a voice talent’s worst enemy is sometimes in the mirror
Everyone has to do what they have to do to make a legal living.
Each person has to set a value on their professional worth and what their skill set is worth.
This I believe.
I just happen to also think that people willing to voice 20 statements for $60 or less (yes, that IS $3.00 a statement) might enjoy a better profit doing darn near any other job than voice over.
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(Yes, that job description does say “Please, only bid if you are a professional voice artist.” )
And they might save a bit of professional face (hide the blemish of the low-balling brand, if you will) by not posting their lowly value so publicly (with clickable profiles, even) on a totally open bidding site that anyone can find – without trying- via a Google alert.
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(Yes, that does say “Lenny is the name, and VoiceOver is my game!”)
No, everyone does not have to believe what I believe.
Clearly, there are many who don’t.
And the industry is poorer for it.
P.S. I signed up for a free account on this site about a month ago…don’t think I bid on anything; yes after tonight’s viewing that account will be closed up.
If after 25 years of doing this you catch me scrambling to do a job like this for 60 bucks like “firstacts” up there, please run me over with a dump truck. Twice. Just to be sure.
Erik:
Just for clarity’s sake, you DON’T mean Tonka, right? 😉
Best always,
– Peter
Make sure you don’t miss “Brian the Human Speed Bump” after you’re done with Erik….if I move afterwards, dump a load of hot asphalt on me.
Asphalt?!
Whaddya think I’m MADE of money?!
You’ll get good old fashioned tar and like it, Mister! 😉
Best always,
– Peter
Peter,
Goodness… first of all, yes, that is not what we want to see going on.
Secondly, I don’t even want to think of any of you guys being steamrolled, dumped on with asphalt or otherwise for doing that!!!! Maybe a pie in the face or a bucket of cold water over the head would suffice 😉
Cheers,
Stephanie
Steph:
Don’t worry, we’re voice talents, we’re not smart enough to find asphalt, tar or certainly drive trucks. Most of us have trouble mastering the on/off switch on the microphone.
Sadly we are all oddly familiar with buckets of cold water…they’re called auditions!
Best always,
– Peter
I, too, signed up for this website for both voiceover and another category. I do, at times, bid on gigs for the other category (haven’t seen anything worth bidding on for voice work) and have a base point I won’t go below. Needless to say, the two or so times I put in a bid I was underbid by many people. I saw one bidder brag that since he is an American ex-pat living in the Philippines he is able to work far much less than those of us who live in the States. So, not only are we competing price-wise with people here in the States willing to work for less than minimum wage (in Illinois it’s hirer than the federal rate), we’re competing with people in countries where the cost of living is about 1/4 of what it is here.
Arlene