The Story of E
Longtime visitors here might remember a 2015 Christmas-time visit we had from a new friend from Charlotte, North Carolina. I’ll call him E.
…Voices.com
The Voice Down the Hallway
Happy short work-week! I think that should become more of a thing. Long weekend. Short work-week. I’ll get in touch with Hallmark and see if we can’t get some cards made up. But I digress. …
Hear My Voice
After more than a year away, I signed up once again to Voices.com. (I wrote about it HERE.) I was annoyed with them. My booking rates had fallen and they had doubled their escrow rates without notice. It went from 10% to 20% overnight. That’s the amount they charge a client based on the rate paid to the talent. The amount comes out of the total budget, ostensibly reducing how much the talent, like me, can charge for the job. …
Freelancing 101
The new (not so new anymore) online marketplace is supposed to be a boon for anyone who’s doing freelance work as a full-time endeavor or a sideline. The voice-work realm is probably like any other aspect of creative work in this regard. There’s a bit of wheat and a whole lot of chaff. I’ve been making the rounds for several months and find them mostly wanting. …
Why I’m Quitting Voices.com
Update April 2022: This post still brings me regular email! And I think it’s only fair to point out that it’s SIX years old, and things have changed at Voices.com. They’re transparent about their fees, and there are other things that have improved. My experience is historical now and out of date.
As I write this, I’ve been a full-time voice actor for nearly 4 years. I still maintain that carefully selected Pay-2-Play voice-over casting websites can be a worthwhile supplement to a full-time voice-over career, but they shouldn’t be relied on. Thanks, Lisa
Since joining Voices.com a few years ago, I’ve been its champion. I have the greatest respect for homegrown founders, Stephanie and David Ciccarelli and the company has grown dramatically. But I’m not going to renew with them as a voice actor when my membership expires in January. Since I’ve been so public about my support for them in the past, I feel I should be just as open about why I’ve changed my mind. I’m directly responsible for no fewer than a half-dozen people joining the site. I need to update my stance. …
Sometimes You’re the Windshield, Sometimes You’re the Bug
What do I have in common with Kevin Costner, Uma Thurman, Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Sheen? …
Sometimes You’re the Windshield, Sometimes You’re the BugRead More »
Voicing My Concerns
As I’ve mentioned before, I audition like a maniac for all sorts of voice gigs. And I only win a fraction of them but I consistently get a fraction and I’m told that makes me successful! Â …
Sucking It Up
When you do voice-overs, you always hope to land a big one. The smaller one-at-a-time jobs are your daily bread and butter but the major campaigns are what everyone hopes to get. I got lucky this year and hooked me a big ‘un in Dirt Devil. …
Even the Score
It’s funny how things work out.  And whether a situation is positive or negative is all in the way you look at it. …
Voices.com
It was time to find out what all of the fuss was about. As a professional voice-over artist, I balked at joining Voices.com. Why should I, I asked, pay a subscription fee to join? Now I get it. …