Help! Any experience with Voices for All? Is it "for real" or just an expensive ploy?

[Bob Bergen]

MMMMMMMK. So I took a quick glance at the Voices For All site. I had a hard time finding demos. I tried just requesting "types" to see what demos came up: age range, sex, type of demo, etc. Every time I clicked search I got a "nothing matches your description. Coulda been my fault, who knows. So then I went to the testimonials page. Within each testimonial you can click on the actors individual page/website to hear demos. I took a listen to the first 2 ladies listed. Each of their demos start off with a cat food spot. Different brand names, but the exact same music for each. Same delivery for each. Same!!!

I must be honest here, but this reeks of factory demo production. Different actor/same demo. No 2 demos should be alike. They should reflect the individual actor's brand. This has nothing to do with the "beginner demo" discussed on this thread. This has to do with the fact that every producer should strive to produce a demo that is as individual as the actor. To have the first 2 testimonials/actor's demos each start with the same music, both cat food spots where the only difference is the names of the cat good differ, well, this is not good. And I'm surprised they were both posted back to back.

Look, maybe there are other demos that are better here. But this business is all about first impressions. My first impression of this site is they do assembly line demos. When I have more time I'll dig deeper in the site. But I was not impressed.

[Paul Plack]

If the goal is to start by working the P2P sites, I'm not sure a demo is even needed, let alone a $3K one.

You'll be responding to a specific posting which usually includes specific copy. I cannot imagine a client who would not be more impressed with a great read on 15 seconds of the actual copy, than with a 1-minute demo of other people's stuff.

One of the things Dale Carnegie taught was that remembering names was crucial in business, because people react in a positive, physically measurable way to hearing their own names spoken. I'm guessing there's a similar effect when they hear good delivery on copy which includes the names of their companies, especially if they had a role in creating the copy.

After being warned about the P2P sites, I was happily surprised at the booking rate I got on voices.com. I never sent a generic demo. I'd pick a couple jobs each day for which I thought I'd be well suited, and cut a short audition using part of the client's actual copy.

A few years ago, I lost all my old tape when part of my home flooded in Florida, so I didn't have great archived material to work with. The generic demo I uploaded to voices as a placeholder was just a brief, cold-voice excerpt from one of my recent podcasts, because I doubted any serious producer would ever go trolling through thousands of demos looking for Mr. Right, and I did not buy a premium membership, so I'd have been hard to find anyway.

If I was looking for agency representation, yeah, maybe. But anyone who's ready for that step probably has real work to put in a demo, and won't have to rely on faked cat food spots.

[MrMikerophone]

lol...OUCH Dave. Were you the one that got in trouble for throwing sand at the other kids in the sand box?? lol..Just kidding. Nice to make the acquaintance. Haven't seen you around the boards or met you. I'll go check your demo out at http://voice123.com/davidmenashe

[JoeActor]

lol...OUCH Dave. Were you the one that got in trouble for throwing sand at the other kids in the sand box?? lol..Just kidding. Nice to make the acquaintance. Haven't seen you around the boards or met you. I'll go check your demo out at http://voice123.com/davidmenashe

Speaking of "Haven't Met", Who are you, MrMikerophone?
Please post an introduction in the Welcome area so we know a bit more about your experience and goals in VO.

Also, that last post was WAY

Please only post replies that are related to the topic at hand.
This is the second time a mod has warned you.

(who's dave?),
Joe

[Scott Pollak]

Joe, my guess is that Mister Mike was referring to Dave Menashe on page one of this thread, (User name "The Voice Chap") who wrote a rather scathing reply about the quality of Voices for All's demos.

So I'm not really sure that Mr. Mikerophone's reply WAS off-topic.

[JoeActor]

Joe, my guess is that Mister Mike was referring to Dave Menashe on page one of this thread, (User name "The Voice Chap") who wrote a rather scathing reply about the quality of Voices for All's demos.

So I'm not really sure that Mr. Mikerophone's reply WAS off-topic.

Ah, ok... I retract my "WAY"...

[MrMikerophone]

Were you saying I HAVE been warned by 2 mods? Not sure what you are referring to..lol...so I am asking. That was my first time to post on this board, ever~ I will do an introduction on the main page when I am not typing on my phone. Good to find the group.

[todd ellis]

i'd like to thank paddy-o for directing me to this thread. this issue is hitting close to home at the moment - lets say with a friend-of-a-friend ... so is smack on my radar today. i agree with bob b. in his first post - and even more so with his latter post. i, however, am not quite so politically correct as bob (likely as i don't HAVE to be). these demo-mills really hork my cheese. the idea of promising a demo after a week or two of training is absurd - without regard to the quality of the training. as has been said before it takes time - time to not only learn your craft - but time to produce something worth nailing your V.O. shingle to. PLEASE! take some acting classes, improv, V.O. classes, sure - but rome was not built in two weeks for $2,000. avoid this type of operation as if it were wielding a blood-soaked hatchet!

[lj0503]

I am sooooooo glad I posted my concerns on this forum. Your responses have taught me so much about what it takes in this business - and it was free! Big thanks to you all.

Currently, I work in an industry filled with "get successful quick" trainings that are known to be a time and money waster. My gut told me that one weekend couldn't replace the consistent time and effort it takes to be good, let alone great, at something new.

Could any of you recommend a reputable coach or class in the Southern California area? I would like to meet with someone and know if I have any chance at this.

I am in Orange County.

[Bob Bergen]

Hey bud!

This lists everything VO in So. Cal:

Voice Over Resource Guide - Training

There are oodles of great coaches. I don't know Orange County, but in LA check out Bill Homes, Mary Lynn Wissner, Cyntia Songe, Richard Horvits, Pat Fraley. I could go on and on, that's just off the top of my head. See if you can audit/sit in for free just to see if you like the class. Some don't allow this. But many do. And continue to ask around.

;-)