Double Dutch

“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.

The man, who had lost his voice from thyroid cancer, spoke again on the Oprah Winfrey show. Last Tuesday, Film critic Roger Ebert gave his Oscar predictions with the help of text-to-speech (TTS) software that speaks whatever he types.

The first computer-based speech synthesis systems were created in the late 1950s. They’ve come a long way, but a lot of TTS software still sounds rather robotic and unnatural. That’s why Ebert turned to Scottish firm CereProc for help. CereProc actually uses someone’s audio recordings to create a digital voice that comes very close to the real thing.

Usually, CereProc has people come in to their studio and record about 15 hours of audio. This is used to re-create the original voice. In Ebert’s case, they used audio commentary he had made for several DVD documentaries. The quality was poor and the recordings were not as long as they would have liked. Nevertheless, they did the impossible and gave Ebert his voice back.

Here’s Ebert with his wife Chaz, as he first tries out his new voice:

OUR NEW COMPETITOR
TTS software is not only used for people who have lost the ability to speak. It’s used to capture accents and dialects that are on the verge of dying out. People also use it to learn a foreign language. There’s one other application you should be aware of: it could be used to replace you and me!

Poland-based Ivona Text-to-Speech advertises:

“Save money spent on voice talent recordings. You do not have to look for recording studios and speakers. You do not waste time concluding agreements and contacting the contractors and it’s accessible 24/7.”

If you want to get an idea of what this software is capable of, go to their website; type in a few words and have a digital voice read it back to you.

Rival NeoSpeech, headquartered in California claims: 

“Robotic voices are now history.”

Neospeech offers nine different voices that speak US English, Mexican Spanish, Korean, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese for a wide range of hand-held devices, desktop and network/server applications.

POLITICAL VOICES
If it weren’t for a certain former president, Roger Ebert might never have  found CereProc. Ebert came across the Bush-o-Matic talking head, a hilarious re-creation of the 43rd president. I must admit: Bush never sounded so articulate! You can make him say things that are intelligent, and even make him wink, squint or blink.

The CereProc engineers pieced the voice of Bush together from his weekly radio address. It’s kind of scary, but in a fun way. Just to be fair, they added a virtual version of president Obama’s voice and the inimitable accent of California governor Schwarzenegger.

As you can tell from the audio samples, CereProc is getting close, but we’re not quite there yet. One of the biggest challenges any TTS provider needs to overcome, is how to add some emotion to the speech.  Most voices still sound a bit flat and get very boring very quickly. And for ordinary mortals, it’s still too expensive to re-create their own voice with the help of this technology.

TIME TO GO?
So, do you think it’s getting time for professional voice-overs to pack their bags and start looking for other work? Yes and no.

First of all, text-to-speech companies all over the world use voice talent to record different languages and accents for different applications.

Secondly, if you’re a musician, you might find this technological development very interesting but non-threatening. As you probably know, any musical instrument under the sun has been sampled, and entire symphony orchestras  can come out of a can. Yet, people are still buying real Steinways, and there are plenty of musicians who make a very decent living.

Do you think that we’ll ever see the time when Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” as performed on virtual instruments, will win a Grammy? I don’t think so. Will a laboratory ever be able to produce a recording of Bach’s cello solo sonatas that rivals the depth of Yo Yo Ma’s interpretation? You see, there’s still hope for the most subtle, most flexible, most surprising and unique of all instruments: the human voice.

A NEW FRONTIER
Technology is amazing. It can give people their voice back. It can even make instruments speak. Austrian composer Peter Ablinger took a recording of a child reading the Proclamation of the European Environmental Criminal Court, and converted the frequency spectrum to MIDI, which he was then able to play back using a “chordophone”. It’s a mechanical piano that’s been hacked to “talk”…

As for Ebert, he’s as busy as ever. Esquire Magazine recently published a very moving article about him. On “Oprah”, he predicted that Kathryn Bigelow would be crowned best director and also pegged her film “The Hurt Locker” as the best picture winner. We now know that he was spot-on.

If it were up to me, this year’s  “Special Achievement Award” would only go to one man:

Roger Ebert.

