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RicePirate
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Mick Lauer @RicePirate

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Webdesigners are a Waste of Money, and other helpful tips from Dan

Posted by RicePirate - August 24th, 2012


The economy's been tough on a lot of people, and while the voiceover industry is standing strong against the storm, many voiceover professionals have been feeling the burn. With the combination of unemployment, retirement, dreams of stardom, moderately priced equipment, and easier-to-use software, an unprecedented influx of new voices has flooded the market. This causes a few key problems for established voice talent: namely, an under-valuing of services and an ever-more-diluted talent pool.

But many of the established voiceover pros, being the motivated entrepreneurs they are, don't go down without a fight. While some continue business as usual, others decide to branch out and coach or engineer demos, some sell their knowledge or advice to those still willing to battle it out on the studio stomping grounds, and some publish ebooks or host online webinars ... all with the purpose of sharing or selling the hard-earned knowledge they've acquired during their service in the voiceover industry.

Knowledge is power. Opinions and assumptions are not knowledge.

In an industry with so many fresh faces, it's easy to sell snake-oil. Now take a product people are unfamiliar with, but one they know is crucial yet understand little about ... and you can sell snake-oil to the most established name in the market. I'm talking about websites.

Voiceover websites.

Oh, the drama. Do it yourself? Get your cousin to do it? Get a professional? It's the internet, right? It's easy! You've seen those programs that magically build websites with the click of a button! How hard can it be? Should I actually spend money on this thing or is it just a matter of reading a couple online articles and figuring it out?

My answer is simple. Ask a voiceover coach if people actually need professional coaches. Ask an engineer if you really need an engineer to fiddle with all those levels and click around the screen. With no prior knowledge or experience recording a voiceover demo, it is flat out stupid to think that you can just pull a professional demo out of your ass. A demo, sure. A professional, competitive demo ... no.

The same goes for websites.

There's been a recent trend of pay-to-watch webinars (pre-recorded, lol) dealing with the subject of websites ... in this case, VO websites.

Look, I don't care if you don't know the first thing about html, css, java script, or even graphic design (which is a WHOLE OTHER PART OF THE PICTURE), I can look passed someone with no knowledge of how a website actually works convincing people to pay them to give their advice on the subject. I don't think it's ethical, but times are tough, right? I don't mind paying for knowledge. But that's not knowledge ... that's an opinion. If I want an opinion, I'll check my twitter.

According to Dan O'Day, there's three ways you probably got your website:
(1) "You created it yourself, which means you have more technical knowledge than [he] does."
(2) "Or a friend or relative built it for you."
(3) "Or you spent far too much money on a professional web designer."

Those are you options.

I'm literally laughing out loud just reading that, because he mentions all the useless "bells and whistles designers use" and after viewing his website, it appears "color" is a bell ... or whistle.

He continues, "Most voi[z]eover websites that I've seen, that were created by designers ... are a complete waste of money." So ... only the websites made by actual designers were the waste of money? Do you know how much they paid? What did they get for their money? Do you have a list of designers who waste peoples' money?

Now, I know he's not talking about ArtistUpgrade. AU clients' records speak for themselves. So I'm not taking offense, so much as I find it hilarious that for $99, Dan will shed the light of truth upon the shady and shifty world of webdesign.

Dan also claims, "It's a 2.5 hour audio seminar and workbook with information your web designer will hate Dan for telling you!"

No, Dan, I don't hate you. I think you're hilarious.

This whole article aside: I won't pretend to know everything. If anyone DOES drop $99 to watch this pre-recorded online video, and they feel there's some really legit info being shared. I'd be happy to promote this myself. More so than I already have with this article.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dan O'Day's promo page, via Julie Williams of VoiceOver Insider:
http://danoday.com/voiceoverwebsites/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Also, new toon coming soon (next week????? I hope)

Webdesigners are a Waste of Money, and other helpful tips from Dan


Comments

Man oh man that Dan's site is uber cool!! - comment from 1992.

The problem is, he's been around so long, OF COURSE he's got a following, OF COURSE he's got weight in a Google search, OF COURSE he feels experienced enough to speak on the subject ... but anyone starting out, who isn't ALREADY an established figure in the industry, isn't going to benefit from avoiding professional help.

I've actually gone to a voice coaching seminar out of curiousity. It was provided by a college for cheap, and we all did fake ads in front of everyone. It was such a BS class. I had mentioned in the intro of the class that I'd love to get in to voicing cartoons. The seminar was an hour, and we did NOTHING that related to cartoons, but said I'd do great doing cartoon voice overs. Not having done one single cartoonish voice or anything related to it. They were just advertising an expensive coaching package, hoping by giving positive feedback, we'd pay for it. Never again.

I still have no idea how to get in to it, and quite frankly its a big scary voice world. I've thought about making a site for my toons, maybe a webcomic, and doing voices, but that's also scary. People take advantage of that. They know you have no idea what to do, so they'll spew any BS to get you to buy from them.

