The BIG BUCKS thread!!!

Scott Pollak · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 22:29 (GMT) Post subject: The BIG BUCKS thread!!!

Thought it might be interesting to post some of the really scrimpy leads we find here.

Here's one I just came across:

"We have an 18-minute video for website that requires about 4 minutes of narration. All you have to do is read the script on the screen.
The audio needs to be in a normal speaking voice. This is a technical video. The budget is $75"
...... $75 for EIGHTEEN FRIGGIN' MINUTES?????!!! And what's amazing is at this time 138 "talents" had answered it!!!! Holy poopchute!

Now admittedly I DID send a generic answer for a $50 one-minute phone message. That's bare minimum, but doable.

And then there was this one:
"This is a Five Minute or less Question and Answer conversation between a man and a lady.
The Man is the Prospect asking the questions.
The Lady is with the company giving the answers.
Q is the man, A is the lady.
We have a Budget of $75 and need both a mp3 and a wav file. "

I looked at the script and it looks like AT LEAST 5 minutes. What do people think they're going to get for $75??

Sheesh.

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

Aye, Scott, the week-end was great for Bargain-hunters.
As usual, I chortled merrily while flushing them, but felt I'd stumbled into a Wal-Mart there.
"Attention shoppers; deep voice discount in I'll Do It Three."
And wasn't there one posted just now at four cents a word? Even though some of them had multiple syllables!
Sheesh.

Tom Greenlee · **Voice Talent** Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 945

Scott....too funny....I saw both of those leads and deleted immediately. I have no idea what they think they will get for that kind of money with what they want done. However, I wouldn't be surprised if some pretty decent talent actually auditions for those. I know of instances where some really good talent bid 10 dollars for a gig budgeted by the client at 80 dollars, and a 30 dollar bid for a 175 dollar budgeted spot. Thinking they were bottom of the barrel talent that sucked I checked out their demos (and their audition itself) and not only did they not suck, but were damn good. Why they would bid so low for a client willing to pay three to 6 times as much, I don't know.

Scott Pollak · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 22:54 (GMT) Post subject:

Tom, I'm not really sure why some talents prostitute themselves by offering to do jobs so cheaply unless they're simply desperate. Bottom line is that you're only worth what you think you're worth. If you do jobs for $15 or $30 then you're not a pro at all no matter how good you sound, and you're hurting yourself AND the industry.

I just now saw - and deleted - the .04 cents/word lead (although about 60 starving 'artists' had already responded!). By my calculations, 2000 words would net you $80.

At Amy's very reasonable rates she posted on the DoD thread:
1-2000 words .30 a word
2000-4000 words .25 a word
4000-10,000 words .20 a word
10,000-40,000 words .15 a word
40,000 words + .10 a word

... the client SHOULD be paying about $500 for this (IF it was ONLY 2000 words).

Un-friggin'-real.

Victor Harris · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 23:07 (GMT) Post subject:

Scott, u just know that if their budget was $75...I would bet Hillary Clinton's unddies that several people bid $25!!!!! Twisted Evil

Sid Whatley · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 23:16 (GMT) Post subject:

A few years ago I needed a female voice for a Hospital Phone Hold. I think there were aprox. 12 short paragraphs for the female talent to read dry. I put out a lead for auditions here on V123 and I was amazed at what I received. The top bid was $500 but all of the rest were $200 and under with most being around $80. The one that really got me was "10% Less than your lowest bid". The lowest was $40. My budget was $200 and thats what I paid for a great read.

John M. Thomas · **Voice Talent** Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 139

Did anyone see the job a couple of weeks back where a guy wanted the entire Bible put to audio? I would have had to revise my turnaround time to 24 years! And the budget put my rate at minus 50 dollars a page!

Tom Greenlee · **Voice Talent** Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 945

John....I did not see that one! I would have bid on that one alright, but my bid would have been like 20 grand. Forget about recording and editing...do you know how long it would take to sit down and just read the bible from cover to cover? Just reading with no redos or anything.....holy cow!

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

But John, on that Entire Bible read, he wasn't asking for f/x. That might have been a doozie.
So I bid $9,000, and wrote it was a deep discount because it was high time I read it again, anyway.
It's still OPEN, by the way.

George Karnes · **Voice Talent** Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 905

I have started submitting ather reads and bidding higher. I wish some of you guys who actually have the chops to do these jobs would do the same. I think they might find more in their budget when they hear what they could have for a little bit more.

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

That's not a bad idea, George.
You mean, if they post $249, "the chops" send it anyway and bid $450?
It'd have to be an interesting read, 'cuz it'd be probably be a waste of time.
But I like it.
A couple of months ago, I won a gig for which I had bid $500.
They balked and said it was too low.
I billed them $650.
They sent me $750.
I think it just supports the general view that if the client gets the voice they want, a couple of hundred bucks is no big.

Simon Hill · **Voice Talent** Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 288

I SO want to reply to those leads with my price as $1000000 or 10000 Sheep and send a submission of me burping the alphabet. But I won't!

Todd Ellis · Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007, 01:36 (GMT) Post subject:

Howdy all. I have a story to share. I bid on an e-learning job here back before Christmas - I bid almost double their budget - and ended up getting the job last week. The client told me he had no idea how to price the audio portion of the project. I kind of walked him through the fact that he wasn't buying 2 hours of finished audio - he was buying 6 to 8 hours of my time. He had no idea what we go through to get 2 hours of narration. After a bit more back and fourth - we settled on a price even more than my original bid. There were other factors involved - but long story short(er) He was willing to pay not only for audio - but for some education in the process. I threw in one round of revisions on my end. I'd rather do one job like that than a couple hundred $100 jobs.

bid high ... (On)Air Force!

Amy Snively · **Voice Talent** Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 1028

If I have time, and I like the project, I will submit my audition to these lowballers and quote a reasonable rate. I've quoted $225 on jobs with stated budgets of $75, $1800 on a job with a $750 stated budget. I don't get the job, but it makes me feel better.

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

OK, OK, but did you guys notice that?
SIMON CAN BURP THE ALPHABET!
Even the "W", Simon?
Now that's illuminating.