Time and again, his brilliant movie reviews leave me… speechless.

Paul Strikwerda © 2010

www.nethervoice.com

PS Do you see Text-to-Speech software as a threat to your career? Is it eventually going to put you out of business, or will it just do the boring work?  Share your thoughts!

PPS Why am I giving my voice-over services away for FREE? Find out here…

Just in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season, Carl Amari, the producer behind “Twilight Zone Radio Dramas” and “Mystery Theater”, released an audio interpretation of the Old and New Testaments on 79 CD’s. This 98-hour long production involved over 1,000 actors, technicians and musicians, and features an original music score by Stefano Mainetti, and film quality sound effects. The end result is “The Word of Promise Bible“.

STAR POWER
Jim Caviezel, star of the remake of “The Prisoner”, and crucified in 2004 in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”, reprises his role of Jesus for this epic audio drama. Other cast members include Marcia Gay Harden (Esther), Malcolm McDowell (King Solomon), Richard Dreyfuss (Moses), Jason Alexander (Joseph) and Luke Perry as Judas. Michael York narrates both testaments. British actor Martin Jarvis is the voice of God. Voice-over actor JoBe Cerny (the voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy), directed an incredible 175,000 takes.

As you can imagine, a project like this is fraught with challenges. I know first-hand how hard it is not to step on people’s overly sensitive religious toes, when it comes to recreating creation and all that follows… During my time at the BBC, I was asked to produce an hour long radio drama for Radio 1, which specializes in current popular music and chart hits. The idea was to retell the story of Easter through music and narration, but in a way that would appeal to young adults.

TRANSLATION
One of the first problems I ran into was which translation of the Bible to use. Here are just a few choices:

Revised Standard Version (1952, RSV)
New American Standard Bible (1963, NASV)
The Jerusalem Bible (1966, JB)
New English Bible (1970, NEB)
Living Bible (1971, LB)
Good News Bible (1976, GNB)
New International Version (1979, NIV)
New King James Version (1982, NKJV)
Reader’s Digest Bible (1982, RDV)

There are, of course, a few more ‘exotic’ options. Mike Coles is Head of Religious Education at Sir John Cass’s Church of England Secondary School in East London. He wrote “The Bible in Cockney: Well Bits of it, Anyway….”

Here is his version of the Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:2-4:

HELLO, Dad, up there in good ol’ Heaven, Your name is well great and holy, and we respect you, Guv. We hope we can all ‘ave a butcher’s at Heaven and be there as soon as possible: and we want to make you happy, Guv, and do what you want ‘ere on earth, just like what you do in Heaven. Guv, please give us some Uncle Fred, and enough grub and stuff to keep us going today, and we hope you’ll forgive us when we cock things up, just like we’re supposed to forgive them who annoy us and do dodgy stuff to us. There’s a lot of dodgy people around, Guv; please don’t let us get tempted to do bad things. Help keep us away from all the nasty, evil stuff, and keep that dodgy Satan away from us, ‘cos you’re much stronger than ‘im. Your the Boss, God, and will be for ever, innit? Cheers, Amen. Who is it for? Geezers and birds, oi, oi, oi

Then there’s the Princess Diana Bible. In this gay version of the Bible, God does not create Adam and Eve. He creates Aida and Eve instead. This Bible is not completed yet, but portions of Genesis and Leviticus can be read on the official website.

“The Word of Promise Bible” uses the 1982 modern translation of the King James Bible.

CASTING
The second challenge was obviously casting. Christian and non-Christian producers are still struggling with questions such as:

• Must God really have a British accent?
• Could Jesus be a Yankee?
• Would it be wrong to cast an African-American as Judas?
• If our “voice of God” happens to be female, would the Bible Belt still buy the audio book?
• Why can’t King David be played by an openly gay actor?

NARRATOR
For my Easter special, we picked Ezekiel Gray a.k.a. The Man Ezeke, as our narrator. Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and nicknamed ‘Rasta’, Ezekiel was the first black daytime presenter on Radio 1. Some had their doubts about a DJ recounting what most people regard as the heart of the New Testament, with a distinct Jamaican accent. There was no reason for concern. Ultimately, the production ended up winning a Sandford St. Martin Award for excellence in Religious Radio Programmes.

