VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Chuck Davis · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 11:11 am Post subject:

+1 Bish. These parasites are popping up more and more these days. The tipping point needs to be reached soon.
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DorienJaye · Joined: 10 Feb 2009 Posts: 8 Location: New Hampshire

Well Bish, apparently unlike yourself, I don't like to wish harm on anyone nor do I wish to burn bridges dispite what I think of his venture. And you obviously mistake "false well wishing" to being polite. I don't know if you've heard at all, but it is the holidays. And instead of attacking me, how about just sticking to the point and leaving it at that?!

While I appreciate your opinion, try to stay on topic instead criticizing me who is simply trying spur conversation about this matter. Merry Christmas!

Quicksilver · Been Here Awhile Joined: 29 Oct 2012 Posts: 217

Well he's lowered his rates again. I just got an email asking if I wanted to have a profile and would work for $15 (30 sec) up to $70 (for 10 minutes)

DorienJaye · Joined: 10 Feb 2009 Posts: 8 Location: New Hampshire

Well done Quicksilver.....WELL done!

Lee Gordon · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 12:40 pm Post subject:

This guy Keith, the "head gardener" at the Voice Garden is not the guy we need to be talking to. We need to discourage any and all voiceoverists whose talent is worth more than $15 for a :30 or $70 for ten minutes from even considering participation. Although we don't like to think so, the world is rife with voiceoverist wannabees whose talent, skill and experience really are worth only $5-15 a pop. Let them populate the Voice Bunnies and Voice Gardens of the world.

By the way, there's no truth to the rumor that he was thinking of changing the name of his outfit to Fifteenerrr. That would leave him no leeway for another round of downward rate adjustment. Explode

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Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 12:54 pm Post subject:

I'm with Bish, Chuck and pretty much everyone else here. We do not need to be wishing him 'well' with this venture.

Anything BUT.

Bottom-feeding services like this are akin to throwing gasoline on the Chicago fire as we watch the industry burn down and self-destruct.

And yes, great letter QS.
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Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

www.voicebyscott.com

Bish · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:10 pm Post subject:

There are discussions here, on Facebook and on Linkedin. This may be why tempers are a bit frayed... Voice Garden has already been discussed to death and back. Dozens of VO (including myself) have tried to enter into polite discourse with him, and many of the transactions have been made public. He is solid in his belief that he is right and there is a business opportunity to make himself a profit from. He has, with unwavering consistency, reiterated his position... which is, in the opinion of every professional VO, a detriment to the industry.

So, no... I'm sorry... regardless of the approach of the Winter Solstice (and any other festivities that are associated with that occurrence), I do NOT wish him well in his business venture. Please do not mistake this for me wishing ill on him personally. I just hope his business crashes and burns.

... and Dorien, I was not criticizing you for your benevolence towards him. I was simply stating that I disagreed. I was on-topic... admittedly, topics can wander and snark is the stock-in-trade of many VO-BBers... as is a universal dislike of bottom-feeders who damage the industry. Check the archives to get a feel for the board's opinion and style.

I have no doubt that VG will not impact on me one jot. I am not competing at that level. But what it does do is devalue my chosen profession (of which I am proud to be a member). Anyone with a USB mic and a Fivrr account can call themselves a Voice Actor nowadays... and that hurts everyone.
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Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
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Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:57 pm Post subject:

Call me old-fashioned, but I don't see the business advantage of thoroughly alienating the very people you want to work for you.
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Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

www.voicebyscott.com

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

I agree that the site doesn't help anybody.

I also don't see what the business model is. What's the point in running it?

The only way I could see making any money with this is getting a thousand or so people to sign up...and then selling all their data to various schemes.
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Quicksilver · Been Here Awhile Joined: 29 Oct 2012 Posts: 217

I thought the same thing.

He wants to be the middle man between beginner, hobbist VO talents and inexperienced clients who tend to expect their reads to sound like the ones they hear on Apple commercials and magically be timed for the video they didn't provide- all for (literally) a few dollars commission per job? Sounds like an nightmare.

Heck, his commission will be about 1/100th of a normal agency and he has to do just as much correspondence and spend magnitudes more on marketing. Brilliant business plan.

Starting to feel sorry for this guy. Maybe karma has already struck.

ChrisMezzolesta · Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 9:20 am Post subject:

This is but one of the issues that World Voices is looking to tackle, but we need numbers and we need awareness. One person writing to Keith Gilbert will have no effect at all, but hundreds, for a starter, of like-minded VOs who care about their welfare and those of their colleagues, blogging and posting and otherwise getting the word out where the unconnected-to-us VOs hang out, so that our collective message is received rather than "Make Money In Voiceover!", stands a better chance of having some effect. It's all there and in place and getting better all the time. To the naysayers who keep spouting that such an org is not needed - what better proof do you need than this? Outreach to hit people on Twitter who do not know of us or Faffcon or the VO-BB or whatever...saying "NO we will not accept this arrangement, and neither should you, and here is why". Each person holding their own line is great, but a bunch of people can hold a much "louder" and potentially effective line. It's gotta start somewhere. But if you're not happy with something in the business, join World Voices, we are sincerely trying to make inroads and make a difference. We're not "playing" at this, unlike the head of a previous group we used to be affiliated with. We are dead serious, and working for the talent.
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Matto · Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 10:12 am Post subject:

He's a startup entrepreneur who needs to earn his scars.

He'll end up with a few from the VG shimozzle. Hopefully it proves to be somewhat of a learning experience and he doesn't try to drop a steamer on another industry.
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heyguido · Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 10:39 am Post subject:

I'm with Matt on this one. Seen my share of startups. Don't expect this one to last long.
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Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 11:16 am Post subject:

Chris, I was not familiar with "World Voices" until your post and I went to check it out. Seems like a good idea and good group. The truth is, though, I'm simply tired of paying people everywhere to be a member of something.

I realized recently how many things we ALL pay for - quite literally on a daily basis - and it's no wonder none of us have an extra cent in our pocket. Think about it, tv used to be 'free' now we easily pay $100+ a month for it. We used to not HAVE internet, now it's an ongoing charge. Radio... now we pay to have Pandora or XMradio. Want to use an Adobe product? No problem! Just pay (yet another) monthly fee! Basic home phone service used to cost about $20/month, now we all pay $100+ a month for cell service and on and on. (Food, mortgage, health insurance, car insurance, electric bill, gas bill, water & sewerage, student loans, etc.)

I just can't put membership in something like that at a very high priority level. Sorry.
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Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

www.voicebyscott.com

DustinEbaugh · Joined: 29 Apr 2012 Posts: 3 Location: Vegas Baby!

Hey Scott,

You make a good point. I guess we all have to decide where to spend our money, based upon what's important to us. To me, and the other members of WoVO, having a VO industry organization to elevate our game is important. Also, the community of folks willing to help each other is amazing. Many people have been quite receptive to it. Some, have not. To each his/her own.
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