Voiceover: Beyond the Booth Class to start in February at NYU
January 31, 2008
“Voiceover: Beyond the Booth”, formerly called “The Business of Voiceover” is now open for enrollment at NYU for Spring 2008. The first class begins Wednesday, February 13th at 6:45 p.m. and runs through May 7th.
Frequented by special guests including top agents, voiceover talent, casting directors and producers, “Voiceover: Beyond the Booth” helps people who have a burning desire for voice acting find out what it takes to succeed in the business and brings them more than one step closer to making their dreams of voice acting professionally a reality.
Participants also have the opportunity to address their questions to the people who make this industry tick. A benefit unique to Voiceover : Beyond the Booth is that students will have the chance to read voiceover copy for A-list industry professionals and get an insider’s perspective and feedback about their skill level, a privilege that no other course available offers with regard to the business of voiceovers.
The course is offered as a part of the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies, taught by a leading professional in the voiceover field with almost 2 decades of experience as both a top voiceover agent and a voiceover industry consultant who has started and cultivated the careers of some of the most prominent voiceover artists working today.
Beyond the Booth Guests have included:
The Legendary Don LaFontaine – Voice of over 5000 Movie Trailers
Rodd Houston – Voice of Verizon Wireless
Joan Baker – Author “Secrets of Voiceover Success”
Bill Graves – Voice of ABC’s Nightline and Primetime
Tim Champeaux –Voice of Jenny Craig, Today Show Concert Series
Jim Kozloff - Director of Talent and Business Development at VH-1
Stewart F. Wilson Turner – Co-Creator of voicebank.net
Voiceover Agents from Don Buchwald & Associates, Abrams Artists, Paradigm and Innovative Artists
Producers from Miramax Films, ESPN, BET, HBO, NBC Sports
Click to register for Voiceover: Beyond the Booth.
For more information, contact:
Johnna Gottlieb
President
JOHNNA GOTTLIEB CONSULTING
(718)768-3511
www.jogoco.com
Amazon.com to Acquire Audible.com
January 31, 2008
Amazon.com today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Audible, the audiobook website.
Audible.com is the leading online provider of premium digital spoken word audio content, specializing in digital audio editions of books, newspapers and magazines, television and radio programs and original programming. Through its web sites in the US and UK and alliances in Germany and France, Audible.com offers over 80,000 programs, including audiobooks from well-known authors such as Stephen King, Thomas Friedman, and Jane Austen, and spoken word audio content from sources including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Fresh Air and Charlie Rose.
Ad Wins Pond Radio $1 Million Worth of Radio Time from Clear Channel
January 29, 2008
Sam Pond’s voice can sound like eating a buttered muffin while taking a hot bath, but the former voice actor says now that he runs his own creative agency, Pond Radio, he rarely casts himself.
Instead, he focuses on writing and production to develop the most noticeable ads possible.
“When you’re on the radio or doing a TV spot you’re competing with entertainment,” Pond said. “So your message has to be at least as entertaining as what it’s surrounded by.”
Pond, a fourth-generation San Franciscan, has been a writer or creative director with Chiat/Day, Hal Riney and Goodby, Silverstein and Partners. He went out on his own five years ago to build Pond Radio, which represents clients from all over the country and works with talent in New York City, Los Angeles, the Bay Area and elsewhere. He has also created a product called Stroll San Francisco, a collection of 33 story tours in The City.
Top Seiyuu of 2007
January 28, 2008
Anican, a Japanese magazine, has recently published a list of their readers’ top seiyuu (voice actors) for 2007.
Seiyuu, as the Japanese call their voice actors, are extremely popular with audiences and have followings all over the world.
The seiyuu pictured in this article happens to be Fukuyama Jun, the top-rated male seiyuu of 2007, according to Anican magazine.
As noted on The Otaku Times, here are the top Female and Male Seiyuu of 2007:
Top Female Seiyuu 2007
1. Horie Yui
2. Hirano Aya
3. Mizuki Nana
4. Tamura Yukari
5. Kugimiya Rie
Top Male Seiyuu 2007
1. Fukuyama Jun
2. Sugita Tomokazu
3. Houshi Souichirou
4. Miyano Mamoru
5. Sakurai Takahiro
Source: Otaku Times
Toy Story 1 & 2 Goes Back to Theaters in 3D
January 26, 2008
Today, it was announced that the first two films in Pixar’s sole and signature franchise, Toy Story and Toy Story 2, are headed back to movie screens October 2nd, 2009 and February 12th, 2010, respectively, with a complete digital 3D makeover, called Disney Digital 3D.
