Why are sample scripts so long?

Hi Sivan,

No, I won't record more than a paragraph for an audition either. Reason being that 10-20 seconds should be enough for the client to decide on whether my voice is suited to their project. Plus, there's a chance the audition won't get listened to anyway.

Lastly, a few years ago, a client booked me from my audition. I recorded the script, sent it in and heard nothing. My emails and calls to chase up were ignored, then a couple of months later, I saw the production - with my voice narrating - online!

Forgive me for taking your post slightly off-topic but while I appreciate we're in difficult times at present, I have to say I've experienced a very poor quality of employer here at Mandy in recent months. Perhaps a bit more qualification of such employers is needed Mandy?

Thanks

• 3 years ago
• 1

Glad this has been brought up again, this is an ongoing problem. & will continue to be until more of us speak out.

• 3 years ago
• 2

Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate that this has been brought up before and that Mandy have a 2min read demo function, but even that time limit, which is actually pretty long, can still include a full read. Many commercials are only 30secs long, so this 2min cutoff doesn't protect us from that at all. I'm still seeing loads of long scripts and don't actually know if they're full or not so don't bother to apply. Anything more than 4 lines is too much to be honest, all clients should be able to hear a voice and decide from that amount.
I am thinking of not renewing my account because of this, I just don't feel protected.

Surely there can be better guidelines for clients? Please only provide x amount of lines for your sample script... no taglines... corporate samples can be no longer than 1 paragraph of up to 4 lines...

• 3 years ago
• 3

This is the last job posting sample script. It's way too long.

'Exploitation. The act of vulnerable people being oppressed by others, often unseen, often hidden in the shadows. This exploitation is happening here. It could be happening to your friends, to your neighbours, to workers, or people you walk by in the streets every day. The exploited may be too scared or frightened to ask for help, or too hidden from your gaze to be noticed. They will be subject to violence, manipulation and intimidation, damaging both their physical and mental health. The exploiters, meanwhile, do this for the purpose of organised crime. To sell drugs, sell weapons, sell sex, sell people – all in the name of making money at the expense of those unfortunate enough to be hidden in their shadow. County lines, modern slavery, cuckooing, human trafficking, child sexual exploitation. You may have heard these different words, but the pattern is the same. It is exploitation, it is organised crime, and it is happening here, now. But by working together, if we shine a light into the shadows, we can help the vulnerable see. Give them a point of focus, a light at the end of the tunnel. Shining a spotlight onto those whom cast the shadows, their crimes, the damage they cause. Drawing attention to the dark, making the light unavoidable, unable to hide any longer. We can tackle exploitation and protect the vulnerable, together.'

Mandy editorial team, can you honestly say this is appropriate for a sample script?

• 3 years ago
• 4

Another one

'At Mars Pet Nutrition, we’ve reached an amazing milestone of 10 billion dollars in annual sales. 85 years of caring for hundreds of millions of pets It means early starts... ...hours of dedication. and late nights. But to pets and pet parents, it means so much more. It means happier, longer lives. More walks. More cuddles. More warm laps. And for that, we want to thank every single one of our associates. To celebrate reaching such a remarkable milestone, we’re donating one million dollars, to organisations working to end pet homelessness. Now we’re inviting you to take part in our 10 seconds for 10 billion campaign. So gather your pets and send a 10 second thank you message to your fellow associates, thanking them for all that they do.'

Again, why is 4 lines not enough? This seems like a full copy to me and how would I know if they use my audition or not?

• 3 years ago
• 5

The Mars one I applied for, But even that was too long for me. But in these difficult times we're applying for stuff we wouldn't normally do. maybe we should stop applying until things change.

• 3 years ago
• 6

Hi everyone,

It would be great if this could be re-addressed please Mandy team, as it’s a recurring theme for us vo’s.

Although most clients are genuine; we know from this thread that sadly mis-use of auditions can and does occur. Ergo, if we give a full read, we have absolutely no control over what then happens to it.

The fix should be fairly straightforward.
For example, the input field where a sample script is pasted could only accept up to a certain number or characters (alongside a note embedded into the field asking clients not to post full scripts).

Most people listening to our auditions probably wouldn’t get past the first 20-30 seconds anyway, with potentially hundreds of applications to consider - so there shouldn’t be a loss for any party in implementing changes.

