My recent experience at "ToS."

Robert Jadah · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007, 20:14 (GMT) Post subject:

Methinks, Phil and Kathleen, that you display a small naivete in believing that sites have no control over the regularity of work.
If five pro voicers launch a voice bazaar and attract a couple thousand subscribers, their contacts and incoming postings certainly still give them, hmm..let's call it flexibility in dispersing those jobs.
Through advertising and industry buzz, management can also be instrumental in determining the pro level of its core posters.
So comparisons are valid.
I subscribe to six sites, five of which have long since paid back their annual dues.
V123 is among the two user-friendliest. It also features the most postings.
Sadly, it also attracts the scruffiest clients. Since it has provided - by far - my best audition to job ratio, I don't know what that says about me.
TOS is very institutional, and yet their Search process has produced some valuable, non-audition Private Leads for me.
But their audition system is quirky. It must be; since their rating system has no effect and I have never, ever posted a successful audition there.
I believe their Number One rated Amy Snively has voiced the same paradox.
For talents good enough to make small livings to never post a winning audition certainly indicates that's something's rotten in the state of TOS.
Compare On!

Ronald T Robinson · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007, 20:20 (GMT) Post subject:

Canadians, eh!?

Well, how does everyone feel aboot being slapped upside their heads with a slab of real, Canadian, back-bacon (Pork-Fat Rules!)? Smile

Meanwhile, as to "TOS": Consider it as just another opportunity to get your goodies "out there" on the internet. I suspect they are trying to be as diligent and as professional as our gang here at V-123. (If not, they will fail.)

Further: "Stand fast before the mast, me hardies!" There is professionalism in this business and it's being demonstrated daily by those members who contribute with high-quality demos and and fair, equitable quotes.

Only those with the skills, background and appropriate attitudes will prevail. (The "low-ballers" are welcome to the dregs and those who troll for them.)

I have a number of friends who are not members of V-123 who prosper as independent V/O artists and have nowhere near the skills as demonstrated by many of our colleagues here at the site.

I am in august company... and proud of it.

(This doesn't mean, however, anyone has to give up their "bitchin'" rights. Gawd forbid!) Smile

Nikki Saco · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007, 21:43 (GMT) Post subject:

Yeah, there's definitely a certain attitude at ToS that doesn't appeal to me. Cocky's a good word for it, Colin.

I'm a South Park fan but I can't say it's a good source of information on Canadians -- or Socialists. They might be experts on German scheiße sites (I can't say one way or another). Can I use the word "scheiße" in this forum?
keine ahnung

Heather Ruby · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 04:48 (GMT) Post subject:

Colin: Thanks for the heads up. I guess I'll have to go read the fine print before I decide whether to let them take more of my money unilaterally. I, like you, didn't realize when I joined them last fall what the ramifications on my credit card would be.

I will say I did finally pay back their member fee last week, finally. After a bajillion auditions. But I notice for sure that their numbers of auditions aren't even close to the numbers I get on this site.

If I had to choose between the two, I'd camp out here. Fer sure. It's the Freddie factor! Plus ya'all, of course.

HH

Cira Larkin - Studio 53 · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 17:19 (GMT) Post subject:

Robert Jadah,

Your positive responses and the way you can diffuse what has the potential of becoming an ugly scenario absolutely blows me away. You, sir, are one class act. I mean that in all sincerety.
niedermayr anbeten

Kathleen Keesling · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 17:28 (GMT) Post subject:

Robert- I hear ya.

I was only expressing that I can not rely on the web sites to have control over MY regularity of work.

The sites cannot guarantee that I/ME will have any paying work nor can they guarantee how much I will be paid.

I made my fees back from both sites and get some valuable "face" time in front of some people who make decisions, but I have no expectations that the web sites will be the only answer for me.

I may be naive in a lot of things, but if its naive for me to think that $195 does not buy a turn key business....then so be it.

Colin Campbell · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 18:11 (GMT) Post subject:

I didn't really mean to get off on a tangent about the lack of work from TOS. It was just my financial decision at this time not to renew and was agast when it was done FOR ME automatically. I don't really take exception to their system (of course I don't have any idea how it works.) I just made a concious decision to hold off on renewing and faced strong-arm tactics I did not apreciate instead of some salesmanship I would have expected.

Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 18:19 (GMT) Post subject:

There appears to be a lot of talk about audition to job ratio. So, across the board what is your (dear reader) ratio?

Last week I did 2 auditions for this site and they resulted in no work. Fortunately using extreme naivety and got 14 other jobs to tide me over.

Colin Campbell · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 18:36 (GMT) Post subject:

Ratio at V123 is about 5 jobs in 1450 auditions. Ratio at "the other site" 1 job in a year doing every possible apropriate audition. They don't keep stats of how many jobs you've answered but I'm guessing it's about 1 job in ~1000 auditions.

Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 18:56 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks Colin. So if one deducts costs and divides the fees from jobs by the number of auditions it doesn't appear to me to be an effective way of doing business.

$250 job sounds great but - $100 site fee = $150 job divided by e.g 50 auditions = $3 per audition rate of pay.

I congratulate people here and there on their tenacity. If you aren't succeeding financially you ought to be.

Russ McLamb · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 19:17 (GMT) Post subject:

My personal experience with them has been nothing short of great and I rarely do the audition thing. My belief is you have to use these type of sites for what they are, marketing tools to reach clients you might not otherwise be able to get into. I don't think you can expect to make any site your sole source of income. Instead of spending the day waiting on leads to come in, spend that time making calls and marketing yourself. That's just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions. Smile

Russ

Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 20:10 (GMT) Post subject:

I do not object to doing auditions, it is part of the job but it's also part of the job to exercise quality control.

Is the audition being requested because the client simply can't be bothered to listen to demo's? That's fine if the end result is a $1,000 job. I understand auditions when clients are looking for a Kenyan businessman aged 40 something. But to expect people to audition for a $100 on-hold job is stretching the point.

We need to change the thought processes of the client to they'll audition for something as opposed to they'll audition for anything.

When the producers of Harry Potter were looking for the young actor to play the part of Harry they scoured the UK and saw 1,000's of young hopefuls. I understand that the producers were looking for something very specific and I also see why the young hopefuls turned up for auditions. Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry Potter is worth around $40,000,000 - His audition was a good days work.

Where will your next audition take you?

Russ McLamb · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007, 20:27 (GMT) Post subject: