V123 Price Guide

Don Hensley · **Voice Talent** Joined: 24 May 2007 Posts: 8

Hail fellow VO warriors! I've been getting my feet wet with V123 auditions for the past few weeks, and lurking about in the forums to learn that which I do not know that I do not know. So, in my efforts to "prepare the battlespace" - I have found some holes in my knowledge base.

1) How effective / relevant is the V123 price guide based on the poll taken? Do you use it as a guide? NOT asking for your actual rates.

2) Much discussion on the forums regarding seeker budgets (mainly regarding low ones) and ver 2.0 doesn't seem like it will help things (I am a beta tester). How do you handle these low bids? If it is a project that interests you, or you think is particularly in your niche, do you submit an audition anyway, but just put a "real" quote for your work? The reason I ask, is that is what I've been doing - but am I just poking myselef in the eye & earning a "bad" reputation with seekers? Most of them, I just delete.

3) How do you handle an audition for a project where the seeker doesn't provide enough info for an objective quote (and it has gotten through our intrepid screeners) - i.e., actual medium not stated, market size not stated, etc.?

4) How about for "production" work? My gut says charge for the production of it is extensive, or for the whole project. But it seems overkill if the seeker is asking for (or doesn't make it clear) me to put in a single effect.

Thanks for your time - I look forward to reading and learning.

Don Hensley
Vox Incognita Studios
NoVa / DC metro area

Don Hensley · **Voice Talent** Joined: 24 May 2007 Posts: 8

Wow... no takers for commenting on this or lending your experience? Have I managed to inadvertently step on toes? Breeched a professional protocol? Stepped over a line I was not supposed to? If I have, I am truly sorry, and ask for the professional knowledge to correct my behvior.

I have searched to forums, and haven't found what I am looking for, but if it is there, and I am just missing it, I'd love to be pointed in the right direction.....

Hope everyone is enjoying the 4th... and freedom....

Michael Murphy · **Voice Talent** Joined: 02 May 2007 Posts: 113

sometimes the people with the answers aren't on. I would comment if I had an answer for you. Just didn't want you to think no one was reading the posts Smile

Robert Jadah · **Voice Talent** Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 2627

Sorry, Don; don't know how your astute post slipped through the cracks.
I guess it's because there's no funny/off-hand way to answer it.

Let's see...first off, I use the V123 price guide much the way Paris Hilton uses good judgement. It's there; but it's not that relevant.
I charge $100 to fire up my computer and vocal chords. I'll do a :15 for a base $120. Then I factor in the piece use. If it's broadcast or general dissemination (web, ie), I add a buyout of anywhere from 50 to 300%, depending on market.

My quote includes production, music, f/x if necessary. I mean, I'm wrestling with the piece already; what's an extra 45 minutes or so? With serious clients, though, it rarely is necessary.

If the client provides insufficient details for a comprehensive quote, I usually delete or send a fairly high quote based on my best guess-timation, with the comment that, "actual price may vary depending on actual market size and project."

And I will happily do interesting mom-and-pop projects without the buyout mark-up. For example, I recently did a fun voiceover for a Graduating Son family video at $225 for five minutes.
On the other hand, my web voiceover at www.sos-usa.org was five minutes for many times that amount.
Bottom line: You're selling your wares at the corner of Voice and Talent streets. If you charge less, you'll just get (inject more graphic word here) taken more often to make the same amount of money as does the classy escort working out of the Pro Suites.

Voice On!

Don Hensley · **Voice Talent** Joined: 24 May 2007 Posts: 8

Michael and Robert,
Thanks for the posts - I was beginning to think the PC's were trying to keep my Mac supplied electrons out of the forums.... Smile

Seriously, thanks for the insight and thought process you go through - it helped. It confirmed some of my initial impressions.

I was hoping to feast on the buffet of knowledge on this one (typically what I've seen of other posts / topics), but apparently there are other picnics going on. S0, I'll keep lurking and learning... and maybe post a demo for critique.

Don Hensley
Vox Incognita Studios
Audio Sunt Voces
Hear... There Be Voices

Amanda Geyer · **Voice Talent** Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Posts: 245

...but due to demands of our deskjobs, it's gotten heavily Winbloze-oriented (but thankfully, no Vista!) over the past 5 years. My husband is the MacAddict, while I don't care what platform I'm on, as long as I can intuitively get my job done. We're in a situation right now that we can consider picking up a new computer, and my husband's looking with big cow-eyes at Apple, even moreso since he'd basically be my Big Burly Audio God Sound Tech (since he used to do concert sound in the 80s) and me taking up a VO career is the perfect justification for him to go nuts.

Well, he married me, so his sanity was already in question, and he's been questionable since 1990 Wink

I'm looking forward to exploring our software options once we're ready to hardball consider systems. If that makes any sense.