VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Bruce · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2018 10:29 am Post subject:

The voice talents on 5er and the people that hire them deserve each other. Lowballers, hand in hand, walking off into the mediocre sunset. Let ‘em!

Quality producers hire quality voices and pay accordingly.

Which camp do you want to be associated with?

B
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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. .

Philip Banks · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2018 10:44 am Post subject:

Dave's, obviously.

Deirdre · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2018 12:27 pm Post subject:

Innit, tho'.
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DBCooperVO.com

Philip Banks · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2018 3:55 pm Post subject:

Random!

Dan-O · The Gates of Troy Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 1638

Dave's not here. /obligatory

Ian - Hold yourself to higher standards with performance, ethics, business relationships, mentors, and colleagues. If you respect yourself, your clients, and how you run your business, those with like minds will join you.

Rick Riley · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2018 7:02 pm Post subject:

Interesting reading. Lee mentions those with good brands, like Mr. Turkel’s "UNnouncer" and Chris Mezzolesta's "Voiceatile”, but does it get them work? Does someone hit on their website and go, “OH... I NEED AN UNNOUNCER” or “SOMEONE WHO’S REALLY VERSATILE”?

On my website I have “Epic Storyteller” because I do a lot of NFL work and some of the battles I’m able to narrate, to me, are epic. But does the label get me work? I doubt it. It might get people to listen to my demos, but to hire me, they have to like what they hear, not like what they see.

It’s my opinion that you don’t find your niche. Your niche will find you. Right now, that’s something I’m trying to broaden and it’s tough. I guess for lack of a better description, I have a gruff voice. The things that came my way this week for example, are NFL, which I’ve worked for the Vikings for eight years, award videos for the National Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame, the intros and announcements for both of their Gala Dinners, Motorola, which I’ve done all their Police Communication Technology videos for years, where the cops are corralling bad guys... I could go on, but the picture I’m painting is either bodies slamming into each other or police running down bad guys with guns. I’d like to get into Nat Geo type of stuff, but apparently me and Bambi aren’t a fit. At least yet.

The point of this diatribe is, IMO, labeling yourself, or branding yourself ‘AS’ something won’t do anything. AND, I think labeling yourself or offering a brand might even be limiting. While I do a lot of TV and Radio spots as well, they were from auditions where my voice fit, not because PF Chang’s wanted an Epic Storyteller. I think they hired me in spite of that. Or maybe they didn’t, I really don’t know.
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Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the Paramedics

www.rickrileyvoice.com

Philip Banks · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2018 12:42 am Post subject:

Out of the 11 billion Voice Over websites (estimate), 12,27 billion TELL the visitor what to think.

STOP IT!

Present your wares. Allow the customer to sniff them and perchance rub linseed oil into them. Should he nod his head and walk away at a steady pace to the next vendor, cry softly into your silk handkerchief whilst wishing him an astonishingly good day.

FinMac · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:55 am Post subject:

DougVox · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:04 pm Post subject:

Rick Riley · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:33 pm Post subject:

Bob Bergen · CM Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 965

Branding in itself is not a bad thing. Problem is, people are investing more time and energy on a brand in an attempt to stand out when they should be investing in their talent, training, and craft. Most who have branded their vo career haven’t yet had a vo career. And they think a catchy brand will draw buyers to them. When the brand is organic and the talent brilliant, that’s when it works. When it’s contrived it looks cheesy and desperate, and is more of a turn off.

graemespicer · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:46 am Post subject:

Lee Gordon · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 11:31 am Post subject:

When I worked for an ad agency, the thing we generally considered more important than branding was "positioning." To us, that meant conveying the message to our clients' potential customers that "If you need X, Our Client has/does that." Sometimes getting that message across involves branding; sometimes it doesn't.

Again, I use Doug's branding as an example because, in one word, it tells everybody who specifies "no announcer types" (and you know how many people ask for that) that Doug might just be their man. Not everybody is self-aware or clever enough to be able to come up with a brand that conveys a specific message about themselves so well, but even if they were, that message doesn't just pop into the heads of customers on its own. It still takes marketing. And if you're going to do the marketing, it doesn't matter whether your "brand" is a word or a phrase or just your name, it needs to position you as someone your customers want or need to help them accomplish their goals.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice