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Bruce
Boardmeister
Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 7926
Location: Portland, OR
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 Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:47 am Post subject: On the Cheap |
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I thought I'd cruise by Voices.com today to see what they offered. Just three jobs so far, all the $100-$250 category:
An 8 minute training video for Office Depot
A one minute web video for Nike
A local radio commercial to be produced with 5 different voice actors and background music
Yep, voiceover for dummies.
B
*The Nike one might be tempting just because they produce high quality videos and it would be nice to have one of those on the reel no matter how little you made. But still....
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005
I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. . |
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Deirdre
Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 13016
Location: East Jesus, Maine
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:50 am Post subject: |
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Really, why should they pay more?
Just because they have money doesn't mean they should be expected to shell out for VO talent— they have learned this VERY WELL given the glutted marketplace.
Think about it— how long does it take to send out a casting call to a top-flight agency, listen to auditions, pick a talent, hire a studio and do the gig?
If they're willing to spend the time and effort to trawl, they'll find someone willing to do it for their price in the world of P2P.
*ESPECIALLY because people would love to have something like Nike on their reel.
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DBCooperVO.com |
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Gregory Best
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 1853
Location: San Diego area (east of Connie and south and east of Bailey)
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:50 am Post subject: |
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Sad state of affairs. The race-to-the-bottom that I forgot to enter. Oh well. May the winner of that race stand in line for hours to file paper work for food stamps. Their dismal income will surely qualify for food stamps.
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Gregory Best
greg@gregorybest.com |
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Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't see the Office Depot or Nike ones as I only get the Brit voice stuff. However. I'm going to be that guy here I'm afraid...
Nike... one minute web video (I'll assume 100~150 words and no stupid NDA). I'd take a shot at it for $250... I may even eat the escrow fee myself. Yes, a Nike logo would look nice. Does that make me shallow? Well... welcome aboard for a paddle 
Office Depot... I assume the full 8 mins, so around 1200 words. I wouldn't bother at $250, but I wouldn't reject immediately... I'd mentally work out that it's about $0.20 per word and think how wonderful that is compared with the long-form stuff I'm doing... even though 8 mins is hardly long-form! My commitment to raising my bar would win!
The local radio thing is a joke.
The really sad thing is that they will get plenty of people bidding at the $100 end and eating the escrow themselves.
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
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Gregory Best
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 1853
Location: San Diego area (east of Connie and south and east of Bailey)
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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You know they will get the $100 or less bids.
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Gregory Best
greg@gregorybest.com |
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Scott Pollak
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
Posts: 1903
Location: Looking out at the San Juan mountains
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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Or you can go to V123. Where today for the first time in about a month I submitted a small number of auditions (Due to moving and too much work, I haven't had the time to even think of auditioning for a while):
- Cloud OS mgmnt narration: Non-broadcast, 2-3 minutes, $350
- one 1:00 spot and one 2:00 spot for a retirement community, to run in the S.F. area: $500
- :30 spot to run in Denver area for a resort, plus once on NBC for some pro cycling thing: $550
- non broadcast product overview, 3:00, $450
Seems like the bigger budgets are on V123.
Honestly, though, some of the leads I've seen coming thru agencies lately aren't much better than this.
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Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.
www.voicebyscott.com |
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ricevoice
Cinquecento
Joined: 28 Dec 2007
Posts: 532
Location: Sacramento, CA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Scott Pollak wrote: | | Honestly, though, some of the leads I've seen coming thru agencies lately aren't much better than this. |
Even better is when you get an agency audition, then the next day you see the client has posted the job on one of the P2Ps.
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Chris Rice - Noisemaker
www.ricevoice.com |
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Lee Gordon
A Zillion
Joined: 25 Jul 2008
Posts: 6844
Location: West Hartford, CT
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Bish wrote: | | I didn't see the Office Depot or Nike ones as I only get the Brit voice stuff. |
Interestingly, the Nike piece said "think NFL Films" but gave this link as an example of the style they were looking for.
http://www.starrmediadesign.com/?p=57
The Nike one appeared to actually be for Nike. However, in recent days there have been quite a few postings for projects with big name brands but really appear to be submitted by someone who just wants to dummy up her demo reel.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice
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Philip Banks
Je Ne Sais Quoi
Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 11048
Location: Portgordon, Scotland
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Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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Hey... I feel cheated! I can say "aflete" and "togever" as well as the VO on the example Lee posted and I didn't get an invite!
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
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Lee Gordon
A Zillion
Joined: 25 Jul 2008
Posts: 6844
Location: West Hartford, CT
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Scott Pollak wrote: |
- Cloud OS mgmnt narration: Non-broadcast, 2-3 minutes, $350
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Despite the futility of competing against Scott for a VO gig, I submitted one as well.
And Bish, the Nike thing was a re-posting of a job they had posted earlier with what appears to have been a change of parameters. I just went back and listened to my previous submission and it was very similar in style to their new example. And they gave me a "Thumbs Up" on the previous one. This appears to be a case of either
a.) they don't know what the hell they want;
b.) more than one person is involved in the decision-making;
c.) all of the above.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice
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Lance Blair
M&M
Joined: 03 Jun 2007
Posts: 2279
Location: Atlanta
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, what a topsy turvy world...guess where some of my best-paying clients are?
That's right...India and China. I haven't done commercial work there (only PSAs for broadcast), but all the corporate and translation work I've done has been with clients who don't nickle and dime at all. Very nice per-word rates actually. It's refreshing!
I'm just about to take voices.com out of my email alerts. I'm too busy to audition for them, anyway. That's a good thing, right? I'd much rather spend pay-to-play audition time with say bodalgo or someplace that doesn't have thousands of people on the 'roster'. I used to get jobs with voices and I got some nice long term clients with them. Now, it's crickets for me, even though I'm booking well...hmmm...
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too! |
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Simon Phillips
Contributor II
Joined: 27 Jul 2010
Posts: 69
Location: Hertfordshire, England
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| Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:54 am Post subject: |
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So what should one charge Nike for a one minute web video?
Or Office Depot for an 8 minute training video?
Genuine question. Thanks in advance for your responses. |
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Dan-O
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Posts: 1636
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| Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:19 am Post subject: |
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...
Last edited by Dan-O on Tue Oct 01, 2013 12:04 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Rick Riley
Flight Attendant
Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 807
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Gregory Best wrote: | | Sad state of affairs. The race-to-the-bottom that I forgot to enter. Oh well. May the winner of that race stand in line for hours to file paper work for food stamps. Their dismal income will surely qualify for food stamps. |
Gregory, that's a very condescending remark for those of us who participate and do very well with Voices. I see Lee Gordon as 'Recently Hired' all the time. He's a talent and as any talent, we try to get a lot of base hits with the occasional home run. My particular 'home run' through Voices has led me to a second year contract for all the Minnesota Vikings commercial and promo work and 22 weekly half hour documentaries... so far. All because an independent production company decided to see what was out there.
When they contacted me, they said I bid more than they had budgeted, but they met my offer and we've had an extremely mutually benefitting relationship ever since.
I also auditioned for job this last week on Voices and was contacted this morning saying the job will be four spots and not one and would $1500 be fair for a buyout of two TV 30's and two Radio 30's. I haven't booked it yet, but that was the email I received this morning and I replied that I would.
Sure, there are bottom feeder jobs and I let them go by, but I've also booked Motorola, AT&T, General Motors and a few other iconic companies through Voices. Also, the second year now for Mothers Car Care products on national TV. The economy is crap, and if Voices is where some good fish are, then that's where I need to thow in at least one of my lines.
My family of four counts on me to support them and so far, nobody is standing in line for food stamps.
I normally never speak of money and try to keep my business deals to myself, but I also cant' sit by and see something unjustifiably pummeled without offering a defense.
With all due respect, I don't wish to come off as confrontational, just informational. And that's how things have panned out for me.
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Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the Paramedics
www.rickrileyvoice.com |
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