Crying Out Loud Productions
Get in touch
- t: +44 (0)7809 549887
- e: simon@cryingoutloud.co.uk
Voicereels
Voicereels are at the heart of Crying Out Loud's operation. Both Simon and Marina are practitioners in the industry have a combined 35 years experience (and at such young ages!).
The focus is obviously on you, the performer. We work with you to ensure that the finished product really 'sells' your voice and plays to your strengths.
Each clients receives a one-to-one consultation with Marina Caldarone. During this session, Marina (or another of our directors) will suggest material for you to try. At the end of the session you will leave with a copy of the scripts so you can familiarise yourself with them before the recording session. The content recorded will have a level of crossover to appeal to both producers and directors of content. We can of course add IVR, Corporate, Animation but recording these may take more time. See below for further details and a breakdown of each package.
Packages
Our packages are the most comprehensive on the market (with no additional extras or hidden costs) and are tailored to the individual clients needs. Demo recording days are limited to 2 or 3 per month – please see available dates below. Other availability is reserved for bespoke packages, updates and other projects, for information please get in touch.
We also offer –'top-up' packages – for more information on these please get in touch.
| Service | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| * The content chosen/recorded will be tailored to your needs ** We are confident in recording foreign languages and have recently worked in French, Italian, German, Polish, Russian, Greek, Spanish, Icelandic, Swedish, a wide range of African & Indian dialects, Vietnamese & Japanese. |
|||
| Face to face consultation | yes | yes | yes |
| Commercials* | yes | yes | yes |
| Narrative (talking books etc)* | yes | yes | yes |
| Radio drama* | yes | yes | yes |
| Animation voices* | no | yes | yes |
| Foreign languages** | no | yes | yes |
| IVR, Corporate/Training Vo's | no | yes | yes |
| Radio drama director | yes | yes | yes |
| Commercial director | yes | yes | yes |
| Professional digital recording studio | yes | yes | yes |
| Fully produced master audio CD | yes | yes | yes |
| MP3 data CD (emailable files) | yes | yes | yes |
| FREE comprehensive list of our contacts | yes | yes | yes |
| 2 FREE compilations for your Spotlight profile | yes | yes | yes |
| FREE archiving service (2 years) | yes | yes | yes |
| FREE digital delivery (if required) | yes | yes | yes |
Bespoke packages (top ups)
If you are looking for a more tailored service that maybe includes singing demos or other types of recording then please get in contact with Simon Cryer on 07809 549887 and he will provide a quote. Please note that all prices below exclude VAT.
Voiceover Demo/Voicereel Rates
| Options | Price |
|---|---|
| Option 1 Commercials, narrative, documentary and drama pieces. Often we amend this depending on the client's needs or particular strengths. 60 minutes recording time. | £315 |
| Option 2 As above but with 90 minutes recording time to accommodate foreign languages or animation. | £385 |
| Option 3 As above but 2 hours recording time to accommodate whatever content you require (except singing). | £415 |
| Demo Bolt On This can be used for any content and in generally for clients who wish to add to their current demo. 30 mins studio time, 30 mins edit. Electronic delivery of audio files. | £125 |
| Bespoke Sessions This could be animation, foreign languages or general additions to your current voicereel. These sessions will be tailored to your requirements. 45 mins to 1 hour in the studio + 30 mins edit. | £175 |
| Singing Demo 3-hour session. Client to supply backing tracks and the session includes editing and mastering. | £250 |
Book a Session
Step 1
Call Marina Caldarone on 07946 533108 or email at caldaronemarina@hotmail.com to book a consultation – she will talk you through the options and make a recommendation as to which might suit you best.
Step 2
Pay the deposit to secure your recording session. Details of how to do this will be sent to you once you've booked your consultation.
Step 3
You will receive confirmation that we have received your deposit along with confirmation of your consultation AND recording session.
The studio
Our studio is designed with voiceovers in mind. We use the latest voiceover booth by StudioBox (fabulous German engineering) along with the following equipment:
- Apple Mac running Logic, Adobe Audition, Pro-Tools
- AT4040 and SE2200a mics
- SSL Gold Mic (Tube pre-amp for a warmer analogue sound)
- CD, MD, DAT, FTP
- Yamaha Desk
- Full talkback and vision with the voiceover booth
For more information on the studio or for enquiries about bookings if you need it for other projects (not voicereels) then please go see our studio hire section.
Happy Clients
See our casting call page for tesimonials
The Team
Simon Cryer
Creative Director
Simon worked in theatre for over 10 years as Musical Director/Composer/Sound Designer. He spent several months of several years working with Sir Alan Ayckbourn, including productions at The National Theatre, and over 75 productions at many of the Rep Theatres across the UK.
He moved to composing music for shows, BBC Radio 3 and 4 and a couple of Documentaries, TV Pilots and films whilst dabbling in recording voicereels for friends and colleagues. Needless to say, things went well with the voiceovers and Crying Out Loud was born!
However, in 2000 (whilst continuing with Crying Out Loud) he moved from theatre and TV to commercial radio – working with major advertisers and stations throughout the UK.
He now spends much of his time producing and directing radio ads, corporate voiceovers, documentaries and educational projects for a wide range of clients as well as ensuring Crying Out Loud stays at the top of its game in regards to voicereels/voiceover demos.
Marina Caldarone
Voiceover Director
If you've trained as an Actor in the last 10 years then you will have come across Actions, An Actors' Thesaurus, co written by Marina and Maggie Lloyd Williams. And if you haven't, it has become the Industry's bestseller, as its now set text in most drama training in Britain and the USA. So you are in safe hands!
Marina also authored the radio monologue and duologue publications Radioactive, compiled with Marilyn le Conte, published by Methuen books, along with three editions of The Good Audition Guides published by Nick Hern Books.
A theatre director since 1984, including time as Associate Director of Theatr Clwyd and Artistic Director Queens Theatre Hornchurch, she continues to enjoy an extensive freelance theatre-directing career in Britain and abroad.
She has been a freelance radio drama producer since 1999 working both within the BBC radio drama department, and with Pier Productions and Fiction Factory. And is a regular lecturer on contemporary theatre, whilst she continues to work as a guest director in London's leading Drama schools and runs workshops for professional actors and directors at The Actors Centre.
She runs the Radio Drama training course at Rose Bruford College, and continues to work as an Acting Coach in television and theatre.
Marina has been coaching the BBC Radio Drama Carleton Hobbs competition for the last 10 years, and has coached winners and runners up every year for the last 8 years, so she has plenty of experience in helping you create the best possible radio drama performance.
She has recently started coaching for the Hobson's VoiceOver award, again all accredited drama school are eligible to enter this Commercial VoiceOver competition, like the Carleton Hobbs, and in 2010 she coached 1 of 3 runners up, and in 2011 she coached the Winner plus 2 of the 3 Runners Up, so is well placed to find the best commercial scripts for your voice.
Debbie Seymour
Additional Drama Director
Debbie has worked as a resident or freelance director at the Bristol Old Vic, Paines Plough, Sheffield Crucible, Young Vic, Hampstead Theatre and The Royal Court. Debbie has been teaching and directing at leading british drama schools for over 25 years - particularly for Royal Welsh College, Central School of Speech and Drama, Manchester Met and Mountview, where she has been Head of the Post-Graduate Directing Course for the last seven years. She is currently Deputy Head of Acting at LAMDA.
Useful Tips
Marina and Simon will help and guide you all they can - we will ensure that you have the best opportunity to create the best possible demo. One of the benefits of our face to face consultation (none of this 'on the telephone' malarky) is that we will already have an idea of your skills, tone of voice, strengths, weaknesses etc and have worked on the scripts with you during the consultation. We believe that a gap of a few days/weeks between the consultation and recording gives you the time to become more familiar with the scripts so that you are as relaxed as you can be on the recording day itself. It is crucial that you do not over prepare!
Experience and microphone technique is not required – we take care of all of the technical aspects on the day - you just concentrate on delivering your performance. We'll record several pieces each lasting between 20 seconds 30 seconds (for commercials) and anywhere up to 90 seconds (for drama, narrative and documentary). We will only record material that plays to your strengths as a performer to ensure the CD created is focused.
Top Tip
Before a recording session remember to stay away from dairy products, as these are bad for the voice, drink fresh pineapple juice instead as this helps clear the voice & throat.