This month, a reader of The Magazine of Santa Clarita sent in a question about out-of-town voice agents.
Q: Are you familiar with out-of-state agencies and their policies? I’m sending my demo out to various markets in hopes of acquiring representation, since the odds of getting an agent in L.A. seem remote. Yesterday I received a lovely rejection from an Atlanta agency that lauded my demo but said she isn’t able to keep her current voice actors busy enough. Today, an agency in Madison accepted me and sent a lengthy contract to review, but it seems there’s a 15 percent upfront fee in addition to 15 percent commissions. It says, “…Artist understands and agrees that this (15 percent) commission shall be in addition to a 15 percent fee customarily charged by agency to client.” Is that standard or a red flag? –Margo G., Los Angeles, CA
A: Margo, these normal-than-higher percentages taken are becoming more common among upstart agencies looking to cut their overhead. But what are the terms for representation? Are they offering to represent you for at least a year? Anything about your ability to walk away if they don’t get you work within a certain amount of time? Are you exclusive (representation-wise) to that region of the country? I think that if you’re a member of any of the voiceover-related Facebook groups, you might consider posing this question to them and get some valid opinions. This is a great case where getting a number of opinions (or consensus) can help you make a smart business decision. Keep me posted.
Cashman Commercials © 2011
Marc Cashman creates and produces copy and music advertising for radio and television, was named one of the “Best Voices of the Year” by AudioFile Magazine, and was the Keynote Speaker and Master Class instructor at the international voiceover conventions VOICE 2008 and 2010 in Los Angeles. Winner of over 150 advertising awards, and a working voice actor as well, he teaches voiceover technique at California Institute of the Arts and instructs voice acting of all levels through his classes, The Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques in Los Angeles, California.
Marc can be contacted at cashcomm@earthlink.net or his website, www.cashmancommercials.com.