VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Philip Banks · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:06 am Post subject: Celebrating the trivial

28th February 1990 - Travelled to Cardiff in Wales to do a radio commercial voice over session for Red Dragon FM. The significance in that piece of information is that it was my first ever local radio commercial session. The fee was about $130.

As the above was a first I thought it should not pass without some acknowledgement. The session at Red Dragon was the only time I worked for them and now only about 0.5% of my work is local radio commercials so it goes without saying I am somewhat out of the loop. A few discrete enquries led me to the identity of the person who sits in the Commercial Producer's chair. Booze and work don't mix so I sent a more appropriate token with a note explaining why I was sending something and inviting her to join in the celebration. Shelly (the producer) has just received the token and is delighted.

Mandy Nelson · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:18 am Post subject:

sigh. I think I'll brave the snow and hunt down some cadbury eggs so I can celebrate, too.
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Lizden · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:25 am Post subject:

Philip,
You are a wonderful man.
Kiss

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Deirdre · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:16 am Post subject:

Lucky Lady!!

Congrats on your anniversary!
It's interesting that there's a literal "start date" for your career. So many of us kind of smear into it.
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Philip Banks · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:26 am Post subject:

I sent out my first batch of demos in early January 1990 and that was the first proper job with a pay cheque.

Bruce · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:51 pm Post subject:

If memory serves me correctly, my first paid spot to go outside of the radio stations I worked for was for Jack-in-the-Box restaurants in San Diego in 1973.

I'd send Jack a lovely gift but I'm not sure he'd remember me (or care). I think my pay was $25? A lot of burgers in those days.

I've got some on-camera TV spots I did a year or two before that, that I have to get off of ¾" tape and digitize one of these days. Then again, you'd get to see me with an Afro-like hair style and the hip high heeled shoes of the day.....toooo much.

B
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todd ellis · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject:

my first real-live freelance gig was for isringhausen BMW in springfield, il. i was their voice for 6 years. they're still in business - so i guess i didn't handicap 'em that bad.
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Chuck Davis · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:24 pm Post subject:

For me it was a tradeshow narration for Eastern Acoustic Works.
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ricevoice · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:33 pm Post subject:

Mine was back around 1999 or 2000, doing tv spots for the national Tower Records chain. They were based here in Sacramento and a friend at the radio station I worked at told me they were having open auditions. Sadly, they went out of business a few years back... hopefully no one holds me responsible.
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CarynClark · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 3:08 pm Post subject:

That is so nice of you, Philip!! How cool of you to remember that! YUM!

My first vo gig was in July 2005 (wow... only 4 1/2 years ago). It was a narration for a spec documentary by some independent producers about Halloween in New Orleans that was going to be pitched to The Travel or Discovery Channel. I was paid $500, and was THRILLED!!

And guess what? After we recorded the whole thing, they called me the next day and said they wanted to re-record, and wanted to coach me beforehand. I said ok. A couple hours later, they changed their minds and found another talent.

I was heartbroken, and came away thinking how I must totally suck... b/c let's face it, I did.
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Moe Egan · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:05 pm Post subject:

Holy crap Caryn- your first VO gig was only FIVE YEARS ago!??!

Wow. I am uber impressed Girl. My first real live VO gig was in 1985. It was at WPRO in Providence, I was the over night board op. They called me in during the day to read the part of the 'young chick buying her first car' for a local dealer. I got an extra fifty bucks in my pay that week.

Philip- uber yummy gifties!!
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Lee Gordon · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:10 pm Post subject:

The earliest one I can remember was probably back in around 1974 or '75 for a sandwich shop called "Full of Baloney."
I think the talent fee was $25. Maybe even $50. If I looked long enough I could find the invoice.
They stiffed me.
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Gp · Guest

my very first gig was in 1982. A television VO for a local truck company....It was a play on ET Extra trucks,......OY!

I got paid 125.00 and it took 4 and a half months to get paid....

I didn't do much at all again until about 2003.

KaraEdwards · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:34 pm Post subject:

I think my first paid gig was DragonBall Z actually (late 90's I believe?)- but I had been doing voices and such on Radio Disney for a few years prior. I did several radio spots for Radio Disney (for clients of the station) around that same time and if I remember correctly they paid REALLY well given the fact we were employees. So that would be my first commercial gig.

Philip- now I want to hire you...yum!
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Frank F · Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:17 pm Post subject:

Oh my, I am getting to be the old guy in our biz.

My first paid gig - a radio commercial recorded at (then called) Osmond Studios. The pay: $50.00. The year 1973. And the rest is history.

At the end of the year I had voiced over 300 commercials - freelance. I bought hot doughnuts and took a dozen to each of the studios and Producers I had worked with during the year.

Frank F
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