VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[vox1]

Hey, is there some weird vortex about this major market
when it comes to talent rates?

I am SAG/AFTRA Fi-Core so my rate standards are based on
a benchmark of, at least something in the realm of Scale for
non-union work.

I happen to have encountered a few different agencies/producers
lately from this particular market, and it appears that universally
the rate "expectations" around this neck of the woods are quite
remarkable for a SuperBowl Top-30 Market.

Not that we haven't seen lowball-creep phenomena grow more
pervasive, but the standard here - however it's come to this -
rivals well below half of the ballpark rate for equivalent spot
work in far-smaller-population DMAs.

I sense the onslaught of local cable production departments,
such as those of Comcast (that struggling shoestring, start-up
operation ; ) has lowered the talent-rate bar to some extent in
many similar local market situations.

It's disturbing that established pros are willing to meet such
operations' "we-pay-20-bucks-a-spot" standards - for a VO
which, for all the talent knows- or doesn't- might wind up
being utilized statewide or even nationally as a buyout.

Times are just as tough for vendors as they are for producers.

Don't sell out folks. It just lowers the bar for us all...and that
can be a rather irreversible thing.

Mike
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Mikey ... Vox-Versatiliti

Saying something since 1970-
something

[Kristin Lennox]

I'm in the Indianapolis market, and have been for almost 20 years. Now currently, a good chunk of my work is not local... but the jobs that I do book locally are at or above scale. I've done spots for the Hoosier Lottery, the Indpls Zoo, the Symphony, Connor Prairie, Marsh... I've voiced for exhibits in local museums... all very good rates.

But I can only speak from my personal experience...
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[vox1]

Kristin, glad to hear that! Perhaps this is just an isolated instance then.

I've just seen some markets where some fairly high profile client production gets done for free as part of a local Cable buy and the in-house
producers at some of these places are given an absurdly low budget for talent. Unfortunately this can give some agencies the impression that such rates are industry-standard.

Ultimately i guess it'a a "high road or low road" sort of thing and,
all relative.

Thanks and

Best Regards

Mike
_________________
Mikey ... Vox-Versatiliti

Saying something since 1970-
something