I’ll be taking questions about being a voice agent and the voice over industry in general from people all over North America tonight from 9-10 pm EST. 

Details here:  www.edgestudio.com/workshop-talk-with-a-pro.htm

In an upcoming post, I’ll share my thoughts on this business model but to the point of this entry, I’ve seen web forums and a Linked In group discussion (which reached over 100 posts) tackling the voicejockeys “situation”.  VoiceOver Extra has posted an ongoing series from Robert Sciglimpaglia (www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=4r9qn51f), a voice-over talent/lawyer who says he is “negotiating” with the folks at Voice Jockeys, presumably to remind them it’s not 1953 (I like the idea of a voice-over talent/lawyer - he can sue his own clients when they don’t pay!)

This mass hysteria over the idea that some entity is trying to get services for a really cheap price - as though the concept was just invented in 2010 - got me thinking it’s high time for another installment of Secrets of An Agent Man, this time on the subject of rate negotiation.

As more and more voice talents work for themselves, with or without representation, the skill of setting rates and more importantly, sticking to them, is almost as integral to the business as the voice itself.  As a voice talent agent, I should have some thoughts to contribute in this area. 

What follows is the Voice Over Canada rules for rate structure and negotiation.  Note: I encourage all producers who hire voice talents from my agencies, PN Agency (www.pnagency.com) and Ethnic Voice Talent (www.ethnicvoicetalent.com) to stop reading now.  It’ll just get boring for you.  Nothing to read here.  Move along.

1)Do not be afraid.  If you have a price in mind, stick to it.  The worst that can happen is the client says no and you end up slightly malnourished that month.  But at least you still have your soul!

2)Never give your price until you get at least have some idea of the specifics of the project.  Ideally, get them to quote first so you can either attempt to find a middle ground or at the very least, laugh uproariously.  Or maybe they are completely on the same wavelength as you with regards to a fair price.

3) No seriously, wait as long as possible to name your price.  You’re always after INFORMATION.

4)Never quote based on the phrase, “there is going to be a lot more work after this one”.

5)Low budget stuff is low budget for a reason - because it’s crap!  Unless it’s charity of course :)-

6)If there are typos in the first client e-mail inquiry and/or general sloppiness, you can almost always expect that same approach all the way through the project.  Ex. The phrase “Oh we forgot 4 pages of the script” after you’ve already submitted the finished audio with your invoice.

7)People always want to work with someone they like so if at all possible, stay friendly, with a sense of humor, even if it’s a “tense negotiation”.

8)The client is NOT always right.  If someone isn’t following the general rules of “being a decent human being”, there is no reason why you can’t tactfully point this out to them.

9)You’re a professional.  Price yourself accordingly.  Take yourself and your work seriously.

10)Don’t take yourself too seriously.  You’re just a voice talent, you’re not performing brain surgery or working for Doctors Without Borders.   If I’m wrong about this, I tip my hat to you!

http://dailycaller.com/2010/04/21/geico-voice-over-actor-fired-after-calling-tea-party-group-mentally-retarded/#ixzz0lqLf6Et9

Well, now Douglas has fired back - not at Geico but at the Tea Partiers.  Here is his You Tube montage, entitled “Tea Bagger Boogie”.   This story combines the voice-over world with American politics.  How could I not post this?

I get that people can post their resumes there so you no longer have to stand in line at Kinkos at midnight waiting for your colour copies.  But for those of us not looking for a job, I kind of know almost everyone I’m linked in with already.  I suppose you can find someone out there whom you worked with 10 years ago and had forgotten all about but on the whole, much of linked in seems like a poor man’s Facebook (the status updates, the profile tweaking etc) or just people acknowledging that they are in the same business and know each other. 

But I’m still open to seeing the wisdom of it all.  On that note, I did link this blog to my Linked In profile last week and I’ve also joined one group called Voice Over Professionals.  As the name implies, it seems so far to be a discussion group for talents who have questions on various areas of the voice-over biz.   I just chimed in on my first discussion moments ago and I post it for you below as it’s applicable to this blog, needless to say.  And of course note that I couldn’t resist promoting the blog at the end! 

CBS program “Sunday Morning” (Sunday, April 11, 9-10_30 a.m.) they are doing:

“Television maybe a visual medium, but it’s not only what is seen that resonates with viewers, but what is heard. Listen carefully to TV commercials and chances are you will hear familiar voices like those of Oscar winners, Jeff Bridges and George Clooney, selling anything from cars to beer. These “voice-over” artists are part of a major industry that not only provides voices for product sales, but for animated films and other forms of entertainment as well. Contributor Nancy Giles, an industry insider, so to speak, will talk us through a world where audio trumps visual everyday.”

There are still in person castings for projects like a major TV ad campaign, animated series, documentaries or the imaging voice of a television network.   Normally the great thing about auditioning in person is you get a much better sense of what the client wants then if you are just e-mailed a short script that calls for “25-54 years old, pleasant, friendly read” and left to interpret it yourself in your home studio.  This is of course assuming the client even knows what he/she wants.

One of my favourite casting stories, of the non-union variety, was Global Television’s search for a new voice for their entire national network.  I represented the previous voice so on the one hand, I didn’t see the need for a change on their part, but on the other, I knew they were coming to my agency for recommendations.  They sent me the specs for “the new voice” they were looking and I naturally suggested just about everyone on the roster (why limit the options early on I say!).  Between you and me though, the minute I read the casting breakdown the guy I thought of on my roster was Todd Schick. 

When Global got back to me, they asked to see most of the people on my list but not Todd.  I got back to them to confirm names and times and again suggested Todd as well.  They assured me the list they sent was the entire list of names they wanted to audition.  So, the auditions took place over a couple of days and during this time, at least three talents on my roster called to say they thought they had done okay but based on the direction at the casting, they thought Todd really fit the bill.  Soon enough, I heard from Todd himself, wondering why I hadn’t sent him out.  I of course told him the story but said I would try Global one more time.

I got ahold of the Creative Producer we were dealing with and I  mentioned the comments from some of the other talents and my initial feeling that Todd could be the right voice.  He paused and said “Okay, if you can get him down here before end of day, we’ll give him an audition”.  Of course, Todd was more than willing to accomodate…and I’m sure you can guess where this is going.  Todd got the gig!   Mr. Schick just celebrated the 4th anniversary of being the voice of Global Television. 

This isn’t meant to pat myself on the back for being a little persistent. Todd nailed the audition - he deserves all the credit.  But I do like to think of this story, if only to justify the commission I continue to take from Todd’s cheque! 

Would love to hear your favorite casting story, if you have one.  Drop me a line:  roger@voiceovercanada.ca

Aharrr

Enjoy!

In my 17 years of doing voice work and now 8 years of owning a talent agency, I’ve only not been paid 4 times: Two bankruptcies, but fortunately in both cases, the amount owing was $300.  One client I have taken to small claims court so there’s still a chance to get some or all of the $$$ owing…And then we have a 4th client who “closed down” his business but appears to have restarted a new company, doing pretty much the same thing.

Here’s his old company - http://cenex.ca/main.html

And here’s the new one - www.phigroup.ca 

I like to taunt whenever possible.  I think it’s like shoplifting - to hire talent and not pay them for work completed.  If you’re talent trying to collect, be sure and threaten to contact your client’s client and do so if you’re still don’t get paid.  I learned long ago that you can say anything to anyone as long as it’s true.

My favourite phrase is “If I don’t receive payment by the end of the week, I am prepared to take legal action”.

In addition to going after your client’s client, I highly recommend threatening to have the commercial pulled off the air because in the non-union world, there is usually not a release form so they have no right to air it if the talent has not been paid. 

I am relentless.   We all should be, whether it’s $50 owing…or $5000.

http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=a0f5puhg

P.S.  That pic of me was taken in Vegas.  What happened there…well, you know the deal.