Below is an actual email from a client…wavering between two different styles for their production I’m supposed to voice:
“Sorry for the delay – we were just about to send it over to you when we got in a debate over what sort of style we were looking for. I originally wanted to do a video similar to what you did for our old site, www.xxxxx.com, only a little more high-energy. Your voice would sound like the “infomercial guy”, and the background music would be some generic high-energy rock music, e.g. in the style of “Eye of the Tiger” (similar to the background music they use if you’ve ever watched NFL highlights on ESPN). But then Txxxy pointed out that a lot of sites now are going to background-musicless “conversational” audio, such as the video here on www.dropbox.com. The voiceover is not supposed to sound like an infomercial; instead it sounds like your best buddy just telling you about his favorite website. Anyway, not sure if you would have any thoughts on that kind of thing, but we have to decide one way or the other before sending it over to you, because it would affect how you do the voice. So just wanted to update you on where we’re at. We’re asking some marketing guys we know for their opinion right now.”
I love this email for several reasons:
1) for it’s honesty
2) for the thought going into their production
3) for the clichè debate (announcery v. conversational)
4) that they asked for my input
5) that they’re not rushing the project for expediency’s sake
This is not a big-budget job, nor is the client a major force…yet. But doncha wish more clients took the time to tread thoughtfully through the copywriting and conceptualizing minefield?
I do.
)))))sigh(((((
Why does that go away when the client/producer/agent gets too big for their britches and somehow your opinion doesn’t matter any more? Don’t you come to the studio as part of the “team” of professionals to make said project the best it can be?
I think so.
That’s the “sell” I’m making to my clients…that I have a valued professional opinion, and it can benefit their product concept.
CourVO
