VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Donovan · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:15 pm Post subject:

How willing would you all think the average agent is to work with a part-time VO talent?
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Donovan

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Yoda117 · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:30 pm Post subject:

paddyo · CM Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 975 Location: New York City

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Donovan · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:57 pm Post subject:

I work on a helpdesk, so getting out to audition or do a spot during business hours is almost impossible. I have, however, taken a long lunch to do a spot. Other than that, I'm stuck at my desk. Frown

Thanks for the answers!
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bobsouer · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:49 pm Post subject:

Donovan,

My experience has been that, except in LA or NYC, most audition submissions now are via email and rarely do I get a request that has to be turned around immediately. So, I do my auditions in my home studio after I get home from my day job. On the rare occasions when I can't reply right away, I write back and ask if I can either have a bit more time or if they'll pass me over for this one because I can't get to it right away.

I hope this helps.
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
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Yoda117 · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:59 pm Post subject:

Bob,

I can tell you that about 80% of the stuff in Philly requires you to be in person for the audition.

At least the stuff I seem to book does...
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bobsouer · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:25 pm Post subject:

Greg,

No doubt, at least part of the reason being that you're in that market. Chicago, and a few other large cities are probably still like that too. Thanks for that corrective information.
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
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louzucaro · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject:

I think it depends on who's doing the audition. If I'm auditioning for my agents, I can send in MP3s (hence my reason for setting up recording capabilities at my office), but through a studio that I've done a lot of work with, or at ad agencies, yeah, you have to go in.

And as others have said, flexibility in those cases is a must. I would have missed out on an audition for Leo Burnett the other day - I live and work in the suburbs of Chicago - 'cept that I happened to already be in the city when my agent called me about it.
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Lou Zucaro
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"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!"

bobsouer · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:45 pm Post subject:

Lou,

My voiceover career started in Chicago. Back then, early to mid-80s, MP3 files and the Internet didn't exist, at least not as we know them today. So, every audition was done in person.

I vividly remember my first big audition, for Midas Muffler as I recall. I'm sitting in a room listening to the other guys talk with one another. They're all old friends as I'm the new kid on the block. I realize I'm listening to the voice of Sears, the voice of Buick, and on and on. I almost left without doing the audition I felt so out of place. But then, I thought, my agent sent me here to audition, so I'm going to stay. I didn't book the gig, but even so I took at least one small step forward in my career, realizing that I did in fact belong in the same room with those guys.
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Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

louzucaro · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:28 pm Post subject:

That's a very cool story Bob, and I think a good nugget of advice for anybody who doubts themselves (which, I think, most of us do at one time or another). Thanks for sharing Smile

I recorded my demo at a studio where I'd taken some VO training. I went to pick up the final mix so I could send it off for replication. There was a guy sitting in the lobby of the studio, and I said 'hi' to him as I sat down.

He was very friendly, older than me, and had a deep, rich voice. "Are you a voice actor?" he asked. "Yeah, well, I'm working on it. I'm just here picking up my demo." I told him. "What about you?" I asked.

"Yeah, I do promos for NBC." he said. "I'm here with my wife on vacation and they called me during dinner and said they needed me to record some stuff...sort of an emergency I guess. By the way, I'm Andy...Andy Gellar."

I introduced myself and we chatted for a few minutes. He told me that he was probably doing promos for "Lost" while he was there. He wished me luck and before I left, he said "Nice to meet you...say hi if you're ever in LA."

What was great about the experience for me was meeting somebody who has obviously achieved an enormous level of success in the field and was so nice, so down to earth and so supportive (in a person-to-person way), even to a guy like me who was a stranger and who had never even done a single professional thing yet.

I went to college for film production, and by the time I graduated, I felt like I didn't really like the business part of it that much, that it wasn't something I really was excited to do. And so I didn't.

Every time I get an audition, every time I land a gig, discovering vo-bb, reading what people here write...it all makes me so happy and makes me feel so lucky that I'm able to do this work, as intermittant as it is for me so far.

I know this is kind of sappy, but this is seriously the coolest work I've ever done, and certainly some of the most rewarding. And being "around" you all is very inspiring. It just makes me want to work that much harder at achieving the goals I've set for myself.
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Lou Zucaro
http://www.voicehero.com

"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!"

CarynClark · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:59 am Post subject:

EXCELLENT STORIES FELLAS!!!! What a perfect way to start my day!!!

THANKS!
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Caryn Clark... The Hip Chick Voice!

"A positive mental attitude and having faith in your ability is quite different from being irresponsible and downright stupid." - Dave

jrodriguez315 · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 9:07 am Post subject:

Hey Bob and Lou, thanks for those inspirational stories. And thanks for giving another part-timer an uplifting perspective.
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Yoda117 · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 9:25 am Post subject:

anthonyVO · 14th Avenue Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 1470 Location: NYC