Transparency on Mandy Job Postings

User Deleted

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Hello,

I've recently been talking to Mandy about the lack of transparency on certain job postings on the platform, as part of a more general discussion regarding lack of buyout fees for TV commercials etc (which I see on here fairly frequently). Mandy have said to me in emails that they "do not have the authority" to decide the rates which employers decide to offer on their platform, and that artists should be allowed to "exercise their autonomy" in deciding what rates they will work for.

So given this, in order to make it possible for VO artists to exercise said autonomy, and make informed decisions, I have suggested that on castings employers should be obligated to provide the following basic information:

1) Where the VO will be distributed e.g. social media, company website, internal use only, TV (and if so, how many TVRs), radio etc.
2) How long the VO will be used for.

That will better empower artists in their decision making regarding fair fees at the application stage, and provide a more transparent casting system. It's a very simple change which any fair employer would be happy to accomodate, and is the norm on other VO casting platforms such as Bodalgo.

We pay a lot in subs to this platform and I think it's only fair that they provide us with full information on job postings. If you agree with this change, write to Mandy in order and let them know at emails@mandy.com.

Editorial Comment Hi Iona,

Thanks for posting in our forum. We've reached out to you via email regarding this, but for transparency, we've included our reply below:

You may have seen that Mandy has been acquired by Backstage, and as such, we are currently in a discovery and integration phase. This does mean that whilst this is ongoing our current development pipeline has been paused. Over the next 18 months, we will be creating a single platform that will offer our members a more comprehensive service.

As always, if we can help with anything else please do reach out to us via emails@mandy.com.

The Mandy Team.

2 years ago
832
6

User Deleted

This profile has been archived

Thank you for your response to this post, and also via email.

From your statement, am I right in thinking that Mandy is not even considering implementing making any improvements on its platform for the next 18 months?

Editorial Comment Hi Iona,

Thanks for following up. As we move forward over the next 18 months changes will be made incrementally, rather than a complete pause for this period of time. Whilst we can't promise any immediate change, we are, as always, keeping track of member feedback and looking ahead to how we can best serve our members during this exciting time for The Mandy Network.

The Mandy Team.

2 years ago
1

Jamal Hadaway

Voice Over: English

Iona, what a great suggestion! Mandy/Backstage really need to do this!

2 years ago
2

Jane McIntyre

Voice Over: English

Thanks, Iona, for raising this key issue so articulately. And team Mandy, thanks for your response and for giving us an insight into possible changes and improvements ahead. As these changes are being made 'incrementally' and will therefore take some time to be finalised and implemented, can we be assured that there will be no (incremental or otherwise...) increases in fees during this period, and, hopefully, for some time afterwards as the changes bed in? Thanks.

Editorial Comment Hi Jane, thanks for posting.

We're currently reviewing all areas of our service, however, our pricing currently remains the same.

Thanks,

The Mandy Team

2 years ago
3

Carli Fish

Voice Over: English

Thanks Iona, I really hope your suggestions are implemented!

I would also be interested to see how other VOs feel about job listings that require custom demos as part of the application. I'd really like to see Mandy/Backstage encourage employers away from this if possible. It used to be that you'd apply with your reel then the employer would shortlist voices and ask for a demo at that stage. If a client likes my voice, I'm more than happy to record a demo so they can see how I read their script. However, most listings now require a custom read from the outset, which means we have to spend the time setting up, recording, and uploading a demo that sometimes isn't even listened to (understandably, they must receive hundreds). When every job application requires a custom read, it gets really time-consuming.

It would be great if the site could encourage employers to let us respond with our voice reel initially, or change the listing process so that custom demos can't be required as part of an application.

2 years ago
4

Jane McIntyre

Voice Over: English

Yep. Makes sense!

2 years ago
5

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