Re: Great game, but what happened to the music/sound and story? They leave a bit to be desired…

Greetings, Have you ever received a demo of your script from a talent only to find that there are beeps or sound effects included in the recording? These added audio clips are called "watermarks". Many voice talent add these short sound bites with the intention of protecting their work while providing their sample at higher quality. Variations on Custom Demo Protection include:

• Slight script alterations
• Names changed or mispronounced on purpose
• Music beds and sound effects
• Communicating to you directly in the recording as well as reading the script
• And rarely, submitting lower quality audio files

Although these may seem annoying, even distracting, they are in place for a good reason. While the Internet provides many opportunities for securing work, it has also unfortunately been used as a means of stealing creative products, including voice-over demos. This is particularly true of custom demos of shorter scripts such as telephone voicemail boxes and commercials. People who steal work are only a small margin of Internet users, but over the years, voice talent and other freelance creative professionals have learned the hard way, often by hearing their audition pieces used commercially without being paid for their services. Now keep in mind that the use of demo protection techniques does not reflect how talent feel about you as a person or about your job, it's merely a professional decision. This is a very important distinction. What can you do about this? Don't judge a talent by their demo recording alone if they took precautions. Take time to consider their voice type, interpretation, quote and proposal. Think of it more like them wearing a hard hat at a construction site or applying sun block while outdoors in the summer. If you need to present the audio submitted by talent to other decision makers, these precautions may make or break whether the talent qualifies to be presented as an option. If this is the case, contact the talent and share your situation with them and ask for another sample without alterations. I hope I have shed some light on why talent may incorporate these watermarks or script alterations into customized versions of your scripts. Does this give you a different perspective? How do you feel about watermarks or script alterations in custom demos of your script? Leave a comment! Best regards, Stephanie