VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Diane Maggipinto

This is a reply I received to a query I made about their voice talent roster and whether they would accept a demo and/or link. It's not that nutty; it just cracked me up:

We are not adding/replacing any talent to our top 100 on our website at this time, but you may send your materials to be considered for our entire talent pool (not all of the talent we hire are featured on our website):

PLEASE PRINT THIS EMAIL, SIGN IT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TERMS BELOW, AND INCLUDE
IT WITH YOUR DEMO KIT.

________________________________________________
Signature/date
ALL DEMO SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE A $25 APPLICATION FEE. Checks can be made payable to the address above, or you may use the credit card authorization form below. The application fee is non-refundable and does not guarantee representation.

To be eligible for our talent pool, you must be able to:

- work as a non-union talent
- return a phone call or email within one hour
- receive, open, and read .pdf and .doc files via email
- encode mp3's at 192 kbps or better
- send all audio files within 15 minutes following the end of a session
- have a speakerphone or phone patch so that our producers may direct you
- accept payment terms of net 60 days from date of receipt of your invoice
- cut auditions per our specifications free of charge
- provide clean, broadcast quality audio at all times

Identify your rates for the following: (DO NOT say "negotiable," or "will
work with you")

- :60 or :30 radio or TV spots
- tags
- narration
_________________
sitting at #8, though not as present as I'd like to be. Hello!

www.d3voiceworks.com

Deirdre · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:46 am Post subject:

$25 to dive into the talent pool.

Must be able to breathe under water.
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

bobsouer · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:53 am Post subject:

Deirdre,

Like your tiger, for example! Laugh

_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

tackerman · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:59 am Post subject:

I believe the tiger's fee is waived.

Yoda117 · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:19 am Post subject:

oooh, I have to pay you for the privledge of making you money?

where do I begin in tearing this group to pieces?
_________________
Voiceovers by Gregory Houser
Philadelphia based Voice Actor

Blog - A man, a martini, and a lot of microphones

Jeff McNeal · Guest

I hope this doesn't come as a shock to anyone, but other than the one time $25 fee (which is really almost too marginal to fuss about one way or the other), pretty much everything they laid out in their list as a prerequisite for talent is SOP -- if you really intend to compete.

I applaud them for laying it all out so plainly so that nobody's time is wasted. There's already way too much of that going on in this business, over the Internet in particular. I also like that they don't blue sky you into thinking you might have a chance to get onto their published roster.

About the only stipulation that I disagree with is their instruction to identify your rates. It's their job to get the highest rates they can for their talent.

Dave · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:32 am Post subject:

Of course I don't know anything about the folks you are quoting for their submission rules... and I suspect this won't be too popular to say... but if they are able to book decent paying work I would be most happy to pay a token $25 fee. I gotta believe that element alone, were it SOP, would clean out at least 50% of the clowns that are muddying the vo talent pool.
_________________
. If at first you don't succeed, then bomb disposal probably isn't for you.

Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:32 am Post subject:

I agree, Jeff, and discerned that from the start. There are a lot of yahoos in this business, so those stipulations separate the wheat from the chaff. But sometimes, we're pretty loose in our dealings and might NOT be able to return a call within an hour, or send an edited piece within a quarter-hour. With regards to rates, I had to stop short of replying with a query as to what they believe are "acceptable" rates and whether one's rates would preclude them from roster inclusion. Speculation, I know. Generally, though, if thems the deal, thems the deal.
_________________
sitting at #8, though not as present as I'd like to be. Hello!

www.d3voiceworks.com

Bailey · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:37 am Post subject:

The sad thing... somebody is still making money.

That would be like Deirdre charging $25 for posting in the Critique area.
Hey... that doesn't sound too bad Rolls Eyes

.
We could divert the money into the VO-BB Fund
... have a Bar-B-Q once in awhile
... and still have money left over for street repairs Smile

.
Start charging $50 per year for exclusive VO-BB membership... which also includes access to Work, Learn and Entre Nous!
Now your talking!... Wink

Who said you can't make money in the VO business?

(Please excuse my creativity moment.)
_________________
"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044 W00T

.gif" alt="W00T" border="0" />
AOVA Graduate 02/2004 ;
"Be a Voice, not an Echo." Ninja

Jeff McNeal · Guest

Deirdre · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:45 am Post subject:

I think paying someone $25 to listen to your demo is a bit rich.

Am I understanding it wrong?
Just to submit a talent pkg requires the fee, yes?
Like applying to a college or something?

Isn't it their job to keep their talent pool hot for their clients?

What if CESD or Abrams started charging $500 to submit a demo to their commercial or promo agents?
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

Jeff McNeal · Guest

Deirdre, I view it as just another screening element. If it prevents 90% of the people who THINK they belong in this business from sending in their demos and wasting everyone's time, then why not? The fact that they are so straight about their requirements right up front lends more credibility to their operation than the $25 screening fee detracts from it, in my view at least. And it's a lot cheaper than applying to a college. $25 is a pittance. You can't even get a half a tank of gas for that anymore. The bottom line is if you have genuine talent and send in your demo and $25, you may actually get somewhere. If you have no talent, you won't get anywhere, regardless, so for those people, they'd be better off with the half tank of gas.

Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 11:00 am Post subject:

Jeff McNeal · Guest

Sure, they'll let you go on vacation, but while you're out laying on the sand, and your agent sends you a script for a national TV spot, someone else is going to get the gig and finance their next vacation with it -- unless you're prepared to compete at all times. For some people, I understand that may be asking too much. You have to be true to yourself and the lifestyle you want.

My main point here is that turnaround time seems to matter siginficantly in my circles and unless you can deliver a quality product in record time, chances are good to excellent that someone else will. Of course, this may not be as critical in medium and smaller markets. Concentric circles seem to move slower, the further they move away from the center of the drop hitting the pond.

How's that for some flowery BS to start your vacation with?

Bruce · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:07 pm Post subject: