Dave Courvoisier's Blog » freelancers

Freelance Means Freedom, But….

CourVO — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:35:56 +0000

…to find that freedom, there are are few realities you must accept.

THIS article does an amazing job of pointing out the sobering financial caveats you need to hear before being “on your own”.

CourVO

Friends, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Rate Sheets

CourVO — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:50:17 +0000

This blog invites your input. If there’s a good response, I will collate the results, and provide everyone with a summary.

Recently, I was asked to quote my price for a 36,000 word e-learning narration. The client likes the final product divided up into numerous files….some just a few words in length, other files are the length of a paragraph.

Like most independent freelance contractors in ANY business, I struggled to quote a fair price. I have a rate sheet, but there always seems to be some extenuating circumstance…some variable…that throws a monkey wrench into the calculation.

I’ve lurked on enough online VO forums, read enough newsletters, and poured through enough literature on the subject to know there’s little agreement on a singular way to calculate a price for a script.

I know, I know…the unions have well-publicized rate card. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the rabble… the non-union, agentless voice-actors plying our trade on the internet.

From what I’ve seen formulas for pricing fall into about 4 categories.

COUNTING WORDS
COUNTING PAGES
COUNTING TIME
COUNTING STUDIO USE

Then there’s the consideration the time and trouble it takes to EDIT/PRODUCE the final product, save to whatever format in however many numbers of files, and the cost of sending.

I’m going to exclude ISDN or Source-Connect sessions from this discussion.

I’m also going to ask you not to get into TV/radio use/re-use issues — or local/national exposure considerations.

Would you be so kind as to share with me/us what basic formula you use to estimate to your clients how much you charge for sessions involving non-broadcast products that require you to use your home studio to achieve the desired result.

I also invite you to let others know, so we get the best possible sampling.

Please feedback by commenting at the bottom of this blog, or e-mailing me personally at courvo@courvo.com.

Thanks!

CourVO

VO H-M-O?

CourVO — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:32:54 +0000

John Florian launched an important survey some weeks ago. The idea was to assess the state of health insurance among freelance Voice-Actors, to get suggestions, and evaluate costs, need, and viability.

The results are in, and John has posted them on his helpful VO site: VoiceOverExtra.

The article with the results is at once revealing, frustrating, challenging, and even a bit shocking.

Click HERE to see the posting.

CourVO

Oscar gets a break

CourVO — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:24:32 +0000

Every indication points to a break in the WGA strike with Hollywood studios.

—————-
"…guild leaders said the three-year deal made significant strides toward
ensuring that writers get a fair cut of new media revenues…"
LA TIMES
—————

This is good news for everyone, and certainly the network carrying the upcoming Oscars. No one wanted this to go on (3 months already).

It’s especially good news for the little guy, and that’s why it’s important to voice-talent and voice-actors everywhere. Growing awareness about the value of new media, distribution rights, and revenue streams can only help our cause in the long run.

We ARE new media in the sense of the pace of change in our mode of marketing, producing, distributing, and networking our product.

Read the full LA Times article here.

CourVO