The cheek of it!

arthurburton · 06-30-2009, 11:31 AM

Been on voices.com for only a week, got three leads. One seemed to be working out...... well almost!

Guy kept repeatedly asking me the price in private messages via the website- bit strange I thought!

Anyway, I read the script, a long one at 4,000 words- then agree a price which was ABOVE what he was offering in his original job posting.

Next thing I know, this guy sends an ammeneded script (Version 3 by now!), tells me it is still 4,000 words........ I do a word count in M$ word, and the number of pages have drastically increased and the word count is now over 8,000- of course he still wants the same price!

You can imagine what I told hime he could do with the job!!!!
I have NEVER had anything like that before!

Gonna' avoid long word counts from now on! Hate those boring jobs anyway!

The cheek of this guy!

Claired · 06-30-2009, 05:18 PM

Bless you Arthur!
I'm sorry this happened to you.
I always ask if this is the final script before recording (I've been burnt like you) and I charge per word. So when the script arrives and it is much longer, I send them an email to tell them the new price and check they are ok with it before recording. Since they know I charge per word, it's no surprise to them.
If despite all this, they still send another script after the recording, then I charge a whole new fee.
There are good and bad clients on these sites, you'll learn pretty fast how to protect yourself.
Don't let this bad experience deter you, next time will be better!

connieterwilliger · 06-30-2009, 05:59 PM

Arthur - you didn't actually record the script - you were still in the negotiation phase? Well, you thought you were past that, but apparently not!

Actually you were still negotiating and he couldn't meet your price, so you let it go - and that is indeed what you need to do - take a deep breath and let it go.

Easier said than done - I know I get upset when faced with intractable illogic. I'm sort of like a computer - "this does not compute" - and my braind shuts down.

arthurburton · 06-30-2009, 06:11 PM

Arthur - you didn't actually record the script - you were still in the negotiation phase? Well, you thought you were past that, but apparently not!

Connie, you have hit the nail on the head! Yeah, I sure let it go (without recording a single syllable), I am new to voices and their system- so a little perplexing for me....as always, a typical male- get stuck in WITHOUT reading the manual!
I REALLY appreciate input on this, all pretty new to me!

Oh, and Claire, I'll be in touch!

Greg Houser · 06-30-2009, 08:45 PM

better to realize this now than to get halfway through the job and figure out what happened. If it makes you feel any better, I had a client last week agree to a price, ask me to show up to a local studio and then proceed to attempt to renegotiate the rate (despite an agreed upon rate for the commercial spots). Best of all, this was done in front of the recording engineer as I'm getting ready to go into the booth.

I don't know who is doing that spot right now, but I'm waiting to hear about this person trying to renegotiate with the studio as they're prepping to mix the spot.

Paul Plack · 07-01-2009, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arthurburton

I am new to voices and their system- so a little perplexing for me...

Arthur, make sure to report this abuse of the system to the folks at voices. They don't like this crap going on, either.

arthurburton · 07-01-2009, 02:56 AM

Yeah Paul, I immediately got on to Jessica, and she was an absolute Darlin'!!!

She seems like a very helpful lady to me!

I'll just write this one off to experience.... and Greg, man- that would make me a little angry for sure! At least this onlymade me travel to my small recording studio at home!

Claired · 07-01-2009, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by connieterwilliger

Arthur - you didn't actually record the script

Oh! I misundesrtood that, I thought you had recorded it!

Ok, it's not so bad then!
Still quoting per word as the advantage that if the script changes (which happens often with the different drafts) then you don't have to re-negociate. the client always knows what the price will be.

06-30-2009, 11:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
arthurburton User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 32	The cheek of it! Been on voices.com for only a week, got three leads. One seemed to be working out...... well almost! Guy kept repeatedly asking me the price in private messages via the website- bit strange I thought! Anyway, I read the script, a long one at 4,000 words- then agree a price which was ABOVE what he was offering in his original job posting. Next thing I know, this guy sends an ammeneded script (Version 3 by now!), tells me it is still 4,000 words........ I do a word count in M$ word, and the number of pages have drastically increased and the word count is now over 8,000- of course he still wants the same price! You can imagine what I told hime he could do with the job!!!! I have NEVER had anything like that before! Gonna' avoid long word counts from now on! Hate those boring jobs anyway! The cheek of this guy!

06-30-2009, 05:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
Claired User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 356	Bless you Arthur! I'm sorry this happened to you. I always ask if this is the final script before recording (I've been burnt like you) and I charge per word. So when the script arrives and it is much longer, I send them an email to tell them the new price and check they are ok with it before recording. Since they know I charge per word, it's no surprise to them. If despite all this, they still send another script after the recording, then I charge a whole new fee. There are good and bad clients on these sites, you'll learn pretty fast how to protect yourself. Don't let this bad experience deter you, next time will be better! __________________ ISDN French voice www.clairedodin.com

06-30-2009, 05:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
connieterwilliger User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: San Diego - serving the world Posts: 132	Arthur - you didn't actually record the script - you were still in the negotiation phase? Well, you thought you were past that, but apparently not! Actually you were still negotiating and he couldn't meet your price, so you let it go - and that is indeed what you need to do - take a deep breath and let it go. Easier said than done - I know I get upset when faced with intractable illogic. I'm sort of like a computer - "this does not compute" - and my braind shuts down. __________________ Connie Terwilliger New VO Blog isdnvoicetalent.wordpress.com

06-30-2009, 08:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
Greg Houser User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 218	better to realize this now than to get halfway through the job and figure out what happened. If it makes you feel any better, I had a client last week agree to a price, ask me to show up to a local studio and then proceed to attempt to renegotiate the rate (despite an agreed upon rate for the commercial spots). Best of all, this was done in front of the recording engineer as I'm getting ready to go into the booth. I don't know who is doing that spot right now, but I'm waiting to hear about this person trying to renegotiate with the studio as they're prepping to mix the spot. __________________ Voiceovers by Gregory Houser Philadelphia based voice actor My Blog - A Man, A Martini, and A Lot of Microphones

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06-30-2009, 06:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
arthurburton User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 32	Arthur - you didn't actually record the script - you were still in the negotiation phase? Well, you thought you were past that, but apparently not! Connie, you have hit the nail on the head! Yeah, I sure let it go (without recording a single syllable), I am new to voices and their system- so a little perplexing for me....as always, a typical male- get stuck in WITHOUT reading the manual! I REALLY appreciate input on this, all pretty new to me! Oh, and Claire, I'll be in touch!

07-01-2009, 02:56 AM	#7 (permalink)
arthurburton User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 32	Yeah Paul, I immediately got on to Jessica, and she was an absolute Darlin'!!! She seems like a very helpful lady to me! I'll just write this one off to experience.... and Greg, man- that would make me a little angry for sure! At least this onlymade me travel to my small recording studio at home!