Video Game Voiceover Actors
GKN Weekly Update 10.25.10
Hello on this surprisingly warm morning! The whole week is supposed to
be in the 60's and 70's. This is the last week of October, right?
So last week I had a retake session. It doesn't happen very often but it
can happen for a variety of reasons. The most common ones are script
changes due to content or length, technical problems with the sound
file, or someone higher up the ladder just didn't like it. Sometimes
it's more than one of those reasons. The client was listening in this
time and gave me direction. It turned out very well! We banged out two
30-second spots in less than half an hour and everyone was happy. Whew!
TIP OF THE WEEK #1: Retake sessions are a pain in the,
waitaminit, they're great! What a perfect opportunity to make a good
impression with a client. You're happy to schedule a second recording
session and it doesn't matter why. It's a pleasure to work with
everybody again. You'll schedule it at your earliest convenience and
you're looking forward to the exciting and interesting changes to the
script. Get it?
TIP OF THE WEEK #2: This is the question that popped up in every
VO talent's head when they read this: how much do I charge for a retake
session, if anything? Great question. The answer is: it depends.
If it's a very minor adjustment that needs to be made, like one or two
lines of a corporate gig, or if I need to change the stress of one word
in a commercial and I can record it at my convenience, I don't charge
anything. If the whole thing needs to be done again or a second
recording session needs to be scheduled, then I bill them again. How
much? Once again, it depends. I have charged anywhere between 25% and
100% of the original invoice. For example, if it's a 30-second spot I
recorded on my own and they changed some lines but the whole thing needs
to be done again and I can re-record it myself in a few minutes, I'll
charge 25-50%. If it's the same spot and I was perfect and the sound
file is perfect but they we-wrote the whole thing and want a new session
scheduled. I'll charge upwards of 75-100%. Even then, there are
exceptions.
Remember, the goal is to make EVERYONE happy, not just your bank account...
be in the 60's and 70's. This is the last week of October, right?
So last week I had a retake session. It doesn't happen very often but it
can happen for a variety of reasons. The most common ones are script
changes due to content or length, technical problems with the sound
file, or someone higher up the ladder just didn't like it. Sometimes
it's more than one of those reasons. The client was listening in this
time and gave me direction. It turned out very well! We banged out two
30-second spots in less than half an hour and everyone was happy. Whew!
TIP OF THE WEEK #1: Retake sessions are a pain in the,
waitaminit, they're great! What a perfect opportunity to make a good
impression with a client. You're happy to schedule a second recording
session and it doesn't matter why. It's a pleasure to work with
everybody again. You'll schedule it at your earliest convenience and
you're looking forward to the exciting and interesting changes to the
script. Get it?
TIP OF THE WEEK #2: This is the question that popped up in every
VO talent's head when they read this: how much do I charge for a retake
session, if anything? Great question. The answer is: it depends.
If it's a very minor adjustment that needs to be made, like one or two
lines of a corporate gig, or if I need to change the stress of one word
in a commercial and I can record it at my convenience, I don't charge
anything. If the whole thing needs to be done again or a second
recording session needs to be scheduled, then I bill them again. How
much? Once again, it depends. I have charged anywhere between 25% and
100% of the original invoice. For example, if it's a 30-second spot I
recorded on my own and they changed some lines but the whole thing needs
to be done again and I can re-record it myself in a few minutes, I'll
charge 25-50%. If it's the same spot and I was perfect and the sound
file is perfect but they we-wrote the whole thing and want a new session
scheduled. I'll charge upwards of 75-100%. Even then, there are
exceptions.
Remember, the goal is to make EVERYONE happy, not just your bank account...
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: It’s just gonna make you stronger. Every good man I know has been through somethin’! Chris Carter
STUFF!: How have you handled retakes in the past?
From Tom Dheere's apartment, this is Tom Dheere, GKN News...
Add a Comment
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Comment by Tom Dheere on October 26, 2010 at 13:46
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You're absolutely right, Mike! Each session is unique and you have to do whatever it takes in that particular case to make sure everyone is happy.
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Comment by Michael Lenz on October 26, 2010 at 13:27 -
I have had to do retakes for several projects. In almost every instance, the producer offered a $$ amount for the retake. These were minor edits and the amount was roughly 10-15% of what my initial fee was. As you said, a lot of it is determined by how much additional work you have to do. I have also had instances where I didn't charge anything for a minor retake - but if a producer offers, I'll accept. We do want the producer and client to be happy and we always have to balance that with being adequately compensated for what we do.
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