There’s a new group out there who want to get Voice over artists accredited. This group is SaVoa.org. What does it mean to be accredited by this group? According to their website:
Accreditation by SaVoa is recognition of a voice over artist’s ability to provide vocally and technically proficient broadcast-quality voice over services and to conduct business in such a way that it enhances the profession as a whole. We focus on establishing excellent standards and then promoting education and public awareness to achieve those standards.
Generally, I applaud what they are trying to do. I think a standard is great. I think quality is important. But my problem with the group is that it suddenly popped up out of nowhere and wants to be the decider of who is a good voice talent and who isn’t.
Who decides? Based on what? Who gave them accreditation to be in this position of authority?
As well, the group seems to be trying to build up legitimacy by giving certain well-known VO types a free (or so I assume) membership as a "Friend of SaVoa". Again, I understand the necessity to gain legitimacy, but their methodology seems a little obvious.
My reels on my website tell a prospective client how good I am and how appropriate I am for their project. Is a little seal that says "Accredited" really going to get me more work?
Jeffrey Kafer Voice blog 
July 11th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Where SaVoa is going to have impact is when potential clients are not looking at your website, when you are one of 50-250 voices in a cattle call or just a name listed on an agent’s site or elsewhere, and hopefully the client will see all these little shields and go “Hey what’s this?” Something that is going to take the guesswork out of casting for them, especially in this day and age of everyone wanting to be a VO, and suffering thru hundreds of substandard auditions as seems to be happening with the P2P sites. If they can immediately narrow down their list to known and proven good talent, better for them, and better for SaVoa talent.
Who decides and who gave whom accreditation? Everyone has been as candid and honest as those who critique newbies and existing VOs on the forums, plus the reviews are double blind, and nobody knows who is under consideration, nobody sneaks through. So we are in effect self-policing. There’s no agenda, except that we just want to identify and promote those who are known to have the goods, just in a clarified and structured way. Unions do nothing to promote talent, SaVoa actively is trying to develop ways to promote and benefit members thru alliances and other means. It’s already happening. So while demos on one’s site are a great way to showcase oneself, being SaVoa-accredited will in time indicate “preferred status” to casting people and the VO community at large.