Industrials vs. Narration. They're NOT the same thing! Gabby goes in depth with some concrete examples of what belongs in an industrial demo and what belongs in Narration. Mixing them up could hurt your brand and/or agent representation!
Your Narration Demo Might Not Be a Narration Demo! - 5:16
Adam: Napoleon wasn’t short. He was 5’7” which at the time was taller than average. The rumor that he was a teeny, tiny man was just a piece of British war propaganda.
Napoleon: Napoleon’s true Waterloo was mean people.
Gabby: In case you didn't know it, I'm a really big fan of Adam Conover and his show "Adam Ruins Everything" because he's so dead on! Take a look at what Adam Conover has to say about all of these things that we've pretty much been getting wrong most of our lives.
Adam: George Washington didn't have wooden teeth. His actual dentures were made of gold, lead, hippopotamus bones, and donkey teeth.
Washington: [scoffs] Wood. How pedestrian.
Adam: There is no medical reason to drink eight glasses of water a day.
>> Oh, now you tell me.
Adam: Vikings didn't wear horns on their helmets and the iron maiden never existed. It was a hoax that was made up in the 19th century.
>> [screams]
Adam: [whispered] Fake. Fake.
Gabby: I've got one more to add to the list, guys, and it’s gonna blow your mind. You know that narration demo you think you have? Well, if it’s loaded with industrials, and corporate work, and message on hold on type content, it’s not the narration, never has been and it never will be! Stop calling it that! This is something of a long-held debate in our industry, and it’s been going on, in my opinion, for way, way too long. A narration is the art of storytelling. A narrator is someone who walks us through a story, whether that story be in an audio-book, whether it be a movie, whether it be in a segment of a television show, a documentary, the purpose is to take us on a journey. And that journey is almost always meant to be entertaining. And there’s two options as a narrator, ok guys? You’re either a first-person, meaning you’re part of the story. It happened to you. You are actively involved in it. Or you’re the third person scenario. You’re outside of this kind of looking glass or bubble with us, peering in to the events of what’s going on. That's narration.
So all of this stuff that can fall under the corporate allegory is just that, it’s corporate work! The difference is really simple. Industrials are teaching tools. If you are walking an audience through how to do something, how to use something, how to participate in something, whether it’s e-learning, whether it’s a corporate training video, or even on-hold system where you’re directing people with prompts and things of that nature, you are educating. You are holding someone's hand and guiding them through the process. That, my friends, is industrial application. Those are industrial uses.
Now I will give you a pass if you want to call your demo a corporate narration demo because at least that word corporate helps to define the purpose of the demo. But I can tell you this right now. If you’re submitting an industrial demo that's labeled as a narration demo to talent agents, or to casting companies, or to clients that typically deal in narration work, you’re really throwing them for a loop. They’re opening that demo and listening to it and going, ‘this isn't narration.’ And you’re being disregarded and you don't even know it, so consider this, OK? It’s a simple thing. It’s a name change, but it’s a name change that can significantly help your brand and improve your ability to pick up more clients and speak to the right clients.
Gabby: Has anyone seen my latte? I don’t have a latte.
>> [indiscernible] extra whip.
Gabby: I said extra whip. It’s true. I did say extra whip. Where the [beep] is my extra whip? And you know what, who put this [beep] Meeseeks doll in the middle – you know, [beep] Meeseeks!
>> [gasps] [laughs]
Gabby: OK, I went too far. I apologize to the Rick and Morty fans. I went too far. I did. I do enjoy the Meeseeks. I'm Mr. Meeseeks, look at me! That's right. That's right, take your [beep] Meeseeks and go! I will compose myself.
This video is all about the intricacies of one specific type of demo versus another, but I've been making demos for a long time, guys. It’s something that I’ve done for years, and I’m very passionate about, and it would be an absolute blast to work with you and help you with your demo needs. And you can check out my website to learn more about the demos that I offer, and the process that I use, and how we can put it to work for you.
704-674-8294 / GabrielleNistico.com / gabby@voiceovervixen.com
Gabrielle Nistico, Gabby Nistico, The Voiceover Vixen, The Business First VO Coach, #VoiceoverVixen #VoiceOnFire #BusinessFirstVOCoach Voiceover, Success, Entrepreneur, Voiceover Coaching, VO Coaching, Voiceover Coaches, Working Actors, Los Angeles, New York, Charlotte, North Carolina, narration, industrial, voiceover genres, narrating, narration voiceover, narrator, audiobook, message on-hold, demos