Recession "Snowball" Buries Voice Actors?

The spider ate a fly.... and so on and so on. It’s becoming evident that this trickle down effect is being felt in the world of voice overs. Voice actors are starting to feel the pinch of the recession. According the one of my favourite business writers Jim Edwards at BNET, clients are taking much longer to pay the the ad agencies. His article is a real eye opener ...” The news is predictable: In a recession, every company will try to delay payments as long as possible in order to keep the interest earned on the money.
But in the advertising business, delayed payment is an ongoing issue that frustrates agencies, who end up becoming their clients’ banks. Basically, if a client expects an agency to handle large upfront costs and then delays payments, the agency ends up acting as the client’s financier.
The issue becomes thornier because, knowing that every day without payment is a day on which the agency loses its own interest on the missing cash, agencies seek ways to reduce their exposure that aren’t always in the client’s best interest.
The temptation is to manipulate the vendor bidding process in order to go with vendors that are more flexible about waiting for payments from agencies, rather than those that provide the best work.”...MORE. Also check out the article from the WSJ....MORE.
These massive companies get into bed with an ad agency and during a recession neither one leaves a virgin. What the company has to do now is start to advertise smarter, get more for their ad dollars. Look at new media like the internet, pick better times to advertise on TV, change your ads so people don’t get bored with them and shop around for a good fair priced ad agency. You are paying WAY TOO MUCH right now.
As for the ad agency, who by the way are in real trouble too.
“At least 24,502 jobs have been lost recently. That total is based on a Bureau of Labour Statistics report as summarised by Ad Age, updated with more recent individual reports tracked by BNET”......MORE. Just get back to good honest basics.
The voice actor is caught in the middle of this whole mess. The client hires the ad agency, who in turn hires the voice actor to voice the commercial. So the whole house of cards comes tumbling down if the client fails to pay the agency. As a voice actor I’d like to see ad agency clients and ad agencies, start using a grass roots common sense approach to advertising. In a recession you have to advertise more. A couple of reasons for you here, it takes a bit more convincing for folks to get out a spend their hard earned dollars and it gives you a leg up on your competition who cut their ad budgets during a recession. You won’t be history but, people will remember you after the recession is history. Thanks for the read, comments are always welcome and if you need help with your advertising, feel free to contact me.
Bryan Cox-Voice Actor
bigbry@sasktel.net



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Don LaFontaine SNUBBED by OSCAR

Mr LaFontaine was not included in the Oscars In Memoriam montage. He was the voice of thousands movie trailers that put millions of movie goers in the seats of theatres across the world. Everyone seems of be upset that Brad Renfro (who was he TMZ?) was omitted. He was a drug addict and not a member of the Academy. You wonder why he was dropped...ummm. Don did more for the movie industry that Refro could ever do. Don didn’t use, good looks, box office draw, star power, to bring people out to the movies...he just used his “voice”. When folks heard that one line, “In a World”, they knew this is a movie the had to see. Shame on the Academy. Don you will not be forgotten!! If you'd like to complain to the Academy... http://www.oscars.org/contact/general.html


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CRTC "Don't know DICK"

The CRTC is moving toward controlling Internet in Canada. China does a great job of that too. On the verge if having a whole new internet IPv6 unveiled, you wonder about their timing. The CRTC should have absolutely nothing to do with the Internet. In my opinion, these men and women, kind of know radio, tv and telecommunications, and in my opinion they don’t know that very well either. So why would they think they could handle the internet? If the Government thinks they MUST get involved with the internet, then there should be is a whole government ministry devoted to to internet. That works with Canadians to make it better and more useful. It should be staffed by qualified internet people not bureaucrats. But if they start to play the censorship card like the CRTC does so well...shut em down. Please keep the CRTC doing what they’re good at, ruining broadcasting in Canada.
Here’s a list of the government appointed commissioners and a brief bio , but to find out more please visit http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/home-accueil.htm
I ask you to think about how many REALLY know Broadcasting. I mean worked in it, have a solid background. How many have worked with the internet from the ground up...really have an understanding of it. I’m talking about QUALIFIED EXPERTS in both fields.
Mr Finckenstein...You have a Judge
Mr. Arpin..You have a guy with only 8 years Broadcasting Experience before becoming a Bureaucrat.
Mr. Katz..a Telecommunications guy...but also in charge of broadcasting
Ms Cugini...a broadcasting Bureaucrat.
Mr. Denton...a lawyer
Ms. Duncan...she was a financial officer.
Ms Lamarre..Broadcast engineer with the CBC
Mr Menzies...Newspaper guy
Ms. Molnar...Customer Service Bureaucrat for a phone company
Mr. Morin..30 years as a journalist, but worked for Radio-Canada and RDI.
Mr. Patrone...a reporter
Ms. Poirier...a municipal politician
Mr. Simpson...a marketing and public relations guy
Mr. A. Morin...been employed by the Government in various departments, a Bureaucrat.
You tax dollars are paying for these folks to be the watch dogs of Canadian Media and now the Internet. This is like putting a 7-11 gas jockey in charge of GM. I can’t sing a note but I have over 25 year experience in Radio and Broadcasting, maybe I should become a singer and make records. Hey, I used to play them. The world of Media is changing at a very rapid pace and in my opinion the CRTC has out live it’s usefulness. Time to go. Time to be replaced by people that know what they’re doing.
Thanks for the reading my opinion.
Bryan Cox




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The CRTC are Idiots

They must wake up every morning and say, “I think people respect us too much. Lets come up with a idiotic idea.” Then they go over to the wall where they’ve written down all their stupid ideas and throw a dart at it, and when the dart hits one, that’s the one they go public with. The Canadian Broadcast Watchdogs, the CRTC, have really out done themselves this time. This arm of the Government not only tells Canadian broadcasters that they must run 50%+ Canadian programming but they also block US shows for being shown in Canada on the internet. Some what Communist China does with articles about politics and subjects like “How to make a product without Lead”.
Canadian Broadcasters are coming off a very bad year. Profits are down over 60% in some cases. Now the CRTC say that they are looking at the idea to retool Television in Canada. Their idea is, that for every dollar that Canadian TV execs spend bringing in a US show ( ie CSI, American Idol) they must spend an equal amount on the production on a Canadian show.
With a record layoffs, due to extreme financial losses in the Television industry, the CRTC have come up with an idea that's going to shove an already ailing industry, that makes stuff that no one wants to watch, into the dumper a bit quicker.
Let’s face it, people like the US shows, that’s why they’re watching. The US makes high budget good TV, most of the time. So the CRTC thinks that the more money broadcasters spend on a show, the better the show. NO. Shows in Canada are made on much smaller budgets that their US counter parts. So if more money is thrown at a Canadian show, they’ll take it, saying, WOW now we can pay our people like they do in the US.” Think for a minute here too, when the actor and broadcast unions find out that you’re getting more money, they’ll want more money. You end up with the same “Anne of Green Gables” or David Suzuki saving the gopher shows, just with a bigger price tag on them.
Here’s an idea, make shows that “real people” want to watch. You could go to the government and ask for a bail out. I’m sure that Canadians would mind their money being spent on keeping Television alive in Canada. After all, isn’t that what we’re doing by funding the CRTC?
Remember there are millions of Canadians out of a job... and what do they have to do all day, except watch tv..nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
In a perfect Canadian television world, the CRTC would shut down all US signals coming into Canada and force us all to watch nothing but television made for, and by Canadians. So much for free enterprise. That’s my opinion. I have over 25 years experience in Broadcasting.
Thanks for the read,
Bryan Cox

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Cox on Corner Gas

Well it’s over with now and it’s been on the air. My little cameo on the hit tv show “Corner Gas”. Yes, it is the Number 1 sitcom in Canada. it was a blast to do and the whole crew was incredible. Although I have a 18 inch neck and the shirt I was wearing was 15...lol. Here’s a clip of what it looked like. Keep your eye’s open for the Passport Official...he’s a real Jack ass...lol
Hope you enjoy this as much as I did doing it.
Bryan Cox






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Demonstrations???

What are you doing? Demonstrating is like flavour of the week. Back in the 60’s and 70’s if was the cool thing to do and it did have an impact on the government of the day. Nowadays there are actually people that make their living putting together demonstrations against what ever... Unions, the WTO, Israel, Palestine etc. They’ve become such an everyday occurrence, in the eye’s of John Q public, they’ve lost the impact they’re to have. Alot like trying to beat someone with a piece of wet spaghetti.
Now as for the demonstrations for Israel or for Palestine. Good for you both ...you have a point of view. You get up off that nice comfy sofa and hit the streets and if you get hurt, don’t worry your free health care will look after you. You yell and hold your little signs. Reality check, John Q public in Canada does not care about what YOU have to say. If you got hit in the head with a object, that’s worth the media coverage. Alot like watching a car race, everyone is waiting for that big pile up. And if you think the government is listening, good luck with that too.
Here it is for you Mr. Demonstrator, if you want to make a difference get off your sofa and go over to Israel or Palestine and fight for them. At one demonstration there was actually one person asking folks to sign up and go over and fight. His list was very very small. Or if that’s to much, sponsor a family or even just the children to come and live Canada. I’m sure our Government would love to have a few members of Hamas living in Canada and good luck with immigration. How about this, if you don’t want to go over there, send over , let’s say, half your monthly pay check to help with the cause. You don’t think the world wide recession has hit the war effort yet?
So have fun on the on the demonstration front line. It be nice to see you sponsored by some company. Have their company name on your placard. Who knows it might create some jobs in Canada.




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Election WINNERS?

What are the chances that an election would be going on in Canada and the US at the same time. Pretty good if you consider that, in the US, a child could be born when the election process starts, and be walking and talking by the time it finishes.
In the US the candidates have high priced image consultants that make sure that they look good and show personality. In Canada, not the same thing at all, a couple of the leaders are pretty stiff. It’s so bad, that big drug companies are trying to hand out a few nicknames, Harper is toying with the nickname, Viagra, and Dion seems to be heading for, Cialias. Lets face it, in Canada it’s really a race between the Conservatives and the Liberals and the one thing that either leader wants is, E. D., which stands for “Election Deficit”. Who’s going to win, well it’s “hard” to say. Who ever wins, with nicknames like that, you just know what they’re going to do to Canadians over the next 4 years.
Now, everyone wants to know who’s going to win the US election. I’m going to make a prediction here, which based on the amount of displayed lawn signs. McCain or Obama who has more signs? As I see it right now the winner will be some guy by the name of.... “Foreclosure”.
Which ever country you live in, on election day, just get out and VOTE!
Thanks for the read.
Bryan Cox







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