VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

ChrisMezzolesta

Anyone listed? Anything different about em? I looked under VTP and believe I know every listed talent personally so that's a good thing, but is there any benefit to joining? I'm like, "7x bitten 8x shy" about paying to join anything anymore after zilch with Voices and V234 (twice) not to mention thousands wasted on other sites.

Found a production house on Twitter that seems to use them exclusively as they responded to my tweet with RTC address, unless that is them too [Lotas Productions]. Also, I wonder what's the deal w listing if one has multiple agents...I asked them these questions and will see how they respond, but was seeking any real-life real-time info. I guess the big thing is whether they really have their own leads or if it's just the same pulling from Voicebank.

Feel free to move this to EN if there's anything potentially potential. Coming to demo time w Nancy and work's been slow, so really need to get some work but can't be spending cash at this point unless there's a good indication I can connect with something.

TIA for any insight if you have it.
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Chris Mezzolesta, Voice Talent
800.356.5519 www.voiceatile.com

Philip Banks · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:19 am Post subject:

No comment to make about yet another casting site. Put twelve paperclips in front of VO people and they'll join them ..just in case.

Time, thought and effort get work so resist throwing money at "opportunities"

Whit · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 11:54 am Post subject:

No info on Realtime, but back when I worked at Sonic Arts, I worked with Lotas many times, and they are super good people.

Kim Fuller

Bish · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:37 pm Post subject:

Am I missing something here?

1) The talent pays $199 to be listed.
2) A producer likes you and contacts your agent.
3) The agent passes the audition to you.
4) You submit via your agent.
5) You get the gig and the producer pays your agent.
6) Your agent pays you less his usual commission.

Why, if I am paying for the listing to be found by producers do I have to pay the commission to my agent who has done nothing to get me the gig (especially if I have a non-exclusive agreement)? I understand why they only want represented talent, but I really don't understand the agent's role in this (except as roster QC). I think the talent would be better served if the listing was free and they came to a commission splitting deal with the agent. It just seems that I'm paying two people to get me a gig.

Why does everyone think that talents have so much money (buy this, buy that)... or, as Philip says, are we just a soft touch?
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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.

Mike Harrison · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:47 pm Post subject:

Frank F · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:57 pm Post subject:

Bob Bergen · CM Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 981

They rock!! Love em!!!!!!!!

Velfin · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:46 pm Post subject:

Re: multiple agents - I contacted them a while ago, and they said you should list your "primary agent," that they don't currently have a way to list multiples.
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Kendra Hoffman
kendrasvoice.com

melissa eX · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 10:12 pm Post subject:

Been with them since shortly before the official launch. It was a bit slow in the beginning but now I get at least half dozen auditions from them a week - just got two today - all union - all stuff that's "me"- and I haven't seen any of the auditions I get through them anywhere else. You get an email with a link to the audition. You submit through the site. Your agent is informed you've submitted.

Bish · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 4:12 am Post subject:

The big question for any paid system is "does it work for me?" I will admit to being purposefully very simplistic with my comments in order to solicit opinion (and that I recently had a discussion regarding Realtime.) If their objective is to provide a single large pool of "high quality" talent while maintaining professional rates (the antithesis of the regular bear-pit P2P sites), then I can see the value for everyone. It's just that another "talent paid subscription" model that irked me a little.

There are a couple of positive comments here from "businesses" that I respect. I've spent more money on worse things... maybe it's worth a shot.

Thanks for bringing it up, Chris.
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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.

Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 4:41 am Post subject:

Test the system.

UK
Male
50s
UK accent
Promos

Got 16 pages of them ... HE was one http://www.realtimecasting.com/display_promo/49099/?searchId=1366976016.04&page=13

Kat Cressida and Janet Ault were two other suggestions

A good business model is based on (for us) "if they are looking for you they WILL find you" ..... Luck is fine but I wouldn't bet my mortgage on it.

Bish · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 5:19 am Post subject:

Listings (and some VO's opinions of their own accent capabilities) should often be filed under "fiction". Unfortunately, honesty in advertising is not so much a rule as a vague concept.

I have a crap American accent and wouldn't dream of saying I could do one. OK, I'll bury an American character in an audiobook, but that's it. Yesterday I was in the big city auditioning for the role of a Brit (prerequisite, must be natural)... of the dozen or so people I met, four were Brits, two were Aussies and the rest were Americans pacing the halls practicing their best Jason Statham (my ears bled).

The first thing I check with any roster, especially for one that tries to service in-studio NYC gigs, is the depth and quality of the British contingent.... and they are often works of imagination. Is this a VO over-reaching, or lack of QC on the roster... or even a less than sophisticated requirement from the land of Dick van Dyke?

I'm not so sure that the "if they are looking for you they WILL find you" works as well as it should (which is a shame). People are often unprepared to put in the effort and they will usually go with the best on offer from their regular source... This particular business model seems to be trying to provide a better source.

I dunno. It's too early in the morning and I'm under-caffeinated.
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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.

Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:26 am Post subject:

Live audition for a REAL Brit voice. In the audition script include the word "gotten" as the look on Peter's face when he read that word is how a real Brit would react ...Even one who has been dead for several years.