Vodka Training

Michael Coon · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007, 23:45 (GMT) Post subject: Vodka Training

Greetings fellow V123ers...

I have a "new" development, and would like some feedback...

Last week, I received a SmartCast audition request for the "Vodka Training" spot...sounded cool, budget seemed reasonable, so I responded in the affirmative and cut my audition. When I went to upload it, this project has closed...bummer. The spot sounded pretty good so I thought I would upload it as one of my demos, just to keep things "fresh."
I just received an e-mail from the client saying they liked my read, but didn't think Absolut would approve of me having the clip on my website...and asked me to remove it. I don't want to be a jerk about this, but it that a reasonable request? I'm attaching the clip for reference and would appreciate your thoughts.
Mike

David Lawrence · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 117

Michael,

I don't know if it's a reasonable request or not, but.... As my old boss used to say, "Choose your battles." The client may be simply rattling a saber; then again, who knows. But odds are pretty good that the Asbsolut Co has deeper pockets than any of us around here... Why find out the hard way that the client wasn't kidding.

Then there's the technical issue with your recording. Your read is fine, but there's a ton of hissing on that audition (and on a number of others on your page). I just don't know if it'd be worth going to the mat over it....

djl

Allen Brown · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 00:23 (GMT) Post subject:

Hey Michael,

Nice read. No wonder they liked you.

My advice is that you take the clip off your site and here, too. This is an internal training piece for the company. While the clip doesn't divulge any big secrets, it DOES give their competitors a heads-up on how they're conducting training.

Maybe no biggy to us. But in the marketing trenches this kind of stuff is often hush-hush.

Seems silly since it was they who divulged the product in the audition script. But, it is my guess (and only a guess) that they realize the mistake, are feeling "exposed" and would now like to hide their tracks and make it go away.

Or maybe they're just being cranky. As David said, who knows?

Whatever their reason, I'd happily remove it, do the gig and cash their check. Smile

Robert Jadah · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 00:52 (GMT) Post subject:

In good old Brit-speak, I'm gobsmacked that they found out, Michael.
Did you advise them you'd be using it?

Since I gather they never even received an aud from you, I can only assume they combed some 1,500 V123 sites just to ferret out any such usage.

That's just stupefying.

That they posted here and at TOS and only had $100/hour available for the talent, moreover, suggests they're pretty serious about what they want.
Not a bad read at all, but certainly not worth going Don Quixote about.

Voice On!

Allen Brown · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 01:03 (GMT) Post subject:

$100??
Absolut-ely not.

(Excuse the brief hi-jack)
Robert - Speaking of Don Quixote - I saw Gordon Lightfoot live last Thursday. The voice is but a shadow but no one seemed to care...including me.

Victor Harris · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 01:06 (GMT) Post subject:

Michael,

I would remove it. Unless of course, you have lots of cash to spend on lawyer fees. Its just not worth it IMHO. Never forget, voice over is show business. Wink

Robert Jadah · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 01:15 (GMT) Post subject:

This threadjack must stop immediately.
If I say:

He did some great stuff (my favourites: Did She Mention My Name, Black Day in July, Bitter Green) and has come back through quite his own little hell lately.
But what's a good Southern boy like you doing as a Lightfoot fan?

will that put an end to it?

Voice On!

Maxine Dunn · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 05:46 (GMT) Post subject:

Lee Gordon · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 09:22 (GMT) Post subject:

Michael -- I agree with the others who have suggested that if the client has requested that you not use their material as one of your demos, it is probably best that you cooperate. I am assuming that you are not merely under consideration but have actually been offered the job.

I have had a couple of similar experiences. One of my clients is an agency that specializes in doing commercials for law firms all over the country. On the Clients page on my website I had listed about 25-30 individual law firms for whom I had done spots through this agency. One night I got an e-mail from the agency saying they had no problem with me listing them as a client but asking me to remove all the law firm names from that page. I removed them immediately. Why piss off a client?

Another time I did some spots for Disney. The agency producer told me that Disney did not want us to use their logo in our own promotional material. Although they probably don't want me to do this either, I have listed them in the text portion of my Clients page but have complied with their request to not use their logo. Funny thing is Disney owns ESPN and I do have their logo on the page.

Maxine's skeptical comments have me wondering about another possibility. There is the chance that the voice seeker isn't actually working under contract to Absolut and are using this job as some sort of demo for themselves or perhaps to pitch an as yet unsold project to Absolut. Thus, using this project as part of your demo could be jumping the gun.

And one final thought: as much as you may like the way the Absolut read came out, it is your own skill that made it work. Therefore, you should have little trouble replacing that demo with something of equal quality.

Michael Coon · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 11:36 (GMT) Post subject: Thanks muchly!

To all of you who posted your advice...thank you!
I figured the "right thing" to do was remove the spot, which I have done. A few comments:

1. I was never able to even submit the spot because it closed while I was recording.
2. I think it was listed as $100 per hour, for a couple of hours total. Although I have done some "bigger" projects, I bit on this one because it sounded interesting and it would be cool to "work" for Abso, well, maybe I should not even mention the name!
3. I put 10 demos on my website because I can...I thought it to be a good thing, but thanks to Maxine, will work on paring those down.
4. Perhaps I am too naive to have even considered the "client" could have been "trying" to work for Ab, er, a big company. It sure SOUNDED authentic! I think that until I get more experience and actually win some of these SmartCast processed auditions, $100 per hour jobs will appear too juicy to pass up.
5. Almost all of my work has come from promoting myself. Perhaps the take-home message is...Don't do something that will get you a reputation as a pain in the rear...Never give up......Don't make just one talent-seeking website (notice I didn't mention any specific names? I'm learning!) your only form of promoting yourself....and finally, drink Kettle One!
MJC

Connie Terwilliger · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 15:40 (GMT) Post subject:

I agree with everyone else's comments on this - but in addition, I specifically remember a notice that said that the audition copy was NOT to be used for personal demos.

Michael Coon

Dear Connie:

Thanks for the clarification! I did not see that.

mike

Michael Coon · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 17:05 (GMT) Post subject: hmmmmmm

Connie:

I went back and re-read the project description and it didn't say anything about personal use. Did you receive a personal request from the client?

I've already removed the clip from my site, and don't want to make a muntain out of a molehill...I AM about clarity, and would like to avoid repeating this type of situation in the future!

Thanks!

Mike

Kent LaTurno · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 17:08 (GMT) Post subject:

Maxine, thanks for your thoughts on having too many demos. I've considered it, and well - I think you're absolutely right! So I've gone back and weeded half of them out. I'll still be tweaking and shuffling ad infinitum, I imagine - but I feel wonderful! Like I've cleaned out the closet! Don't mean to be "off thread," but THANKS!

Lee Gordon · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007, 17:13 (GMT) Post subject:

Here's the entire project description from that Voice123 lead:

Vodka sales training video. We're looking for male, 35ish, mature, professional, sophisticated, but able to inflect with ease to make it interesting., Have a passion for what you read!

No radio voices or announcer voices PLEASE.

Payscale is $100 per hour. Probably will take 2-3 hours.

For a demo, please record any 4 consecutive paragraphs in the script below. Thanks!

And here is the description for that very same job posted at Voices:

Hi - looking for professional, yet sophisticated voice and read -- also must be able to inflect interest and passion in the read. Age is over 35, deep or mid-range overall tone is best. This is a training video, so please no 'radio' reads.

For the demo, please read any FOUR consecutive paragraphs of your choice.

Pay scale is $100 per hour.

No admonition about personal use in either place.