Hi all... decided to go public with one because it seriously rubbed me the wrong way.
Is there someone new QCing stuff after hours? Got this below project around 11 PM. Simple Speedy, right up my alley. Recored it and checked a couple times to see if it had passed QC. Almost all my jobs do as I have a pro booth and all the bells and whistles. Just happened to be up a little before 1 AM when QC finally got around to checking it. Got this message below. I've been with Bunny for two years and never saw this one before:
Recording Quality Issues
- Detailed Description
Notes: There are breathing sounds in your recording that may be distracting to some listeners. Please keep in mind that breaths should blend gently and naturally with the read. You can achieve this by controlling your breathing carefully, softening your breaths during editing, or removing the breaths altogether.
Now this made me laugh. You've sent us not one but TWO emails saying to KEEP BREATHS IN in order to be clear we're real voices and not AI. In my entire VO career I've never left breaths in - until just a few weeks ago. Because YOU said to do it! Every single one of my jobs passes QC unless I mistakenly leave out a word or phrase. I did THIRTEEN Speedys just yesterday - all with breaths - and all passed QC with no issues.
My point it this... you can't have it both ways. You can send us - again - not one but TWO emails saying to keep breaths in. And then have QC waste my time at ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING telling me to take them out. Or put another way: correcting something that didn't need correcting.
Please instruct QC not to waste our time. And certainly not a guy like me who does over 10 Speedys a day, plus direct bookings lighting fast making you look while you take 80% of my money. Ok? Fire the intern, bring the new guy/gal up to speed, send a memo... something. This was just stupid. You either want the breaths or you don't. Make up your mind, please.
This was the job... all breaths removed per QCs instruction:
https://bunnystudio.com/projects/2bc141b4-e623-4fac-bbeb-5e322a3046ba/
And here's a portion of the email you sent us on 7/10/24 regarding breaths:
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Even though AI is not always monotone and doesn't always result in flat performances, the result our clients expect are those with a natural and human touch! What we've noticed is: the results our clients expect from our Pros are those with a natural and human touch!
Details like natural phrasing, dynamic intonation, not cutting your breath in the end of words and natural pauses between phrases are not only acceptable but also expected in natural voices.
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What should I be careful about? 🤓
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Here’s how you can ensure your performances stand out:
- 🌬️ Avoid Cutting Breaths and Unnatural Pauses: While cleaning up your audio, make sure that your cuts leave space for the natural breath after and between words.
And once again, here's the condescending message from QC... "There are breathing sounds in your recording that may be distracting to some listeners. Please keep in mind that breaths should blend gently and naturally with the read. You can achieve this by controlling your breathing carefully, softening your breaths during editing, or removing the breaths altogether."
Make up your mind. :)
Thanks...
Wayne
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Interesting post, Wayne!
I was wondering when this issue might pop up...
Aaron here, fellow voice actor, creator.
Can I ask, how do you get invited to so many projects?
I have been locked out of ALL projects, with no explanation and no new opportunities for months.
The team has revoked all of my invitations, and your post just proved to me that this site must be unfairly run, as I have tried to do everything they ask (and then some) but to no avail.
(Or at the very least, no clients want my voice anymore and the team will not just be honest about it lol.)
Any tips how to get back into good graces?
Getting kinda low on scratch over here...
✌️😂
P.S. I actually need a few guest voices for an audiobook project I am working on for a client, if you (or anyone else reading this) wants more info, let me know and I will contact you on LinkedIn or something.
Happy Making!
-Aaron M.
Hey Aaron... good to hear from you.
I'm pretty convinced the algorithm is so random there's virtually nothing one can do to make it like you. That said, it was hating me for months earlier this year. My stats were all good, but not as great as they once were. Then magically my stats were in the 1% category again and Speedys started flooding in.
