VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

jeffk13057 · Guest

So let's suppose you are a fairly new VO. You are building a really cool studio in the basement. You have not done any ISDN work yet, but have done some phone patch work. Would you go to the expense of having ISDN installed? The cost is (so far) $140 with a monthly charge of $40 and something like $.08 per minute. Just looking for some opinions. I think cheap enough, but wanted to see what you guys thought. Since I was building it, I thought it would be easier to do now as opposed to later.
Thanks in advance,
JK

VO-Guy · Guest

Jeff,

If it were me I'd do it. At only $40 a month that would be an expense I'd take on to make sure I had it. To me ISDN is one of those "damned if ya do and damed if ya don't" type things. Might use it alot, might not. But rest assured at some point someone's gonna want you to have it or you'll lose a gig which as we all know can turn into more gigs down the road. Just my .02 but I'd do it.

Russ

Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 4:34 pm Post subject:

For today and for quite some time to come if a Voice Over artist wants to make a significant living and is not a celebrity then ISDN in a home studio is essential. Like anything there will be a few exceptions but they really are few and far between.

As always these thing come with a wealth warning. I know one man who set up a home studio with ISDN, he also had the same London agent as me; one year later he had earned $200 as a voice over.

Somewhere around mid December I had a call from a TV commercial production company. For a few years I have had a contract to be the voice of a major furniture retailer. Sweet contract for up 44 TV commercials per year, I was paid in advance. The producer told me that the client had told the largest commercial TV company in the UK where it could stick its air time ...... Bye bye contract.

I've just looked at my business figures for December 2006 and having lost a big contract one could resonably expect them to be down compared to December 2005. I'm happy to report that that was not the case and that I replaced one years fees in advance in 5 ISDN sessions. Forget the good luck aspect for a moment. I know that without the ISDN facility things would have been very different.

Circumstances vary but I'm certain that with ISDN a Voice Over is stacking the deck in their favour. I'd be interested to hear about a Voice Over making a significant living without it, I cant think of one.

VO-Guy · Guest

Banksey,

I agree with you 99.9%. I wish I could get ISDN but I've been told numerous times by Bellsouth that there's no way I can get it in my area. I wish I could, I'd have it tomorrow. Maybe I just haven't hooked up with the right person yet. But you can make a good living without ISDN. I support a family of 5 very well with VO without ISDN. Of course some jobs are lost because I don't have it. But it is possible to make a good living without it. Don't get me wrong, I agree with everything Banksey said except that. I would prefer to have it. But Banksey asked if anyone was making a good living without ISDN so I figured I'd chime in.

Russ

jeffk13057 · Guest

Thanks, guys. I thought that was what people would say. I probably would not spend the money if I wasn't building the room, but since I am doing that I figured I might as well do it when the doin' was easy. Thanks, now I'll have to decide what codec to settle on. Fun, fun, fun!!
Thanks, again!
Jeff K

Frank F · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:52 pm Post subject:

Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:56 pm Post subject:

I was hoping to get the debate going and my thanks to Frank and Russ for establishing the fact that there is life without ISDN. Here in the UK if you don't have it you are closing the door on work from almost all commercial radio stations.

It depends on how a Voice Over chooses to work. If without ISDN people are giving you regular work now then it's a sure thing that you will get more if you have it.

The first thing to establish is whether people are buying you and then look at ways of opening new doors, ISDN is one of them.

Being an ISDN voice with one of the talent groups has so far got me no work but countless auditions.

Frank F · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:51 am Post subject:

Philip Banks · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:52 am Post subject:

Those who read what Frank has written carefully will understand why although there are basic common sense rules one must buy the proverbial suit of clothes in a size to fit you not me.

Like stage and screen actors there is a tendency among Voice Overs to believe that the next thing they buy, do or class they attend will open the door to the big bucks. For the majority this isn't the case.

bobsouer · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:00 am Post subject:

CWToo · Guest

Frank F · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:30 am Post subject:

Here is a link that kind of explains both sides of the pond, and again, as Banksey says: (adlibbing here) "One size doesn't fit all..."

http://www.actorslife.com/ChrisFlockton.html

I do want to quote one part here...

bobsouer · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:36 am Post subject:

Frank F · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:51 am Post subject:

Whoops... Thanks Bob, Joe...

New Mantra: "...there is no other board only the VO-BB, there is no other board only the VO-BB, there is no other board..."

Embarrassed

Frank F
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com

bobsouer · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:53 am Post subject:

Frank,

Thanks for the good chuckle this morning. And I agree, there is no other Board.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
ISDN, Source Connect, phone patch