improvement list- introspective view

to achieve my goal, what i need to do is to always have introspection and evaluate on my performance.

as i am still lacking of real world working experience, it is a major setback for me to set foot into this field, not until i have my real working experience that i know how much more i need to improve while dealing with the real crowd.

however, i have my own list based on my observation, and all the comments i get from others.

1. Tempo and Speed
i am said to have the fluency but not speaking fast enough for some listeners. (yes i admit...) i can speak a lot faster in real life, so probably need to get used to the speed as i speak into the microphone. as for what i realised about my talk, i kind of lose the tempo/momentum sometimes, which i have a lot more of hard work to do. (i find that using background music helps.)

2. Flexibility
Still have a lot to improve on this one. needing more real exposure and experience.

3. Tendency to stall time/ fill in silence unit using... "well"... "you know"...
Gosh! i need a fix to this one!!

4. Lack of vocabulary
where did all the words go? totally vapourised as i sit down facing the microphone! haha... mic- phobia? nahh...... can't be. gotta work on this. gotta get used to the mic.

5. Flow
Just need to work on this a bit. xD

that's about it, i guess. if you don't mind, please do give me some comments on my demos, please? Thanks. here's the link to wenQ's Space.

and oh, i got myself a name card. ^^



if you happen to know anyone/ any event who is in need of a freelance host/ emcee/ mobile Deejay/ voice talent, give me a shoot! :)

do contact me through my email: voon_aries@hotmail.com

thanks! ^^

cheers,
Cherish

wenQ's Space

i have a new blog up!

it's called... wenQ's Space!

and it serves a totally different purpose.

Thoughts. Stories. Me. and You. will be all about written blog posts, while wenQ's Space will be all about recordings. =)

this is the first page of wenQ's Space, click on the links provided (light brown) for the available tracks.

most importantly, listen to the "WELCOME" track. it is in dual language. (eng+chinese)

i will try to update as often as possible, please show support because your support motivates me! =D

cheers for pursuing our dream!

voice talent

...Recording..

Thanks to my cousin "Ah Wei" (nickname)...

for the first time I experienced narrating for a corporate video!! (serious business, not just any practical recording)

it all started when Ah Wei asked me if i have any voice talent to recommend for narrating. without hesitation, what i did was... in turn i asked "may i recommend myself instead?" After recorded a short demo, i sent over to him and waited for the news.. on the next day, he told me i got the "green light" to narrate for this corporate video. i was thrilled! i was told to wait for the script before proceed to recording. approximately a week later, the script was received and it was fully 4 pages! i practiced along the way and was excited and nervous for the recording. on the day before the recording, i was told that the script was cut short because it was way too long for the video. it was great because 4 pages needs more than 8 hours to record! (in the end we used about 4 hours to record the 1 and a half page script)

it was not my first time entering a studio but this studio has one control room and one recording room, so it's more clearly divided than the familiar studio in New Era College (NEC). but i am not complaining, City on Air in NEC is good enough. trust me, you will love it as we all did. xD (we, as in the whole class of broadcasting major)

recording room= the next room, can see the recording process through the glass, on the table is a 32 track mixer, and with two speakers. my cousin did not use the mixer that day because it's all easier with digital mixer that comes along with Pro Tools software. those walls are no decorations, the patterns in the background on the wall are actually some sort of material which absorbs sound. (i forgot the exact term for it though)

complicated hardwares.. Oh, that's my feet. HAHA

the microphone that i used.. cost more than RM35 K! (it's a condenser mic, one of the best i guess)

it's not that I never feel this, but after the recording, it again reinforce the idea that I have so much more to learn! The variations in my tone is yet to be improved!! my confidence even faltered a bit after the recording.. however, i still like my voice. hehe

when i was in New Era College, i learned all the basic skills on radio broadcasting, planning and recording commercials, hosting, planning programmes, editing tracks and all, and i truly very treasure those moments. We did not have someone to guide us on the variations of tone though... however we were required to sound as natural and lively as possible.. and we did some improvement as we host various shows. but those are not enough..

So...

i decided...

I am going to work on my tone variations in these two months of holiday. This is my aim. More voice talent job to come please. HEHE

voice talent. a dream

-voice talent-

since i was a kid, i like everything about English. from the language to the western culture (the good parts) and to the music and literature. i think it's because i started to watch Sesame Street and kid stories since i was a year old. haha... yes Sesame Street, it may sound funny but seriously, my mom told me i started to watch since i was like.. one or two.. so English is like sub-consciously implanted in my mind.

However, as i grow up i get lesser exposure to English. My family background is very Chinese-like, we speak Mandarin or Hokkien at home. My only exposure to English is through movies and English oldies. Although i like to watch English movies, i was not good at writing at all.. As my mum listens to Chinese radio station mostly and occasionally some English oldies, and as i speak Chinese at home, i was stink at English language until i am at the age of 14 (form two). It is when i started to exposed myself to hitz.fm and liking the hit songs they play on air that I start to expose more to English. i started to read some English books, from Nancy Drew series, the Hardy Boys, Blyton series and such stories. (yes, that kinda stories...)

then i exposed to the internet at the end of the year of form2, and so get used to english interface. as for my english speaking, i guess i sort of learn it through the movies. i can imitate english accent the british way or american way, but my english is more to american accent and slangs.

and therefore, i started to take part in speech competitions, in three different languages (malay, chinese and english). and it is also then i got more and more confidence and start liking the stage. (public speaking)

and in my first year in New Era College (i took radio broadcasting as my sub- major), i heard from my radio broadcasting lecturer that there's a job called "voice talent", where individuals record commercials and get rm300 for each voice commercial. it seems like a good opportunity to earn extra cash~ though i have not yet try it out. but i want to! what i need is an opportunity! yes! please give me this chance to change my life. ^^

but i do need opportunities~ and for that, i have to be initiative and to approach the possible chances!

before i start my degree programme in ucsi, i have tried and recorded a 10-minutes voice demo.. and have delivered to several local english radio station.. however, i did not get any feedback though,it must have meant i still have a lot to improve. I even passed my voice demo around among friends (even friends in USA) to get their feedback. The feedback was good, and i received compliments on my voice.

Though i know what my weakness is. my demo is not lively enough. it is too narrative for radio. however, my spirit is not dampen. i will record a better voice demo and i am still aiming to get a job in radio, after i get my full degree. ^^