My Kingdom for a horse
“He was so learned that he could name a horse in nine languages; so ignorant that he bought a cow to ride on.”
- Benjamin Franklin
All of a sudden, the lame world of voice-overs is up in arms. Why? I have one word for you “VoiceJockeys”.
The website Voicejockeys.com describes itself as “a virtual meeting place for voice over talent and people in need of their services.”
Yep, it’s yet another on-line casting service trying to cash in on a market of hopeful but clueless voice-over newcomers. The more the merrier, right? At least these jockeys were honest about their intentions. According to their website they offer:
“(…) professional voice over work at a fraction of the cost. “
You might wonder: How do they do it, these clever casters? VoiceJockeys discloses their amazing strategy on their website:
“(…) we bring you directly to the source, the actual talent, not to a fancy agency or casting service. We empower you to make your own casting decisions and basically “try before you buy” entirely cutting out the middle man.”
Hold your horses… does that make any sense whatsoever? If there would be no middle man, wouldn’t the voice-seeker be contacting the talent directly, instead of VoiceJockeys?
VO-LAW TO THE RESCUE
Tipped off and ticked off, attorney and voice-actor Rob Sciglimpaglia Jr. decided to go over the VoiceJockeys talent contract with a comb as fine as only attorneys can get their hands on. In part one of a three-part VoiceOverXtra series, he concludes:
“I carefully reviewed the rates and contract that is posted on the web site for this company, and it is straight out of the dark ages concerning protection of the rights of the working voice-over artist.
I liken it to a SWEAT SHOP for voice talent.”
Sciglimpaglia spurred into action and offered to represent VoiceJockey voice-overs pro bono, as a group, in an effort to secure new contract terms. According to VoiceOverXtra:
“(…) he is already negotiating with VoiceJockeys, and he started a blog to report on similar companies that “prey” on voice actors with low pay and excessively restrictive contracts.”
BETTER LATE…
Rob’s right: Voice Jockeys.com is not the only on-line agency taking you for a ride. They are one of many sweatshop-services in a market that thrives on exploiting the hopeful, the desperate and the ignorant.
The fact that some members of the voice-over community apparently needed an attorney to analyze the fine print of a contract, doesn’t speak well of the level of professionalism in this industry. Always do your homework before you sign on the dotted line. It’s number 3 on my list of 10 classic mistakes why people leave money on the table.
I fully support Rob’s mission, and if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I take the issue of fair compensation and reasonable rates very seriously.
MIRROR, MIRROR
But reading Rob’s review could lead people to believe that “cheap paying companies” as he calls them, are the only ones to blame for sliding fees and unfair terms & conditions. That’s like blaming the fast food industry for the entire obesity crisis.
The only reason these business practices are perpetuated, is because people are falling for them. Sweatshop services exist because they feed a need. They prey on predatory pricers (or “poachers” in Rob’s words), and they appeal to those who want something for next to nothing.
What’s more, some colleagues have been defending bargain basement rates with arguments such as:
- we live in a capitalist economy and prices are determined by market forces
- setting minimum rates amounts to price-fixing which is illegal
- underbidders aren’t underminers; the low end of the market does not affect the high end
- lowballers have the best of intentions: they need to make a living too
- stop beating a dead horse; nothing will ever change
- Don LaFontaine never bothered to mount campaigns against people who voiced movie trailers at a rate below his
SOLIDARITY
As a freelancer, I have worked in many different industries. In no sector have I ever encountered so many colleagues who were ready to justify rip-off rates for whatever reason.
Could it be because some of them are also in the business of hiring voices? Is it because they don’t have to survive on a voice-over salary? Is their partner perhaps the main breadwinner? Or is there something going on, at a deeper level?
In the end it boils down to a matter of mentality. Let me spell it out in black-and-white terms:
Some people primarily operate from a ME-mentality. Others operate from a WE-mentality.
WORLD VIEW
The question: “What’s in it for ME?” is a powerful driving force behind human behavior. It focuses on immediate benefits to the individual, regardless of the impact on the community. It comes from an age-old survival instinct that puts self first.
In this vision, there are winners and losers. An oil spill in the Gulf is just an unfortunate consequence of a fossil fuel based economy. Who cares about the environmental impact, as long as it’s not in my backyard and I can keep on driving my SUV? It’s the price of doing business.
The question: “How does this affect the GROUP?” focuses on how individual fates are connected through a network of relationships. It looks at the long-term consequences and collective future rewards, rather than at instant individual gratification.
In this vision, we’re all in the same boat, sharing the same ocean. An oil spill in the Gulf is a signal that we should be serious about renewable energy, preserving this planet, instead of polluting it perhaps permanently. The world is our backyard, and we look dumber in a Hummer.
My question to you is this: which horse are you betting on?
SHAKESPEARE
The beleaguered King Richard III is a classic sell-out character. He is desperate. During the final battle his horse, Surrey, is killed and the King can no longer flee. Hoping to secure his survival, he offers his meaningless empire with the infamous iambic pentameter:
“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
It was a bad barter, and we all know how the story came to an end. Richard the Third was left at the mercy of his enemies because he had devalued his Kingdom. He died at the hands of the Earl of Richmond.
HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW
We all know how easy it is to get caught up in the excitement of the moment. In a few days or weeks, the drama of VoiceJockeys will be forgotten, or looked at as an isolated incident. New sites will emerge and it will be déjà vu all over again. Does it have to be that way?
Shakespeare’s Richard III starts with the following opening words:
“Now is the winter of our discontent”
Perhaps this VoiceJockeys episode could be the start of our “winter of discontent”.
OUR POWER
I once read that globally we spend more money on advertising than on education. It’s a scary statistic, but it goes to show how much money is spent and made in product promotion.
Let me ask you this: Can you imagine commercials without voice-overs? Can you think of documentaries or industrials without narration? How about instructional DVD’s, Public Service Announcements, Voice Response Systems…
All of the above would not be possible without voice actors. We can make or break a million dollar campaign. We can engage and motivate an audience. We can warmly welcome old and new customers. We can entertain and teach at the same time.
We are voice-over professionals.
Then why don’t we insist that we fully deserve and should get a significant slice of the pie? Are we lacking respect for our own profession? Are we degrading our training, our background and our craftsmanship? Are we devaluing our crucial contribution to advertising, marketing, education and cultural enrichment?
If we don’t take ourselves and our work seriously, why should others? Ultimately, we get what we deserve, and if we feel that we don’t deserve that much, we should stop complaining about rates going down and the cost of living going up.
Or we could start by charging reasonable fees that are a reflection of the added value of our work, as well as the respect for our talent!
It looks good on paper doesn’t it? It sounds even better, read by a voice-over professional.
Then why do I get the feeling that we’ll be having this same discussion in a week, a month or a year from now?
Here’s why:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
Are you thirsty, yet?
Paul Strikwerda © 2010
www.nethervoice.com
PS Even the best teams need a coach. Read all about the brand new Internet Voice Coach website in the next installment, and be sure to check out a very special offer for readers of this blog.









Imagine an international marketplace where suppliers and buyers meet. This business environment offers the broadest and most colorful selection from all over the globe. A fast and furious bidding process determines which supplier will sell to which buyer at what price.
The “Dutch auction method” is used for price determination. This process uses a clock, where the clock hand starts at a high price and drops until a buyer stops the clock to bid and accept (part of) the lot. The clock was invented in the 1870s by a cauliflower grower from Holland .
Do you work together with your colleagues to maximize results, or is it every man and women for him- or herself and against each other?
GOING DUTCH
What’s the link between a rice beverage and voice-over work?


















