IT’S A WINNER
The New Testament from “The Word of Promise Bible” was released in 2007, and was picked as the Christian Book of 2008 by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (the first audio Bible to receive this award). So far more than 700,000 copies were purchased. It’s the greatest story ever sold. If you don’t believe me, just ask Joan Allen (Deborah), Lou Diamond Phillips (Mark), Lou Gossett Jr. (John), Stacy Keach (Job & Paul), Gary Sinise (David), Marisa Tomei (Mary Magdalene), Jon Voight (Abraham) or Max von Sydow (Noah).

Paul Strikwerda © 2009

www.nethervoice.com

PS the Word of Promise Bible was nominated for Audio Book of the Year 2010 by the The Audio Publishers Association (APA). On May 25th we’ll find out if it will be the winner of an Audie Award.

“It will look so good on your resume”
“This might lead to regular work”
“We’re a start-up business”
“It’s such a small project”
“This is an Indie film”
“It will only take a few minutes”
“You’re new and we want to give you a chance”
“Even if you don’t get the job, it’s still great practice”
“You’d be perfect for this… I wish we could afford you”

If you’ve been an active job-seeking member of the voice-over community for… about two weeks, I’m pretty sure these ‘teasers’ have been thrown out at you a few times. They’re getting old quickly, don’t you think? Or are you still falling for them? Be honest!

These days, clients are getting even more efficient by leaving these phrases out. Now it’s just:

“Manhattan-based attorney’s office in need of a male voice for their website. Budget $100.”

Are you kidding me? These attorneys won’t even pick up the phone for 100 bucks. So, why do they expect us to work for a hand-out? Is it perhaps because many of us call ourselves voice-over ARTISTS?

MISCONCEPTION ONE: Artists don’t work. They just enjoy their hobby.

My wife, a phenomenal professional flutist, had just finished an exhausting wedding gig: a ninety minute Mass followed by a two-hour cocktail party. All in all she had had two breaks: one to rush from the church to the banquet hall, and a ten minute bathroom break during the reception.

When she came back to get a refreshment, some guests looked at her as if she was stealing from the buffet. One of them even walked up to her and whispered: “Aren’t you supposed to be playing?”

At the end of the engagement, the mother of the groom walked her out and said it had been “lovely”. She sighed: “I used to play the flute. It must be wonderful…. being able to play music all day long.” When my wife discretely asked for the paycheck that should have been handed to her at the beginning of the day, the groom’s mother looked shocked. She said: “Are you telling me you’re actually getting paid for this?”

Some people just don’t get it, do they? Whether we’re musicians, writers, web designers or voice-over artists, the opportunity to do the things we’re passionate about, should be enough, don’t you think? Well, why don’t we ask Alex Rodriguez about that? Perhaps he’d be satisfied with getting the keys to the Big Apple and a fat World Series ring.

MISCONCEPTION TWO: All you need in this profession is a computer, a microphone and an Internet connection, and you’re in voice-over business. Small investment. Huge ROI (and you can even do it in your PJ’s!).

Well, well…haven’t we heard that one before? If it were that easy, tell me who is paying for your:

• marketing
• advertising
• bookkeeping
• hours spent finding work
• taxes
• overhead
• continued education
• attorney
• sick days
• paid holidays
• vacation
• union dues
• health insurance
• dental insurance
• disability insurance
• life insurance
• business insurance
• unemployment
• retirement
• invoices that never get paid
• … and all other joys that come with running your own business?

BREAKING EVEN
Remember, all of the above (and more) has to come out of that job that you almost accepted for $125. Do you even know how much money you need to make in a year, just to break even? How about in a month? How much per week… per day? That’s just to cover costs. How about making a profit? How about saving a little for a rainy day or for college?

