When making a commercial
for a client, whether it be a traditional TV commercial, Radio
commercial or a You tube commercial, choosing the right voice over
talent is critical. Voice talent
will lend credibility to the commercial graphics you are going to
produce for your client, and with the right amount of talent, the right
voice over professional will put the right emphasis in the places in the
commercial. There are many online v/o resources &
companies available for you to choose voice talent from. Keep in mind:
not all voice talent are created equal. While many people may
respond to your requests for talent needed on the "cattle call sites" or
cheap voice banks, it is imperative that you not only choose your
talent on the way they sound, but also on the following factors:
1) Experience.
If the talent is a newbie getting into the voice over business and
simply has a microphone connected to a computer and a fancy website on a
voice over search engine, you may be in trouble. Make sure the person
you are hiring has some experience behind them (or the v/o company has a
solid reputation). This is important for your client so the right parts
of a commercial are presented the right way and there are no surprise
problems or additional costs.
2) Turnaround. What this means, how fast the spot is voiced and sent back to you. Ask the company or independent voice talent how fast their turnaround is. Is it 3 hours, 5 hours, 24 hours, within a week? Or do they even have a turnaround policy at all?
3) Costs. Many of today's top voice over professionals are available to you for a very hefty fee. The problem is, most media outlets, small to medium size ad agencies, or businesses cannot afford them. This is why asking what the rate is per word, script, or per project is important upfront. Some independent voice talents or voice companies may even ask for a copy of the script, and you should kindly oblige by sending as quickly as you can, and in return asking for a speedy reply on price. Many companies have a rate card that covers all the basis and should share it with you without arm wrestling for it. Review it in full for what the rate is and then additional fees for additional services.
4) Customer service.
Whether it is just a "one man show" or a full company comprised of
several voice over professionals and a office staff* compare the
customer service and ask for their policies if not listed on their
website.
* There is a reason Planet Charley Productions, LLC has been rated the #1 voice over production company on the web in 2010 and
2011! Unlike the "cattle call" websites that make their money off of
the voice talents by annual memberships and will list any one (from a
novice to a voice talent that charges a few hundred dollars for a dry
local spot for 13 weeks), we have screened, auditioned, and reviewed the
credentials on all of our voice talents for you. In fact most of our
World Class voice talents have national to planet-wide credits. Our
talents are contracted and earn their income on the high volume of daily
bookings we receive. Our World Class voice talents are true seasoned
professionals... all on our site at the same rate.
Plus unlike most of our competitors with a similar business model, we
have a search feature to assist you with finding the right voice for
your project faster. Not to mention we have editors performing a free
post clean up at NO additional charge ensuring you are getting clean audio with the timing you specify that is broadcast ready.
What separates Planet
Charley from the others is our "whatever it takes" attitude coupled with
the industries most respected voice over talents & producers. Plus
we give back to charities as part of our "We Care About Our Planet"
program. That's why more television stations, cable companies, radio
stations, and advertising agencies turn to us first.
