VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

paulstefano · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 8:47 am Post subject: Bodalgo Currently

Hello Everybody and Happy New Year.

Has anybody used Bodalgo recently? I put in an application and was apparently approved. I say apparently because I received no notice, I just started to get audition requests in email. Of course, in order to respond I have to pony up more funds.

My question is, are they still considered to be more selective than their P2P counterparts? I was kind of surprised I was accepted at this point in my career.

Thanks,

Paul
_________________
http://www.paulstefano.com

paulstefano · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 8:57 am Post subject:

Okay, I hate when people reply to their own posts, but I have to note this.

I sent an email through the general contact form asking if I had indeed been approved on the site, and I got a confirmation from Armin Hierstetter himself! It didn't appear to be a form letter, either, it addressed my question directly and with a real answer.

Color me impressed.
_________________
http://www.paulstefano.com

Lee Gordon · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 9:57 am Post subject:

Just as with the other P2Ps, I believe Bodalgo's "approval process" consists of "show me the money." Other than that, I don't believe they have any sort of vetting procedure. That said, if you want to try out a P2P, there are a couple of reason Bodalgo is a good choice. You've discovered the first one: Armin really is a decent guy and wants to do right by his members.

At just €10 a month, Bodalgo is also less expensive than the others, although the number of leads you are likely to get is also lower. Best of all, far more of the job posters on Bodalgo seem to be satisfied with a generic demo, rather than requiring a custom audition. So, between those last two items, it is not nearly the time suck that the other P2Ps can be.
_________________
Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

Matto · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:08 am Post subject:

I haven't seen a lot of leads come through lately, but I've picked up some good gigs through that website - including a great regular client from Germany. They usually send me through at least a couple of videos a week now.

The focus is definitely Transatlantic English (British-ish, Americany Euro, Britstralian), so if that's not in your wheelhouse your marketing $$$ may be better spent elsewhere.
_________________
www.mattcowlrick.com

Bish · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:50 am Post subject:

Armin wants to appear as the "honest broker" of the P2P world... and to a great extent, he seems to be accomplishing it. It's a small outfit and he keeps it personal. It's all down to a cost/benefit analysis (remember that you should also calculate time on the cost side of the equation).

I don't use them as I'm strictly Brit (not the Antipodean Chameleon that is Matt!) and find that his roster is fairly well loaded with Brits anyway, so I'm better off focussing on my niche as a US-based Brit.
_________________
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.

paulstefano · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 11:05 am Post subject:

Thanks Guys, all helpful stuff.

I decided to take the plunge on a monthly basis. As a child of the 70's, and who still worked some before the internet age, I still am a sucker for the personal touch. That personal email from Armin got me hook line and sinker!
_________________
http://www.paulstefano.com

Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 9:38 pm Post subject:

You know everyone gets that "personal" letter, right?
_________________
Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

Philip Banks · Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 5:08 am Post subject:

If you write to Arm and Hammer explaining why he's wasting your time you'll receive a reply which is "very personal".

paulstefano · Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 5:16 am Post subject:

Jeffrey,

It's not the same. I asked a specific question and Armin answered it in the email. I know a template when I see one. I've worked in customer service for years, using templates for all types of responses from emails, to online live chat systems.

I have received many templated emails from bodalgo since signing up, that have Armin's signature. I'm just pointing out I also received a personal one.

It's a small point, I know, but that kind of personal response really makes a difference in this digital world.
_________________
http://www.paulstefano.com

Lee Gordon · Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 10:16 am Post subject:

WillMWatt · Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 12:23 pm Post subject:

I book pretty regularly through Bodalgo. The clients tend to be European - lots of small to mid-size media companies looking for voices for their projects. Also a fair amount of European based companies who want a re-dub of a product video in English.

Armin is a friendly guy, and will usually respond personally to any emails you send. A job popped up the other day with the budget set at $900, but the body text stating "this is a student project and, as such, we can't pay you". I emailed this in, got a response from Armin within 10 mins, and the job was removed from the site.

Overall, I don't see a ton of American accent work popping up, but it's certainly there.

To answer your initial question, yes I think they're a little more selective than other P2Ps. I think this probably has a lot to do with the fact that the registration is laid out as an "application process". This likely dissuades the majority who are not serious. As for the approval - you run into difficult territory when you start making judgement calls as to whether or not someone is "fit to practice". Armin probably recognises this, and likely gives the benefit of the doubt in a lot of situations.

I personally appreciate this approach. It is not overly prescriptive (I found a a P2P in the UK which requests a sample of your noise floor as well as a recording of a set piece of copy using your home equipment...and which therefore suggests a five week average approval time from submission), yet it also doesn't go down the voices.com route of "anyone can be a voice actor profeshunal artist creative type! Literally!!!!! Got a phone with a mic built into it?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Just use that!!!!!!!!!!!!! From the comfort of your own hooooommmeeee!!!!! Can you imagine?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Sitting on your sofa and talking and being paid and having Maggie Gylenhall come give you foot rubs!!!!!!!!!!!!"

captain54 · Lucky 700 Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago

As a side note, there are a few US talent seekers posting there, and the majority of them are the slowest payers I've encountered… and of course, as usual, the slow payers with skinniest of budgets...
_________________
Lee Kanne
www.leekanne.com

Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 1:30 am Post subject:

What dislike I most? Voice Talent or Talent Seeker? Hard to say. On the whole P2P owners are merely pickpockets who allow victims to use their own hands.

Tom Test · DC Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 629 Location: Chicago, IL

I've had a number of very good gigs on bodalgo, and some have become regular clients. They generally pay as well (or more) than my American clients, and I have not had any slow payers yet (though all of my gigs have been with European clients). I'm strictly Midwestern US accent.

One tip for you: European clients don't realize that we make custom clips for our demos with clients we may have not actually worked for. To them our practice is misrepresentation! They expect that everything on your demo will be from an actual client that you have worked for. I have produced demos for bodalgo that are all clips from actual jobs.

I interviewed Armin a few years back, you can find it on the VoiceXtra website. It's worth a read to better understand that market.
_________________
Best regards,
Tom Test
"The Voice You Trust"
www.tomtest.com

paulstefano · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 5:41 am Post subject: