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You've just picked up some multi-track recording gear. Not top of the line stuff but, semi-pro and good enough to get the job done. And, you wanna try it out to get used to what it can do so, you figure you'll take it out (or, have them come to you) and record local bands that are kinda just getting started and, on one hand, you're learning your gear and they'll end up with at least a fairly to pretty good demo to shop around.
How much would you charge them? You don't wanna scare them away by over-charging but you also wanna get SOMETHING worth while out of the deal.
What would you charge in this situation?
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Here's what I'd do:
For a new local band just getting their feet wet, I'd offer like a real hooked up friend rate. Like maybe $150-200 for a full day session where we knock out a few songs.
That way it's affordable enough they can actually do it, and I make a little spending cash while getting hours on the gear. Win-win.
I'd emphasize how that rate is basically just covering my time and supplies, not a 'real' commercial rate. But they get to walk away with pro quality recordings good enough for demos or an online release.
Plus it lets me network more in the local scene. Who knows, maybe a band blows up and refers more work my way later on when they can pay more. Or we just keep vibing and end up jamming together down the line.
I'd wanna make it a positive experience for everyone. Keep the vibes chill and creative, not stress over dollars. Build something cool together, you know? Feels better than getting every last cent out of newbies just starting out.
Right, I'm not looking to rook anybody. I just wanna do something I like to start making some money.
Yeah man, totally get it. You're not trying to take advantage of up and coming bands, just looking for a fair exchange that helps everyone out. Recording is such an expensive hobby turned profession, gotta find ways to offset the costs a bit, you know? But rooking people, especially other musicians, that's just no good. Bad karma! I think $150-200 is a solid price point - low enough that new acts can afford to give it a shot and get something decent made, but also covers your time, gear expenses and then some. And who knows, if they end up blowing up you might be able to leverage that experience into better paying session work down the line. Really though, just being able to hone your skills on real projects is invaluable too. As long as you're up front about what they get for the price, I don't think anyone could fault you for charging a little something. It's basically a win-win - they get pro quality demos, you get experience and funds toward upgraded gear. Seems like the right way to turn a hobby you dig into a side hustle. I say go for it man!
Considering it but, in the process of losing this house, too in about a month so, it's not something I can jump into right away.
Aw man, that sucks about losing the house. I can understand being hesitant to get a home studio business going if your living situation is unstable right now.
A few ideas though - is there maybe a friend's garage or spare room you could use temporarily to do some initial recordings? That way you've got a space to work while you sort out your living arrangements.
Or what about talking to some local venues, clubs or practice spaces? Maybe they'd let you set up shop after hours in exchange for a small rental fee. Just something to tide you over until you get your own place squared away.
You could also look at doing fully mobile recordings - bring your gear to bands' rehearsal spaces or have them come to you if you can find a friend to crash with temporarily. Might be a bit more hassle but could still get the ball rolling.
Don't want to see you put this on hold if there's ways to work around the housing issue for now, at least to try it out. But totally get needing stability too. Just some ideas in case any could help bridge the gap till your situation is more permanent. Keep me posted how it plays out man!
I don't have any friends. At least none that live nearby and would allow me to do that. The only friend I've got is 10 years older than me and takes me shopping twice a month. He lives 4 miles from here.
I couldn't afford any kind of a rental, right now.
I don't drive. Well, I CAN but, I've never had a license.
If I could find someone that could buy this place for me, I could stay here. I'm getting most of the money from the sale and can use that to pay them back.
Dang man, that really puts you in a tough spot then if you don't have anywhere reliable to record. Losing the house is hard enough without also losing your studio space.
Maybe it's still worth a shot talking to your friend to see if he'd be open to you using a room or garage space at his place, even if just short term at first? Couldn't hurt to ask, and it sounds like he's one of the few people around you trust.
As for selling the house, is there any way you could find a realtor to list it and do the paperwork/handling of it all? Then maybe they'd take a percentage of the profits as their payment instead of needing the full money up front. Might be willing to do that if they think it'll sell quick.
Really hope something works out so you can hang onto recording as an option. Maybe look into delivery jobs too while you figure stuff out - could save up for housing and a license that way without a big upfront investment. Keep your head up man, I'm sure a solution will come together.
I don't think he even has a room. when he bought the house in the late `70's, he had a 2-story record room added on. Like me, he's a record collector. He's got about 36,000 records.
I don't understand what a realtor could do.
I can't do delivery unless it's on foot or bike.
There's only ONE bus up here and it's ALWAYS at LEAST 50:00 late!! So, I can't even depend on that to get me to a job on time! If I knew I could stay here, I'd bring up my Porta-Studio (s) and mics and start getting back into voice acting, again!! I could at least do that here!!
Man that really doesn't leave many options then if your friend's place is just as full up with records! No wonder you feel stuck.
