is it mandatory to shell out the $295

Tom Dantzman

to be a "premium" member so you can audition for voice gigs on here? Thanks!

Jacob Ekstroem

Lee Gordon · Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2007, 21:29 (GMT) Post subject:

There is a chance you might receive a Private Invitation to audition for a specific job without being a premium member, but don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Only Premium members get to go after public auditions, and then, only after SmartCast invites them.

Ron Baldwin · Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2007, 22:17 (GMT) Post subject:

I have a premium membership and sometimes wonder if it is a waste of money, the only auditions I ever win are the private offers, I dont audition for the smartcast invites very often, I guess I would still get the private offers even if I downgraded, I dont know.. Confused

Haneen Arafat · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007, 01:39 (GMT) Post subject:

I let my subscription lapse about 3 months ago, and I still get the same number of private leads I got when I was subscribing: about 1-2 a month.

No, I can't audition for public leads anymore, but my ratio of getting those gigs seemed about 80-1.

Good luck to you.

Bob Spencer

I have been greeted by the online world of voice over (voice123) with a giant beeyotch slap!

(the professionals who post here have been VERY welcoming and gracious, so please know that I am not directing this post towards you who have been kind)

Giving up $295.00 a year for leads that you can audition for sounds pretty sweet. In order to make that 80 to 1 ratio of applied for versus get, you have to first audition for those jobs. Well, let me tell you a little something about "smart - cast" it sucks! It would be great to be able to audition for everything that comes your way, but you can't do that. Because then smart cast will think you're not "filtering" your auditions properly and not send you as many auditions. Don't respond to slow or smart cast will think this....don't reply too fast or smart cast will think that! Let me tell you the ratio of jobs I have applied for. I have been "smartcasted" for 130 jobs that I have sent off only 4 auditions for and according to my stats, I have applied for 54.7 percent MORE jobs than anyone else matching my profile or WHATEVER! HUH?! THEN, you HOPE they open it because if your not one of the first 5 or 10 to audition, they have already picked someone and you're left wondering!

What good does it do me to pay this amount of money for leads when I can't apply for them?
This is brilliant marketing if you ask me. Of course, you don't discover ANY of this until you fork over your $300.00 bucks!!! By then, (sinister laugh) its too late! I just asked them what their satisfaction and refund policy is. They guy gave me a 7 word answer and told me to have a nice day. His reply? "actually, we have a NO refund policy"
Now, why would this be? Do I learn some sort of secret after paying $300.00 to recieve the coveted but forbidden "audition" button? Yea, I learned a secret all right. One that I am going to tell you without charging you $300.00! Save your money people, post a good demo for what you do and you will get just as many leads by voiceseekers finding you accidently as you will putting in auditions!

Bob Spencer
paid for by the people who think smart cast sucks!

J.S. Gilbert · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007, 21:48 (GMT) Post subject:

Bob,
Your agent doesn't ask you to read for everything. Normal casting directors always have parameters.

So you pay your $295 and you use disgression to read for the auditions you might be best suited to book.

Nobody said it had to be 4 out of 130. And as for what gets opened or not. The only difference here with Smartcast over any other booking service, agent or otherwise is that with Smartcast you actually know. If you think for one second that someone who posts an audition through voicebank listens to the 1,000 - 2,000 responses they might get back from the over 60 or 70 talent agetns that respond, then I'm not sure what you want or what you think.

As for being the first 5 or 10 or your audition doesn't get open. Are you basing this on the whopping 4 auditions you performed or what? I've booked jobs on here being in the last 10% of auditioners. Hmmmm, I'm a working v.o. talent and I'm not hanging out at the computer 24/7 to field the auditions. I'm usually not in the first 25% of responders.

As for the rest of the nonsense, like having somebody give me a rating of 3 and then the next day send a private to hire me or any of that other garbage, welcome to vo casting on the interent.

It's like hanigng out in a giant urinal. Learn to swim and eventually you'll get used to the smell.

Go hang out on the other sight, where the pople who run it are much nicer than the ones who run V123 and you have no concept of whether they heard you or not and whether you were part of 150 responding or 1,500. Or perhaps the fact that their average audition offers half the rate of V123 makes them a better choice.

I guess what you're saying is treat Bob Spencer like a mushroom. Keep him in the dark and feed him a bunch of b.s.

Robert Jadah

Bob Spencer

Thank you both for responding to my post which obviously was typed at the peak of my frustration, at the moment I felt like I had been treated like an ATM.

