VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Adam Verner]

Hey everyone, so I was recently asked to quote a project in $/min format for the first time - it's a large e-learning narration.

I poked around the archives here and found a bunch of different methods and prices, and came up with this: It's a 27,000 word project. I figured 150 words per minute would be 180 minutes or 3 hours of finished audio. Most posts seemed to suggest multiplying finished audio time x3 to account for re-records, editing, etc...so I came up with roughly 9 hours of recording. So at $10 a minute the project comes out to $1800.

That works out to $200/hr studio time, which was good, I thought. I sent the quote off to the potential client and the response was:

[mcm]

Adam, they are stark-raving nuts. Your original quote was beyond reasonable and they should have jumped at it.

[Lance Blair]

$630 is not enough for 27,000 words. $1200 might be a el-cheapo starting point.

They should have figured out they'd have to shell out way more than $600 before they started writing 27,000 words. I'd like to have a contractor build me a house with ten bedrooms. What? That costs a lot of money??? Who knew? I was expecting to only pay $50K!

Maybe they can get a unicorn with rainbows and lightning flying out of its mouth to read this? They'll usually work for just a few flakes of Leprechaun gold.
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[Rob Ellis]

I'm thinking $5000 would be VERY reasonable, and around $3500 would be a steal, including editing, etc.

$630 is out of the question, unless I am brand-new and very eager=desperate

[Mandy Nelson]

[Diane Maggipinto]

[steveanthony]

You're lucky you made a clean get-away. That's at least a $3500 job. Then you start to factor in how well/poorly the script is written, and turn-around time, plus retakes. Yup, you're a lucky feller.

[Lizden]

What everyone else said.
Yep, it's them.

Liz
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Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
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[Bruce]

$10 per finished minute would be a bare bones minimum in my estimation and only if it were part of a probable long-term relationship. That'll work out to $150-$200/hour for your talents. His suggested rate would be as low as $50/hour. Sure there are some folks that'd be happy with that, but most of us only work 10 to 20 hours each week at our actual craft, and we have overhead expenses, etc., etc..

You're talent is worth the higher rate.

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. .

[Adam Verner]

Thanks everyone for chiming in! I figured I was already on the low end of things, just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy.

I should just forward them the link to this thread, that'll do 'em!
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Adam
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Natural Voice
adamverner.com
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[dhouston67]

I bit the bullet in a similar situation about two years ago. It was for an audiobook which, after weeks of recording and editing, ended up unpublished. Trust me: burn rubber getting away from this one.
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[Moe Egan]

Yea. Third Base!

Your original quote was a bargain....their expectation is way off base.
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Moe Egan
i want to be the voice in your head.
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[Diane Maggipinto]

[Philip Banks]

Quote shyness is a common problem and it's always up to the voice to say what needs to be said.

"You obviously have a budget in mind so please let me know what is and I'll try my best to fit in".

[Lee Gordon]