Ready to lift the veil on the VoiceOver industry and its many facets? My guest co-host, Tom Deere, and I are here to give you the insider's scoop on the role of agents, pay to plays, and emerging technology in the field. We spill the beans on how agents earn their crust, the types of work where they might prove beneficial, and why they're not always a must-have for a successful voice-acting career. We also venture into the territory of synthetic voices and the effect they have on non-broadcast contracts, while underscoring the importance of time limits on contracts for one-off jobs. Plug in and join us on this enlightening journey that will offer you a new perspective on the VoiceOver industry.
In this episode, we'll cover the myths of VO concerning agents, pay to plays, and synthetic voices.
About Tom
Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voiceover business & marketing consultant. As a voice actor with over 25 years of experience, he brings his wealth of voiceover knowledge to the table with his 1-one-1 voiceover strategy sessions, Diagnostic sessions, his Mentorship Program, and many public appearances.
Chapter Summaries
(0:00:01) - Understanding Agents in the Voiceover Industry
Tom and I discuss agents' myths and truths, their benefits, money-making, synthetic voices, and contract time limits.
(0:09:13) - Pay to Play and Voiceover Technology
Tom and I discuss pay to plays, their role in the market economy, and why they don't make people unscrupulous.
(0:20:56) - Negotiating Rates, Addressing AI Myths
Tom and I discuss the importance of understanding budgets, the nuances of pricing jobs, and negotiating corporate rates for voiceover services.
Top 10 Takeaways
Quick-share concepts from today’s episode:
1. Agents are only one part of a successful voice acting career, they can prove beneficial for certain types of work like national spots or commercial jobs.
2. Synthetic voices have an effect on non-broadcast contracts, hence the importance of setting time limits on contracts for one-off jobs.
3. Pay to play in the VoiceOver industry is not synonymous with being a loser, it's part of the market economy and embracing technological advancements.
4. Negotiating rates and understanding budgets is crucial in the VoiceOver industry, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach to pricing jobs.
5. The role of technology in the VoiceOver industry is not to disrupt but to make things easier and more convenient, and it's important to evolve with it.
6. Union membership (SAG-AFTRA) doesn't automatically guarantee success in voice acting; it depends on the types of work a voice actor wants to do.
7. There's no magic number to charge for every job in the VoiceOver industry, it's more about understanding the budget of the client and negotiating accordingly.
8. Asking about the client's budget during negotiations can sometimes lead to charging more than initially planned, as departments often have set budgets that they need to exhaust.
9. Voice actors need to define what success means to them, which will inform decisions such as whether or not to get an agent or join a union.
10. Every job in the VoiceOver industry is negotiable and personal preferences play a significant role in deciding what to charge for a specific job.
Referenced in this Episode
Direct links to things we brought up ++
Recorded on ipDTL - get it here >> Book a free 15-minute consult with Tom at https://www.vostrategist.com/service-page/free-consult
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