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AOL Article on VO w/ Commentary on P2P sites
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craigcrumpton
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 6:01 pm    Post subject: AOL Article on VO w/ Commentary on P2P sites Reply with quote

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/07/16/voiceover-jobs/

I thought this was actually an informative article for beginners, but there are a few comments I thought pros would find interesting since the P2P discussion comes up here so regularly:

Quote:
J. Lawrence is a successful voice over artist; he's a regular sounding guy who has a full time job with a media company and lives in New Hampshire. He built himself a home studio and used voice over websites like Voice123.com and Voices.com to establish himself in the industry.

...

Auditioning on the two sites mentioned is a great way to practice, says Lawrence, although they've become so competitive, it's hard to make money off them these days. People bid extremely low just to get work, and if you're not one of the first 30 auditioning, they probably won't listen to you.
But there's another quote from the article that I'm curious about:
Quote:
Less than 2 percent of all voice over artists make more than $5,000 per year.
Could anyone tell me if there's a source that documents this statistic or is it just this guy's opinion?

I mean, I know it's not appropriate to ask about personal income and salaries in this biz, but both the percentage and the amount don't sound right to me.
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Deirdre
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, I'm not sure how they qualify those numbers.

They're the ones I've always heard bandied about when describing actors' incomes. Like, I've heard that percentage and that dollar figure for 20 years.
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SteVO
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 6:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've heard so many conflicting things about P2P sites. I can see where they would not be a means to making a living. I'm assuming the very successful VO artists have all pounded the pavement to get the good jobs. Luck doesn't just happen...you make your own luck. I've thought P2P might be a decent place to start but I'm having my 'druthers. I keep hearing more and more negatives about what kind of return you can actually get on your investment. It's cheaper to audition in person and if you don't get the gig you're not out a heck of a lot. Given that, from time to time I find a little script or two to practice with. (he says like he's some sort of expert Wink )
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asnively
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 6:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with Deeb. Been hearing that since I joined AFTRA in (gasp!) 1982. And remember, it's not 2% of people like us. It's 2% including people who, I'm sad to say, have no clue or chance to book actual paying voice talking work at all. Evah.

2% includes the guy the other day who told me that he, also, is a professional voice talent. He has just one regular client, though: a church about five miles from his home, who pays him $25 every time he reads the bulletin on his phone into a voicemail system so that people can dial in to hear that week's activity schedule.

Bless him, but he might be skewing the statistics.
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bobsouer
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

asnively wrote:
... since I joined AFTRA in (gasp!) 1982.

Amy,

Two quick thoughts: a.) I had no idea you joined the union while you were still in elementary school. b.) 1982 also happens to be the year I joined AFTRA.
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asnively
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was a very precocious and unusually photogenic fetus.
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bobsouer
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, that explains it. Of course, you remain unusually photogenic even these few years after escaping Mrs. Hughes womb.
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asnively
Triple G


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you saying the precociousness has worn off?
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bobsouer
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amy,

I would never imply such a scurrilous thing.
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Deirdre
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

All right, you two, get a chat room.

TLDR: Amy's cute, Bob is charming, and those numbers are lame.
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asnively
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That about sums it up.
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Lee Gordon
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 1:27 am    Post subject: Re: AOL Article on VO w/ Commentary on P2P sites Reply with quote

craigcrumpton wrote:
Quote:
Less than 2 percent of all voice over artists make more than $5,000 per year.
Could anyone tell me if there's a source that documents this statistic or is it just this guy's opinion?


This is a stat that JS Gilbert cites frequently in various discussion venues, usually in response to some newbie announcing that "people tell me I have a great voice and ought to be doing voiceovers." Most of the time there is no attribution of a source, although I'm pretty sure he's not making it up. And even if the numbers are not verifiable, the point is probably fairly close to the mark: it's a tough business and most people who enter it seeking fame and fortune should be prepared for disappointment.
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Bailey
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 1:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It appears that AOL is making a WAG.
That being said... looking at the VO-BB with 955 members, only (2%) 19.1 members are making over 5K per year.
My WAG would be that the percentage for VO-BB should be much higher than 2%. I find it very hard to believe that 935.9 members are sitting on their thumbs.
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ConnieTerwilliger
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 9:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

1977 was my AFTRA date. The thought of how freaking long ago that was is actually quite sobering - and makes me want to go to the gym.
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Rob Ellis
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not to be too...whatever.... but TO ME those numbers really don't mean a whole lot.

This is my philosophy on it:
Ya do what you can, understanding that it ain;t easy and you may never actually make a living at it, but you do it anyway because you love it.

"Beating the odds" is a great goal, but it can also be a source of great frustration that can squeeze the enjoyment out of this great business.


Okay the soapbox is back down. Next!
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