VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[AlannaOBrien]

Hi everyone!

So I sent my demo out to a casting on craigslist, they liked it and wanted to hear me do a sample from their script. It's for a kid's ipad learning a.
They also asked for a quote for all the work.

Here is the sample script for the animation:
A for Aircraft – press the red button to start, press the green button to
go, press the blue button to fly, Press the yellow button to land.

They want a different voice for each 'character' (I'm assuming each letter is a character, but it doesn't specify).

What got me a little worried is that they said they don't think recording would take more than an hour. I'm kinda green when it comes to things like this. 26 letters of the alphabet, meaning about 2 takes for each? That would be an hour, wouldn't it? I'd love some advice on what to expect, how to reply, or anything related.

I'd like to do the job. Anyone have any experience on how these types of things go?

Thanks! xo Alanna

PS - its for eNovate Media, so don't worry too much about the finding it on craigslist part haha
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www.AlannaOBrien.com

[heyguido]

While I can appreciate your enthusiasm, I wouldn't recommend pursuing this one....

They obviously have NO idea how long it would take to do this job right. And 26 separate character voices? In 26 separate files? They must be kidding, or more likely, clueless. Based on the rates on their site, any reasonable fee for this work would be refused. It's an a mill, not a production house.

Then there's this....

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/eNovate-Media-Solutions-Reviews-E334739.htm

Sorry to burst your bubble. Most Craigslist ads for VO work are either from amateurs or shysters. Take your pick. Neither is worth working for.
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Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

[roger]

Good detective work, Don.
And Alanna, in my experience, and probably others here, if one takes the amount of time of the finished audio and multiplies it by 4 to 6 times
you would have a more realistic idea of the scope of the work.
This formula takes into account the recording time and getting it just right and the editing (eliminating bad takes, mouth noises and breaths)
and preparation and sending of the file to the client.
_________________
Roger Tremaine
www.MyFavoriteVoice.com
http://rogertremaine.voices.com/
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. AESOP (The Lion and the Mouse)

[imaginator]

...while i do base rates on some non-broadcast jobs based on their estimated total edited length, i don't quote rates by the hour (except for use of my studio, when applicable). i either quote by the project, or simply accept the stated client budget for the work being requested and how it will be used in final form.

i did a really fun "a game" project for kids last year (not the same company) and it turned out really well. but neither of us budgeted it by how many minutes i'd spend in front of the mic.

hope that helps.
_________________
rowell gormon
www.voices2go.com
"Mr. Warm & Friendly Voice...with Character!"
Rowell Gormon's Clogged Blog - http://voices2go.com/blog

[Bish]

I may hire Don to do client research! Good information... forewarned is forearmed. From the sample given, you're talking just south of 1000 words, or four standard pages. It may well be an hour's work if you're not having to faff around delivering 26 separate files. You can charge for your time (not the favourite way), a word rate, a page rate... or just pick a nice number out of thin air. If you want to go for the gig, there are ways to protect yourself... 50% up front to reduce your exposure... even ask them to post it as a private job on Voices and use their escrow system (I don't believe I said that). I guess it depends on what's on the table.
_________________
Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

[Lee Gordon]

[AlannaOBrien]

I agree. I'm glad that I'm on the same page as everyone.

I don't know why I even apply to craiglist stuff. I always say to myself, oh, well maybe for some reason its legit but I never trust it.

I think I'll thank them but say no thank you.
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www.AlannaOBrien.com

[Jeffrey Kafer]

Over half of my repeat clients have been from Craigslist. I kid you not.

You just have to know how to pick em. And the signal to noise ration is abysmal. but there are always a few gems there.

Oh and always ALWAYS get payment upfront from Craigslist clients.
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Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[heyguido]

Perhaps I've been unfair to Craigslist. Jeff makes a good point.

I, too, have found legitimate leads on Craigslist. Small agencies, nonprofits, indie film and documentary artists....

However, my first response to any Craigslist opportunity is Google.

I want to know who I'm dealing with in ANY business transaction.

And I don't reply until I know who I'm dealing with.

A well worded search query will tell you volumes about who you're dealing with, and whether it's worth your time.

Due diligence. 1st step in any business transaction.


_________________
Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

[Jeffrey Kafer]

It used to be easier to scan Craigslist. There used to be a site Crazedlist.org, which is no more, that let you spit out a search for "voice over" or whatever and get an RSS list of every craiglist site of that search term. Once I did that, I dumped it into Google Reader, all 1000+ rss feeds. Now I can scan every single ad in any city with the term "voice over", skimming the ones that say "Need a receptionist with a pleasant phone voice to handle our phone over here." Nothing worth following up today? Google Reader will have a new set of ads tomorrow. Find a lead? form letter sent.

You can almost do the same now, but you have to go searching, whereas before, they came to me in Google Reader.
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Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[Velfin]

There is list-alert.com, where you can set up Craigslist keyword searches to be emailed to you when they get a match.

I have ones running that include the terms "voiceover" or "voice over" or "voice-over" etc.

I used to watch for used Neumann mics that way too.
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Kendra Hoffman
kendrasvoice.com