If all of this is a little overwhelming and intimidating, let me reassure you. This does not have to be your life! If you don’t have the drive now, do not waste any more time. If you’re not prepared to run your career as a for-profit business, you still have plenty of options… to name a few:

1. Stop posing as a pro and leave the market place to those who are willing to be professional. Stay an amateur instead. No pressure.
2. Get a ‘regular’ job with benefits

GET REAL
However, should you decide to become a professional solopreneur, start acting like one! Don’t do anything else before you take the next step: figure out what your basic minimum hourly rate must be, based on cost, billable hours and the profit you’re comfortable with. Depending on your input, this could take 5 to 20 minutes of your time. How do you do it? By using this simple on-line rate calculator, developed by one of my favorite websites: www.freelanceswitch.com.

RUNNING THE NUMBERS
Of course it would be a little presumptuous to tell you what to do. Some people just don’t want to spoil their hopes and dreams by facing reality. These are the folks that purchased a house they can’t afford because they thought they could swing it. And now they’re paying for it. Some people are more comfortable playing the victim or playing the blame-game. Others use excuses such as: “I was never any good with numbers”.

Sorry, but I’m not buying it! First off, this rate calculator is so easy, even I can use it. Secondly, you can always ask a friend to help you out; find a mentor, hire a pro… There are business coaches out there who’d love to have your voice on their AVR in exchange for their advice. It’s often better to have an impartial opinion from someone who is not in love with your dream. Have a business lunch with them and bring your calculator and a note pad.

Third, make a small investment and get “The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed” by Joseph D’Agnese and Denise Kiernan. This was the first book about money matters that I actually enjoyed reading. It felt like I was getting advice from friends who knew exactly what situation I was in. Joe and Denise offer very practical, down-to-earth strategies in a language anyone can understand, and they’re actually very funny too!

FINE DINING
So…. next time a voice-seeker holds up one of those carrots I started this article with, imagine yourself walking into a restaurant and telling the waiter:

“I can’t really pay you full-price, but if your food is any good, I’ll be sure to spread the word about this place.”

Please let me know how that worked out for you.

And if that did not go over so well, try going into Home Depot, hoping to get 75% off that professional pneumatic drill. 

“And why would we do that?” asks the manager.

And then you utter the magic words: 

“Well, it’s only for a small project….”

Last but not least… Would you be willing to do me one last favor, please? Once you’ve figured out your desired and minimum hourly rate, look at that $100 voice-over project again, that you were just considering. You know, the one that “will give you great exposure”.

Now look at your hourly rate again.

Get it?!

Paul Strikwerda ©2009

www.nethervoice.com

PS Many thanks to artist N.C. Winters for the comic strips. Find out more about the work of N.C. at the artist’s site and at Freelance Freedom.

PPS A Dutchman visiting the US offers some refreshing insights as he holds up the mirror: Only in America.

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.

Can you guess the name of this marketplace? Could it be eBay? Is it uBid? Voice123, perhaps?

TEAMWORK
Let me tell you what’s unique about this particular auction. It’s actually a cooperative, owned by about 5000 members who have united to organize their sales. Their aim is to achieve the best possible market position for its members at the lowest possible cost.

The auction I’m writing about offers a transparent market and an objective operation of the price mechanism. A fair minimum price is set for each product, based on normalized averages. If that price isn’t met, there’s simply no sale.

THE PLAYING FIELD
Here are a few other clues. The items that are auctioned off, are of some 20 thousand different varieties. And all of this takes place on the largest trading floor in the world – a conjoined complex of cavernous warehouses as large as 200 soccer fields. That’s roughly the size of Monaco! Inside, 22 million separate items are sold and distributed to buyers every weekday, mostly in Europe and North America.

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 .

As a voice-over pro, fighting my own daily bidding wars, I’ll tell you what I like about this type of auction:

1. The element of collaboration. Although the members of the cooperative are competing against each other, they are working together. What a concept!
2. Vigorous quality control, based on the highest professional standards, is part and parcel of this business.
3. Set minimum prices (based on weighted averages of goods or services in a particular region during a given time period).
4. Products or services are sold to the highest bidder. Imagine that in our industry!
5. Transparency. Everyone involved knows immediately what the winning bid was and who won. Only if the quality is not as told, the buyer can complain. The products have to be paid directly.

