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V123 V2.0: How's it going?
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todd ellis
A Zillion


Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 10537
Location: little egypt

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

old joke ...

who is the cheap bastid who gave you 24 cents!!!

well, ALL of 'em!
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bobsouer
Frequent Flyer


Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 9883
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Philip Banks wrote:
I would love to know how the 24 cents came about Laugh

Philip,

One of my clients is from Austria and insists on paying by the word. Because keeping them happy is a high priority to me, I simply take the word count they provide, and set up my invoices as that word count times the rate per word. Thus the bottom line of the invoices always end up being something other than an even dollar amount.
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
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robert jadah
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Philip Banks wrote:
Voice123. The ratings system and the search facility is a nonsense.


The difference between those that do well (Bob and Karen and Rognog and three dozen others) and those that don't (Philip, me and one thousand others) seems to be your place on their creaky search mechanism.
Now, the V123 poobahs are apparently insisting that it is no longer based on the ratings and percentiles.
However, if one searches daily for 'American male; Middle Age', the very same top twenty appear EVERY TIME, which indicates it is not random, but is, in fact, based on some mysterious attribute.
Months ago, when I was spending way too much time trying to figure out how to appear in this search spotlight, it became apparent that one crept up in the search engine rankings with each new demo posted on one's site. So I promptly plugged the maximum (30) onto my page and lo and behold, I came up Number One for 24 delicious hours.

What they're using now is anybody's guess. Mine would be an alphabetic listing of your pet's name.

Based on e-correspondence with them, they do seem to have some exalted voicers deemed to be 'Preferred Voices'. It is likely that these get the bulk of Private Leads.
Again, I have no idea how they came to be.
Neither, it is likely, does V123.

In the end, of course, it doesn't much matter. It's just another of life's many grand enigmas.
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Pam
The Thirteenth Floor


Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 1311
Location: Chicago, Il

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Phillip said
Quote:
In the last year I've made $200 from Voice123


WOOHOO!!! I've earned more than Phillip...na, na, na, na, na, na.

Oh wait, I think that's all I've earned...shuffles off...tail between legs...properly chastised...oh crap...sigh
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Pam Tierney
www.pamtierneyvo.com
imdb profile http://imdb.com/name/nm1941932/

Now what did I come in here for?
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bobsouer
Frequent Flyer


Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 9883
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

robert jadah wrote:
The difference between those that do well (Bob and Karen and Rognog and three dozen others) and those that don't (Philip, me and one thousand others) seems to be your place on their creaky search mechanism.

Robert,

I assure you, my placement on the Voice123 search mechanism has nothing to do with whatever modest success I've experienced through their site. I took the time this evening to do a search for Male, North American English, Middle Age. I appear on the 100th page of the search results.

Add ISDN to the search parameters, which cuts the total results by 3/4ths, I'm on the 24th page of the search results. Also add AFTRA to the search parameters, which cuts the total results by another 3/4th, I'm on the 8th page of the search results.

In fact, in all of 2007 I received only 2 private leads and no direct business offers. I simply respond to the auditions as they come, and only to those that meet my budget minimums and are of interest to me. Sometimes I book the work. Sometimes I don't.

I should add, that I have just about exactly the opposite experience with Voices.com. On their site, I've only booked 2 jobs from auditions submitted in the 3 years that I've been on their site; but I am frequently contacted and hired by private leads and direct hires. (6 times in the last 4 months.)
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
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Dave DeAndrea
Been Here Awhile


Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 206

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I joined V123 in late October of 2007 and have enjoyed some modest success. I'm curious to know what it was like before it's current form. Can anyone give me a "Reader's Digest" breakdown?
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Dave DeAndrea
Voice Actor & Producer
www.davedeandrea.com
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robert jadah
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bob,
I meant in no way to imply that you've somehow snuck into some rarefied spot. Your V123 successes are certainly due mostly to your obvious ability.
In light of the startling dry spells endured there by Mr. Banks, Kara Edwards, Ron T. Robinson and other pros, your candid clarification only makes it all curioser and curioser.

Which - as with UFO's, Belgian politics, and Amy Whitehouse's behaviour - makes it fun to talk about.
Since I no longer play there, it's no chunk off my igloo, as we say up here.
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bobsouer
Frequent Flyer


Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 9883
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Robert,

Please believe me, I took no offense from your comments. I just wanted to add a bit of additional clarification to the discussion. May your igloo be filled with warm and happiness, even as the great arctic blasts rage outside.
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
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todd ellis
A Zillion


Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 10537
Location: little egypt

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

barely 20 minutes after my post here this evening, guess what? a private lead from V123 ... i guess i stand corrected.
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louzucaro
The Gates of Troy


Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 1915
Location: Chicago area

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

robert jadah wrote:
Which - as with UFO's, Belgian politics,


Those two things are related...
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Lou Zucaro
http://www.voicehero.com

"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!"
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Bailey
4 Large


Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 4336
Location: Lake San Marcos... north of Connie, northwest of the Best.

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

While we chat about the past and present of V123, it appears that no one wants to address the elephant in the room.
Wink
Oh well... Back to eating chocolate dipped strawberries.
Smile
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"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044 W00T.gif" alt="W00T" border="0" />
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"Be a Voice, not an Echo."Ninja
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Deirdre
Czarina Emeritus


Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 13026
Location: Camp Cooper

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is the elephant sending private leads?
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DBCooperVO.com
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louzucaro
The Gates of Troy


Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 1915
Location: Chicago area

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bailey wrote:
Oh well... Back to eating chocolate dipped strawberries.
Smile


Bailey, shouldn't you be getting lucky by now already?!
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Lou Zucaro
http://www.voicehero.com

"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!"
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KaraEdwards
M&M


Joined: 21 Feb 2007
Posts: 2374
Location: Behind a mic or camera, USA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just for the simple sake of adding to the discussion:

I spent a year with V123...half with Smartcast, half without. Pre-Smartcast I did audition quite a bit as I was getting going full-time, but the hundreds of other auditions made it tough to be heard. There weren't any significant changes for me post Smartcast, most likely due to the fact I never did audition very much. (Like Bob, I was very particular) After Smartcast, I liked being able to see if my audition was opened and how it was rated. My ratings did go up (37th percentile to 87th) but it didn't have much effect on anything. I could not be found on a search at any point with anything but my exact name. My e-mails to customer service were very literally called 'wrong' in the response.

I received many 5 star ratings that never led to work, making me wonder how many of these jobs were real, or folks just fishing out their ideas. In the last month of my subscription, after only getting a handful of jobs- I did book a great gig (Highlights). It wasn't enough in the end to keep me around.

I find I don't have the time to audition very much, and I'm not going to get private leads because I can't be found...so I let my subscription run out.

So far, it has made absolutely no impact on my business to not be a member. I'm always open to changing my mind down the road- but for now I am happy Smile

Congrats to those that make money with the site! I say wherever the money comes from- is where your focus should be! W00T.gif" alt="W00T" border="0" />
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Kara Edwards
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Jeffrey Kafer
Assistant Zookeeper


Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Location, Location!

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

perhaps I have twisted logic. But it seems to me that if you don't have time to audition because you're so busy working, then you're probably doing OK.
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http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com
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