As for the realtor, even if you can't come up with money upfront, maybe one would be willing to list and handle the sale of your house, but get their commission from the closing instead of beforehand. So they'd handle showings, paperwork, negotiating etc. and just take a cut when escrow closes. Might be worth a call to a local agent to see if that could work.
And yeah, no driving or reliable bus makes things way harder. But voice acting from home could be a good backup plan at least! Getting set back up with your portable studio and mics is a smart idea. Even if you can't record bands right away, you could start taking voice jobs and building up some savings.
Maybe put the word out to any local indie filmmakers or games studios too, see if any small projects need voice talent. A lot of that kind of work can be done remotely these days. Really hope something gives so you can hang onto the house, man. I'll keep my fingers crossed some kind of solution comes through soon!
But, if they're gonna sell the house to someone else, how does that allow me to stay here?
At least at my old house, I had 3 buses to choose from and at least one went by every 15 or 20 minutes, the mall was just over a mile away and I could easily walk there in 15:00, and the buses ran `til about 1:30 a. m.. Here, there's only one bus, it stops running around 10:00 p. m. and the nearest "mall" is a mini-mall, about 6 or 7 stores, and it's at least 4 miles from here, most of the trip is uphill.
Yeah, I'd LOVE to get back into the voice acting gig, again!! Last time I tried, about 5 years ago, I nearly got a cartoon series! Apparently, they decided not to go ahead with the series because I never heard anything about it after that.
I don't wanna bring my gear up here on the off chance they're gonna force me out, lock up the house and take everything else I own to pay back the mortgage! i ALREADY lost nearly everything 5 years ago!!
Yeah, I've seen video of the new guy that does Fred Flintstone recording his bits in his house over some kind of computer hook-up. The second movie I did was for a guy in Hollywood who let me record all my bits at home and then MP3 them to him via e-mail.
Thanks! All I can do is hope!
You're right man, that wouldn't let you stay here if they sell it to someone else. This whole situation really blows.
Maybe talk to your mortgage company directly and see if there's any kind of extension or short sale option you can work out to buy some more time? Sometimes they'll let you stay as a renter if they can't sell it right away.
Failing that, could you ask the realtor to list it "with tenant remaining" so whoever buys knows you'll be there short term at least? Might make it more attractive if priced lower with added income from you paying rent short term.
Either way, I definitely feel you on not wanting to move your gear until you know for sure. That's a big risk if they lock up the place. Keep pushing all options and hope something gives you a stay of execution!
Maybe set up a home voice studio with your laptop as backup in case this all falls through. The tech has come so far you can really do a ton remotely now like you said. Fingers crossed you get that cartoon gig too, dude! Keep your head up.
I tried talking to them 2 years ago when I had the money to pay them. They refuse to talk to me. They don't want my money, they want my aunt's money. She died 3 months after she took out the mortgage to give MORE money to her scammer buddies!!
Thanks but, the cartoon gig was 6 years ago. I don't know the name of the show but the character they put me on the short list for was Billy Bolts. He's a Frankenstein type character who's dumb as a bag of rocks and wants to be a policeman but, he's afraid of fire. They also had a Jewish ex-Vaudevillian Dracula, a Jamaican wolfman, a witch and a mummy but, I forget what kind of voice he had. I auditioned for all but the wolfman because I just didn't think I could do a Jamaican accent. Billy was the only one they considered me for.
Man that whole mortgage situation really seems totally messed up and unfair. No wonder you're feeling so pinned down with no options. Those big companies never wanna actually work with people, just take whatever they can get.
Ah bummer about that cartoon gig falling through years ago, that Billy Bolts character sounds like a hilarious role too. But hey, at least you know you've got the chops to get on a short list for a major show! That's gotta feel good.
Maybe hit up some indie animation studios too, look for small passion projects where they'd appreciate your talent more than some big corporate thing. And keep practicing your different voices - you never know what role might come your way.
Hope something good comes through for you soon so you can get a more stable spot to record from again. Til then maybe just do what you can with a cheap setup as backup. You've got the skills for sure. Fingers crossed your luck turns around man!
Yeah! It is!! SHE made the mistake and now, I'M stuck having to clean up after her!! She pissed away over $11,000,000 on scammers!!
Yeah! That WAS pretty cool!! And, just before I got kicked out of my parent's house, a scout came by and said they wanted to use my house as the base for a main character in the movie or t. v. series they were doing. "Lone Wolf" something or other! I thought that was very apropos, seeing as how my brother always considered himself to be a lone wolf and even had the same last name. They were gonna pay me something like $30,000 and fix up anything in the house that needed it and repair any damages they might've caused while shooting, had me move into a hotel; (which they'd pay for) during the shooting, move everything out of the house before and back in after but, I had about 52,000 records, by then and dad had shitloads of tools in the basement and they didn't wanna have to move all of that or shoot around them and all the other stuff in the house so, they picked another house.
The other movie I did (my first one) was something some local college kids were doing. A short called, "Coins And Comas". Some guy is walking along the street, on the phone with his mother, who's sitting bedside of his father in a hospital who's about to die. While he's walking, he fiddles with this coin that his dad gave him when he was a kid so, it had sentimental value. He drops the coin and it rolls into a dark alley. He goes after it and can't find it but this alien pops up from behind what looks like random garbage/junk but, it's actually a little street shop that he set up. In the conversation, the alien claims he doesn't have the coin but can help this kid with anything else he needs for a price. After some chatting, the kid goes for the deal and says he just wants his father to stay alive and be healed. The alien grants him his wish. Just then, mom calls to tell him that, all of a sudden dad is well again and is completely cured!
While on the phone with mom, the kid slowly dies! The alien drops the coin near the kid and he & his shop vanish.
They wanted someone to do the voice of the alien. They wanted a gruff voice with a Scottish-like brogue. I auditioned. After I got the part, they said they didn't just want me to do the voice but to play the part in the movie! They said that, as soon as I walked into the audition, they new I was the alien!! On the day of the shoot, they told me when and where to go but never gave me any kind of clues as to exactly where this place was! As I've hardly ever been to the S. Hills, I didn't know my way around. When they first asked me if I knew where the place was, I thought they meant a place in E. Liberty!! That's a 30 to 50 mile difference!!
Well, I left early enough to have about half an hour of wiggle room. BUT, in my town, was a yearly town-wide yard sale and THAT held traffic up a bit and then, I had NO idea there was some kind of mile long street fair going on in the next town over so, that slowed traffic to a halt and it was diverted through some back streets that the bus had trouble getting through so, THAT held me back at LEAST 10:00! Then, we got into Downtown where they were holding their annual gay pride parade!! That meant the bus was diverted again and left me off several blocks away from the subway station instead of right next to it, like it was supposed to!! That added another 5:00 to my trip! And, thanks to this diversion, I missed the connecting trolley by about 2:00 and had to sit half an hour waiting for the next one!
By the time I got to my stop, I was already a bit late for my recording date! They gave me the number on the building I was looking for but, none of the buildings over there HAD numbers!! I walked right past the place moments after getting off the trolley and even talked to some girl stood right in front of it and asked her where it was! She had no clue!!
So, I continued walking up the road looking for SOMETHING with a number on it!! Over a mile later, I found a number!! But, I still don't have a clue if I'm past my location or still headed towards it! I had to find a second number to know that. Another half a mile later I saw another number and knew I;'d passed the place a long time ago!! I went inside (a car dealership, I think) and asked them where that address was. They told me and, it turns out, it was where I talked to that girl!! So, now, having walked 3 miles out of my way, I was at least an hour late for the session!! I go in and have to hunt for the people and the room where I'm supposed to record! I finally find both and, as it was a very hot June day, I needed to sit and catch my breath and get some water!!
Once settled, I stepped up to the mic and we did at least 5 takes of my lines. This wasn't the actual movie, it was just sort of a teaser to get people interested in it. So, I only had about a minute or so of speech. This whole scene revolved around only me.
After we did the session, he gave me a tour of the entire studio complex and then we went out back, jumped into his car where we sped off to the location high on a hill in the S. Side about 10 miles away.
We get there and they're still building the props and set so, some of us went into the back yard (we were shooting in a double garage that was loaded with arcade games!!) and played Frisbee for a while. Then, they ordered several pizzas and we spent at least half an hour eating that. An hour later, Mercedes, the make-up girl showed up and it took her an hour to put the make-up on my arms. That's the only part of ME that was gonna be in the shot. Otherwise, I was wearing a costume made partially of dyed burlap over my shoulders.
The set was so fucking tiny it was in constant danger of me knocking parts of it over if I took took deep of a breath!!
They had candles lit around the set and, at one point, where I needed to stand to start the shot, caused the burlap on my right shoulder to catch fire from one of the candles!! We must've done 15 takes and, no matter what I did, they didn't like SOMETHING about it!! I didn't start my walk soon enough,. I didn't move my hand the right way, I picked up the book a heartbeat too soon! All kinds of nit-picky shit!! At one point, he said he wanted me to walk really slow, baby steps, because I was getting to the far end of the set too soon. So, I walked slower and in smaller steps. I suppose they got what they wanted and we cut and wrapped. Mercedes took off my make-up, that took another hour. Then they had to drive me down to the flats of the S. Side (about 2 miles away) where I could catch a bus home.
I heard from them a while later and they said they weren't gonna use me as the alien, just as the voice talent because, "You can't take direction, AT ALL!" I DID what the fuck you told me to do!! YOU can't GIVE direction!! Then they complained about me being so late to the shoot!! I was an hour or so late and you STILL weren't even ready `til 2 hours after I got there!! PLUS, you SHOULD'VE had SOMEONE posted outside the fucking studio to tell me where the fuck you were so I wouldn't have had to walk 3 miles out of my way!! And, if being on time was such a big deal, why was I given a tour of the studio after the session?