Best wishes,

Helen

• 3 years ago
• 7

Thank you to all who have brought this to attention! x

• 3 years ago
• 8

Congratulations Sivan and others for encouraging a policy change at Mandy as this has been one of my bugbears since joining the platform.
While we’re discussing change, could the Mandy team please consider following up ALL auditions and tell us whether jobs have been filled or not?
After taking time and effort, seeing the audition status section left blank leads to a pretty disconnected and soulless experience.
Thank you!

• 3 years ago
• 9

Excellent point Carson, unfortunately for us actors blank places next to jobs can really affect our mental health. Mandy are charging us for using the site with not much money coming in for us actors during these difficult times the price can be expensive with what seems not much in return at this present time. So if these 2 points that both Carson & Sivan have brought up can not only be looked at but addressed that would help us all immensely.

• 3 years ago
• 10

Thanks to the Mandy team for listening to our feedback and for implementing the new 75 word limit. It means so much to be heard and for subsequent action to be taken.
Thanks for all the posts here in support of this change and suggesting others (filling of jobs) that will only lead to our protection.

• 3 years ago
• 11

And changing the status of the job posts when the position has been filled will definitely lead to managing expectations... which ultimately leads to better mental health. Thanks Tony and Carson for pointing that out.

• 3 years ago
• 12

Thanks Sivan and Carson for raising these points on our behalf.
Can I especially add my support to Carson's point about the audition status . I am fairly new to the VO world and find it very unprofessional that employers don't let us know the status of the job or whether we have been shortlisted or not.
We take time to record auditions and then are left completely in the dark , surely its only common courtesy !?

• 3 years ago
• 13

Thank you Lorraine, Tony and Sivan for your support. I’m new to VO and I’m learning changing the culture of clients is an uphill task so I’m asking the Mandy team to be more proactive when it comes to application status.
A recent example for me is when I was contacted by two clients while I was away for the weekend.
They liked my auditions but both asked for me to approach the jobs with a slightly different tone.
So as I was eager to land my first jobs, I left my wife and family late on a Saturday night to work Into the early hours in my home studio. Over the next few days, I found myself constantly refreshing the status page and NOTHING. BLANK.
I know many will say that’s part of the business so just get on with it! But for my subscription fee I would expect Mandy to actively follow these jobs up to let us know the outcome?
After all - the clients DON’T WORK FOR US! Mandy does!
Rant over...

• 3 years ago
• 14

This feed has has only confirmed my suspicions. We are basically wide open here. What can stop them from using our auditions? Trust? No. We need clear policies to prevent them even obtaining downloads of the auditions. There will always be those that will take advantage. It appears as a Mandy doesn't get a cut of our work past our subscription fee, there is no incentive to protect us. We got your money, your on your own from here kiddo

• 3 years ago
• 15

I don't think I've ever recorded a full demo script if its long, It's just not necessary. A sentence or 2 at most, that's more than enough to gage if I'll be right for the project. I've never seen a stipulation that the whole script needs to be recorded in order to be considered and if there was, I'd see that as a red flag

• 3 years ago
• 16

Thank you folks.....it seems for a while the posting size of scripts got a bit smaller...then boom people asking for reams of script again......it sort of worries me that if one does record the longer scripts and one never hears anything again...you wonder if occasionally your demo might have found its way on to a site that uses it. I am sure you at Mandy monitor this....it does help if an application is marked as Filled as you have started doing recently. I would still love the prob about the applied for job demos filling up our storage space dealt with.

• 3 years ago
• 17

Sivan....I hope you got money out of the disreputable client who used your demo.....you should name and shame!...Yes this sort of thing does worry me. We have to be trusting but it does sometimes make one wary

• 3 years ago
• 18

I second Carla, I've still had to delete application demos as they counted towards my 30 file limit.

• 3 years ago
• 19

Thanks everyone for voicing EXACTLY what I have been thinking. The longers scripts also really need to be edited so need to be recorded, editited and uploaded - rather than using the onscreen recording facitlity, otherwise they will sound completley amatureish. Mandy please can you advise your clients on the rules when they post? Its only curteous. Many are perhaps new to the game and dont realise what needs to be requesed and what doesnt. Thanks

• 3 years ago
• 20