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Rognog · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 2:58 pm Post subject: Does this sound a little fishy?

I've been corresponding with a guy who found me on Voice123. He wants to put samples of me on his website to showcase to potential clients. The deal supposedly is that his marketing company's site will work just like Voice123. I've been sending him samples, but as we all know I've been having some quality issues. Now that it's been worked out I let him know I'm good to go. So this was the correspondence today:

Tom, This sounds good, Do you think you could record a few spots for us to put on the showcase still? I would like to get you up on the site as soon as it is open, so let me know if you would liket o record a short demo still.
Thanks,

I said sure and asked for some copy. He replied:

You can just record 3 or 4 messages for us, if you don't have the time to spare for much more. We just want to get your voice on our showcase, so you can make money when the clients can choose from out talent.

So I laid down excerpts from scripts he sent me a few weeks ago and sent them to him. This is the email I just got:

These sound good,

I would like to get them all from you, but since I don't have Quicktime Pro, I have to have you zip them and send them to me through
megaupload.com.

That last message rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. I shouldn't send the whole recorded script to him, should I? Or should I watermark it to cover my assets?

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

i started a project similar to what he originally mentioned, but it was for my studio voice-over services (you can see it here), but all I had people do was the same script. (I eventually got caught up in booking some talent and didn't want to continue as a virtual "agent" and have since scrapped the project, but kept the name for my studio).

In any case, step back from this for a second and try to remember what your initial gut feeling was to this situation. Not the one you thought over and processed nor even the one you had while posting this... I mean your IMMEDIATE INITIAL GUT FEELING. Then go with THAT. Trust your self (separate words used intentionally).

-Anthony

Bailey · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 6:00 pm Post subject:

I didn't see any dollar signs in any of those messages. This guy sounds like a great con artist... for every inch you give him, he wants just a little more. It may be time to remind him who owns the voice, and who also controls it.
...just my opinion.
Wink

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Rognog · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 6:39 pm Post subject:

I'm inclined to do it, but add watermarks. My guess is that if this guy is legit, he wouldn't have a problem with watermarks if it's only for showcase purposes. If he balks at the idea, that tells me something and I should RUN AWAY!!!

I've never used watermarks before. Does anyone know how to do that using Audacity?

Apageloman · Guest

Tom
yep Audacity should let you do it but you have to make careful use of the envelope tool to do it

Rognog · Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:07 am Post subject:

I couldn't find it. Can you talk me through it?

BTW I emailed the guy letting him know I'll be happy to record the entire script, but with watermarks. I'm still waiting to hear from him...
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Tom Dheere - The "H" is Silent, but I'm Not!
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Rognog · Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:24 am Post subject:

So this is what he wrote back:

Tom,

If you send it with watermarks it kind of ruins the whole point of the
demo. This is to showcase your voice on our website so that clients
can choose you for their on-hold messages. This is not for promotional
use or anything else. The only thing we are promoting is what your
voice sounds like and what it can do.

I feel, that a watermark is just going to distract the clients from
your voice.

Let me know what you think,

I'm really on the fence...am I just being over-cautious? How would you go about handling this?
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Tom Dheere - The "H" is Silent, but I'm Not!
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tackerman · Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:30 am Post subject:

Deirdre · Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:51 am Post subject:

OK-- I've been watching this drama unfold and I'm not quite sure I "get it".

The guy wants to host samples of your work on his site.

I don't understand the Zip vs Quicktime issue, if that's still an issue.
Is he asking you to record full spots for clients?
Is he asking you to do generic stuff or phone message stuff?

Is he asking you to make something that could be STOLEN and USED?

Am I on the right page here?

If I audition full scripts, I pay no attention to the clock, so everything I create is too long. If the client/agent likes the read, we do a session wherein I am ON time.
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brianforrester · Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:56 am Post subject:

Honesty sounds like the best option to me...

"I have to be honest with you... I've been burned in the past by offers like this and am just concerned that this audio is going to be used for direct financial gains (or something like that)... do you have any suggestions as to how we make this a more comfortable arrangement?"

Or

Look at the big picture on this one... how much potential business do you have to gain by being on this site, and conversely how much could you potentially lose if the audio is used without payment? Do the companies mentioned in the scripts even exist? Can you change the company names to make it unusable?

Honestly, it sounds to me like you're putting WAY too much energy into fretting about this issue... it either works for you or doesn't... I know that at certain points in our careers, we are tempted to walk on eggshells in order to "ensure" that clients keep coming back, but I have to tell you... every time I've rejected or declined something for reasons of principal or gut feeling, the potential loss has been replaced by another more profitable client.

Quit sweating it and move on... there will be another client. Heck, the amount of time you've spent worrying, you probably could have researched and sent e-mails to 5 new potential clients!

This will all work out for the best!

Cheers,
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brian@brianforrester.com
778.668.5715

Bruce · Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:30 am Post subject:

Rognog · Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:49 am Post subject:

Good advice from all!

The guy wrote me explaining he wants the whole script (a series of on-hold messages for one office) because his company wants to pick & choose 3 or 4 of them to put on their online showcase. It comes down to whether I trust this guy and his company to use what I give him responsibly. So, I'll have to decide and that's that. I posted this issue because I wanted to make sure I wasn't getting screwed and I trust your judgement. Th-that's all folks!
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Tom Dheere - The "H" is Silent, but I'm Not!
www.tomdheere.com