VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Philip Banks · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:28 am Post subject: Are you "Time Served"?

I took some time off on Friday to go and visit the Speyside Cooperage which is about 20 miles inland from me. It was a delight to learn some of the history of the Coopers trade and to watch these men at work

http://www.speysidecooperage.co.uk/

As you climb the stairs to the viewers gallery there is a document in a frame. The document is an agreement between an apprentice and the skilled Cooper. To become a Cooper the apprentice signs on the "dotted line" for 5 years. Having served the 5 years under the guidance of his Journeyman the young apprentice is then allowed to sell himself with pride as a Cooper.

Who here would like to be a Voice over Journeyman? Who here would sign up for a five year apprenticeship? What is it that makes some people believe that they are entitled to sell themselves as a Voice over artist without any time being served?

Union membership means nothing. How much peace of mind would buyers have if they knew that the voice on their production was a skilled tradesman (generic term not intended to be sexist) with recognised tools and training?
We Voice Overs are always doing the "pity poor us" but getting a good VO is still a lottery for the unsuspecting client as they have no real guide as to who can and who can't.

tackerman · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:44 am Post subject:

bobsouer · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 12:19 pm Post subject: Re: Are you "Time Served"?

Deirdre · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 12:28 pm Post subject:

A real GUILD would be a grand thing to instate.
Some real measure of excellence.

The unions insist that the business of acting is too subjective to have a comprehensive evaluation by which all comers are judged.

I say booll sheeets.

Can you read fluently?
Can you take direction?

I think such a thing would have to be membership in a private guild that everyone would bitch about, crying "politics!!!" if they don't get in.

The object would be to have completely uncorruptable jurors.

Kinda like Consumer Reports.
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Pam · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 8:54 pm Post subject:

I would absolutely LOVE to have someone to apprentice with. I often feel like I am casting about, throwing things against the wall, hoping something will stick. Even with the amazing guidance I get from you wonderful people is fantastic but there is a limit to what people are willing to share or are able to share. I know everyone's path is unique, but sometimes I am exhausted trying to figure it out for myself and I wish someone would just point me in the right direction so I could just coast for a bit. OK, back to the treadmill!

Jeffers · Guest

I agree with Pam!

DB-
The "Guild of The Mouth" i think such a guild would be awesome.

Humm... maybe a better name?
Smile

Jeff S.

bobsouer · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 9:51 pm Post subject:

Frank F · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:00 pm Post subject:

Deirdre · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:03 pm Post subject:

The problem I constantly see is how much time it takes to figure this business out.

More and more guys in the upper tiers of this biz are sharing their knowledge of how to get underway.

It seems a bit odd at first-- since that has been some folks' most closely-guarded set of secrets.
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Deirdre · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:05 pm Post subject:

If anything results from this-- the Guild's Jurors would be elected. 3 or 5 jurors.

The Guild of Master Voices.
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Travis · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:59 pm Post subject:

Pam · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 5:18 am Post subject:

Let me edit my post a bit...I have no desire to coast as I am not afraid of hard work but perhaps "draft" off of someone for a while. DB's comment that it takes so long to figure this business out is absolutely correct. I am just stumped at so many junctures and am frustrated when I come up agaisnt a wall. I guess if it was easy to figure out and easy to do, everyone would be doing it. Perhaps this is the industry's way of weeding out the weak and uncommitted! Which is not how you would describe me. I'm going to figure it out if it takes me to the end of my days.

Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 7:28 am Post subject:

The International Guild of Voice Over Artists - IGOVOA, which sounds like a Russian Oil Company.

What standards should be set and what about "the apprenticeship"?

Any thoughts?

tammymcd · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:57 am Post subject:

Standards...hmmm - well the ability to read and speak certainly seem to be important......as for an apprenticeship???? that's definitely something that just makes me say....hmmmmm? .....so many options - so little time..... cool

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Patricia Shanks · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:45 am Post subject: What to wear?

Would the apprentice have to wear one of those leather aprons, arm garters and a little visor? And those tiny wire-framed glasses that sit on the end of the nose. Wait. Travis already owns some of those. Is he already in the Guild and he hasn't told me? Hmmm.

Actually... I could probably make that wardrobe work for me...
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