VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

ricevoice · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:23 pm Post subject: Good Agents Rock!

So I had Big Bang Theory reruns on TBS on in the background as I did laundry 2 weekends ago, when out of the corner of my ear I heard something familiar... I "rewound" the tv (gotta love modern tech) and saw it was an old spot I did through one of my agents, a spot that had its renewal end in Dec 2013. I emailed my agent, he tracked down the client (who was no longer using the ad agency we booked through)... today he got the client to agree to pay the original renewal rate for the 2014 usage and double the rate for 2015!

Moral of the story: it pays to watch more tv, kids! Oh, and good agents are awesome.
_________________
Chris Rice - Noisemaker
www.ricevoice.com

Eddie Eagle · M&M Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393

Booyay!
Congrats

Bruce · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:47 am Post subject:

My agent in Phoenix was dutiful about sending invoices to clients at renewal time giving them a chance to pay or state they were done. Time and again clients wouldn't pay or respond and just kept running the spots. BIG companies like a huge electric utility as well as smaller ones.

That's why I trained friends and family in town to tell me every time they heard one of my spots after a period of time. I made a lot of money I would have missed otherwise. Ninja

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

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

Adric83 · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 11:06 am Post subject:

It's a sad state of affairs that because audio is less (or completely, if we're being accurate) 'visible' than say, an on-screen commercial, we have to train our ears or the ears of those close to us, to listen to see if we're being ripped off.

It's also a shame that the 'punishment' tends to be that they just 'fess up and pay what they should have in the first place, maybe a little more?

If I were to drive a car off the lot without paying, keep it for a year and then the police find me... Am I allowed to say "Awwwww shucks, ya got me! Here's the original price asked for the car and a little extra because I'm very sorry".

Individuals getting accosted by the MPAA and the RIAA for downloading movies or albums; are they given the recourse to just pay what the items would have cost? Better lawyers for the MPAA/RIAA I guess.

I will now stop typing before this becomes a really solid Peter Finch moment from "Network"... "I'm mad as hell!...." Wink

Threadjack over. Please resume your far more civilised discussions Embarrassed

And congrats on your agent raking them over the coals a little, makes me wish I had your agent! Sticking out Tongue

heyguido · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:07 pm Post subject:

Better lawyers? Nah.... Copyright. The law is very clear about copyright violation.

Verbal or handshake agreements? Not so much.

Get it in writing. If you catch them in breach, you have something actionable.
_________________
Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

Adric83 · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:00 pm Post subject:

I assume all these agreements were in writing though? I know that when I've done commercials it usually states exactly the terms with regard to length of use and renewal rates, etc.

I'm also assuming that was the case when it came to the OP's situation, and also why the agent was able to get not only the renewal fee but another DOUBLE renewal fee for the current year, lest they be taken to court.

I guess I'm just saying that theft in voiceover seems to really not favour the performer, which is a bummer.