VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Philip Banks · Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:11 pm Post subject:

The future is full of surprises and I like surprises. Knowing what will happen next takes the edge off of even the biggest surprise.

SimondsSays · Guest

I came away from the LA panel, initially quite discouraged......

...but as the feel of what they said sunk in it occurred to me that there was another side to the story...

10 years ago, the need for an agent and to work out of LACHINY ( the mythical land) was almost a given. Since then, technology had enabled a great deal of us to work from home and make a living. In the next 10 years technology will keep marching on and as a result the industry WILL change. Based on how it HAS changed I would say that much of what we heard was based on fear... a defensive reaction to the future prospect that LACHINY's hold on the market will fade as they become less relevant to the process.

Not only do I believe I can succeed with out the blessing's of the LACHINY gods, I think that their collective hold on the market isn;t as strong as they would hope it is....

all that clap trap said, there is no doubt that major work is controlled in large part by the LACHINY power brokers...... however if the last 10 years is an example of what CAN happen, who knows what WILL happen.....

(now to read the other 20 posts and see what the other thoughts are on this)

SimondsSays · Guest

CarynClark · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 5:59 am Post subject:

If I'm recalling the panel you're referring to, they were speaking specifically about having to be in LA for animation work.

There are plenty of successful vos out there that aren't in LA/NY/CHI. Yes, some lived in one or a couple of those spots and then moved away, but I know of some that have never lived in those towns, and are doing VERY well. It doesn't hurt to HAVE an agent in the major markets, but you don't have to live in them (and yes, many major market agents are with the times and will accept talent that don't live in their town).
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Diane Havens · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 6:28 am Post subject:

Yes, Caryn -- it was Bob Bergen who said specifically that RIGHT NOW you need to be in LA to do animation work. But he also said that that will undoubtedly be changing in the future.

However, I have a friend that does a great deal of animation work, along with stage and screen -- and he lives in NY, and has for all of his 30+ year career.
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RayAnime · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 7:11 am Post subject: Re: Another take on the panel

Rob · Guest

Based on a previous post by Sir Phillip regarding $$$ from a single client and this great assessment of the real world, may we ask you, Sir, for career path advice for we startups?

Rob

Deirdre · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:07 am Post subject:

That would be "US startups".

Read aloud every day.
Record yourself.
Make a demo.
Get a website.
Find out who needs the kind of work you can do and call or write them.
Be persistent.

90-95% of your labor will be spent looking for work.
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Yoda117 · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 9:39 am Post subject:

Lizden · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 9:54 am Post subject:

I like 'em DB!
They have worked for me.

Liz
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Drew · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:47 am Post subject:

Phil, good advice, as always...whether your source came from LA or Baton Rouge, LA

And yep DB, 90%-95% of the work is finding the work. If I had a nickle for every time this past week I dialed the phone and said, "Good afternoon I'm Drew..."

We'd all be at my new ranch at the beach sipping a fine assortment of libation on my tab. Then we'd all go out and tip some my overly priced Angus cattle.
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robert jadah · Guest

These threads always tear at me.
Considering the well-drilled army of coaches and advisors intoning a Carpet Bombing strategy, I feel downright mutinous in my slacker ways.
Were I expected to spend 90-95% of my work time finding work, I'd rather hie myself down to the employment office and find a regular paycheque stirring cheese vats.

The sheer volume of slick and well-branded VO's now marching in perfect formation is becoming an assault on hirers. A radio-ad producer told me last week that I wouldn't believe how many VO's his secretary has to hang up on every day.

Philip Banks · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 2:33 pm Post subject:

Quite right. 20,000 emails, 5,000 CDs, 1500 phone calls and $1,000 per month on getting the website in a place where it can be found all combined to launch a Voice Over career may prove unfruitful. There's a book called "Step up to the mic" a better book for the majority may be called "Know when to step away from the mic".

If you're able to prove what you're doing is working it also follows that you should be able to tell if what you're doing isn't working. Spot the latter? Stop doing it!

Anyone who searches the archives will find the story and the facts on how I got started. What do I do now? General principles of PR and marketing apply but with a unique Philip Banks approach and that's a tough thing for anyone other than Philip Banks to replicate unless you're selling exactly the same as Philip Banks. Think about it, it's not as daft as it seems.

"Dare to be different".

Rob · Guest

Deirdre · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:41 am Post subject:

Here's $20, Robbie Dear— go get yourself an ice cream.
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