I'm being told that only professional voice reels (for voice over, not singing) will be accepted by agents, but realistically, I can't do that. I have a good recorder that I can convert to disk form, but I don't want to bother if nobody is going to listen to it.
If anyone else is sending voice reels out, how are you making yours and what are you putting on it (where are you getting your content?)
Thanks

Hey, there. Since you posted that question in the Agents and Managers section, I assumed you were asking in reference to adults seeking a voiceover agent. The business operates quite differently for kids. I don't know that you would even submit a voice sample for kids. Parents?


What I have seen on Voicebank is reels of kids' actual work and of just a kid reading commercial copy, without editing or music.

Not really necessary. Most kids get VO work and get called in for VO auditions with no reel. You just need an agent with the contacts who is willing to send your kid in for those calls. The VO work in NY is generally handled by a commercial agent.

Kids' reels on voicebank sometimes have actual work, or it can be a script that their agent had them read so they could put it on voicebank. But, for kids, the bulk of VO work is not really booked through voicebank.

Ahh, ok. Thank you!! I was getting worried I'd have to go through some process to get it done, I didn't know if it was normal for kids to make one!
Thanks!

I have a slightly different view and experience. I think a Voice Demo is very important and can give you an edge in the submission process. I have heard this myself from several agents. Now, that is not to say that a Voice reel is necessary. It isnt and I think that the majority of kids don't have one but you need only do a search of the kids who do a lot of voice work and you will see that they have both reels and are in the voicebank.

If you are in the LA market and want to submit to DPN (the biggest Voice house), then clearly, you'd need a voice demo CD. If you are looking for agent representation and are sending in headshots w/ resumes, it would also be to your advantage to have a voice reel CD to send with that package. Especially for an agency like CESD or Innovative that does a lot of Voice Overs. They may not want to sign you for legit right away but see that you have a great voice and start you in that department. It opens the door a lot.

My own personal experience with VO work has been terrific. My DD is sent out for VO a lot and it keeps us busy when other areas are dead. Many VO's are AFTRA and pay residuals so the income from them can be great and since there is SOOO much Voice work, it's just a great field to be in.

We have both a Demo CD and are in the bank. Our path to getting the demo was really just a stroke of luck. We took a class at Madelyn Burns with a VO casting director who surprised everyone by taking them to the studio and making each kid a demo and then presented the demo to all the agents at the showcase AND gave each kid a copy. Voila...we had a demo. It was like the class was actually FREE. I would have to say that was probably the best class we ever took there because we got the reel out of it and never expected it (Voice Demo's can be very expensive). Also, that particular Voice casting director has called us in since and they are one of the biggest Voice houses in NY. The guy was/is terrific!

Voice Over is a huge division in this market. To be part of the group of kids that are considered "Voice Over kids" is a really nice position to be in because of all the extra work and opportunity it allows. If we hadent gotten our demo made for free, we were just about to pay to get a proffessional one done anyway. I think it is a great asset to have especially for someone who is submitting in the LA or NY market.

Marla Kirban also does VO reels and she has a website but I liked the fact that we got a class, an agent showcase and a REEL for a fraction of the cost. To be fair though, marla Kirbans reels have music and jungles on them and are more in depth. Ours, were more focused on the voice and technique but are more than sufficient to be a great add on to a submission package.