VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Bruce · Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 9:15 am Post subject: Inside Audible Studios

Here's a tour of Audible's NJ studios and a couple of narrator interviews. The Acura commercial that played ahead of my viewing was a good example of non-announcery, too.

http://nyti.ms/158m1zD

B
_________________
VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

todd ellis · Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 10:48 am Post subject:

very cool.
_________________
"i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?

DougVox · Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:03 am Post subject:

Assuming that I saw the same pre-roll spot that you did, Bruce, I'm pretty sure that's James Spader.
_________________
Doug Turkel (tur-KELL)
Voiceover UNnouncer®
UNnouncer.com

Scott Pollak · Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:40 am Post subject:

Vernon posted this a few weeks ago here:

http://www.vo-bb.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16094

Still, well worth watching.
BTW, did anyone notice how Scott Aiello's little podium for his scripts is propped up, using a stack of paperbacks? I found that funny and ironic.
_________________
Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

www.voicebyscott.com

Lee Gordon · Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:58 am Post subject:

I can't believe I clicked so I could hear Spader's Acura commercial and then hung around for the video. Shocked

_________________
Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

vkuehn · Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:01 pm Post subject:

The link in the original post wouldn't work for me the first time so I went to Google and found another couple of videos featuring Audible and their NJ facility.

Watching these various videos, I am left with a couple questions. At the risk of becoming a "thread-jacker" may I share the questions. From the videos and the article in the Wall Street Journal, you begin to realize that the Audible.Com studio and HQ is a rather substantial operation... and I don't get the idea any one there is doing "shares".

Now that ACX has been functional for more than a year now, what have we learned about this combined organization/operation. Does Audible HQ need an alternative to keep the fine talent that populates those studios from getting too aggressive about the rates they expect? Does the threat of sending more work to ACX help in the power balance with the narrators in The Big City?

ACX says in their website that after you gain some experience, you can "petition" to become a 'preferred narrator' or something like that. I asked for some detail on that and the simple short answer was: Normally, we will consider someone for preferred status after the completion of 20 books. Then there some weasel-words that it might be possible after as few a 10 books. But no indication just what advantage it is to gain "preferred status". Does that mean maybe that you get on a list that is available at Audible.Com when they want to farm out some cash-rate business.... or is there some other great benefit from becoming a Preferred Narrator.

Do we know what the dividing line is between work placed via Audible vs work placed via ACX?

Bruce · Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:20 pm Post subject:

Bish · Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:58 pm Post subject:

There is some cross fertilization between Audible & ACX. For the most part, you can split ACX into two parts... the royalty share (with or without stipend) and the pay for production. The royalty share can be a bear-pit with anything from reasonable titles that will make you a good return, to what can only be describe as an outlet for vanity publishing where you'll be lucky to get a couple of hundred bucks for your trouble. Buyer beware.

However, if you achieve Audible Approved Producer status, some doors start to open. I did not realize this until a recent conversation with the author of my current project.

Audible want to get "good" titles on to their list... obviously, with massive titles they will produce it themselves in-house, but with books that are "good"... they will invite the author to seek a production deal on ACX, and will then pay the author enough to cover the cost of a pay-for-production deal... with the proviso that the author selects an Audible Approved Producer.

So yes... the AAP status is a real benefit and worthwhile as it opens up the higher tier of jobs from authors with subsidized pay-for-production deals.
_________________
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.

Scott Pollak · Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 3:05 pm Post subject:

So just for hoots, I went on ACX just now and did a general narrator search. Looking at "narrators for hire" with no other parameters checked, there are (are you ready??) 14,743 narrator 'samples' (whatever that means*) that come up.

* I'm thinking 'samples' means basically demos. I have no idea why, but I have TWO demos that come up there.

Next, if you whittle it down my merely clicking the "audible approved" filter, you get roughly a 90% reduction, down to 1462 narrators. Surprisingly (or not, I dunno) I'm on that list. I only have 13 narrations on audible right now (with 2 more coming soon), and I have no idea HOW I got on that list. Maybe I got enough 'stars' in the ratings or something. Not at all surprisingly however, names like Peter Bishop and Jeffrey Kafer are on that list, too, of course.

So..... FWIW......
_________________
Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

www.voicebyscott.com

Donna · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 4:20 pm Post subject:

Donna Postel has recently made it to that list as well, but has no clear idea how to use these new-found powers, for good or ill.

Toured the studios, auditioned, and took part in an enjoyable day of "how Audible does stuff" in May during APAC. Learned much, met some super nice people, and paid for the trip to NYC with a direct-to-Audible title.
_________________
Dangerous.

Donna Postel
donnapostel.com
donna@donnapostel.com

Bish · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 4:34 pm Post subject:

In that case, it's a big "Yay! for Donna Laugh

(even though she did talk about herself in the third-person)
_________________
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.

Donna · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:07 pm Post subject:

For which she offers sincere apologies.

Hi guys, Donna here. Did I miss anything?
_________________
Dangerous.

Donna Postel
donnapostel.com
donna@donnapostel.com

heyguido · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:28 pm Post subject:

Nothing to apologize for. You made the list. Smile

_________________
Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"