HINT #2: "Putting Together Your Audition Tape"
PD's, VP's/Programming and many consultants agree: You have to knock 'em out
with your Audition Demo. Your Presentation Package may be flawless, your cover
letter compelling, your references impeccable, but if your Audition Demo doesn't get
their attention, you get tossed into the "Nice Try" pile.
If you are just starting out in the business, the term "Audition Tape" is a misnomer,
dating back to the '60's and '70's when indeed air talent DID send out audition tapes
on 7 1/2 ips reel-to-reel tapes. Later, the industry standard became high quality
cassettes. Today, it's highly recommended to send out your demo on CD, but more
on that later.
For talent seeking jobs other than Morning Drive, your audition demo should be no
longer than 3-3 1/2 minutes long. For Morning Show applicants, no more than 10
minutes of your best work. Cherry pick your best bits, then digitally edit the living
crap out of them, only including what bare minimum needs to be there.
Including a 14 minute long interview with an artist, star, or celeb just won't fly in
your audition demo. Take the best of your best and edit them together. If you wish,
you may use personalized sweepers/imagers from your show, or even a quick imaging
SFX to segue between the bits. Try to keep individual bits to less than 30-40 seconds
long, max. Shorter is ALWAYS better in your demo. Especially in CHR formats,
keep those edited breaks SHORT.
Always place your very best bit first. For the most part, most hiring decision makers
will only listen for 45 seconds to a minute, so you have to grab 'em up front. Place
your SECOND best bit at the END. Why? Always leave them wanting more. The
first bit gets them to keep listening, the last bit is the one that compels them to pick
up the phone and call you.
One thing is for certain, if you edit and produce your own tape, you will always be
second guessing the quality of the bits you chose. Get used to it, it's perfectly
normal.
If you are lucky enough to know a great production/imaging person you can trust
your audition demo production to, then have them listen to an hour or so of your best
possible bits candidates, and put the demo together for you. If you are afraid to trust
someone at your station with this "secret" project (no one wants the boss to get wind
that you are putting a demo together), email us here at RockRadio1, and we will be
happy to put you in touch with some major market production/imaging geniuses that
can help.
What's the best medium to send your demo to PD's, VP's/Programming, and
consultants? As mentioned above, the current industry standard is CD, it's even
gotten to the point where burnable CD's are cheaper than good quality cassettes.
Don't have a CD Burner, or know a friend who does? There are services on the
internet and in radio trade magazines that can help you. Many new PC's have a CD
burner built-in. Upgrading to a new PC could mean you'd have your very own CD
burner. Get the Avery (TM) computer software for "Media" that allows you to make
your own CD labels and CD jewel case art. It will end up looking like a factory did
your CD's for you, when indeed you did the entire thing on your home PC. If these
options are not available, send out your demo on a good quality cassette with a neatly
typed label.
In the mean time, air check yourself on the best possible equipment. A digital
mini-disk recorder/player can easily be hooked between the board and your
headphones, they've come down in price, and disks can hold up to 74 minutes of
material, and are easily editable.
If you have further questions, or need more information, feel free to email
RockRadio1 at any of the conveniently located e-mail links on this site.
"Putting Together Your Presentation
Package"
"To Call, Or NOT To Call?"
"The
Events of 9/11 And Your Job Search"
This site is optimized for
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 640x480 Resolution
RockRadio1
