Concrit?

[dodificus]

Constructive criticism, how do people feel about it?

As a recorder, do you want to hear from someone about how you read to fast/left that blooper in at 12:42/had birds screeching in the background*/whatever? Is it helpful or hurtful? Has concrit ever prompted you to make changes to a specific recording or made you change something about the way you record/read in the future?

As a listener, *do* you leave concrit when you feedback? Do you want to but feel stifled or unsure of the reception? Do you think it's rude/pointless/dull to do so?


*I'm pretty sure there are screeching birds in the background of just about everything I've recorded, even though I don't actually own a bird

Comments

[klb]

Oh man, I am pretty sure I am stepping into unpopular opinion territory here, but the list of things I want concrit on is quite small. Here's what I *do* want:
-If I mispronounced a word, I absolutely want to be told (ideally privately), and if I still have the file, I will probably re-record to fix it. If not, I will at least make a prominent note warning people and apologizing, so they know what they're in for before they decide to download.
-If there's a repeated line, I want to know ASAP and I will definitely edit the file to take it out.
-If my volume is too low to work on someone's mp3 player or something, I'd like to know that as well, because it's not info that I can get on my own and because it's easy for me to fix.

Anything that's an artistic choice, though, I'm not really interested in concrit on. People have such different preferences that I just sort of assume that my readings will be too fast for some people, too slow for some, and just right for some. They will be too performed for some, not performed enough for some, and just right for some. I can't make everybody happy on that stuff, so I just aim for a product that makes me happy as a listener and that makes my betas happy. I never release anything that hasn't been listened through and commented on by at least one beta-listener, and if there's something I want a second opinion on (or third, or fourth), I'll go to betas with that question and resolve it to my satisfaction before I release the file.

If a person who wasn't my beta contacted me with unsolicited concrit about a finished piece of mine, I would listen to what they had to say and try to learn from it. But ultimately, if they don't like my work at all, I'd rather they find a reader they do like than try to get mine to change completely. And if they do like my work but see ways that they think I could improve and really want to want to work with me towards that, I'd prefer they offer to be my beta for a future piece than give me concrit on a completed piece.

[dodificus]

Oh man, I am pretty sure I am stepping into unpopular opinion territory here,

I don't think that's the case at all, I think that I'm personally so hesitant to give concrit because I *do* know that a lot of people don't particularly want it.

But ultimately, if they don't like my work at all, I'd rather they find a reader they do like than try to get mine to change completely.

I'm not trying to change your mind with this at all, just letting you know where I'm coming from when I *do* leave concrit: if I don't like a piece of work, for whatever reason, then I don't leave any feedback at *all*. If I do like it then I'm coming from a place where I just want to talk about it with the creator, maybe *I* didn't like the speed with which they read but (like you've pointed out) it will be perfect for someone else.

I'd prefer they offer to be my beta for a future piece than give me concrit on a completed piece.

Eeep! I don't think I would *ever* point blank offer to beta for someone I didn't really know, I feel like that would be more insulting than any concrit I could give them.

[klb]

I'm not trying to change your mind with this at all, just letting you know where I'm coming from when I *do* leave concrit: if I don't like a piece of work, for whatever reason, then I don't leave any feedback at *all*. If I do like it then I'm coming from a place where I just want to talk about it with the creator, maybe *I* didn't like the speed with which they read but (like you've pointed out) it will be perfect for someone else.

Yes, sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I though most concrit came from a place of total dislike. I was just trying to address that option so that my follow-up sentence about concrit from someone who sincerely liked a lot of stuff about my work didn't feel too presumptuous.

Eeep! I don't think I would *ever* point blank offer to beta for someone I didn't really know, I feel like that would be more insulting than any concrit I could give them.

*nod* It's perfectly possible that that would go over badly with a lot of people. I just know that I personally would prefer an offer to work with me on a future project than concrit on a completed project. I might be alone in this!