For independent freelance voice talents, being online is far more rewarding than being on the road, say driving downtown to a studio. No traffic jams, no stress and no carbon. You can always know on your client door through an email or a telephone call (although less appreciated these days).
Recording from a home studio is slowly but surely coming of age now that many studios and producers are less and less reluctant to hire voice over talents online. They are now persuaded that the advantages are many: less hassle for auditions, more cost-effective and above all availability from the talent. The audio quality can sometimes be an issue, but some studios are cooperating with their distant voice actors by providing them with the technical advice they need to improve both equipment and acoustics.
Bringing the voice over artist and client together is one of the main objectives of DirectVoices. We know that forging closer relationships between these two parties will ultimately lead to greater understanding, enhanced trust and an improved experience for both the talent and the voice seeker. The result is obviously more business for the patient and outspoken voice talent.
The internet has changed the voice over world forever. With new opportunities opening up for the VO artist in the digital world, the way a VO talent works with a client has changed as well. Everything can be done remotely now. It doesn’t matter where the VO artist or the VO seeker are located, DirectVoices can bring them together.
Historically producers used to like working with VO artists who were literally on their doorstep and who they could meet face to face. The advent of online voice over services has been a game-changer in relation to this. Hiring a voice talent online is now seen as quicker, easier and less expensive, especially if there is no agency commission to pay. It’s also true that the quality of home studios has improved so producers know that they can work with a voice over artist remotely and still get high quality audio delivered for their project.
DirectVoices has recognized the growth of global online voice over services and has made it easy for the voice seeker and voice talent to come together. Through a simple user interface the voice seeker can locate the voice they want, get in touch with the artist through the chat facility, and discuss the detail of their project directly with them.
How the relationship develops from there is strictly between the talent and the client. From the initial contact through DirectVoices , further discussion and negotiation can take place through the normal channels of email, Skype or whatever the preferred communication channel might be.
Unlike other voice over membership sites, DirectVoices has recognized the importance of opening up that dialogue so that the nuances of a given project can be discussed directly between the talent and the client. These nuances might include voice over style, script interpretation and type of audio file.
Through open discussions a client can explain the specifics of a project and what they are trying to achieve and the VO talent can describe how they can fit the needs of the project and deliver to the standards required. This shared understanding will give the client what they want and will give the VO artist the appropriate platform to set a fair price for their services. Everyone’s a winner!
To be a part of this winning combination we urge you to join DirectVoices now by clicking https://plaza.directvoices.com/
You’re right of course, Constantino. Home working is win-win and there need be no compromises either artistically or technically.
What is absent, though, is “the roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd”. A real green room, with actors joshing one another, Royal Court posters and cheese on toast… ah, I miss that!
Absolutely ! The downside is certain loneliness in the studio, but hey, we have to break the bubble and make once a year or so a kind of social tour to visit clients… Problem is that most are far, far away. I ‘m trying that the inconvenience turns into an advantage, so when I travel overseas I just pay a short visit to some studios and colleagues and it’s a great experience… a small present and just show that you are real hi hi
My phone-patch studio was in business in 1980-81. It was a tough sell then. However, many of my clients hired VOs in other cities to record from a studio in their city while they listened to the session. The people who did ride the bleeding edge with me never had a complaint whether I did the complete production or just the VO to be delivered to the producing studio. That was long before the Internet and there was no way for that approach to provide me a living back then.
I still believe in the approach, however, I much prefer to work in-studio. The nicer the studio the better I like it. I’m not a very social guy, though I miss schmooooooozing with clients, customers, and techs. I don’t like making BUY decisions on my read and I hate editing myself; I’ll happy perform both of those roles for another talent.
While this may be the way of the industry today, I don’t think it is a positive one. Are you being paid for the studio? Are you being paid to edit? Usually the answer to that question is no. I know this because of the customer push back I get when I insist that there is a charge for VO, a charge for the studio, and a charge for the editor. Customers tell me that Jo-Jo Bob never charges them and neither does Suzy-Q (names changed to protect the guilty).
…but then I come from the days when my engineer turned on my mic at the radio station.
Freelance voice over artists who are able to research and understand their target market before “self-directing” at home or online will position themselves as the go-to voice for audio production houses like mine. ” Why?” I hear you ask. Well, there’s just no match for researched vocal delivery, quick turn-a-rounds and lower overheads all round.