I've written the reps here about stats till my fingers have started to fall off. And they alway respond and do what they can. But I'm convinced even the reps cannot tweak this algorithm. An algorithm where, like a Vegas Casino, the House always wins. lol
The only thing that's consistent and seems to work is to lower your prices. Which of course hurts your Bookings. But it usually does bring in more Speedys. And again, the House wins the day. :)
I do a TON of audiobook work outside of Bunny. Always happy to connect for more. More is better!
Take care Aaron and thanks for chiming in on my post.
Wayne
https://bunnystudio.com/voice/voice-actor/wayne-legette-33F0HL1C/?ref=shared&language=eng-us&units=150&type=u
Hi Wayne and Aaron,
Thank you both for your valuable contributions to our community. We appreciate your dedication and the insights you’ve shared!
Wayne, I wanted to address this recent situation you brought up. Our team has thoroughly evaluated it, and we'll be assigning a QC agent to review your audio for this project. Please remember that our agents, being human, may have slightly different perceptions when analyzing the same audio. In cases like this, we ensure that your audio is reviewed by the entire QC team to reach a consensus.
Regarding the "Cutting Breaths and Unnatural Pauses" instructions, these guidelines were meant to address cases with excessive breaths and unnatural edits. If your audio was passing QC checks before these changes, we suggest you continue with your previous approach, as your quality has been consistently good in this regard. These tips are primarily intended for Pros who have been receiving feedback from QC, as well as feedback shared with us from many clients. While keeping some breaths can add a human touch to your recordings, depending on the length/intensity, it can affect the overall performance.
There haven't been any changes to our QC team. However, we will discuss this matter with our agents to ensure everyone is aligned on audio expectations.
As for the algorithm, specifically for Aaron's account, I have checked internally and confirmed there isn't anything stopping you from receiving invitations! We want to clarify that Stats and Rates are crucial in project distribution. Your ranking and placement are calculated in comparison to other Pros with the same skills. Even if your Rates and Stats are strong, there may be other Pros who are even more competitive. Various factors, including the number of revisions and response speed, can impact your placement, with response speed being particularly important.
We can analyze your account to assess your competitiveness. However, please understand that while the platform rewards the most successful and fastest Pros with more opportunities, it also rotates to give less successful Pros a chance to improve their Stats and earn rewards.
We hope this explanation clarifies any doubts you may have. We understand the challenges some Pros face on the platform, and we're always open to discussing situations and exploring possible solutions within the platform's rules and calculations.
If you have any specific questions about your Stats or account, please feel free to reach out to us at support@bunnystudio.com, and we'll be happy to assist you.
Kind regards,
Gabriela Schneider
Hi Wayne,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention and for your detailed feedback.
I've personally reviewed the first version of your submission for this project, and I found that the breaths are natural, not distracting, and do not affect the quality of the deliverable. Given this, I will be presenting your case to the full QC Team in our next weekly meeting to ensure we have a clear and consistent consensus on how natural breathing should sound between phrases, using your deliverable as a reference.
Your hard work and commitment to Bunny Studio are greatly appreciated, and I want to make sure we’re aligned on this matter moving forward. I’ll be sure to update you on the results of our meeting so that you can stay informed about any adjustments or clarifications we make.
Thank you again for your continued dedication, and I’m here if you need anything else.
Best regards,
Julian
Audio Quality Control / Pro Operations Associate
Bunny Studio
Hey Aaron,
Frank Ritlop here. I've been experiencing a bit of a drought on Bunny Studio for months as well. I do get a few Speedies come in on a daily basis, but by the time I click on them, which is usually within a second or two, the job is already unavailable. My stats are pristine and rates low, but between being unable to get any of the speedies and getting a booking every couple of months I'm unable to get my response speed down so I'm condemned to getting little to no work here either. It's a cycle that's difficult to get out of. If you want to reach out to me for your audiobook project, I'm on LinkedIn. Feel free to connect with me there as I'm the only Frank Ritlop on LinkedIn.
Thanks!