VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Dan-O]

While chatting with friends and clients over the past few weeks I kept hearing the same question "You live like this every day?" The answer is yes. yes, I do.

If you have ever considered making promo the focus of your VO career, I encourage you to assess your current quarantine state of mind. You may not be fit for "The Golden Handcuffs"

Do you like to be at home?
Do you want to travel farther than 10 minutes away from your home?
Are you willing to walk out of dinners, dates, movies, etc. at a moments notice to go back home or to your car to record?
Are you willing to do that while on vacation?

Things to think about if you if you ever want to pursue a career in promo.

[Bruce]

Oh man, I had a friend in Phoenix who's life was television station promo, and I mean life. He couldn't take a vacation and as you state really couldn't get out of the house. A three day vacation was a major pre-planned event (this was before travel rigs) with hopes that his friendly replacements wouldn't take over his positions with the stations.

Yeah, that's a tough one. Sorry bud.


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. .

[Frank F]

While we ponder our Voiceoverist quarantine here are some thoughts:

I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?

I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyardia. I'm getting tired of Los Livingroom.

Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun.

I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.

I don't try to annoy People. It's just a gift.

I'm not self-medicating with Chocolate during this trying time of our lives. The Lady at the shop wrote me a prescription… Well, she called it a receipt. Whatever...

F2
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com

[Jen Gosnell]

[Dan-O]

[Philip Banks]

Wednesday 8th April 2020 - I recorded exactly 251 separate pieces of audio.

CUE APPLAUSE and Orchestra playing an heroic theme.

Now, back on Planet Real. The above number is mine and it is neither to my credit nor is it my fault.

I live with no other Human but do have Bess the Border Collie. I work, I walk, I run, I row using a rowing machine in my office. Life is fine and may be that extra 10 inches around my middle will vanish, may be not.

Most people in our business fail because they like the idea of being "THAT voice!" They LOVE the idea of earning $1million per week plus a free massive Yacht every quarter. But they are unable to do the job and do not like the work ; being in love with an idea is not the same as living it like a livvy thing.

"What were you doing at 2 o'clock this morning?" asked Darren who was visiting me last year.

"TV promo, On the Money, a Saturday breakfast show on CNBC. Coffee?"

We adjourned to the kitchen.

Look at this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx4VJqRoZYA

It is 10 years old! I am 10 years OLDER!

NEXT! In Portgordon. A walk with Border Collie. Stay toooooned!

[Bish]

[Philip Banks]

"Philip, what's your travel rig?"

"Sunglasses, Bermuda shorts, a camera and a credit card!"

[todd ellis]

i'm probably 70% in the handcuffs.. like peter said - when someone says
i need it NOW", i ask, "really? ... or would monday before noon work?" usually they say - "sure, monday will be fine." i realize that this is not "promo work". when i have a chance to go to the farm for a few hours or a few days - i unplug - mostly because there is no internet & barely a cell signal there. i used to take a travel rig on "vacation" - now i don't.
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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?

[Jack Daniel]

Like Dan, I carefully consider my movements, as I won't venture beyond roughly 20 minutes from home on a weekday. Of course there are exceptions, but even then I usually clear things with the pertinent parties, and said exceptions usually just mean I'm 30 minutes away rather than 20.

I asked for this, and I'm very happy to "deal with" these restrictions. I know that I may have to get up off the couch at 10pm and I'm fine with that. In fact, I'm usually a little bit thrilled. Not leastwise because it justifies my regimen, giving me the Feelz and allowing me to say things like "See?!" to my loved ones.

Bish's comments are interesting as I rarely hear the considered opposition (and Bish, I realize you are not arguing against always-on avail but pointing out how folks often create their situations based on things other than actual necessity). In my case, being available is a mix of self-created urgency and actual need, and the truth is I sometimes overstate my vitalness (and my vitality, but that's another issue entire).

But to Dan's point--all you have to do is NOT be available once for your star to fade in a producer's eyes. I've heard too many tales of top VOs being taken off premiere gigs or pushed down the list of go-to hires because of not being available--once. Fact: they have MANY choices, and at any given time there are *n* voices who could do a bang-up job on the same spot/campaign. The person they can trust to deliver quickly and well, they will always come back to. (Until a new CD comes in, of course, but that's another story :).
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Jack Daniel
Narrator / Man About Town

[Jack Daniel]

[Lee Gordon]

I do some promo work but I have experienced very little that absolutely can't wait. Maybe I'm just lucky in that regard. The people I deal with generally send me emails but I have told them that if they need something right away, call me. One of the more recent times the phone rang, I was on the way to a doctor's appointment. I told them it would be a couple of hours before I could record their promo and they were OK with that. Most of what I do for them is planned stuff, but when it's an emergency (such as something weather related), they call me because Bill Ratner (their guy for the really important promos) wasn't immediately available. I'm pretty sure Bill is not worried that he's going to lose his gig to me.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

[Lee Gordon]

[Philip Banks]

Never worn them. Bermuda Shorts better for creative written flow. Heathcliffe? His Real name Colin just didn't work.