DanteWahou Demo Reel 2012

[DanteWahou]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO0G9k4iigE
Have at you, folks!

[Monotori]

I couldn't help but laugh at certain points-- after a while, though, I looked at the timer. 2:33! That's rather long for a demo. There are different opinions on the matter, but I think the consensus is somewhere between one and two minutes.

It's good that you slated. As soon as I heard your natural voice I thought, "Wow, he's got a clear voice!" and I could hear the smile. I wouldn't necessarily make it so long, though. It reminded me too much of a radio voice and it got me confused (is this a demo reel? or is he on the radio? what? how long is this going to take?). I liked the first voice, but it didn't wow me. Good acting, but maybe put it later in the reel so you can introduce yourself more energetically. The second voice was kinda cute, but I feel the last bit ("I spelled boob on my calculator") could've been drawn out more so I know what he's feeling. Is he embarrassed? Is he sheepish? Or is he just noticing it without any attached emotion? Maybe say it slower so you can place more emphasis on the punchline. The next line fell flat around "dishwasher", and I felt you could also play it up a bit more as the "crazy passionate about work guy", say, by ramping up the energy at the end. I feel like there was some inside joke in the next line I didn't get so I won't comment. Your Cookie Monster is adorable, but it doesn't need to go on that long-- I'd be much more impressed by your acting than your impersonations. Maybe you could stop at "Ah, who care about focus" so we get just enough of that character to giggle at the line and understand that you can pull it off. The next impersonation I wasn't so impressed with... mostly because everyone does that. The next line felt like it incorporated some elements of your Cooke Monster impersonation so I was a little distracted. I assume it was supposed to be a tough guy but all I could think about was a big blue puppet (Nooooo scary Cookie Monster!!). And also, it lasted about 16 seconds. I got a little bored, honestly. Whatever the next character was, you had plenty of conviction and it was interesting but I felt the timing was off. I liked that you returned to a more natural voice after that, though maybe you could've played with the intonation in the beginning to give it more emphasis. It was also a bit long. Just give me the juicy parts!

So, overall, I was impressed by your voice. There's always room to improve, but I only nitpicked so closely because I feel like you're at that level where there's nothing fundamentally wrong, you just need some fine tuning. One note: don't limit yourself to others' characters. I'm sure there were more impressions in there than I could recognize: don't rely on them. Rely on your own voice. Your acting is ultimately what's going to propel you. I wanted to hear more of your "real" voice. That's what I was looking for the whole time after I heard you slate. Anyway, I'm sure you'll find project that would love to have you-- if I were auditioning right I now I know I would!

[DanteWahou]

I couldn't help but laugh at certain points-- after a while, though, I looked at the timer. 2:33! That's rather long for a demo. There are different opinions on the matter, but I think the consensus is somewhere between one and two minutes.

It's good that you slated. As soon as I heard your natural voice I thought, "Wow, he's got a clear voice!" and I could hear the smile. I wouldn't necessarily make it so long, though. It reminded me too much of a radio voice and it got me confused (is this a demo reel? or is he on the radio? what? how long is this going to take?). I liked the first voice, but it didn't wow me. Good acting, but maybe put it later in the reel so you can introduce yourself more energetically. The second voice was kinda cute, but I feel the last bit ("I spelled boob on my calculator") could've been drawn out more so I know what he's feeling. Is he embarrassed? Is he sheepish? Or is he just noticing it without any attached emotion? Maybe say it slower so you can place more emphasis on the punchline. The next line fell flat around "dishwasher", and I felt you could also play it up a bit more as the "crazy passionate about work guy", say, by ramping up the energy at the end. I feel like there was some inside joke in the next line I didn't get so I won't comment. Your Cookie Monster is adorable, but it doesn't need to go on that long-- I'd be much more impressed by your acting than your impersonations. Maybe you could stop at "Ah, who care about focus" so we get just enough of that character to giggle at the line and understand that you can pull it off. The next impersonation I wasn't so impressed with... mostly because everyone does that. The next line felt like it incorporated some elements of your Cooke Monster impersonation so I was a little distracted. I assume it was supposed to be a tough guy but all I could think about was a big blue puppet (Nooooo scary Cookie Monster!!). And also, it lasted about 16 seconds. I got a little bored, honestly. Whatever the next character was, you had plenty of conviction and it was interesting but I felt the timing was off. I liked that you returned to a more natural voice after that, though maybe you could've played with the intonation in the beginning to give it more emphasis. It was also a bit long. Just give me the juicy parts!

So, overall, I was impressed by your voice. There's always room to improve, but I only nitpicked so closely because I feel like you're at that level where there's nothing fundamentally wrong, you just need some fine tuning. One note: don't limit yourself to others' characters. I'm sure there were more impressions in there than I could recognize: don't rely on them. Rely on your own voice. Your acting is ultimately what's going to propel you. I wanted to hear more of your "real" voice. That's what I was looking for the whole time after I heard you slate. Anyway, I'm sure you'll find project that would love to have you-- if I were auditioning right I now I know I would!

Some of the best detailed critique I've had in a while. I really appreciate the thought and time you put in by not only listening to the reel, but also explaining your view points. I'm always up for seeking improvement, so I will definitely take what you've told me into serious consideration. I agree the impersonations will definitely need to take a seat on the benches because honestly, you're right, everyone can do them. I'm still trying to find that niche through experimentation, but it's something that will definitely take some more time. Once again, thank you very much for your up front, clear and extremely helpful critique. I appreciate it very much!