This Rate "Guide" Is RIDICULOUS! DO NOT USE IT!

I recently posted on social media a great guide from the website of a well-known coach in this business.

And today I call bullsh*t. I'm going to break down exactly why I think this entire rate guide is a crap sandwich and be specific about the damage it does to voice actors and the industry as a whole.

You may want to put on coveralls. This is going to get messy.

I want to make it clear that this is not an attack on this coach personally, but it is an opposition to his teachings and practices in this rate guide which I believe are harmful to the careers of voice actors who put this right guide into practice and damaging to the industry as a whole.

business, casting sites, professional development, rates, sag-aftra, the vo industry, working with a VOPaul SchmidtSeptember 14, 2023rates, bad rates, bad dealsComment

Contracts: To Use, or Not To Use... THAT Is the Question...?

Today, we're talking about the importance of using contracts for voice actors and outline the benefits and protections they offer. This video emphasizes the need for clear expectations, protection of rights, payment security, scope management, liability limitations, professionalism, and dispute resolution.

While formal contracts are generally recommended, I also mention situations where email communication may be acceptable as a substitute, such as for informal or small-scale projects with trusted clients or established working relationships.

However, the acceptance and validity of using email as a substitute may vary depending on jurisdiction and I advise seeking legal advice.

We wrap up by providing resources, including a book on voiceover legal matters, an AI and Synthetic Voices rider for contract addendum, a recommended entertainment lawyer, and a link to my own policies page for setting clear expectations.

business, professional development, the vo industry, working with a VOPaul SchmidtJune 8, 2023contracts, emailComment

SHOCKING REAL CALL with an EXPLOITATIVE Voice Over Producer

What you are about to hear is an actual call about an exploitative practice that is too common in our business. It is a prime example of producers who purposefully seek out younger and less experienced talent and knowingly exploit them for the benefit of their own organizations.

To be clear, this is representative of a tiny-but-still-too-large fraction of producers in the business and this call centers on but one specific practice: the all-media buyout.

It is shocking in its brazen self-awareness.

Why DIY Demos Are a Bad Idea

There’s a great moral throwdown in the original Jurassic Park movie when Ian Malcolm, (Jeff Goldblum) tells the park founder, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”

As so it is with DIY voice-over demos: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

How To Handle Lowball Budgets – 2 Real World Examples

It can be very confusing trying to figure out how to handle casting notices that come in that are well below the going rates.

This week, I thought it might be useful to show two real-world examples I’ve received very recently as well as my actual responses so that you can see how to handle these less than ideal requests.

business, rates, work, working with a VOPaul SchmidtApril 28, 2022lowballers, marketing, quotes, rates Comments

Setting Client Expectations

In this post, we’re going to talk about how to engage prospects who have potential projects (hot leads), and how to properly set and manage expectations to that we can provide a quality experience for that client so that they will be more inclined to work with us again.

working with a VO, work, businessPaul SchmidtApril 14, 2022expectations, relationships, pickups Comments

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