VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Philip Banks]

All one has to do is buy a Neumann U87 or "microphone" as they are called in "the business" and several other techie things. Using a telephone or an interweb Email account take orders from people with pieces of writing they want you to read "out loud".

By charging around $300 and doing the "out loud bit" 4 times a week a living of $60,000 per year is possible.

Why do people INSIST on making something SO simple complicated?

STOP IT! ...AT ONCE!

[Mike Harrison]

Thanks, Philip, for a much-needed morning LOL!
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[Bish]

[Bob Bergen]

Lots of valid points on this thread.

Many of the issues pointed out are not new. Since the beginning of show business, there have been scam artists out there preying on ignorants with stars in their eyes. The difference today is, the internet has brought the scam artists to many, many more. Thirty plus years ago it was really easy to find out who was decent and who wasn't. Everyone knew the great teachers. And no one ever talked about making money in vo workshops. Classes were all about education. You never heard a teacher discuss the word "demo" in class as it just wasn't appropriate. Not every student was demo ready, and some never will be. My only complaint about vo classes in the 70s and early 80s is they rarely, if ever, discussed the business of the business. That info today is a keyboard click away. But I got my demo/marketing tips back in the good old days in audition waiting rooms, picking the brains of the best of the best. You can do the same thing today just by emailing those whose career mirrors what you want out of yours.

We have a new generation of vo that believes if you buy it you will work. From mics, to expensive recording programs, to booths. You will work if you are talented. A good mic does not make the untalented talented.

But here's a good byproduct of today's vo generation. If you are talented, and you are smart in your business strategies, you have access to opportunities that were never there for you 35 years ago. I agree with Lee that those who say "yes" are more to blame than the crap they are saying "yes" to. The problem is, there will always be someone to say "yes" to everything.

Smart artists know that the word "no" is a very powerful word. It allows you to have standards. It gives you the control. And, it often makes you more desirable.

I am emailed or phoned by about 10-20 a day asking about my animation vo classes. The minute I'm asked "How much money can I make in animation?" or "Will I get a demo after your class?" I usually tell em I don't think my class is right for them. First of all, I have no idea how much money I'LL make in animation. No way I can look into my crystal ball to learn the financial prospects of others. My class is for education, period. What a student gets out of it depends on the student.

Now, the good that has come from this new generation of vo and the internet is, if you really want to pursue vo, and you are a brilliant talent and a savvy smart business person, you have access to some amazing opportunities I would have killed to have had at my fingertips living in the midwest. I was blessed in that my family moved to LA when I was a teenager. I would have gotten myself out here eventually, but it gave me a huge jump start to be able to start studying vo at 14. And I was responsible for making sure whom I studied with was on the up and up, not my parents. Trust me, if a 14 year old kid can weed through the great coaches and the crap, everyone can.

Look, not everyone is right for vo and (or) acting. But you will never know unless you dive in. Ya don't have to spend a dime at first. There's more free info online than there were workshops when I was starting out. Read and research. Stay clear of anyone who sells a class by waving dollar signs in your face or makes any promises other than education and fun. Decide what you want out of your career and be honest in your approach. Know what is needed and expected to compete at the level you desire.

And it will take you less than one hour of online research to know which coaches have what it takes.

[Lee Gordon]

[Bruce]

In my Phoenix days I used to offer VO coaching. I'd invite the curious for a free session to learn if it was right for them. I turned away 4 out of 5 after a short interview, and I even "fired" about a third of the people I started training after one or two sessions.

If you don't have the education it takes to know something about what you're talking about, or at least appear (sound) like you know what you're talking about, or the ability to take and use direction, or have no desire to practice a huge amount on your own, there is absolutely no hope of making it in this business, and I wouldn't take their money.

On the other hand, it pleases me to no end to see and hear about the successes of the people I've coached and made demos for.

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. .

[Foog]

Not to threadjack by, errr, going back on topic, but I thought I'd let y'all know that today the pendulum swung the other way - the P2P world showed me that it doesn't always suck eggs.

I had a client on voices send me a PM telling me that their client was quite pleased with the work I had done and wanted to use it in a local broadcast (which wasn't part of my original quote). They wrote to ask me how I'd like to be compensated. Yay! Here's hoping that for every jerk that wants to unfairly stiff talent out of a contract, there's a stand-up client who will take pains to make things right when they could have easily gotten away with keeping mum about expanding usage rights.

This was nice. I'm far too cynical for the P2P happy hype machine, and this sort of thing, small gesture though it may be, kinda restores the old faith in humanity. And building a list of happy and honest clients to work with is my entire reason for wading in them thar P2Pools, so good, good, all good!

Maybe I'll spend the cheque on some coaching. (no, I'm not kidding, just not 100% sure remote coaching is right for me though it may be my only option as I live in a rather remote spot I do)
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Andrew Fogarasi