Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
I was just wondering if anyone out there had some advice on working as an audio production at a production house vs. being a production director at a station or cluster? I've worked at production companies in the past, but never as a production director at a radio station.
Re: Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
You'll receive no career equity from working as a radio Production Director. It seems to me that a move like that would be a step down
Re: Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
Thanks for the post. I was thinking it would be a step up, but I guess you think it wouldn't. Have you worked at both a production company and station? What do you mean by no career equity?pbergin wrote:You'll receive no career equity from working as a radio Production Director. It seems to me that a move like that would be a step down
Re: Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
By career equity I mean job credibility. About all a production job in radio will do is provide you with some street cred for another radio job. That's a lateral move, in my opinion.
I was a air talent and voiceover guy, never a production guy.
I was a air talent and voiceover guy, never a production guy.
Re: Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
I was a production guy at several shops in major markets, and I'm with Bergin on this one. Better gigs with prod houses now -- especially with consolidation. My last stations decided to have NO production director and just make the jocks do it.
What do you get when you have jocks and salespeople do spots? Well, bad spots. No offense intended. A production ear -- a good one -- is far different.
But there is a huge hue and cry at the ad agency level -- national and local both -- that "radio people sound too much like radio people." I had to break that, myself, to get on better in the voiceover world.
I'm of the opinion that your opportunities to do good prod and voiceover are outside radio now -- at the production house level. Between that, some video, and a little teaching on the side, I've been wonderfully self-employed for years now, with no end to it in sight.
What do you get when you have jocks and salespeople do spots? Well, bad spots. No offense intended. A production ear -- a good one -- is far different.
But there is a huge hue and cry at the ad agency level -- national and local both -- that "radio people sound too much like radio people." I had to break that, myself, to get on better in the voiceover world.
I'm of the opinion that your opportunities to do good prod and voiceover are outside radio now -- at the production house level. Between that, some video, and a little teaching on the side, I've been wonderfully self-employed for years now, with no end to it in sight.
Re: Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
How does one get job with a production house or voice over service? I have been laid off for exactly one year this month. I have a home studio with audition and the talent.
Re: Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
You don't "get a job" with a voiceover service, you put together some sample reels and market yourself. If you're real lucky, and you're in L.A., NYC or Chicago you might find an agent, but that's very unlikely for a beginner.
You have to forget your radio background, the last thing producers want to hear is "radio," they're all convinced that only actors can do this work regardless of the fact that 60% of what they do turns out sounding like a radio guy did it. It's just the way they look at it. When I eliminated all references to radio in my promotion material, I began to get work. That's the ONLY piece of advice my agent gave me that was worth anything!!
Do not... I repeat... not... give money to anyone who will "teach you the business," "create a winning demo," "represent you for a 'small marketing fee" or anything else until you've done your research, and have a feel for the biz. 99% of the Internet voiceover marketing services are scams plain and simple. If they were doing so damn well with their own services, why in the hell would they want to teach you?
I've done this stuff on and off for 40 years, getting started is the hardest thing you'll ever undertake, believe me.
You have to forget your radio background, the last thing producers want to hear is "radio," they're all convinced that only actors can do this work regardless of the fact that 60% of what they do turns out sounding like a radio guy did it. It's just the way they look at it. When I eliminated all references to radio in my promotion material, I began to get work. That's the ONLY piece of advice my agent gave me that was worth anything!!
Do not... I repeat... not... give money to anyone who will "teach you the business," "create a winning demo," "represent you for a 'small marketing fee" or anything else until you've done your research, and have a feel for the biz. 99% of the Internet voiceover marketing services are scams plain and simple. If they were doing so damn well with their own services, why in the hell would they want to teach you?
I've done this stuff on and off for 40 years, getting started is the hardest thing you'll ever undertake, believe me.
Re: Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
AMEN, Bergin. I had the same problem when I was a prod director IN Chicago -- sure, I could get auditions, but I sounded like "radio guy." Which is DEATH, DEATH, DEATH in voiceover!
I took a class called "VO For Pros" that busted my radio mentality. Not permanently -- I still struggle with it -- but I can do better than most "radio people doing voiceover."
I do disagree about paying for a demo, but you need to know who the good people are -- the people who are WORTH it to pay. Marice Tobias in LA and Mindy Verson in Chicago top my list (Mindy did my first real voiceover demos.) They are expensive -- Marice charges 4000 a track in some instances. But your chances of success with a good demo from a good producer can go up exponentially, especially with a producer respected by agents and ad agencies.
Voice123.com does work, but only sometimes. I got away from it.
Agents? That's a whole different story, but Bergin is right -- DO NOT PAY an agent. Most "legit" agents can be found at www.voicebank.net. Most already have full talent rosters, so look for "newer" agents.
I took a class called "VO For Pros" that busted my radio mentality. Not permanently -- I still struggle with it -- but I can do better than most "radio people doing voiceover."
I do disagree about paying for a demo, but you need to know who the good people are -- the people who are WORTH it to pay. Marice Tobias in LA and Mindy Verson in Chicago top my list (Mindy did my first real voiceover demos.) They are expensive -- Marice charges 4000 a track in some instances. But your chances of success with a good demo from a good producer can go up exponentially, especially with a producer respected by agents and ad agencies.
Voice123.com does work, but only sometimes. I got away from it.
Agents? That's a whole different story, but Bergin is right -- DO NOT PAY an agent. Most "legit" agents can be found at www.voicebank.net. Most already have full talent rosters, so look for "newer" agents.
Re: Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
I noticed my post went up twice, so I'm changing this one.
Last edited by tvguy2 on Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Job at Production Company vs. Radio Station
It is possible, to an extent, to get a job editing and/or producing with a production house. My advice there is to know video editing, because I can't name a production house that doesn't do both audio and video.
