Going Famous Star with Your Arabic
Voice over Business
by Fady Nagy
Working out of a personal
studio located anywhere there is an Internet connection, it’s possible for a Arabic
Voice Over talent to work with producers
in the farthest reaches of the planet. Marketing you voice-over services to the
world is similar to marketing to your own region, but there are a few
differences to keep in mind.
Hey, Earth . I’m here!
A good place to start your
international marketing efforts is a web site. If you don’t have one, put one
up.. Make sure to put your demos up on the site, both as .mp3 downloads and
streaming audio, if possible.
Of course, you can’t just
sit and wait for the world to come to you. Search the Web for production
houses, talent agencies, and casting houses in countries where you think you
might get some work. Contact them to see if they accept demo submissions. If
you’re reading this, you’re probably a native speaker of English, which means
starting with the English-speaking countries is a natural first step. Remember,
though, that other countries still need productions voiced in English because
it’s the de facto language of international business and diplomacy. Be sure to
market your services in these countries, as well.
Email is the least
expensive means of marketing to producers. You probably should not send an .mp3
file of your demo without asking permission first. Many email servers do not
accept .mp3 files or the recipient might have a policy of deleting any
unsolicited attachments of any kind. If the producer won’t accept an .mp3,
direct them to the demos on your web site. Don’t discount sending a CD demo.
Putting a hard copy of your demo in someone’s hands is always a good idea and
worth the money spent. It’s quite common for producers to go through the demo
CDs they have on hand, looking for a particular voice or just to eliminate the
weak demos to make room on the shelf for new demos. In doing so, they very
often discover usable talent they didn’t realize they even had in their
library, maybe you.
Whichever way you
eventually send your demo—after first making contact and getting
permission—follow up to make sure the contact person received the demo and
thank them for accepting and listening to it. Do not ask for feedback on the
demo. Producers, talent agents, and casting agents don’t have time to give everyone
a free demo critique. Ask for one and you’ll most surely mark yourself as
inexperienced.
Time is of the essence
If you live in the United States, then you’re already familiar with
accommodating four continental time zones, plus Alaska
and Hawaii. Working
internationally, you have to get used to dealing with people in countries that
are up to 12 hours ahead or behind your time zone, depending on how you look at
it. Obviously, working across time zones can prove a challenge in scheduling
and delivering your Arabic Voice Over s. Be sure to bookmark a time zone
calculator like this one.
Use it to determine the difference in hours between you and your prospective
client. Be sure to refer to that time difference on your first contact. It
shows you’ve done a little homework to find out where they are in the world.
Money makes the world go ‘round
Another important
consideration is making sure you get paid in your own currency, e.g. United States dollars, UK pounds, and
euro. Fortunately, there are online currency
converters that make this very easy. In the converter, indicate your
currency and your client’s currency, let’s say US dollars and UK pounds
respectively. Insert the US dollar amount in the box, click the button, and up
pops the conversion into your client’s currency. Of course, you can do it the
other way around, too.
Discussing currency
conversion leads us to setting and/or negotiating a rate that’s acceptable and
equitable to both you and your new client. Rates vary from country to country.
On the whole, though, expect to receive less compensation when dealing with
producers outside the US.
How much lower? Major markets in Europe and Canada
tend to pay more than comparably sized cities in other parts of the world, but
overall the highest rates are still probably found in the US. When you
contact a foreign producer, candor is the best policy. Ask for the typical
budget in US dollars for different projects, e.g. commercials, narrations, and
telephony. Most producers will tell you the truth. You can always contact a
competing producer in the same city or region and ask the same question if you
think you’re not getting an honest response.
The bottom line to negotiating
an equitable rate is your bottom line: the lowest rate for which you’re willing
to work. Once you figure that out, then you can determine where to price
yourself going in, knowing you’ll have to haggle a little and hopefully end up
above that lowest rate you’ve set. Also, be aware that for long-form
material—narrations, industrials, books, etc.—producers in many countries
prefer to pay by the word or finished minute, which includes providing voice
tracks edited clean of any flubs, coughs, excessive silence between tracks,
etc. This means you’re not just providing an Arabic Voice Over , you’re providing some
production service, too.
As with any Internet
transaction, protect yourself from unscrupulous operators. Ask for credit card
payment up front via PayPal or a merchant
account. Or, provide a low-resolution or watermarked (1 kHz tones inserted
periodically) .mp3 of the Arabic Voice Over for approval purposes. Once approved, get
payment in full, then email or ftp the high-resolution file. Be aware that
PayPal does not operate in every country. Investigate a merchant
account that will allow you to accept credit cards from virtually anywhere.
You might not get rich
serving the international market for Arabic Voice Over s, but it’s a lot of fun
getting to meet folks from other countries and cultures, and pretty cool
knowing your voice is being heard in some far off country, a place you may
never visit.
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