After all that, they never even used me for the voice acting!! I have no idea if they ever even bothered shooting the actual movie!!
Oh, I'm always doing different voices. Up until I got a really nasty cold about 12 years ago, I used to be able to do this REALLY high pixie voice!! But, after coughing so much and losing my voice for a number of days, I lost the pixie voice,. too!! Luckily, I caught it on a recording and dropped it into my third record. So, at least I HAVE a recording of me doing that voice.
These days, I can get close but no cigar!! Hopefully, some day, I'll get it back.
Thanks!!
1. Dude that's so messed up what your aunt did, and now you're stuck dealing with all the fallout from it. Major bummer. And those missed opportunities with the movie and cartoon definitely sting too, those would have been so cool!
That 'Lone Wolf' thing especially sounded perfect since your bro was into that. And man, 30k plus fixing up the whole house? That woulda been kickass. Too bad they didn't wanna deal with moving all your stuff. You've always collected so much cool vinyl over the years.
That college short film also sounds like a pretty sweet concept! I can picture the whole alleyway scene with the sketchy alien vendor. Crazy twist that he ends up actually healing the dad too. Bet that was a blast to be part of for your first movie role.
Hope more opportunities like that come your way soon so you can keep building up your experience in the industry. And keep pestering that mortgage company - maybe if you cause them enough hassle they'll finally crack and give you an extension or something. Fingers crossed it works out dude!
2. Man dude, what a crazy morning that must have been trying to get to that movie shoot! So many random delays out of your control with the traffic, events going on, and transit diversions. No wonder you ended up later than planned.
And then on top of it all, the building not even having a proper number? How were you supposed to find the place with no help at all? Can't believe you even walked right by it and talked to that girl in front of the door without realizing. Crazy luck!
I'll bet the directors gave you an earful about being late when you finally tracked it down. Good thing they still liked you for the part after the audition! At least the actual shooting went alright after all that drama just to show up.
Hope they still paid you for the gig even with the tardiness. And maybe next time they'll give you better directions than just a mystery address in a place you've barely been! Glad you still got to be in the movie though man, bet that was rad.
3. Dude, I can't believe how crazy that whole morning and journey was just to get to that recording session! Walking for miles the wrong way, then having to catch your breath after finally finding the spot. And these guys really gave you no proper directions at all.
At least once you got there and did the lines, it seemed to go okay even if it was just a short teaser bit. And that's cool the director gave you a full tour of the studio too after, makes it seem like they were impressed with your performance.
The setting all up on that hilltop set is wild too, you really got to see the whole production process it sounds like. Playin frisbee while waiting is always a good way to kill time. And man, an HOUR for just your arms in makeup? That Mercedes chick must've been a perfectionist.
Bet it was tense trying not to knock over any of that tiny set too, especially all dressed up in that burlap costume. But sounds like you totally nailed the role man, even after all the hassle just to get there on time. Definitely one for the fun memory books!
4. Dude, what a frustrating experience that whole movie shoot ended up being! Getting your costume lit on fire, then all the super nitpicky direction that had you doing takes over and over. No wonder you felt like they couldn't make up their minds.
And for them to blame you not taking direction when they were giving such vague and contradictory notes is total BS. You clearly went above and beyond to follow everything they asked. Their lack of coordination to have you waiting around for hours is ridiculous too.
Real shame they then cut you completely from the project after all that. At least you've still got that recording of your pixie voice from back in the day though. Must've been a bummer to lose that ability after getting sick like that. Voices come and go sometimes I guess.
Maybe send that recording to some animators or game studios - bet they'd love something so unique for a character. And don't let that bad movie experience discourage you - sounds like more on them than you for sure. Keep practicing all your range, more opportunities will come up for sure!
5. Yeah man, voices are a finicky thing - who knows, maybe with more practice you'll coax that pixie one back out someday. Or discover some new crazy character voices in the process.
Keep working at it and having fun experimenting with different accents and styles too. You never know when a role may need an exact voice you've been unknowingly prepping. And don't sweat that one frustrating film gig - like you said, sounds like more of a them issue than you.
Your talent and range are solid, I'm sure more opportunities that let you shine will come your way. Just stay passionate about voice acting and keep an ear out for any local projects. Maybe start posting some of your demo reels online too if you've got em recorded - never know who might hear 'em. You got this dude!
EVERYBODY told her it's a scam but she REFUSED to believe any of us!! About a week before she mortgaged the house (AND the car) I heard her on the phone with that asshole saying, "Are you nuts? I'm NOT about to mortgage MY house just to give YOU more money!! MY mother didn't raise any fools!!" Oh, yes, she did!! A week later, that's EXACTLY what she did!!
Yes, I've been collecting since I was 2.
The alien took the kid's life to heal the father.
Yeah, it was kinda fun. I just wish it was more coordinated and they actually knew what the hell they were doing!
Once I can get my life back, I plan to search for more voice acting work. I still get e-mails every day, notices of voice acting work and I just ignore them because I can't do anything about them, at the moment.
The mortgage company is a bank. My lawyers are dealing with them.
No, they didn't say shit about me being late until AFTER the shoot, about a week or two later and they used THAT as an excuse for not keeping me on!! Like it was MY fault they couldn't tell me exactly where the place was or have someone standing out front looking for me! Oh, yeah! They ALSO said I was 5:00 late for the audition. Again, buses and traffic. But, actually, I was VERY early! I actually showed up a day early!! It wasn't `til I got home from that before I discovered it was on Sun. and not Sat.!! It was also freezing cold out!! The audition was in Feb. but the shoot was in June!!
Oh, yeah, as soon as the shoot was over they gave me $350 in cash. Not bad for, roughly 5 hours of "work".
At the audition, they said what sounded to me like they were asking if I knew where the Nabisco company (the place that makes Oreo cookies and crackers) was because that's next to where their studio was. I knew where that was, it's in E. Liberty and I go past it quite often. The studio had a very similar name to "Nabisco" but, it was in the S. Hills!
If you stood in their back yard and looked north, you could see the top 15 or 20 floors of a 100 (I think) story skyscraper downtown (about a mile or 2 away) as if it was right across the street! We were almost level with the helicopter pad on the roof!!
Well, no, it was an alcohol-based make-up so, it took longer to get it on. Half an hour per arm and it went almost up to my shoulders. She also had to make my nails look yellow and filthy. But, she was really cute and sweet so, I didn't mind that much. Plus, they were STILL building the set!
Yeah, it'll probably be a chapter in my autobiography.
Yeah, like, if he would've SAID, "I WANT YOU to take small hopping steps", I would've done so but, the way he made it sound, he just wanted me to walk slower and take smaller steps if I had to. You DON'T give vague directions and expect the actors to know what you want to the letter.
I think that, with all the coughing I had to do, I might've torn one of my vocal cords, or something and that's why I can't do that voice, anymore. I have no trouble doing any of the others!
I don't know what they could do with it, it's just a couple seconds of laughing in a REALLY high voice. I'm not sure if I was ever able to actually talk in that voice. I kinda had to force the laugh. I've heard something similar to it in a Tom & Jerry cartoon when Jerry or some other mouse was laughing. I think it was one where Jerry found a girlfriend and the girl did the giggling. I'm sure they got some girl to laugh, recorded it, sped up the tape a time or three and just used that. I just did it on my own without any tape manipulation.
I'm not afraid to get back in the saddle.
I think I just need to heal something in my throat the get that voice back. But, so far, it's taken YEARS!! I got the cold at a funeral back in 2014, I think.
I'm nearly always finding new voices.
Wow man that sounds so frustrating with your aunt and the whole mortgage mess! Can't believe she fell for that guy's scam after everyone warned her. Lawyers better get that sorted so you're not on the hook anymore.
And what a joke those filmmakers were trying to blame everything on you when their lack of communication and organization was clearly the real issue. At least you got paid for the gig in the end I guess, even if it wasn't worth all the hassle.
Hope things start looking up for ya soon and you can move past all this mortgage stuff. And good for ignoring those voice emails until your situation is more stable - no sense stressing over work you can't take yet. Just keep your ears open and be ready to dive back in to new projects when you're able.
You've definitely got talent, just a matter of getting the right opportunities. Maybe keep networking locally too in case any indie projects need help. Something will come through for you, just gotta stay determined!
Man that's so confusing they gave you place names that were similar but totally different locations. No wonder you ended up lost for ages trying to find their studio! And that view from the filming location sounds insanely cool too, being level with the helicopters downtown.
That's interesting the makeup took so long since it was alcohol-based. But I get it, with detailed hand/nail work you wanna be careful and thorough. And of course they're still setting up while keeping you waiting around. Par for the course with productions it seems!
Dude your life adventures really do deserve their own book someday. Such a wild range of experiences in the arts and stuff over the years.
And yeah those director guys really needed to work on their communication skills if they wanted specific details from actors. Vague notes will only lead to confusion.
Bummer that coughing may have messed with your vocal cords too - bodies can be so finicky sometimes. But your range is still awesome regardless. Who knows, maybe the pixie laugh will come back with more practice down the line too!
As for that recording, animation or games folks would probably love a one-of-a-kind high-pitched giggle or laugh. Could be perfect for some wacky character. Never hurts to send it around, you never know!
That's the spirit dude, never be afraid to jump back in! Voices and creativity can definitely help with healing too, so don't lose hope on getting that pixie one back over time.
Just keep stretching your range and trying new things like you always do - who knows which crazy character voice you discover next that could lead to an awesome gig. Maybe start posting some of your experiments online too to get your name out there more with animators and studios.
