David Toback

Authentically Humble
Genuinely Good

954 803 3089
voice@davidtoback.com

The GVAA Rate Guide & Me

Industry Topics

While it was a great feeling, I finally got a client with my own marketing efforts, it brought a glaring problem I had into focus. What do I charge for my services?

Until then, I had always relied on my agent and online casting sites to “tell” me what the rate was. I had no knowledge of what the rate should be for any one particular job, let alone have a handle on rates for all the possible types of jobs I could offer. I realized I needed to have a rate card that I could reference when quoting clients.

This is where I asked my mentor, Cristina Milizia, for help. “What do I charge for X, Y, & Z Cristina? How am I supposed to know in the future?”

Cristina is a research and results oriented person, and being such she passed along some rates resources available at the current time, and told me to have fun. From those I realized I quoted too little for the job, but the lesson was learned. Now, I could create a rate guide from these rates resources to help me for future projects.

I fired up Excel, analyzed all the data, and created as comprehensive a rate guide possible (I knew all those years in the corporate world would pay off!).

Feeling pretty proud, I sent it to Cristina to see what she thought, and her response wasn’t what I was expecting.

“Oh my God, this is exactly what we need in the industry! Would you want to work with me on expanding this?”

That was an easy answer…YES!

And that’s how the GVAA Rate Guide began. From there Cristina and I gathered rates from agents, casting directors, coaches, and industry pro’s, and expanded the scope of the Rate Guide. I joined the GVAA staff in March of 2016 and in April we launched the first version of the GVAA Rate Guide!

From that day, everything changed. Talent now had a reliable rates resource to know, understand, and command their value. It quickly became the most used rate resource in the industry and garnered the GVAA good-will as a leader in rates education.

Continually updated and improved, the GVAA Rate Guide is the most comprehensive rates educational resource in the industry. Used by agents, casting directors, talent, and clients all over the world, the impact this guide has had is immeasurable.

I’m not sure anyone thought the Rate Guide would have had this kind of impact, but being a part of helping to shape, educate, and support the voiceover industry is one thing I’m most proud of.

And to think, it was born from an over analytical guy anxious to use Excel to make a pretty guide…

So, How’d You Get Into Voiceover?

The Fun Stuff

I get asked that question a lot. It’s no surprise, I didn’t know how to “get into” it either!

Like many, voiceover came to me later in life after falling disenchanted with the corporate world and was searching desperately for fulfillment and purpose in my work.

After losing my job, struggling to find work again, and enduring a devastating knee injury, I decided to follow my dreams and pursue voiceover!

I researched, got coaching, practiced (a lot), recorded demos, then started marketing to agents and potential clients, and the rest is a long road filled with many successes and failures. I’ve learned so much about business, branding, networking, customer service, and most of all myself.

Early on I was naive, as many aspiring voice actors and newcomers are. After producing my initial demos, I got representation from an agent. I was raw but they saw potential and had a recommendation from my coach at the time. I thought, “that’s it, I’ve made it! The jobs and money is going to start rolling in”. Boy, was I wrong. That was just the very tip, of the tip, of the iceberg. There was so much more to learn, so much that I had no clue about.

I poured everything into voiceover. Time, money, recreational activities, sleep, nights, and weekends. It became a part of my life, not a job. TV became a thing of the past, there was no time for unproductive activities. Watching sports became a rarity, and for those that have known me prior to VO, they know that’s BIG. I was the guy that knew way too much about the current happenings in every major sport. Besides hockey. I’m a Floridian, need I say more?

I joined Facebook groups and read and asked questions regularly. I became friends with other talent and leaned on them for advice. I found the Global Voice Academy (GVAA) and took classes and got coaching. This organization has played a much larger role in my success, development as an actor, entrepreneur, and person. But that’s for another blog, another time.

I auditioned, a lot, and didn’t book most of them. I learned from them and applied those lessons to future auditions. I marketed to potential clients, booked some work, saved money, spent it on business expenses, rinse and repeat. I learned everyday, still do, and accepted that this path was a journey and it would take time. It wasn’t easy and still isn’t.

Most importantly, I didn’t give up and continued with passion, persistence, and perseverance. The  “3 P’s” needed in this business, as I like to say.

Along this journey, I’ve made some amazing friends and even people I consider family. The quality of people and comradery in this industry is next to none and a refreshing change from the fast paced, kill or be killed culture in so many industries today.

I’ve learned so much about business, branding, networking, customer service, and most importantly, myself. Voiceover has shaped who I am, it’s challenged me in way I never thought possible, it’s changed my perspective on life and how to live it, it’s brought me more culture and appreciation for the arts, and it’s made me a better person.


I’m so glad I “got into” voiceover.