Hands on Clients..

  Have you ever been given direction by a client as to what is wanted in the performance and then have that performance so micro-directed that the hoped-for-effect is lost? I believe it happened today.

  When I arrived at the studio I was given some very useful overriding direction which was to guide my performance in the booth. The direction was designed to lead me to the type of performance which expressed the script according to the wishes of the client. I worked mightily to do that but I believe in the clients anxiousness to achieve that very effect, he tended to over direct. By doing so he squeezed out any opportunity of mine to interpret the script and perform it according to my interpretation and taking into account his overarching direction. 

  He was happy with the work but it left me wondering if we had indeed satisfied his initial objectives.

  I'm the first to admit--the client is ALWAYS right. He's paying for the privilege to be right so if he wants it then give it to him. 

  This happens sometimes. Sometimes a client leaves the work in the hands of the studio and the discretion of the engineers and talent and sometimes the client is very hands on and wants to mini-direct every nuance of the script. Of course the client sometimes knows exactly what is wanted and should watch closely to ensure that what is needed is achieved. And sometimes the client doesn't know but feels compelled to control the read of each line in the script.

  I say allow the client to have his way. As a talent, I never insist on a particular rendition of a script. I might see how it should be done but I'll only do what the client requests me to do. I advise any talent who wants to get more work from the same source to do the same. Because even though we might know how it should be read, doing so might lower  your stock in the eyes of the client. Or worse. I'm always too grateful for the work to interfere with the style of the read. I'll interpret the script my way but will quickly defer to the wishes of the client.

  So when the client is really involved in the talents performance, be happy O ye talents, it could be a harbinger of more work to come. Just give'm what they want. 

Website Update

My website was so deficient in audio choices that I knew I had to do something fast. I had maybe a total of twenty audio files for clients to select from. I have finally addressed that issue. This week I sent probably forty additional files in several different categories (promotions, ivr, narrations, etc) to my webmaster to include in my site.



Marketing is always very important in this business. "They" will never know how wonderful a voice talent you are if "they" never hear your work. So either you need to send out demos, have a website of your own, or be a member of someone elses site where your voice work can be examined and evaluated. This is the key to growth in voiceovers. When your work is being heard, you can never tell what job might fall into your lap next.



Before, my site didn't have the category of Character Voices but now it does. Who knows what client might want a voice that sounds just like mine to provide a voice for a videogame, audiobook, or generic commercial. Now my website, which is my agent online, can make it known what I'm able to do and how well I can do it.



The site is still being upgraded as of 11/14/08 but go by and see it anyway. I have such great work showcased there. I expect nothing but the best results from my upgrade.



If you have a comment to make about upgrading a website or marketing yourself, feel free to share it here.

How many ways can you say that?

Voice overs can be quite unpredictable sometimes. I was booked for a spot yesterday and I had no hint of how long it might be. Thirty seconds or sixty seconds? I didn't know and I didn't care. I was just glad to be doing something in voiceovers.
I had to rearrange my day so that I could be ready to perform at 3pm, the time of my booking. I went to bed early and was up at 2pm so I could get to the studio early and perhaps get a glance at the script before I was expected to perform. I got there in plenty of time and got the script.

It was one line. The line read "Score a victory today!" I, for once, could enter the booth without a script. I warmed up with several different reads and settled on one that I saw as good (since I had no direction as yet). Finally the client called and told the engineer and myself how he wanted it read. I was to sound like a sports announcer. At first I was to use more energy, then less energy. Then I was to be dramatic. Then less dramatic.

If you read that line, you could put the emphasis on virtually any of those words. I had a great time mixing it up for the client.

It's always important to be punctual and professional. I brought my pen in case of changes in the script and I brought my water to help keep my voice tuned up. I was almost fifteen minutes early (early beats late like rock beats scissors) and ready to perform at my best. Clients are always right so I never get testy regardless of how many times he/she wants the script read or in whatever interesting ways I am directed to interpret it. I roll with it and try mightily to give the client what he wants. That's how the next job is secured.

Now I can at least look forward to a session fee for my appearance in the studio for the twenty-five minutes I was there (including the 15 minutes early).

I just love voiceovers.