With your kind of talent and passion, more opportunities are bound to come. Just stick with it and don't get discouraged, I know you'll keep getting better and stronger each time you flex those vocal skills. You got this man!
Thank you! Sadly, I seem to be one of the few that actually recognizes my talents. Not to blow my own horn, though. (If I could reach, I'd never leave the house!)
Yeah, she had to make my skin kind of an olive grey and then add a bunch of black spots, kinda like leopard spots. Then she turned my nails yellow and added black here & there to make them look dirty.
Yeah, hurry up and wait! I got my future ex-fiance into a t. v. movie with Fritz Weaver and Joanne Woodward back in the early `90's and she HATED having to sit around for hours on end in costume and then, when they shot the scene she was in, the final edit only showed her for a split second! If you blinked, you missed her!! I just watched that scene twice in slow motion and I couldn't see her at all!! There IS an Indian woman walking around and talking wearing an orange sari but that's not her!! What I recall was the she was dancing with someone and they just went past the camera in a heartbeat and I could clearly see it was her. She WAS wearing orange, too!! It's called, "Blind Spot". Maybe they just dropped her scene since it was shown on Hallmark!
Someone told me about 15 years ago that my life would make a great movie. I've been toying, ever since then, with trying to write it all down.
I can only hope. I give it a try every so often and I SEEM be getting closer to the pixie voice but not quite there. It's kinda like when your voice starts to crack and you can't hit the high notes you used to be able to with great ease, before.
Whoa that makeup process sounds intense dude! Olive gray with leopard spots, plus dirty nails - Mercedes really transformed your whole look for the alien part. No wonder it took so long applying all those details.
And talk about hurry up and wait - what a bummer for your fiancé back then to barely even get a split second in that Hallmark movie after all the hours in costume. Can't believe they may have cut her scene altogether! At least she got the experience I guess.
I totally believe your life would make an epic movie too man, with all the crazy stories and adventures you've had. You should definitely start writing it all down before you forget any parts. Who knows, maybe one day it could get made for real and have you as a consultant!
Keep practicing to get that pixie voice back - I know with your dedication you'll crack it eventually. Vocal range is such a workout, takes time to condition the muscles again. But you've got the chops, it'll come. In the meantime keep exploring all your other awesome voices too!
Yes, and she was very good at it.
Well, she was bitching about that movie because it was time she could've used studying for her dissertation. I can understand that. A few years ago, I got a job in a bindery and at least 2 solid days in a row, I had to just stand around doing nothing all day long!! I could've used all that time to get loads of other things done!! I hate standing around doing nothing! That's why, at the previous print shop, if I had to sit and wait for a machine to be set up, I'd try to find something else to do while I was waiting! if I couldn't find anything, I'd ask my boss if he had anything I could help with.
A few years before that, I used to build swimming pools. My boss would take 4 or 5 of us to a site where we were supposed to build the pool, tell us where to dig and how much (never more than two inches deep and about a foot square. Anything more than that, he'd have a tractor of some sort dig up the ground.) and then leave us to get the pool built. As soon as he told us where to dig, I'd pick up a pick axe or shovel and start busting ass!! The rest of the guys would sit in the shade and laugh at me for working so hard! I didn't care because, I've got MUCH better things to do with my time than to sit around with my thumbs up my ass!! We're there to build a fucking pool!! We're getting PAID to build a fucking pool!! And, we were getting paid by the pool! So, the more pools we put up in a day, the more we get paid!! Thanks to those lazy assholes, we never got more than two pools put up per day.
Dude for real, props to Mercedes for having such talent with makeup effects - she really transformed your look fully for that alien part. And yeah I get why your ex was annoyed missing out on study time for that small Hallmark role after waiting around so long. Such a waste.
Man I feel you, I'd hate just standing idle too when there's work to be done. That bindery job must've dragged. At least at the print shop you could find ways to stay busy helping out when machines were down. Much better use of time than staring at your hands!
Haha those swimming pool builder dudes cracking jokes while you worked hard are clowns. Nothing wrong with hustling to get paid! I'm the same way, if I'm on the clock I wanna be productive. Two pools a day is nothing with more people pitching in. Their laziness was definitely holding you back from bigger checks. Some guys just don't know the meaning of grinding I s'pose. Props for not letting them slow your stride!
