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Post by aduckiswatchingyou on Jan 1, 2017 13:53:02 GMT -8
Hi there! =) As the (future) producer of an audio drama, I had a few questions regarding how best to compensate VAs for their time, as at the moment I have 0 money, and seeing as this will probably be the case for the foreseeable future, I had a few questions for VAs and producers alike =) (Btw, I have no idea if this is in the right section, I just kind of took a leap of faith, so I'm really sorry if it's not!) - Has anyone had any success using kickstarter/patreon/other crowdfunding platform for an audio project before? If so, what would be the best platform(s) to use, and what would be a good figure to have as an initial goal?
- What would be an appropriate amount to pay VAs if I did manage to get a hold of money? Would it be best to pay per episode or some other measure?
- Are there any good ways to thank VAs for their time aside from the usual experience/exposure/etc.?
Any other comments relating to this topic are welcome too =) I'd just feel kind of bad asking people to be in my project and then not being able to do much for them in return =/
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Post by Kamran on Jan 3, 2017 20:44:26 GMT -8
I can't comment on Kickstarter or Patreon, but with regards to payment, it's all relative to the workload. If your script is going to require a considerable amount of time for any given actor, then their payment should properly compensate them for the time. If you don't have that kind of money, which is understandable, my advice, personally, is trim as much as you can so it ends up becoming a much less time consuming process for anyone involved.
I can certainly relate to gratitude, as I've not yet been able to compensate actors who have been kind enough to work on some of my projects, and I do plan on remedying that situation hopefully soon. Until that moment comes, however, there are key things I keep in mind as a result. After all, If they're willing to lend their voices to my projects without compensation, then they're the ones doing me the favor, pure and simple. As such, before I even get into "thank you's," I work on making the actual process as quick and easy for everyone as I can, so no one besides myself has to devote too much time to my projects:
- I keep dialogue short, to the point, and as minimal as I can. I read the dialogue out loud and ensure it flows as easy as it can, and I keep tweaking it again and again before I ever send the scripts off. - I'm not especially firm on deadlines. I set one but make it a point that, if anyone needs any time for any reason, then no rush at all. - I make sure the work is finished and as good as it can be.
I always want the process of recording for free projects, especially my projects, to be as quick and easy as possible, so the vast majority of work falls on me and me alone, and not anyone else who could potentially be using that time towards anything else.
So just keep that in mind. If you and your actors have an understanding, that's fine. The best way to thank them for doing you the favor of recording without compensation is to make that process as easy as possible, and of course, to make the final product as strong as you can.
I hope this helps, in any way!
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Post by Rebekah Amber Clark on Jan 3, 2017 21:30:21 GMT -8
^ I totally agree with all of that.
I'll add that if you *feel* gratitude for the voice actors, there's a lot of ways that you'll automatically show it without even thinking about it! Directors who *don't* value their cast (paid or unpaid) are often downright rude to their voice actors. Pushy with deadlines, not giving clear instructions, recasting without notice and without reason, and just overall having a condescending or abrupt way with words. (Fortunately, I don't think that's the majority!)
But simple things like just saying "thank you" (for auditioning, for sending in lines, for doing retakes if necessary). You'd be surprised how far a simple thank you will go. =)
Don't be afraid to ask for retakes on lines that aren't quite right; as long as you're not asking for 208 retakes on a line because it wasn't *exactly* the way you pictured, most voice actors are actually quite excited to get real, solid feedback we can use to improve! (And being asked to do a retake -- when needed -- can often make a VA feel respected and like our contribution to a project is valued; like you *care* enough about how we sound to make sure it's right.)
Another thing; some VAs may want to record all their episodes in advance if possible, to better stay in voice/character and/or get a project finished while they have down time between other projects. However, if it's going to take a while to animate a show, for example, you might only want to *expect* one episode in advance at most. This protects VAs from putting in a lot more work in case a project gets cancelled or abandoned (which happens a LOT more often than you might think.)
Bottom line is, I don't think you have anything to worry about. =)
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Post by aduckiswatchingyou on Jan 4, 2017 12:46:44 GMT -8
Thanks, this is all super helpful =) I'll be sure to bear it all in mind when redrafting/recording/etc. , so thanks =)
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Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Jan 13, 2017 18:24:45 GMT -8
Definitely agree on the flexible deadlines. In my opinion, the more you are paying, the more right you have to be demanding with short deadlines. I've occasionally agreed to do projects for free but then people would message me every day on social media demanding lines ASAP, so now I try to be very clear up front with the fact that if I do a project for free as a favor, my paid assignments need to take priority. I also try to show the same courtesy to people who do comic dubs for me for Tumblr and such. I'll send them a reminder a month in or something in case they forgot but overall I try to let them do it when they're able to.
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timbick
Member
Posts: 2
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor
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Post by timbick on Nov 14, 2017 6:50:57 GMT -8
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