I am not sure whether Mr. Gilbert was insulting me or not. Some points I felt as though he was, then not. Perhaps I am not smart enough to tell the difference. I guess maybe that is why I can't figure out why you seemed to take such issue my post, unless you created smartcast.... don't worry about it. I was giving my opinion to a question posted by someone wondering if it was worth $300.00. I guess $300.00 means enough to him to ask. It meant enough to me to answer. No deeper than that.

I think the point of both your posts was about the same, however I didn't quite feel as bad after reading Mr. Jadah's post. I have read much of what both of you have written in other areas of savvy and have respect for the both of you as I try to for all on here. If in some way, you took my post as a personal attack, (which I thought I made clear at the outset was not directed at anyone here) or were offended or insulted, then I do sincerely apologize.

I had forgotten about this, chalked it up to experience and am using this as 1 of many avenues for work. I am sure noone has ever used these forums as a way to express frustration or views. I am also fairly certain that I am the only one who has ever said something only to later regret what was said or the manner in which I said it.

That being said, $300.00 IS and always WILL BE a lot of money to me. Its certainly not a life changing amount of cash, however I don't have it to lose or waste and I know I am not the only one who feels this way. If my opinion means less or I (or ANYONE ON HERE) am deserved of being called names like bottom feeder because I am willing to take a lot of jobs that pay less than what you would lower your standards for, then please express that to me and I am happy to make this my last post. Whatever you do, please save your condescending comments and express your view without putting people down. It certainly doesn't HAVE to be a giant urinal...... does it. I guess....thats what I am saying.

Thank you.

Robert Jadah · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007, 13:38 (GMT) Post subject:

I can't speak for JS, Bob - (just ask his clients) - but I took no offense, and meant no strained tone; just a couple of guys shooting the breeze at the water cooler.
All is well.

Voice On!

Scott Feighner

J.S. Gilbert

I would suggest looking beyond the mild sarcasism in my post to actually see that I directly address your issues and make a compelling case.

I noticed you didn't speak to any of the questions I raised.

Honestly, I get no "prize" for dispensing any of my experiences on here and I have enjoyed numerous beneficial dialogs with individuals.

I am always curious as to how people find their way here.

They say the only answer to the question "why do you act?" is "because I must."

If you and the many other thousands of other "hopeful" voice actors out there were attracted to this industry because you mistakenly thought there were untold riches awaiting you, then my apologies to you on on behalf of the over zealous journalists and voiceover acting teachers who often feel the need to overglamourize this profession.

I wish you well with regards to whatever your calling may be. Blaming Voice 123 however is simply ignorant.

Bob Spencer · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007, 23:43 (GMT) Post subject:

This is like having a conversation with a teenager holding a dictionary in one hand and a thesaurus upside down in the other.

Thanks for giving us "hopefuls" a glimpse into the mind of the great and powerful OZ!...and your ego.

J.S. Gilbert · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007, 00:10 (GMT) Post subject:

Once again, abuse and crystal clear logic from someone newly entering the industry who apparently doesn't understand basic lingo.

If I indeed am the great and powerful Oz, then you must be the scarecrow. Once again you don't speak to anything that I address. You are just a poor poor victim of apparently both Voice 123 and now me.

But in my little land of Oz, people who wallow in self-pity actually can snap out of it and respond back to my posts by saying things like:

"You're right J.S., I really should invest a minimum of $14.95 to buy a book on voiceover so I can understand a few simple terms and yes, I have no experience to base my claims on. I have no idea where the term 1 out of 80 came from or why I paid any attention to the stats, when obviously I don't know what they mean and yes I could have gone through a few of the incredible posts here (perhaps from people who don't have giant egos like J.S. Gilbert's) that would tell you plenty of what you need to know. Oh and thank you for taking the time to offer advice and try and get me to shift my paradigm from that of a poor victim."

Good Luck Scarecrow.

Colin Campbell · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007, 00:29 (GMT) Post subject:

Just an open comment not directed at ANY individual...

You pay the money because you love to try. You love the chance. You pay for the chance. If you don't love to audition, don't pay. Plain and simple.

I love to audition. Guess what? Every once in a while, I get hired and make money.

If the love of the hunt is not in your soul then find a vocation that is more quatifiable.

Bob Bergen will tell you that you have to love it and never give up or eventually you will give up.

A well paying day job helps.

It's no different than singing, painting or acting.

Would anyone think that they could pay $300 and have a movie role in less than a year. Doesn't happen.