VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Philip Banks · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 12:47 am Post subject: You're fired!

Words from Alan Sugar in the UK or Donald Trump in the USA to the keen yet inept "Apprentice". Have you tried it? The phrase not The Apprentice.

Early last week an email arrives asking about my availability for a Voice Over job. I slept on it. The email was from a producer, I've done several jobs for his company. They always "faff around", always have budget issues and my agent always spends more time than she should to extract the money from them. My response was thanks but no thanks with a very polite and friendly explanation. Needless to say I didn't make the decision without speaking to my agant (Victoria). There followed emails, phone calls. more emails and more phone calls.

"Philip is in the very fortunate position of being able to pick and choose work" explained Victoria to the boss of the company. I know I am very fortunate, never take it for granted. Eventually, rather than speak once more to my agent the client calls me .... It's Da boss! After a long conversation I agree to do the job. How long before they starting "faffing about" again? Less than 12 hours.

Against my better judgement I unfired someone. Key part of that sentence is the first four words. To be fair, while we're on the subject of better judgement have you seen Donald Trump's hair? Hairdresser YOU'RE FIRED!

voicy1stef · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 12:57 am Post subject:

always go with your gut instinct.

cheers! Laugh

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Deirdre · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:12 am Post subject:

That doggone faffing about is one of the biggest time-sucks of this job!

That, and Reddit.com.
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Yoda117 · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:24 am Post subject:

I think the first four words you were referring to are the keepsakes of this thread.

Sadly, it'd be unprofessional to fire them again without getting the job done.

Some days your the dog, others, the hydrant.
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glittlefield · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:53 am Post subject:

"OK, next time, you're REALLY fired, mister!"
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todd ellis · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:42 am Post subject:

we fired a guy from our morning show once and he refused to leave ... he kept phoning in his "celebrity update" type reports. said he had a responsibility to the listener. we said, "dude, the listeners are the people who told us to fire you." we put him on a lot just to let him get 1/2 way through his "report" then fire him on the air again ... it was fun.

i'm sure philip is too much of a professional to fire them twice for the same job, though.
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bobsouer · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:41 am Post subject:

One of the key lessons to me from this story, Philip, is that it's very difficult for any of us to say "no" to someone when they go to the trouble of calling directly. And of course, he was paying you a very high compliment in continuing to pursue you even after you'd said "no" through your agent. Making it all the most difficult to say "no."

But those 4 operative words are critical. In contrast to the many that I have enjoyed, in the last year I've had 2 or 3 somewhat unpleasant experiences doing voiceovers. To each apply those same words.
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Gp · Guest

From what I am told, and I am not too sure of the source, the name of the place that does Donald Trumps hair is called "Faff About Follicles" So you kind of have to put 2 and 3 together to come up with 8.
Actually I think they started out as "What is all this faff about follicles" but were quickly reminded of the Emily LaTella trademark.

The first radio station I worked at I left after 3 mos to go back to the larger SLC market, (Not that Kemmerer is all THAT small) I was hired along with someone else from radio school. They brought her up there thinking it would help me stay....when I left they let her go....she continued to show up and work for 3 more weeks until they finally called the police on her and had her removed from the station.

louzucaro · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject:

I had to fire a nun who was a client last year. She was just so mean and nasty.
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todd ellis · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject:

lou - don't get me started ... catholic school board 7 years ... president for 2 ... nightmare ... friggin' nightmare.
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CarynClark · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:55 pm Post subject:

You better watch out... those nuns will rap your knuckles with a ruler. I'll never forget Sister Jane Ann pulling little Peter DiDinato by the ear, across the room to the hallway where she made him sit a while, in the first grade. No doubt, he was a pistol (I don't recall what he did, but I'll never forget that kid... he was bad), but wow!

All I can say is, I sat at my desk, with my hands folded and didn't make a peep my entire Catholic school life. Worked for me.
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todd ellis · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:58 pm Post subject:

if this were in entre nous i'd tell you about the parish life coordinator we have now --- but not in public. i'm scared of her.
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bobsouer · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:37 pm Post subject:

Todd,

You may have said too much all ready.
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Lizden · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:26 pm Post subject:

/sfx/:
Liz giggling in the corner..... Inoccent

L.
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Gp · Guest

My how the times are a changing. Now a Nun can be prosecuted for abuse for doing anything to a child. Any other type of teacher for that matter.
However, if you always thought that you would love to somehow get them back, teachers today are complaining that students are bullying them. This was on the news last night.