BACK TO YOU
Of course you know where this is going, don’t you? I am going to ask you about the market place you do business in. But here’s the twist: you’re auctioning off your vocal versatility on sites like voices.com. You spot a project that might be a good fit. You record a free custom demo, and you put in a bid. Then you wait… To quote Dr. Phill: “How’s that working for you?”

Let’s go down my list again, and contrast and compare.

OWNERSHIP
1. As a member of the cooperative, you would be one of the co-owners of the business. You would elect representatives and a board that manages the daily affairs on your behalf. In other words: you could directly influence how your business is run. The board answers to its members, and every year it must give those members a detailed account of the state of the cooperative.

Compare that to the marketplace where you auction off your services. You are a member of that marketplace, are you not? Let me ask you this: do you have any say in how this business is run and by whom? And by “say” I don’t mean filling out a survey, or posting your praises on their website. There is a difference between giving feedback, having influence or actual power.

Do you get to see the balance sheet, at least once a year? And if an executive is underperforming, can you vote him or her off?

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?

QUALITY
2. Can anyone offer their services on this voice-over marketplace you belong to, or is there a screening process based on professional standards? And once accepted, is there any type of quality control in place, to ensure that voice-seekers won’t be bombarded with third-rate ‘talent’?

PRICE
3. What does your marketplace do to promote fair trade, if anything? Are buyers (and sellers) educated about what rates are reasonable for different types of projects? Does your site set minimum prices, or is everything left to a market that has no bottom, no ethics and people who have no clue?

4. What if our on-line marketplace would operate like a Sotheby’s, where goods (or in this case services) would actually go to the highest bidder?

ACCOUNTABILITY
5. I saved the big one for last: Does your on-line auction site ever notify you of the winning bid? Let’s say a voice-seeker posts a project with a budget range of $100-$250. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know how much or little he eventually ended up paying? Don’t you want to know if the job ultimately went to an undercutting ‘underbidder’ or a habitual ‘lowballer’? Aren’t you curious to find out how successful this site really is in securing fair and reasonable deals for its members? Or is that too much to ask?

I recently read a comment from someone who regularly uses P2P’s to hire talent. He said (and I’m paraphrasing): 

“You should realize that when a job is posted with a $100 – $250 range, that over half the people who audition will offer to do it for $100. Another quarter will offer to do it for less.”

Mmm, any idea why you’re not having much luck, lately? Of course the voice-over dot coms could hit back and say: “That’s nonsense. Some people get paid even more than what the job was posted for.” My response would be: prove it! And don’t give me anecdotal evidence. I want numbers.

Am I wrong, or do you have a right to learn how many posted projects materialized into something concrete, and how many disappeared into thin air? And wouldn’t that information help you determine whether or not it would be worthwhile for you to join such a site? Why aren’t these facts available to the members who are paying for these services? What is it that these sites don’t want you to know? What are they hiding and why?

GOING DUTCH
My favorite auction is an open book. The FloraHolland flower auction is the international market leader in floricultural sales. Their auction building  in Aalsmeer is the second largest building in the world. With six locations situated close to the most important production areas in the Netherlands, 9 thousand growers sell just over one-third of all flowers sold in the world, which adds up to about 2 billion Euros each year. There are 125 thousand auction transactions every day. In other words, 12 billion cut flowers and over half a million plants a year. Business is blooming for this cooperative.

I wonder… is there anything we can possibly learn from this model? Isn’t it about time we add a touch of Dutch to our auctions? You tell me!

Paul Strikwerda © 2009

www.nethervoice.com

PS don’t miss the next installment: is it okay to endorse a voice-over website and criticize it too? Find out why I’ve been asked that “articles deliberately questioning the integrity of services such as Voices.com not be posted in the Voices.com LinkedIn Group in the future.”

What’s the link between a rice beverage and voice-over work?

