditions to what producers and casting directors are looking for.
P.S. a bit of a tangent, but: I don't like how I sound on a 416. It's WAY too muddy. But I've got one in my studio strictly to tell clients I have one. I've been requested to use it like... twice. XD
Right? Me too. The 416 is not a great sounding mic on most people, just a mic that gets certain results. And I agree, I don't think anyone has ever asked me to use it. I bought it early in my career because I thought I needed it, but now I only keep it out of fear that maybe, possibly, one day someone will ask me to use one. LOL.
I think about this sometimes and wonder if it's time to start picking an audition mic based on the job specs ("conversational"). I will say that when I'm dialed into a studio, the ENGINEER usually likes a 416 or an 87, likely because they are familiar with the sounds and can work with them easily. But, most of my work isn't tracked or mixed by an engineer. I record to my DAW and then it's mixed by the VIDEO PRODUCER/EDITOR. Often these are the same folks that are posting the jobs, listening to auditions, etc. What are their sound influences? What are they listening for? As an experiment, I'm going to use an AT2035 for any conversational audition I get the next couple days and see if there's an uptick in shortlists/positive feedback.
That's exactly right. The "mix" is the producer/editor dropping your unprocessed track just as you sent it, on top of the video timeline next to a music bed or the video soundtrack and pushing levels and possibly using some compression on everything on render. Mixing for most jobs is dead. And please let me know if you get any results from your experiment worth reporting. I'm curious if you see a difference.
Thanks for expanding on the comment, Mark. Yes, I think the pandemic definitely changed things as far as V/O is concerned, not just in delivery but also in quality in that there was a noticeable drop in audio quality on adverts in particular. I even remember an example where noticeable plosives were left in for a tv advert! I guess, as you say, with social media and the pandemic, a more 'home made' V/O sound and feel has become popular. Will it last? We shall see. Cheers for the video, Mark. All the best. Joe.
It's funny I've definitely noticed a lot of smaller internet brands use intentionally crappy sounding/looking videos for advertisements. It's usually presented as if a real customer was shooting a glowing review with their iPhone in the bathroom. The higher end version of this is a guy eating an SM7b straight on with tons of plosives lol
The bar definitely gets lowered when trying to emulate user-generated media in order for a brand to seem relatable, and that's an ongoing trend that never changes.
This was an incredibly fascinating insight. Having an inside industry professional detailing and picking out where the changes occurred and the nuances in the ever-evolving market is beyond helpful to know! I am in my early twenties/GenZ myself and I'm curious as to your personal feelings in the matter? Would you say that the detail over warmth and the style of delivery is a 'lesser-from'? Or a helpful competitor to how VO will be distinguished from a lesser form of AI VO?
Thank you! That is a really great question. Is it "lesser"? I think that maybe a very fascinating topic for an entire episode since it's too big to just answer in a couple of sentences, but you're thinking along the right lines in terms of considering what it's competing against. Hmmmm. I'll have to think about this and get back to you in a future episode.
Couldn’t agree more Mark; the sonic preference of the world has, is and will continue to evolve. The world of Sonic preferences has witnessed metamorphosis, especially over the last 2-3 decades and this transition pace is strikingly evident across platforms. Akin to everything “fashion and trends’ that beckon us all, sonic identities and affinities will take us all on this perennially evolving journey…. Yea, everything has its place till it becomes obsolete.
Thanks Gary! The term "Sonic Preference" is genius. I think that crystalizes it pretty clearly. And while the overall framing devices (music, commercials, film, etc) haven't structurally changed, what has changed is how they are created and how much more accessible the tools have become, allowing for the evolution of more input into the collective consciousness of media.
Loving the audio show format! And this is GREAT. It's a reminder for us to keep our heads-up and see where things are going, so we can tailor our auditions to what producers and casting directors are looking for.
P.S. a bit of a tangent, but: I don't like how I sound on a 416. It's WAY too muddy. But I've got one in my studio strictly to tell clients I have one. I've been requested to use it like... twice. XD
Yo Duffy! Thank you, man. Much appreciated!
Right? Me too. The 416 is not a great sounding mic on most people, just a mic that gets certain results. And I agree, I don't think anyone has ever asked me to use it. I bought it early in my career because I thought I needed it, but now I only keep it out of fear that maybe, possibly, one day someone will ask me to use one. LOL.
I think about this sometimes and wonder if it's time to start picking an audition mic based on the job specs ("conversational"). I will say that when I'm dialed into a studio, the ENGINEER usually likes a 416 or an 87, likely because they are familiar with the sounds and can work with them easily. But, most of my work isn't tracked or mixed by an engineer. I record to my DAW and then it's mixed by the VIDEO PRODUCER/EDITOR. Often these are the same folks that are posting the jobs, listening to auditions, etc. What are their sound influences? What are they listening for? As an experiment, I'm going to use an AT2035 for any conversational audition I get the next couple days and see if there's an uptick in shortlists/positive feedback.
That's exactly right. The "mix" is the producer/editor dropping your unprocessed track just as you sent it, on top of the video timeline next to a music bed or the video soundtrack and pushing levels and possibly using some compression on everything on render. Mixing for most jobs is dead. And please let me know if you get any results from your experiment worth reporting. I'm curious if you see a difference.
Thanks for expanding on the comment, Mark. Yes, I think the pandemic definitely changed things as far as V/O is concerned, not just in delivery but also in quality in that there was a noticeable drop in audio quality on adverts in particular. I even remember an example where noticeable plosives were left in for a tv advert! I guess, as you say, with social media and the pandemic, a more 'home made' V/O sound and feel has become popular. Will it last? We shall see. Cheers for the video, Mark. All the best. Joe.
You're very welcome, Joe. And thank you for sparking this conversation. It's been something on my mind for a while.
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Cheers Mark😉👍
It's funny I've definitely noticed a lot of smaller internet brands use intentionally crappy sounding/looking videos for advertisements. It's usually presented as if a real customer was shooting a glowing review with their iPhone in the bathroom. The higher end version of this is a guy eating an SM7b straight on with tons of plosives lol
The bar definitely gets lowered when trying to emulate user-generated media in order for a brand to seem relatable, and that's an ongoing trend that never changes.
This was an incredibly fascinating insight. Having an inside industry professional detailing and picking out where the changes occurred and the nuances in the ever-evolving market is beyond helpful to know! I am in my early twenties/GenZ myself and I'm curious as to your personal feelings in the matter? Would you say that the detail over warmth and the style of delivery is a 'lesser-from'? Or a helpful competitor to how VO will be distinguished from a lesser form of AI VO?
Thank you! That is a really great question. Is it "lesser"? I think that maybe a very fascinating topic for an entire episode since it's too big to just answer in a couple of sentences, but you're thinking along the right lines in terms of considering what it's competing against. Hmmmm. I'll have to think about this and get back to you in a future episode.
Couldn’t agree more Mark; the sonic preference of the world has, is and will continue to evolve.
The world of Sonic preferences has witnessed metamorphosis, especially over the last 2-3 decades and this transition pace is strikingly evident across platforms.
Akin to everything “fashion and trends’ that beckon us all, sonic identities and affinities will take us all on this perennially evolving journey…. Yea, everything has its place till it becomes obsolete.
Thanks Gary! The term "Sonic Preference" is genius. I think that crystalizes it pretty clearly. And while the overall framing devices (music, commercials, film, etc) haven't structurally changed, what has changed is how they are created and how much more accessible the tools have become, allowing for the evolution of more input into the collective consciousness of media.
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff true that!