VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Don G.]

A question for those of you (like myself) who do not have an agent to intercept and/or explain.

A couple of years ago, Company A hired me to do the voiceover for a Flash presentation on their website, touting their incredible new ________. (The presentation is still up and running and an integral part of the site.)

Today, Company B calls requesting that I voice a Flash presentation on their website, touting their version of an incredible (and very similar) ________.

1. As a courtesy, do I tell the potential client about the previous site?
2. As a courtesy, do I tell the existing client about the new site?
3. As a courtesy, do I tell both and hope neither cares?
4. Do "conflicts" even matter in non-broadcast situations?
5. Do I stop overthinking this and just take the gig without saying anything to anyone?

Choose the best answer. You may choose more than one.

(Points of interest: Company A has provided me with fairly regular work over the years. Company B is a first-timer for me.)

Thanks.

[Philip Banks]

Conflicts are issues to concern clients not voices. If a client wants you exclusively then the client should pay. given the choice they seldom if ever insist.

[Drew]

Five
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[dhouston67]

Don,

I'm inclined to go with question #4 and say "no". You can give a heads-up to the existing client if you like, but it could sour them on you; if they can't afford exclusivity rates, they might go with someone else. Just take the gig and keep everyone happy.

(I'm being cynical here and assuming your client isn't as benevolent as my biggest narration client, who [crosses fingers] loves me and doesn't begrudge me other work.)

P.S. Say, Drew, I didn't realize you were but a stone's throw from Austin. Howdy, neighbor...
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[Drew]

Yeah, Dave up here on the Red Creek, er River. Tumbleweed Junction as I like to call it. Hardly a cosmo, rockin' town like Austin. Dry as dirt and wildfires a minute.
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Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald.

[dhouston67]

...and nary a traffic jam, I'm sure. I used to pass through on my trips to west Texas a while back.

(Speaking of which, to any others who may be thinking of moving to Austin: WE'RE FULL. Thanks.)
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Do That Voice! - The DHV Blog

[lisaloo]

Don -

I think this depends on a number of factors. Are the companies direct or even secondary competitors? Is it possible that Company B discovered your voice in just this way - by listening to Company A's Flash presentation? Any chance that someone who used to work at A is now at B and recommended you?

And how likely are A & B to surf one another's sites in the future and discover a duplication like this on their own if you don't tell them in advance?

If Company A gives you a lot of regular employment, it may noy be wise to try and fly this under the radar without giving them a head's up first. But again, that depends on how you define "regular employment". Do they book you monthly? Once a year? Twice in the past three years?

The unions make it fairly simple for those of us who are members -- some delivery systems demand (and reward) exclusivity, many do not. Which is not to say that a little common sense above and beyond the rules isn't sometimes required.

This advice may not help you much, but my gut says that if there is the chance that either A or B could find this out after the fact and be angry, full disclosure to at least one of the two clients prior to accepting the new gig might not be a bad idea. Why risk losing both?

And who knows? Maybe nobody will really mind -- or maybe they aren't as closely linked as you might imagine.

Lisa

[Deirdre]

I agree with Lisa. Let them both know what's going on.

Diplomacy and all that.
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[Philip Banks]

Should a client drop you in favour of one of your competitor voices would they keep you in the loop? If they really thought a conflict may be a problem they would say so.

To put the original question into perspective let's pose another few questions. How many here have been told that for a particular project the client wanted a market exclusive? How were you compensated for the potential loss of earnings?

If it helps anyone who is genuinely concerned about this I've never had a conversation with an agent or client about "conflicts".

[Deirdre]

[Philip Banks]

So the point is made, if a conflict is an important issue the client will raise the issue and pay the voice accordingly.

I understand that some voices are contractually obliged to do certain things which is why I raised the point about, who, how and when. My hope was to get some balance to my comment about it never happening to me. The use of gratuitous upper case implies a hostile argumentative stance.

[Deirdre]

[brianforrester]

You two play antagonist better than anyone I've ever known!

Are you sure you're not related in some of distant relative sort of way (I know Deebs... even if you were, you'd never want to admit it!)

Hey Phil... would ya quit using words with more than 3 syalables? My feeble mind just can't handle them! Gratuitious... does that me free?

You guys are too much fun!
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[Philip Banks]

On my honour I am not making this up. Every day my horoscope arrives in my email inbox and this just arrived ........

"It's about time you recognized the direct relationship between clear and effective communication and tangibly improved results, both on the job and in your personal life. What can you do to remove static?"

As I feared.....It's all my fault

[Deirdre]