In a recent “Taste the dream” contest, Rice Dream offered prize winners the chance to experience their dream job for 3 days. As you can see, the ad agency that came up with this campaign thought that our line of work qualified as a ‘dream job’, because they put a picture of a voice-over person on the milk carton.*

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love what I do for a living, but since launching my business  nethervoice, I have received several emails, asking me for a reality check. Most of them go like this:

Dear Mr. Nethervoice:I am James Kumbatani, the grandson of the late Mr. Oshia Bumbayashi, grand chief of the Olali tribe. Mr. Bumbayashi left me in charge of his personal fortune valued at seven million….

Sorry, wrong email. Here’s the one I was looking for:

Dear Mr. Strikwerda:

I am an aspiring voice over artist and my dream is to break into the business. People have told me that it’s not as easy as it sounds. Do you agree? What did you bring to the table that -in your opinion- gave you an edge over other voice-over professionals? Thank you for your time.

Penny Whistle

This is what I wrote back:

Dear Penny:

Great voice-over talents make what they do sound so natural and easy, no wonder why so many people believe anyone could pull that off in a heartbeat. In reality, voice-over artists are no different from other performers or athletes. When people hear a great pianist play or watch a well-know sports star at the top of her game, they usually don’t think of all the years these pros had to put in, in order to get where they are now. Long before I became a full-time voice over pro, I learned some things that -as you put it- gave me an edge.

1. Sight Reading: thanks to the never-ending encouragement of my mother, I’ve always been an avid reader. During my days as a news anchor for Dutch International Radio, I got used to reading last-minute news flashes and intros without skipping a beat. Today, I can print out a script, glance it over and take it into my sound booth and press ‘record’. A few minutes later, my demo is on its way to the client. If I’m working on an actual job, however, I apply a different strategy (see 3 & 4).

2. Foreign languages: growing up in Holland, I was exposed to many different languages and accents. I speak Dutch, English, German and some French & Portuguese. I also know some Latin and Hebrew. Unlike many Europeans, Americans usually aren’t polyglots, and I do my very best to take full advantage of that. Knowing how to pronounce unfamiliar names of people and places has been a great help in my career. Some clients like working with me, because I’m able to record the same commercial in four different languages.

3. Translating & Proofreading: I also work as a proofreader/translator, and I’m a professional nitpicker when it comes to scripts. Last-minute submissions often contain slips of the pen, and my clients are always grateful when I spot those mistakes and correct them. It shows them that I’m not just reading anything people put in front of me. It’s a great opportunity to show my clients that I care as much about their reputation as they do.

The other day, I was recording a Dutch commercial and the director asked me to translate some last-minute additions right there and then. No problem! I regularly receive international copy that was translated with the help of translation software. That’s usually a BIG red flag! I often end up correcting the work of a robot before I start recording a script that was supposedly ‘translated’.

4. Journalism: as a former newscaster, checking my sources has become second nature. Sloppy copywriters have handed me scripts with incorrect website addresses, wrong phone numbers and even company names that were misspelled. I always verify the information provided, no matter how reliable the source. Another thing I do is research the company I’m dealing with. Not only does it give me a feel for the corporate culture, I also check in with the Better Business Bureau and research the reputation of a particular business.

A word of warning: even though a company might have a good BBB rating, things could still be fishy.

A few months ago, I was approached by “European Immigration and Translation Consultants” in Florida. This company asked me to translate a birth and a marriage certificate. They received my work the very same day and they thanked me by writing out a bad check. Of course I ended up paying a fee to my bank. I asked for a money order instead, with the penalty added to the bill, but the agency refused.

After some more research, I found out that the con-sulting company was run by a con artist who was wanted by the Canadian authorities. Of course I filed a complaint with the BBB, but the company never responded. All the bureau could do was giving them an “F” rating and close the case.

5. Here’s the last thing that I believe gives me a bit of an edge: my love of music. As an amateur musician, I developed a sense of rhythm, diction and melodic lines that is very helpful when it comes to getting into the groove of the music in a commercial or a narration. As a cornet-player and  singer, I’m blessed with increased lung capacity and breathing support. Singing is great gymnastics for your voice. It’s a fun vocal cord workout that not only gives you the stamina to complete a long recording session; it also enhances voice projection, diction and flexibility.

Penny, if you’d like to learn more about this business, I suggest you read Harlan Hogan’s “Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor”. In it, Harlan quotes Dick Moore of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFTRA.

Moore says that of the eighty thousand AFTRA members the union represents, no more than a hundred people do most of the voice work.

So, in order to stand out, not only do you need to be outstanding at what you do; you also need to bring something special to the table. There are thousands of hopefuls out there, and all of them believe they have a fantastic voice.

Ultimately, it’s what you can do with that voice that makes all the difference.

Best of luck to you.

Now I’m off to have a cold rice beverage.

Cheers!

Paul Strikwerda © 2009
www.nethervoice.com

* this contest has expired

Every generalization is a lie, including this one. But can I be blunt? As far as social networking sites go, there are at least two kinds of members: Users and Contributors.

Users aren’t really on a site to share their thoughts and ideas. For them it’s purely about self-promotion. You know them… They are the people who leave a one word comment in your response box, followed by a link to their website.

As far as I’m concerned, that has nothing to do with networking. It’s just part of a shameless SEO (search engine optimization) strategy. The idea being that the more you plug your site into the World Wide Web, the more the Google and Yahoo spiders are going to like you. Whooptie Doo!

Contributors are the people who actually have something to say. Their mindset is “WE” instead of “ME”. They network because they are into giving and not into taking. True social networkers offer thought-provoking insights, priceless tips and genuine support. They make sure that others can learn from their mistakes and not have to reinvent the wheel over and over again. Ultimately, that is a win-win strategy.

I am convinced that those of us who offer value are getting noticed. Maybe not directly by web crawling software, but by the colleagues, agents and potential clients who are reading our comments. It might not lead to immediate work, but at least we’re planting some seeds by getting ourselves out there as we share our experiences and know-how.

If you ask me, that’s how we should really make “the Net” work!

Paul Strikwerda © 2009

www.nethervoice.com

Do you get hoarse after a long recording session? Does your throat hurt? Have you ever lost your voice?

Voice-over coaches often advise their students to take acting classes. That’s an excellent suggestion, but I can’t tell you how much I have benefited from singing lessons.

VOCAL WORKOUT
Just as every sportsman (or woman) has to train each day to keep those muscles strong and flexible, we as voice-over artists are vocal athletes. We have to do everything we can to keep our voice in great shape. For me, singing is the preferred exercise routine that gets me ready for that marathon recording session.

SACRED SOUNDS
For many years I was a member of a choir specializing in the ancient art of plainchant. Gregorian chant is just about the oldest western classical music known to mankind. The fragile, meandering unison melodic lines of certain songs can seem deceptively simplistic. Most of the vocal techniques I use today date back from my time as a member of this choir. We sounded like this:

This is what we sounded like…

Here are just a few things I learned from being in a choir:

* effective warm-ups

* the right posture

* voice projection

* diction

* word coloring

* supportive breathing

* text interpretation

* taking directions

ADDED BONUS
In our profession it’s so easy to become a recording recluse. In the old days, we had to go to a studio to do our work. We’d actually see the people we were working with and really connect. Nowadays, we’re often home alone, locked up in a dark whisper room, glued to our computer screens and we text, twitter and blog till we’re blue in the face. Rumor has it that some of us have even started “talking to the hand”. In this case that hand looks very much like a microphone…

Here’s a suggestion: get out there and join a choir! It’s not only a fun-filled feast for your vocal chords; it’s the perfect excuse to get out of the house. You’ll meet lots of interesting people and you’ll even get a chance to perform in front of an audience. Most of us rarely get a chance to observe how people respond to the fruits of our labor. I’m telling you, it’s a thrill to see audience members magically moved by marvelous music. And it’s an amazing experience to fill a void with the sound of many voices blending together in (hopefully) perfect harmony.

RESOURCES
The National Center for Voice & Speech has a terrific site called “Voice Academy”. Although it’s mainly geared toward teachers, many of the tips apply to voice-over talents as well.

If you love to twist your tongue, I have the ultimate site for you. It has 2790 entries in 109 languages.

And for those of you who are already a member of a vocal group of some sorts, I hope you’ll forgive me that I’ve been preaching to the choir…

Paul Strikwerda © 2009