JMC Voiceover Source Connect
jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com
202-738-1151
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Demo Production
    • Demo Production Guide
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
    • Coaching
    • Voiceover Coaching Guide
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Podcast
  • Events
    • Euro Vo Retreat
    • VO Atlanta
    • One Voice Conference USA
  • Public Speaker Training
    • Public Speaker Training
    • Public Speaking Coach
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

3 Things

by J. Michael Collins

3 for three things top of my mind

Today I’m launching a new weekly blog series to look at three voiceover-related topics that are top of my mind at the end of my week.

First up:

The Future of VO Rates is Here

The issue of rates and compensation continues to percolate around the industry, and there is a certain sky-is-falling character to too much of the discussion. In a figurative sense, the sky may well be falling. Rates at the highest end of the market are clearly under pressure. We are all seeing jobs from agents these days that look like they are missing a zero compared to what they once might have paid. I tend to believe that this is more a result of changing media consumption habits reducing the effectiveness of traditional broadcast media advertising than any supply/demand issue. Still, there’s no denying that there is a lot of talent willing to take on major projects at lower rates than ever before for the sake of the credential. It will be interesting to see how this phenomenon progresses over the next couple of years, but the likelihood is that the days of making deep bank from working strictly on the national broadcast level are slowly coming to an end.

Nevertheless, there is a solid argument to be made that the broader voiceover industry is healthier than it has ever been, and will only continue to offer more and more opportunities to those with the ability to anticipate its evolution. For years, I’ve been telling people that the future of VO success is earning a robust income of $500 at a time. That future is here. This doesn’t mean accepting peanut rates for broadcast or new media work that generates large numbers of impressions but rather embracing that the future for most talent will be found in corporate/industrial work, eLearning, and local/regional broadcast. Indeed, that’s already how the vast majority of full-time voice actors are making their living. The good news is that as commercial, and especially big league commercial, continues their inevitable decline due to new media and more segmented/targeted advertising, these other sectors are growing at an exponential pace. Moreover, the supply/demand curve for these genres is far more favorable than for commercial and even animation/video game voice actors. There is more work out there than there is a quality talent to do it, which a quick review of auditions from any online casting site or other non-curated talent pool will demonstrate in abundance. The flow of $300-$1,000 jobs have never been stronger, and it will only continue to grow.

The sky is very much intact.

Demo Length

I’ve been following a few discussions on this topic this week, and I’m concerned that the debate over demo length is becoming a little too simplified. Not all demos are created equal. The conventional wisdom of around a minute with a fair amount of variety is a good baseline for high-impact demos like commercial, promo, trailer, and imaging. These demos lead to auditions or a foot in the door more often than direct hires, and buyers in these genres generally tend to be high-end creatives with trained ears able to form impressions quickly. Fast-paced, exciting, and packed with (reasonable) variety is key. No one wants to listen through two minutes of commercials, no matter how good you are.

What gets lost sometimes is the difference between buyers/gatekeepers in the genres mentioned above and those who are hiring for industrial narration, explainers, e-learning and the like. I’ve heard a lot of narration demos lately that are barely distinguishable from commercial demos. When I’m hiring for narration, or considering suitability based on a demo, eight seven-second cuts doesn’t tell me much. Do I want to hear your range? Sure, but I just need to know how much of the conversational to polished spectrum you can cover. 3-4 different styles is plenty. I’m more interested in hearing whether you can sustain a read and engage my audience. These both require more than five or ten seconds of copy. Anyone hiring voice talent for multi-minute industrials/explainers or thousands of words of e-learning has run into talent who can flash greatness in short bursts but cannot sustain a read over time. This leads to awkward situations where re-casting can be necessary and compensation comes into doubt. Buyers in narration genres hire straight from demos more often than they do in other parts of the business. I would much rather hear 3-4 twenty to thirty second reads if I’m making that decision than a bunch of quick cuts. Show me competence, consistency, the ability to tell a story.

The Xanax Read

It all started with that Facebook Live commercial (youtube.com/watch?v=YDmYpWhuGx8,) and now it seems like the post-Millennial trend is to reads that are actively sounding bored. Not even bored in a slightly edgy or sarcastic way, but rather just disconnected entirely from any emotional investment in the copy. I have my own theories on why this is, but I’d like to hear your thoughts on this emerging trend. Are we all going to have to learn how not to act?

Until next week, this is JMC.

Filed Under: Blog

Primary Sidebar

Archives

Subscribe

"*" indicates required fields

Receive News & Updates
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

RECENT TWEETS

@jmcvoiceover

June 3rd 2023 01:06:49

A stunning day on the Moselle, capped of with dueling banana splits! https://t.co/m7ZNqejDZk

@jmcvoiceover

June 2nd 2023 04:06:33

Somebody did his first animation audition.…..kid takes direction pretty well! https://t.co/YqdSCG98a2

@jmcvoiceover

June 2nd 2023 02:06:00

In the Anime & Video Game casting world it doesn't get much bigger than Mami Okada of BangZoom!

Bring your A game… https://t.co/RYv02MRarF

@jmcvoiceover

June 2nd 2023 10:06:05

The EURO VO Retreat IX official group shot! https://t.co/RAKRaZH1kg

@jmcvoiceover

June 1st 2023 01:06:52

Directed sessions. How do they work? What can go right? What can go wrong? Bev Standing and Graeme Spicer join the… https://t.co/eIUw5Galio

@jmcvoiceover

May 31st 2023 09:05:01

Love is Anna’s homemade ramen. Yum! https://t.co/C5WIAkffn8

@jmcvoiceover

May 30th 2023 07:05:44

Elite LA Casting Director Terry Berland hosts a three-hour performance workshop for Gravy for the Brain on June 17t… https://t.co/nEOyopVu5b

@jmcvoiceover

May 30th 2023 02:05:17

https://t.co/9qyk9rXWFb

New blog is live!

