Voice123 - will you renew your Premium Subscription?

[jsgilbert]

I know that I am in the minority of premium members of Voice 123, or shall I say Premium members that make themselves publically vocal.

Voice 123 is simply one tool that most professional voice talent can choose to use. It seems interesting that many actors who pay cosiderably more money to a voice teacher or to have demos made don't seem to hold any of those individuals in contempt if they are unsuccesful at booking work, getting representation or anything else.

Some of the other presumptions about entitlement and auditioning as a means of practice to me simply violated exisiting industry rules and covenants. Good producers and clients were leaving Voice 123 becuase it did not offer them a proper means for fiding talent.

And then there was Savvy, a site that in the name of free speech, was cliquish at best and eventually became reduced to bickering and complaining mostly about Voice 123.

Yes, there were and still are quite a few things about Voie 123 that don't work so well, many of them simply are "damned if you do and damned if you don't" Should Alex and company lifted their heads out of the sand a little sooner? My business judgment tells me yes. Did they make some large P.R. errors? Time will tell.

It's interesting to note how at this site and most others the criticism and complaints about Voice123 are relatively a small percentage of what seems to be discussed and yet at the site they were kind enough to turn over to their client base it appeared that criticism was the bulk of what went on.

Dare I say that there are more than a few people who have some nerve for saying that my posts have been negative. Most of the posts weren't designed to get better service, but to meet highly personal agendas of entitlement and quite a few of the posts were designed to hurt Voice 123's business, do damage to their name or otherwise were far more negative than I have been in my darkest moments.

Did they put an overly tight clamp on the new forums the first couple of weeks? YES they did. And they admit it. They were scared to death after having to shut down the mess that Savvy had become.

The forums at this point are being monitored to keep them in the spirit of being positive. Oh there's that word that so many of you claim to be. There are indeed issues and problems being discussed and people offering advice and even my oft less than encoouraging posts seem to be tolerated.

I'd suggest that Voice 123 is far from the totalitarian, facist regime that some might like to paint it and is a group of highly intelligent, proactive idividuals who are forging ahead in areas that are relatively untested and certainly are changing and evolving.

Of course we live in a day and age where it's much easier to blame others than to accept responsability for our own actions. Some have even tried to blame me in some mysterious fashion for their failures (or lack of successes). While I appreciate the empowerment, I'd rather not take credit.

So for my last part of what no doubt will be viewed as more of my negativism, it takes a lot less energy to pick up the phone and attempt to make something happen than it does exerting energy blaming and blaming and blaming.

This post is written more as a means of letting anyone stumbling in here that there is a dissenting opinion, and perhaps as a means of letting off some of my personal steam.

If you feel the neceissity to defend this post as though I was speaking about you individually then go for it. Have fun, rip me apart. Everybody jump in at once, because that will no doubt also get you that much closer to your goals.

[Steve Royal]

As always, well said JS!

...and there won't be any ripping apart coming from this end of town!

Except for one thing - I always thought it was your fault that I don't book more work.

Thank you for admitting to that.

[Lee Gordon]

Originally Posted by jsgilbert

Did they put an overly tight clamp on the new forums the first couple of weeks? YES they did. And they admit it. They were scared to death after having to shut down the mess that Savvy had become.

In the past several days I have been somewhat surprised to see your critiques of several people's demos, not because you haven't always been willing to share your insights with those who seek them, but because your posts appeared to have been unsanitized and unabridged.

While your remarks were in no way unkind or demeaning, they were certainly no more Pollyanna-ish than the comments Scott Pollak attempted to post, early on, that were partially redacted, leading to his abrupt (and, I believe, justified) departure from that forum. I am encouraged by this partial relaxation of the "Minister of Information" mentality and think they would be wise to contact Scott privately and beg him to return.

[John Bigl]

the whole Savvy soap opera has left me rather numb in the weeks since V123 changed it into something more in line w/ their own vision... thats fine... it is theirs i suppose, and they're more than welcome to do what they want w/ it...
what i've enjoyed on Savvy exists here and elsewhere, albeit w/out the hierarchical coercion from bosses.. heh , i seem to have a natural aversion to that, which is why i've never been able to be a 'model employee'....

the thread asks if i will renew w/ Voice123.. i did this past march, and have no present intention of renewing..

y'see, i have an analog brain in a digital world.. smartcast, smartsearch, algorithms, and the ratings, rankings, stats etc confuse me to no end.. i just don't know how it works... yes, i've read the explanations from the V123 staff, and have read their extensive FAQ files and, *sigh*, i just don't get it, and probably never will... i have put my trust into VO folks w/ extensive computer knowledge who have raised serious doubts about the V123 product... and i've trusted the views of those who see w/in V123 pioneering individuals bringing the power of the internet, and new ways of VO marketing together into something revolutionary; in that regard i'm afraid i've reached my own peter principal.. there is just too much input for me to fully comprehend, and i'm left dazed and confused as i reach my level of technical incompetence....

i really don't think i'm going to renew... nor will i subscribe to similar sites.. they're just not organic enough for me to understand or use successfully... and as for V123, this may seem inconsequential to some but, i just don't i like them... yes, i'm aware VO is a business and all, and i should put aside such emotional attachments.. but, the hubris, the slick almost con man use of jargon and language reeks of disingenuiness... it prevents me from being on the same page w/ them...

so, i again put my trust in those of you here and elsewhere who have far greater experience in the business of voiceover.. and from you i have been able to expand where i want to go in marketing my skills... i like very much the simpleness of direct contact w/ potential clients: the postcard, the letter of introduction, the face to face meeting, the telephone call, and yes, the e-mail... to me, these methods not only shine of simplicity, but they're real because they involve a far more tangible sense of human contact that a smartcast could never come close to replicating... i'd rather spend the $300 V123 fee on phone calls being humanly engaged w/ someBODY, someONE... besides, it satisfies a little ludic streak i have that compels me to reach for a pencil every now and then..

so, my marketing will be local.. right outta the puckerbrush... i have a huge list of ad agencies, chambers of commerce, business associations, civic groups etc that i'll be reaching out to.. in most cases they'll be offered the opportunity to come to the studio. come to the puckerbrush. lets talk about your project. lets produce something really special for you. not over a phone patch, but face to face w/ each other. where we can really see each other. ... oh crap ... ummmm ... i just gave away my marketing secrets!!! damn.. i coulda made $19.95 on those two lines alone in a great book w/ bonus CD!!! aw man !!!! heh ...

thanks, as always, for indulging me ...

Be Well

[Chrisrice]

I've only been a Voice123 premium subscriber since the beginning of June. After my initial frustrations with Smartcast I was tempted to cancel after the 30 day trial period, but I did not. Yesterday I booked my third job through Voice123 and have made back my initial investment and then some. If my subscription is still making me money next Spring I'll renew, if not then I won't.

[LavaShark]

The bottom line is...

the bottom line.

I'm making a little money, so I'll renew.