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SoundsGreat-Elaine Singer King's Row

Joined: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 1055 Location: Toronto, Canada
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:07 pm Post subject: VO as your only source of income |
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I'm curious to know how many of you depend on voiceover work as your sole source of income. I sure don't, although I'd like to. _________________ Elaine
The Youthful Mature Voice (Emeritus)
Senectitude is not for the faint of heart. |
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allensco Flight Attendant

Joined: 30 Jul 2005 Posts: 823 Location: Alabama, USA
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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I don't either. I do 911 dispatching for my fulltime job and I'm still on the air at a local radio station. |
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Frank F Fat, Old, and Sassy

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 4421 Location: Park City, Utah
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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VO is not my ONLY source of income, however, it could support me in the fashion I desire. I own several other businesses including Video Production, Audio Recording Studios, VOIP Telecommunication, Mobile L.E.D. Video Displays, and others.
Voice Overs have supported me, and funded my other endeavors. I owe it all to the Voice Over business. If I dropped all of the other things I have going, I could fund my existance on just VO work.
Frank F |
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Philip Banks Je Ne Sais Quoi

Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 11075 Location: Portgordon, Scotland
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:25 am Post subject: |
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VO is my only source of income although I have been known to do a bit of acting (on-camera). The main reason for the latter was that I was asked.
If you were wondering ......Yes, I count my blessings every day. |
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Simon Fellows Contributor III
Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 94 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:52 am Post subject: |
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VO is my primary source of income, but I have a small business I run with a friend. Nothing fancy - just the 2 of us doing a bit of data processing/marketing work from our homes - but it helps me get through the quiet months (I'm hoping to get to a point where I only have one quiet month a year, but I haven't made it there yet!). It also gives me the flexibility to concentrate on VO when the work comes in, so I guess I'm lucky in that respect. It can be a little crazy though, when both get busy at the same time :shock: _________________ Simon Fellows
http://www.simonfellows.com |
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Deirdre Czarina Emeritus

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 13023 Location: Camp Cooper
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:34 am Post subject: |
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Well, I suppose I talk for a living. It's not all recorded voice stuff, though. I'm a traffic reporter for Metro Networks, Boston-- that's my "day job" although it's not even slightly a "day" since I handle only afternoon drive.
I'm a hired gun for WBZ in Boston: staff commercial announcer. Those are both wage jobs.
I've got the myriad other ongoing and occasional projects we all have: corporate narrations with a couple of key clients and one-offs, IVR and call-center stuff, TV and other radio commercial stuff, voice for interactive internet a s. Radio station imaging is great fun. I also coach occasionally when asked.
I've been out of the on-camera world for a number of years-- I hit the dreaded no-woman's land of "40-something" and, as I expected, the phone stopped ringing. What the hell. I'm doing more goofball movie and TV stuff-- like background work. It's not bad if you're SAG-- the other night I drove down to Rhode Island so I could drive my little car in the Showtime Drama The Brotherhood.
Normal people wonder what I do on the "weekends". _________________ DBCooperVO.com
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Mike Nasty Brit

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 476 Location: Tomorrowland
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:40 am Post subject: |
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Most of my income now is from VO. I also use my studio to produce VO demos for local talent which is a nice additional income stream. I have been known to do some on-camera work which is occasionally fun, but rarely financially rewarding.
I'm now also directing voice actors for video games which involves spending a painful amount of time on the wrong side of the glass. It has some benefits though. One is the cheque at the end. The other is having the power to cast yourself in a minor, but juicy role. Bad guy, of course.
Maiku _________________ www.michaelrhys.com
"If grass could run, cows would look like tigers."
Murray Wiggle |
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Deirdre Czarina Emeritus

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 13023 Location: Camp Cooper
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:57 am Post subject: |
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Mike wrote: | Bad guy, of course. |
Mais oui, Cheri! _________________ DBCooperVO.com
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Bruce Boardmeister

Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 7977 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 8:17 am Post subject: Full time VO |
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I've been full time VO for several years now, and perform some related activities such as writing commercials and producing and directing radio ads, narrations, and such. Normally, I'm in my home studio 30 to 50 hours a week and go out to do something at another studio maybe 2 times a month.
I still get to do something on camera from time to time. I did a national Realty Executives spot a few months ago and I acted in three independent films and a TV pilot over the past two years. I used to do a lot more on-camera work and theater, but VO pay-per-hour is so much better, that I don't push for them any more.
Keeping fingers crossed and always pursuing new clients through marketing and networking has kept me going.
Bruce |
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kgenus Seriously Devoted

Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 889 Location: Greater NYC Area
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:11 am Post subject: |
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It's not my main source of income yet but it's beyond the planned timeline I created two years ago. I spend 4-6 hours of my day in the studio. Like others, I've got additional irons in the fire, a production company and an information technology firm. I use to work in broadcast while sitting through my early days of C programming courses.... I'm not spending the income from the studio on household expenses, all those funds are placed in a budget to meet specific needs (equipment or building expenses for the new studio), but that's about two years out.
Kevin _________________ Genus |
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johnbailey Contributor II

Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Posts: 60 Location: Detroit, MI
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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Nope, although I'd like to think I could if I only had more time to send out demos.
Deirdre wrote: | I'm a traffic reporter for Metro Networks, Boston-- that's my "day job" although it's not even slightly a "day" since I handle only afternoon drive.
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Deirdre, didn't know that you're a fellow Metro slave, uh...er employee. I've been doing it for 12 years for WWJ in Detroit. Morning drive only, though, which is way better than afternoons! _________________ John Bailey Voiceovers |
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Deirdre Czarina Emeritus

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 13023 Location: Camp Cooper
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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johnbailey wrote: | Morning drive only, though, which is way better than afternoons! |
No Kidding-- except for the hours.
This afternoon drive jobbie is a stake in the heart of my day. _________________ DBCooperVO.com
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Andy Guest
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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Nope. By day, night, weekends, when I'm sleeping, trying to get drunk, etc. I'm a TV news director. Phone's always ringing with some BS issue or ego problem to resolve.
Been playing in VO for a year and doing okay with it. Doing better than I thought, not as good as I'd like....but then I'm never happy. |
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audio'connell T-Shirt

Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 1969 Location: in a dark studio with a single bulb light...day after day after....
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 2:50 pm Post subject: Well....let's see here... |
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If it is true as has been posted elsewhere that about 10% of the world's voiceovers do it full time, looking at the board we're about there.
About 1/2 of my work week involves VO, the other half involves sales and marketing efforts for a couple of clients who serve the US.
Money is money and I'll take it almost any (legal) way I can get it.
Regards, _________________ - Peter
audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent |
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kitstern Been Here Awhile
Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 218 Location: Oregon
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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I'm full time as of a few months ago, and I've been paying my bills. It's been slow the last month or so, but now it's starting to pick up.
Sure beats the hell out of being an investment advisor, which is the job I did to make money while doing VO part time. _________________ Enjoy life, this is not a rehearsal.
http://www.kitziestern.com/ |
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