Baby, don't fear the robo-reaper..... https://t.co/qQ9Rmuj6Zt … https://t.co/qQ9Rmuj6Zt

@jmcvoiceover

May 30th 2023 01:05:01

ASP talent agent Suzanne Spaziani joins the One Voice Conference USA to offer her perspective on how to grow your c… https://t.co/GCHR4TaIfo

@jmcvoiceover

May 29th 2023 02:05:06

The guy next door, who can turn on presence and gravitas as needed. Presenting Sam Rice....about as current as it g… https://t.co/I3y97VMmNV

@jmcvoiceover

May 29th 2023 11:05:36

Cruisin’ with the monkey child… https://t.co/Z9UXinowNw

@jmcvoiceover

May 29th 2023 10:05:37

Just two days left to enter the One Voice Awards, presented this August in Dallas!

No fee to enter. No fee to cla… https://t.co/RnVyH4gwTG

@jmcvoiceover

May 29th 2023 06:05:26

I never had the honor of serving.

Having walked the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, and the American Ceme… https://t.co/V4OkGpndLG

@jmcvoiceover

May 28th 2023 07:05:35

Most conferences these days have a Demo Panel, as doing it right is critical to success at the highest levels of th… https://t.co/Zjyrizahet

@jmcvoiceover

May 26th 2023 09:05:43

Shots from the closing dinner at EURO VO Retreat IX, and the best anniversary card ever! https://t.co/CiKNyMwxCu

@jmcvoiceover

May 26th 2023 04:05:13

Afternoon sessions at EURO VO Retreat IX, including an appearance from the Weird Little Car! https://t.co/3Uu3iXoRNB

@jmcvoiceover

May 25th 2023 08:05:19

Jeff Howell gets inducted into the Bad Boys of VO, Euro BBQ night, and afternoon sessions. One day left at EURO VO… https://t.co/Glrzg4I3e1

@jmcvoiceover

May 25th 2023 03:05:48

The CEO Steel Cage Death Match at EURO VO Retreat IX! https://t.co/cXsLnJKoJT

@jmcvoiceover

May 25th 2023 10:05:49

Thursday at EURO VO Retreat IX gets rolling with Debi Derryberry teaching animation, Jeff Howell on ADR and dubbing… https://t.co/OT2fsfiICV

@jmcvoiceover

May 25th 2023 09:05:52

The One Voice Conference USA is all about FRESH.

We're thrilled to welcome star VO Andy Barnett as one of our sp… https://t.co/ZprP8ZIcmw

@jmcvoiceover

May 24th 2023 08:05:38

Scenes from lunch and dinner… https://t.co/SLamr7oWOZ

@jmcvoiceover

May 24th 2023 05:05:52

The CEOs arrive… https://t.co/Uv9KEf4OKZ

@jmcvoiceover

May 24th 2023 03:05:39

E-Learning and training narration is becoming more fun and more modern. When you need a voice that connects and cut… https://t.co/jN9bew4rCv

@jmcvoiceover

May 24th 2023 09:05:53

Our EURO VO Retreat private golf carts, officially christened Lob Force 1 and Lob Force 2. https://t.co/Y6xRrrwS1J

@jmcvoiceover

May 23rd 2023 08:05:39

The One Voice Conference USA is coming up in less than three months, featuring the legendary Troy Baker as our keyn… https://t.co/jPTPfiN0R2

@jmcvoiceover

May 23rd 2023 05:05:43

As if Tuesday at EURO VO Retreat IX isn’t cool enough, I am absolutely honored to have won a silver Telly Award for… https://t.co/9zqNd6u98S

@jmcvoiceover

May 23rd 2023 04:05:02

Afternoon sessions at EURO VO Retreat IX https://t.co/t1kfB5hHnJ

@jmcvoiceover

May 23rd 2023 01:05:41

EURO VO Retreat IX sessions are underway, and also our communal Tri-Booth with a bunny nearby. https://t.co/YxK4R7oi8X

@jmcvoiceover

May 22nd 2023 06:05:19

Early returns from the opening night of EURO VO Retreat IX https://t.co/F7JnAWS9ef

@jmcvoiceover

May 22nd 2023 11:05:34

The wheels on the bus go “just one more for safety,” “just one more for safety,” “just one more for safety.”

🎵🎵🎵… https://t.co/Jy9H7SQ2Ay

@jmcvoiceover

May 21st 2023 05:05:49

The retreat officially starts tomorrow, but tonight we’re on a boat! https://t.co/nOvV9uhkyf

@jmcvoiceover

May 21st 2023 08:05:00

Breakfast at the local pancake place. https://t.co/hDDnsGqZsZ

@jmcvoiceover

May 21st 2023 07:05:17

Fun, current, and full of energy, check out New York-based Stewart Talent client Cianna Bisant's new Commercial Dem… https://t.co/z5oo2d0Z1c

@jmcvoiceover

May 20th 2023 09:05:28

EURO VO Retreat IX doesn’t officially start until Monday, but it sure looks like a fun group!

Word of the day: Pi… https://t.co/KPjwxjQk5l

CONTACT
202-738-1151
jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com
  • Home
  • My Demos
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
  • Coaching
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

Privacy Policy
©2023 J. Michael Collins // Voice Over Site by Voice Actor Websites