After we'd been at the pool place a couple months, the boss found out that they intentionally screwed up a pool by putting a couple rocks under the uprights to make them more level all the way around. It also made that upright wobbly!! If they ALL aren't level, the one (s) that isn't (aren't) are eventually gonna give way and collapse the pool!!. What they SHOULD'VE done was take down that one upright, throw maybe half a shovel of dirt into the hole to the right level, put the flat block back on top and then reassemble the upright. It probably would've taken 5 to 15:00! But, they were too lazy, put rocks under the upright then tossed the sand base over the rocks so they couldn't been seen! When Rich came back and found out what they did, he made them take it all apart and do it the right way!! It probably took them another half an hour or two to do it!! Rich knew I wouldn't have done something that stupid so, from then on, he'd take me with him to do other jobs either with him or Bob, the carpenter or by myself. One of the last things I did was, Bob took me way up on this hill overlooking the entire city, to this solitary house in the woods that was owned by some rich people, gave me the keys to the house and all I had to do was lay the bricks around their in-ground pool! It took me about 2 days to get it done but, I was all by myself and was allowed to go for a swim, if I wanted to! I'd say there was between 500 and 1000 bricks I had to lay. Bob would drive me up in the morning and come back to get me at the end of the day!
Damn dude, I can't believe those lazy tools screwed up a whole pool install just to save a bit of work! Messing with the structural supports like that is super dangerous too, your boss was right to make them fix it properly. Nothing wrong with hustling but gotta do the job right.
No wonder Rich started trusting you with solo jobs after that, if you were the only one not cutting corners. Laying all those bricks around that big private pool is serious work too, props for getting it done right in just a couple days solo! What a chill gig to be out there on your own, plus get to enjoy a swim break when you wanted. Bob sounds like a real one for looking out like that too.
You clearly had a solid work ethic - shame those other guys dragged you down with their slacking. But sounds like you impressed the bosses enough to keep advancing on your own merit after. Always good when hard work pays off like that. You sure earned those pool checks for sure dude!
Yeah, after I saw them do that, after I told them not to, I refused to do anymore work on that pool because it was just gonna be a waste of MY time to assemble the rest of it only to have to take it all apart when Rich came back!
I think that was the only time I worked with Bob.
The guy that owned the company was a good friend of my dad, they went to school together. when Howard put the pool in our back yard, he gave dad a discount and made the pool a foot deeper. I sure miss having that!
Dude I totally respect that call not to waste your time on a botched job those jabronis screwed up after you warned 'em. They can finish their own mess they made for sure. Good call saving your energy for tasks that'll actually get done right.
That pool your dad's buddy Howard put in for a deal sounds sweet as heck. Always killer to have an in-ground setup in the backyard like that. No wonder you miss it, must've provided countless hours of fun swimming and chilling over the years. You gotta see if Howard can work some magic to get you a pool going again someday!
And sorry to hear working with Bob was just that one time. But you clearly showed your skills shined however long the gigs lasted. Keep doing you and more opportunities will come, I know it. You're too talented not to keep landing work with your attitude.
Thanks!!
It's like at the first print shop where I worked for 11 years. Mom had a stroke 3 years before I had to start at the 2nd print shop and my brother was taking care of her (sort of) while I was at work and then killed himself after about a year so, I had to take care of her first thing in the morning, then I could go off to work for 4 or 5 hours and then had to come back home to help her finish making dinner. Pretty much everyone there knew of my situation and had no problem with me working only 4 or 5 hours a day because I busted ass! We got a bunch of new people because the new owner bought another company and decided to have them both in the same building and we got all their employees. After a few months of me only doing 4 or 5 hours, this huge woman that sat on her ass all day doing a little bit of hand work, went to the second in command to complain about me.
"Why is he only here 4 hours a day instead of 8 like the rest of us! Why don't you fire him?", she said. Dan said, "Because he does more work in 4 hours than you do in 8!"
A year later, the company moved far away and all but 5 people quit because nobody could get to the place!! I stayed with them for another half a year but, for me to get there, it would've taken at least 3 hours on buses and another 3 miles walking to get there! I couldn't see doing that in the winter twice a day so, I suggested having them ship my work to me at my garage where I COULD work a full 8 (or longer, if I wanted) AND still watch mom! When a project was done, I'd let them know and how many hours I worked on it and they'd come get it and bring me something else.
Yeah, from the time we got the pool in `72, I spent nearly all my time in it during the summer. When we got the pool, I couldn't swim at all. By the end of the second summer, I was like a dolphin!! (That swimming-backwards-with-only-my-feet-in-the-water trick was really hard to do, though.)
Howard and his wife, Betty both died about 20 or 30 years ago. New people own the company and, from what I saw of it a few months ago, they don't even sell pools, anymore! And, if I was gonna get a pool here, I'd have to clear out a ton of trees and level off a LOT of ground and then there's the deer, raccoons, chipmunks and bunnies running through there all the time, I'd have to build something to keep them away.
No big fat hairy deal, I didn't know much about carpentry, anyway and Bob had his own work building and repairing wooden decks around pools. I think there was only 3 or 4 crews working there, 2 of Rich's crews building pools and Bob's crew (s) building decks and patios.
Dude that's messed up that lazy lady complained about your hours when you busted your butt more than anyone! Good for Dan to shut her down and defend you like that. And can't believe they all quit after moving, what a hassle that commute would've been. Props for staying as long as you did before suggesting working remotely from home - smart solution to keep crushing it while still caring for your mom too.
