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Beginner Voice Over Workshop, worth it or not?

T

Talk_Dude

I saw this on Craigslist:

(Excerpt):

You've decided to check into this whole voice over thing,right? Great! The first lesson is: Know Your Teachers! Sure there are other instructors holding workshops, but what have they booked? If your instructor isn't currently booking big jobs, HOW can they teach YOU to book the big jobs? Our clients for the month of August include: Pizza Hut, 92.9 DaveFM, Funimation, Invisalign Teen commercials that ran during the Teen Choice Awards, Pentax, Kansas State University, and September has been cast as the new branding voice for the national restaurant chain Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Is something like this worth $150? Or is this just a great idea for a couple guys who are good at doing voice-overs to pick up some extra cash, but useless to the students paying the money?
 
Talk_Dude said:
... September has been cast as the new branding voice for the national restaurant chain Tropical Smoothie Cafe...
Click to expand...

I had no idea such a chain even existed.
 
DToTheJ said:
Talk_Dude said:
... September has been cast as the new branding voice for the national restaurant chain Tropical Smoothie Cafe...
Click to expand...

I had no idea such a chain even existed.
Click to expand...

There's one in Lawrenceville. Just check their incredibly terrible, Flash-based website.
 
A couple of years ago I took Dick Orkin's 'Radio Ranch' here in Los Angeles and learned way more than I paid for. It was a great experience for me. Dick, a voice over legend, taught not only the nuts and bolts, but how to get started, how to find an agent etc. Very worthwhile.
 
who's the teacher?
A class might help but it won't make someone with no talent radio ready. Broadcast schools promised a lot but mostly delivered board ops. They were after the fees not the future and their demise was because of lack of integrity.

Be careful.
Everybody wants someone to make a miracle. I'd like to have seen more real documentation vs vague claims.
 
onetake said:
who's the teacher?
A class might help but it won't make someone with no talent radio ready. Broadcast schools promised a lot but mostly delivered board ops. They were after the fees not the future and their demise was because of lack of integrity.

Be careful.
Everybody wants someone to make a miracle. I'd like to have seen more real documentation vs vague claims.
Click to expand...

Personally, I'm inclined to believe that any training program that has a strict audition policy before they'll accept a student is probably worth considering. Any course that will take anyone who can plunk down the tuition is probably a scam. Any course that rejects anyone who can't pass an audition is probably for real.
 
Coming Sunday, Sunday, Sundayyyyyyyyyy at the "Crazy 8" School of Voice Overs, learn how you can turn those "Voice of God" dreams into reality! Spend just six weeks in our intensive, online voice over skills class and in no time, you'll be able to say...." Take only as directed. May cause internal bleeding, bladder dysfunction and nonsensical sentence structure. Ask your doctor if Tryopenin is right for you. This offer not available in South Dakota, South Carolina, South Central Los Angeles or south of the border. Residents of Maine, Vermont, the American Somoa and Mars subject to local sales taxes. Member FDIC."
 
I'm betting the Radio Ranch course was a lot more than 150.00

Not to cast adverse vibes, but "Craig's List"???? Puh-leeez. There's no way to tell that this person isn't trolling for "special friends" or "girlfriends" or might actually be legit. However the true results oriented voiceover coaches that are around don't advertise on Craig's list, and most REALLY good ones don't advertise at all. They don't usually have time to teach if they are "so successful".

That said..Here is a short course of humble advice to anyone who wants to try voiceover work from a guy who has been doing it for 30 years solid..Hear these words..

There must be a sincere desire to do this and not just "get into it because it looks lucrative" It is only "lucrative" when you have been at it for many many years..have been able to build a strong, reliable client base..have been able to establish a stellar repuation and DO what you say you can do, at a fair price, and have the financial stability to afford clients a fair amount of credit. Agencies, and most clients pay in 30 days or so..some more some less.

The success rate of people who try thier "pipes" at voiceover is dismal at best. It takes self-marketing chops balanced with humility, and a sense of business-ability to make it all work in your favor. You will need to know something about audio equipment, and acoustics. You need to know how to "read to sell". Much different than just having a great voice, or some kind of character you can imitate. READING, and INTERPRETING is the key.

You should get a handle on what the market will bear as far as rates go. Clearly I can not charge the same as many "high priced" VO people who have better contacts, and more experience than I do. But I can and do charge more for my product than a beginner. Sometimes I simply tell the client that I will do the project for his projected budget..that I don't want to lose the job because we are a few bucks apart. YOU BET I'll do it for a little less if I can get a happy client that will use me in the future..It's money I didn't have before AND..this is important..I couldn't afford to PURCHASE time on all of those stations or networks that spot might run on to showcase my work. It's an ongoing demo running on the Price Is Right, and on Discovery, and Fox SportsNet, and A&E, and TNT, and who knows where? I could not buy that kind of exposure. That goes for local car spots on cable, as well as national spots and infomercials..ANYWHERE my stuff runs is a demo for me, and I remember that.

The voiceover business can connect us with buttheads, and egos, and control freaks, and some of the nicest, most interesting people walking the globe...it's never boring, but it is exhausting work, and I complain about it just like everyone else..but it is truly a marvelous way to make a living, and being your own president, and CFO makes you work that much harder.

Please PM me if I can be of any assistance or help.

Jeff Laurence
Autumn Hill Studios, NC
Madison House Studios - GA
Far Flung Ranch - Elko, NV
 
Don't discount the many talents of September Day. She is the premier VO talent in Atlanta. She has great pipes and her belly is getting bigger by the minute (relax, she knows what I am talking about, luv ya 'Ember.)
 
Neil Millman said:
Don't discount the many talents of September Day. She is the premier VO talent in Atlanta. She has great pipes and her belly is getting bigger by the minute (relax, she knows what I am talking about, luv ya 'Ember.)
Click to expand...

You betcha.

I've known September for several years now and she's the real deal. She's hit more gold with her voice than any of the rest of us will ever hope to land, and this is coming from a guy who has successfully done it for 10 years now. She has voiced the MTV awards (live) and is currently the voice of Pizza Hut, among MANY other success stories.

September's class is down-to-earth and factual. It's extremely fairly priced compared to most others out there and will give attendees the real facts about what it takes to make it in v/o. No false promises, no pie-in-the-sky false hopes. She's genuine and one of the few v/o instructors I'd trust, and oh yeah, btw, I teach introductory classes, too.

Many, if not most, of the v/o 'factories' out there will just take your money regardless of whether you have talent or not, all the while painting rosy pictures of the millions that anyone can make at home by merely opening their yapper. 'Ember has class, talent, and integrity. I can't possibly speak highly enough of her.

I, too, also attended Dan O'Day and Dick Orkin's Creative Summit when I was still in radio, and if you're in radio, doing radio commercials, it's priceless. But freelance, independent voiceover is a whole 'nuther animal, one that most radio pros have a hard time transitioning to since most clients don't want a 'radio voice'. So you can't compare September's 'apples' to Orkin's 'oranges'. They ain't the same creature.
 
Jeff Laurence said:
Hear these words..

There must be a sincere desire to do this and not just "get into it because it looks lucrative" It is only "lucrative" when you have been at it for many many years..have been able to build a strong, reliable client base..have been able to establish a stellar repuation and DO what you say you can do, at a fair price, and have the financial stability to afford clients a fair amount of credit. Agencies, and most clients pay in 30 days or so..some more some less.

The success rate of people who try thier "pipes" at voiceover is dismal at best. It takes self-marketing chops balanced with humility, and a sense of business-ability to make it all work in your favor. You will need to know something about audio equipment, and acoustics. You need to know how to "read to sell". Much different than just having a great voice, or some kind of character you can imitate. READING, and INTERPRETING is the key.
Click to expand...
Amen, Amen, Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
X-14 said:
So you can't compare September's 'apples' to Orkin's 'oranges'. They ain't the same creature.
Click to expand...
Dude, 'ember is engaged to Bob Carter who is at least 7'9". Don't say a word about her "apples" or Carter will kill you to death.

As for Orkin, I didn't know Chickens liked oranges. (All those over 45-years-old are laughing at that one.)
 
Neil Millman said:
X-14 said:
So you can't compare September's 'apples' to Orkin's 'oranges'. They ain't the same creature.
Click to expand...
Dude, 'ember is engaged to Bob Carter who is at least 7'9". Don't say a word about her "apples" or Carter will kill you to death.

As for Orkin, I didn't know Chickens liked oranges. (All those over 45-years-old are laughing at that one.)
Click to expand...

Yep, Neil, I know. Notice I stayed away from any melon metaphors. And yes, I'm over 45 and remember Super Chicken.
 
I took VO lessons from Peg Avery a few years ago...about 1998...she charged me $350 for about 8 lessons, plus an initial tracking session for my demo. I still had to see out material for the demo myself, but she helped me work it out...taught me how to produce it. Because I was an audio engineer at the time, i was able to cut the demo together myself (pretty awesome demo, too).

Sounds like a LOT of money.
 
amos said:
X-14 said:
Super Chicken.
Click to expand...

Super Chickenman he's everywhere, he's everywhere.

greatest. crimefighter. (the world has) ever. (known)
Click to expand...
Obviously I don't remember nearly as well as I'd like to think I do!
Dohhhhhh. Alzheimer's sucks. But at least you're always meeting new people!

As far as price of v/o training and classes, the going rate nowdays is around $150/hour for a good voice coach. Intro classes, advanced classes and demo production tend to range between $1500 and $5000. I'm not saying it's cheap or expensive; that's just the range. And honestly, most people shouldn't be taking them because most people won't ever make a penny doing freelance v/o.
 
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