Yeah ... it's an industry that's blowing up ... and naturally there's lots of unwitting people, looking for solid information and help ... likewise, there's plenty of people willing to take advantage.

There's a TON of "seasoned voice over coaches" who will promise people "a professional quality demo" ... and while some are great, some are terrible. The best thing to do is make sure you've heard the quality of work they've provided in the past. Be sure to ask if THEY recorded the demo. Sometimes people will pose the demos of their students as their own work.

I had the luxury of working with some great coaches who brought a lot to the table. But I've heard many horror stories like yours.

Can you not like, make smaller posts?

And have like, tits, included in them?

Cause I mean, I'm a simple man and this much text without mammary glands on display I get very bored, very quickly.

But I love your work and I'm sure what you're talking about is totally important.

So I agree with whatever you've said.

GVG ... i promise ... my next post will be shorter and more titillating.

That was quite a mouthful. Quite an interesting read.
Sorry being off topic, but I can't wait for the animation! I did grow tired of the whole anti-brony thing, but something tells me yours will be awesome!

I think so.

that was hard to read. since white text wih black background allways hurt my eyes
but yeah thats some good informations here

it's true ...

Person 1: employment is fickle...
Person 2: hasn't it always been? or has it become too vague and generalized over the years to hold any weight or position that helps society from entertainment to industrial?
Person 3: pfft, those types will bitch at anything that doesn't commit to a dream they themselves are oblivious to is declining health.

Which do you think is opinion, assumption, or fact?

Opinion is what I think is truth. Assumption is what I believe to be true based on an opinion. Fact is the truth.

good luck

Yeah I've set up a website for myself like 3 times. It lasts 6 months and then becomes 403 Forbidden, Could Not Find, and I lost track of what's going on and give up.

Making your own website is such a pain, I'd say "professional web designers are a waste of time" as much as I'd say "professional voice actors are a waste of time, you should just do it yourself."
Which is hilarious.

I pick things up quick, like a book on AS3 ... spent 2 weeks on it, then put it down. Hats off to you.

That's one uuuuuugly webpage Dan's got for himself...

It's not what's on the outside that counts ... unless the inside is just as crappy.

Ugh, those voice actors are becoming a plague! We need more animators around here!

hahaha SOMEONE'S gotta animate those voices AMIRITE?!

Dan sounds like he'd be a great addition to the FOX news team. Or at least equally as hilarious.

he's just a man. Lookin' to make a buck. sigh

You can have all the theory and codes how to make a Webpage, but you need a DESIGNER EYE to make the proportions, colors and all the stuff. <a href="http://www.danoday.com/">http://www.danoday.com/</a> is designed so terribly that gave me herpes

I love Newgrounds for voice actors, is full of great talent

sorry for the herpes

also, i make extra money designing pages (only design, a friend does the code) and I hate when my clients says that the budget is too expensive, other guy can make the page a lot cheaper. But that guy is not a designer that makes everything in frontpage

I use Photoshop for my graphic elements and text editors (currently Sublime text) for my html and css. With php includes and more recent css, even Dreamweaver is kinda useless.

i like how you deviated from the question and yet still answered it correctly.
good show.

I'll be here next week.

lol I wish you could rate news.

Rated : TD;DR

Sidenote, the soft shadows on that character make it look like something Terry Gilliam could have doodled up.

i'm not a real drawer like you. i'm a cabinet.

are homosexual i will unblock you if not

not. sorry. wait.

YOU my god toshibas suck ass!

ditto wer19971997. This is funny and majorly informative, and FUNNY.

AND SAD

I'm not going to watch the video...But I think web designers will hate him for telling.

They will now have to un-teach and correct all of his bs when his students run to an expert to fix whatever monstrasity he "teaches" them how to generate. Managing client expectations is already hard enough without them thinking that the design and implementation process that result in an elegant and robust product take no skill or talent. Yes, it may take a designer only a few hours to make a website, but it took YEARS to gain the experience and speed, hone the eye for design, and gain competency beyond hacked together spaghetti code. That's part of the price tag, like any skilled labor.

This is literally the most accurate reply ever. I'm not kidding. The unteaching, managing expectations, the experience and eye, learned skills ... yes. All my yesses.

Another thought - the type of design you are doing matters, too. My wife was a newspaper designer for many years (look what happened to THAT industry.) Automotive designers come and go on cycles regularly. Web is a new(er) format. There will be ups and downs. Even quality people will struggle. The point remains: without design, what you have is D.I.Y., which can either be somewhat well put together, but missing something, or could be total CRAP, complete with Algerian font.

Remind me not to watch the video - I've seen enough scammers come and go, thank-you-very-much. 10 to 1 says he'll come up with an MLM scheme to go with this faux coaching next!

Don't watch the video, it will infuriate you ... if you have the slightest understanding of what it takes to build a website. Mainly because he uses the word "designer" in the context "paying too much" and "complete waste of money" again... and again ... and again. It's like there's no middle ground for him. All designers will fuck you blind.

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