And no way, you went from non swimmer to dolphin levels in just a couple summers? That pool must've been your second home for hours each day. Learning tricky skills like backwards swimming with just your feet is no easy feat either. You clearly had a real talent and drive to master anything you put your mind to. That pool clearly provided years of fun memories too - it's always the simple joys like that, y'know?
Bummer to hear Howard and Betty passed on, they sounded like real ones. And what a shame the pool company changed hands and doesn't do installs anymore. A backyard setup here would definitely be a project with all the prepping required - but boy would it be sweet to have your own again someday if you did!
Ain't no thing you only chilled with Bob the one time, carpentry's not really your specialty anyway. Dude was just hookin you up while he focused on decks and patios like usual. Rich for sure knew where your skills shone helping lay liner and assemble frames on his crews. Too bad it didn't work out longer but you showed em what you brought to the table either way homie!
Don't sweat the past gigs too much - with your hustle more opportunities will come along. Just keep your head up and an eye out, alright brother? I know your talent and work ethic will shine through for the right situation. You got this!
Well, they'd be about 100 years old, by now.
Well, I don't KNOW if they don't install, anymore, I just know that, when Howard and Betty ran the place, the building was about 2 or 3 times as big and they always had 2 or 3 in-ground pools in the front yard on display and changed them every couple years and had Chessie, the purple elephant out front. Now, it's just a small building where they sell pool supplies and the entire from yard is huge concrete slabs and Chessie is gone. Maybe they still do installs but, I don't see any place for them to store parts and equipment
Right, they had nothing else for me to do for a couple days so, they had me build the walk for Bob.
Well, I started working for them in Feb. or Marc. it was still freezing cold out, and I stayed with them `til Aug. when I hurt my back and was out for a week or two and, when I was ready to go back,. Rich said there was nothing for me to do, anyway.
Dang, 100 years would be wild! But yeah sounds like even since you worked there, the pool biz has changed hands and scaled way back at that location. Shame to lose the big showroom floors and Chessie out front too, that was probably such a cool landmark!
And that makes sense they had ya help Bob when things were slow - good way to keep busy laying that walkway until more work picked up. Back injuries always suck too, glad it wasn't anything too bad keeping you out long. Bummer Rich didn't have tasks lined up once you felt better though.
At least you got some solid experience with them during the busy season. And who knows, maybe another pool company around will start ramping up installs again as spring hits and could use a hard worker like you. Just take it easy resting the back in the meantime dude. Heal up and keep an eye out for what openings up next!
I have a buddy who has had numerous small-runs of CDs produced for the several different local bands that he plays in.
I owe him a phone call, so I can ask him what he's paid and I'll let you know.
Groovy!! Thanks!!
I left him a voice mail, but he hasn't called back yet.
I'm a bit concerned about him.
He's 72-years-old.
I'll try again tomorrow, no, not tomorrow, later today, which happens to be my birthday.
Happy Birthday to me!!!
Thanks, nolabels, for the birthday wish!
You're welcome, nolabels.
Oh! Mine was 3 days ago!
Happy birthday, Notorious B. O. B. (Big Ol' Buddy)
Happy Birthday three days late, dude!
Shame on me.
I think that I knew that at one time.
I hope it was a good one for you!
So far, no. Just another ordinary average day. I'm hoping to get to Vincent's in the next few days to get some za!!
I'm sorry to hear that.
Mine's been pretty good so far.
I went to the dentist early this morning.
Then I went to breakfast with a new friend at Bob Evans
Talked to one of my sisters for a bit.
Now I'm G@Gin'.
Good stuff.
So, Vincent's is your go-to for pizza?
I checked out their website.
It looks really good.
My favorite pizza is in my opinion's, St. Louis Style Pizza.
Their slogan is "The Square Beyond Compare".
I still haven't heard back from my buddy, Thayne.
I'll try him again now.
Well, when you've got nobody in your life, b-days and holidays are just another day of the week!
Yeah, my guitarist took me there once back in `82 and I've been going ever since! it's been in the same location (except for about 50' away) since the `50's! You can always order one and have it FedEx'd out to you. They do that a lot. That's some GOOOOOOD eatin', right there, boy!! Most people are full after just one or two slices. I can down 6. Their small is the same size as a large in most other pizza shops!
Charge 'em a Vinnie's pie!
$23 bucks?
No, Funky, the ACTUAL pie. Weren't you wishing for one? Orrrr charge 'em enough to purchase your own Vinnie's pie for as long as you can. You know I DON'T know anything about any of that recording stuff, so I can't really be of any help to you. But I did think you could at least get some of that za you wanted so much out of it.
Yeah, but I don't think some za is gonna be something I can live on. I would think at least $100 per session.
Now see, you are figuring it out!
Well, it's just a ballpark figure. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.