VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

johnmilesprod · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:57 am Post subject: Interesting article on celeb VO's

Thought this might be of interest. Appeared in our Charlotte Observer today...

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/14174168.htm

mcm · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:14 am Post subject:

Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:25 am Post subject:

That was very interesting and the debate seems to centre on how hard done by the poverty stricken jobbing voice over is thanks to Mr Selfish Star.

The cult of the celebrity was created in the USA, the world followed suit but I'm happy to say the money made by the famous will take no food off my table. If an ad agency is looking for a voice, I may be in the running, if it is looking for the voice of a star I won't get a look in.

Spineless management style contributes a lot. A marketing director is able to say "Well the campaign should've worked, we even got George Clooney as the voice over".

"Oh jeez, I could've done that" says New York based Nora Nobody "I've been a voice talent for over 75 years". She couldn't have done that because she was never likely to be asked.

anthonyVO · 14th Avenue Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 1470 Location: NYC

SoundsGreat-Elaine Singer · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:32 am Post subject:

I always thought advertising agencies were supposed to be creative. Kiefer Sutherland does Ford ads here in Canada (don't know if he does them in the States too). Now a lot of the ads you hear on radio for local car dealers, no matter what the brand, use Kiefer-like voices. Where's the originality in that?
_________________
Elaine
The Youthful Mature Voice (Emeritus)
Senectitude is not for the faint of heart.

mcm · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:41 am Post subject:

I agree - it would be fatuous for me to think I'm losing work to these people - I know I'm not.

What bothers me about these articles I keep reading is the recurring theme that it's easy to do VO.

On the other hand, I guess it doesn't matter. We all know it isn't, and the producers worth their salt know it isn't. The clients are the main obstacle, especially the ones who decide they can do it themselves, and those ones will probably eventually roast in their own juices when their campaign doesn't meet their expectations.

OK, I'm happy again!

dhouston67 · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:48 am Post subject:

Seems like this same article is printed every two years or so, as if some neophyte journalist "discovers" that celebs are doing more voiceovers.

Gotta love misleading blurbs like this:

Travis · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:40 am Post subject:

A few years back, I had representation by one of the big-time Hollywood agencies. Though I made pretty good money on the jobs I got though them, the amount of time spent on auditions, etc. did not make up for it. Also, I discovered that in at least three instances, my "auditions" made their way into becoming client demos... These were just the ones that I found out about - there had to have been more. Also, several times, jobs that I auditioned for ended up going to minor celebrities - soap-opera actors, sitcom regulars, etc. We "announcers" were pretty much added to the audition mix to show the agency that they were providing good service to their cleints - the agency was "pitching" the celebs as "first-choice".

When you think about it, it's pretty easy to understand why a talent agency would push for a celeb over an announcer. Announcers get 2 or 3 times scale, even minor celebs get 50-grand plus. Now, when you figure ten percent agency commission, three-hundred dollars ($3000.00 x 10%) commission does not go very far towards paying for five hours of an agent's time, the office rent and other expenses -- five thousand dollars ($50,000.00 x 10%) does!

Eventually, all of the agents at my agency got suddenly "replaced", including the one who represented me. A couple of weeks later, my "new" agent - a kid about twenty-five, who was previously an "assistant" at the agency, called me to let me know that the agency was now going to be representing "only celebreties", and last they checked, I wasn't one. He seemed surprized that I wasn't the least bit upset (Months before I had figured out the amount of time I had spent to get their gigs, and compared it with what I was getting elsewhere.) and wished me well. I haven't tried to get a new "LA" agent since.

One of the things that drives me crazy is how good the celebrities are -- of all the times I've lost gigs to celebs, only twice did I think that I could have done a better job. (I'm a much better narrator than Tom Selleck).
_________________
Travis
www.VOTalent.com

anthonyVO · 14th Avenue Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 1470 Location: NYC

That's an interesting perspective, Travis.
Thanks for sharing that.

-Anthony

Spacegypsy · Guest

Ooh, Anthony, that's your best avatar EVER, you handsome swain (as we say where I come from)

Spacegypsy · Guest

Ooh, I just noticed, I've changed from "Been here awhile" to Club 300 - what does it mean please?

dhouston67 · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:02 pm Post subject:

Bruce · Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 9:47 am Post subject:

That's the solution. If you want to become a well paid VO talent, one path is to become a celebrity! It's easy to do. Look at Paris Hilton! ' Rolls Eyes

'

Echoing you, David, most of these celebs do a fine job. Too bad they get paid 10 to 100 times more than we do for doing the same kind of work.

I still find as a producer, in general, that actors, theater actors in particular, make the best voice talent. Plenty of great talent come from radio and elsewhere, but the multiple roles one plays in theater sure opens a talent up.

B