Toy Story Voice Cast
As you will recall, the cast of celebrity actors in the Toy Story franchise include Tom Hanks as Woody (voice), Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear (voice), Joan Cusack as Jessie, the Yodeling Cowgirl (voice), Kelsey Grammer as Stinky Pete the Prospector (voice) and John Ratzenberger as Hamm the Piggy Bank (voice) among other notable actors.
Disney Digital 3D
Disney Digital 3-D is a brand used by the The Walt Disney Company to describe digitally animated three-dimensional films shown exclusively using digital projection. It is essentially a Disney brand of Real D Cinema technology.
How It Works
Audiences viewing a film presented by Disney Digital 3D are given a pair of plastic 3D glasses. The glasses have circular polarized lenses, each polarized differently. Circular polarization allows much greater head movement than linear polarization without loss of 3-D effect or ghost images. This increases audience comfort and helps to mitigate the “3-D headache” caused by many 3-D systems, especially those relying on film projection.
Lead Up to Toy Story 3
The films will be an audience primer for Disney-Pixar’s digital 3D Toy Story 3, which hits screens on June 18th, 2010. John Lasseter, director of the first two Toy films and a Pixar poobah, is supervising the 3D process on both, while director Lee Unkrick continues his work on the second sequel.
Amitabh Bachchan to do voice over for ‘Jodha Akbar’
January 25, 2008
After a voice over for Lagaan, the Big B has been roped in to do the same for Jodha Akbar.
Bachchan is by now a veteran at voice overs as he has lent his baritone for a number of films like Bawarchi, Balika Badhu, Shatranj Ke Khilari, Tere Mere Sapne, Parineeta and Swami.
Jodha Akbar, which is scheduled for a Feb 15 release, is a historical saga of Emperor Akbar and his Rajput Queen Jodhabai. Amitabh Bachchan, who will be the narrator for the film, was director Ashutosh Gowariker’s only choice as he wanted someone who could convey both the gravity and historicity of the era.
For Bachchan, who has also done a voice over for the sound and light show at the Golconda fort, Hyderabad, where he takes the audience back to the days of the Nizam, doing a period film should be an easy task.
Source: IndianTelevision.com
Aya Hirano Stays True to Voice Acting Roots
January 25, 2008
Voice actress Aya Hirano holds concerts, hosts a radio show and appears in books of pinups like a pop idol. The 20-year-old is turning out to be a top star of Japan’s anime world with a legion of adoring fans.
Hirano’s big break came in 2006 when she was cast as the voice of Haruhi Suzumiya, the title character of sci-fi anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu). Hirano’s voice is itself mild and soft. At work, however, she performs a wide range of voice variations, including the dignified voice of an adult woman and a child’s wheedling voice.
“When I was little, I was a big fan of Garasu no Kamen (The Glass Mask),” says Hirano, referring to a popular manga series by Suzue Miuchi that features a brilliant young actress.
“I often played all of the characters, including (protagonist) Maya Kitajima, (her rival) Ayumi Himekawa, (acting instructor) Tsukikage-sensei and (Maya’s boyfriend) Sakurakoji-kun. I guess it was good training for me.”
When she was 14, she made her professional anime debut in Otogi Story: Tenshi no Shippo as the voice of Momo the Guardian Angel Monkey. When she was cast for Kiddy Grade at 15, her co-stars said her voice was “the hottest among them,” Hirano recalls.
“I remembered my mother usually changed her tone of voice whenever she answered the phone. So I tried to copy her, and found I could speak in an adult’s voice,” she says.
This year, Hirano enjoyed another success, landing the role of Konata Izumi in the anime Lucky Star (Rakisuta) based on a manga by Kagami Yoshimizu which features four high school girls.
Her great success as Haruhi led to big changes in her job.
Hare Hare Yukai, the ending theme song of Haruhi, which is performed by Hirano and the voice actresses of the other two lead characters, entered Oricon’s weekly hits chart in fifth place. (The Oricon lists are Japan’s best-known music charts.)
In NHK’s info variety programme Kaitai Shin Show, which started in April, Hirano is in charge of the narration.
She made a foray into the radio world with her Radio Animelo Mix show, which began airing in Japan in October.
Despite gaining recognition as a multi-faceted artiste, Hirano says she will continue to concentrate on what made her famous in the first place.
“I’ll continue to focus on my activities as a voice actor, but I want people to see various sides of me through my songs, photo collections, and DVDs,” says Hirano.
Source: The Daily Yomiuri / Asia News Network, The Star Online eCentral
Peek’n Peak Resort and Spa Secures audio’connell for Campaign’s 2nd Year
January 25, 2008
Enticing skiers from New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio to “Come and Get Good!”, Peek’n Peak Resort and Spa has completed production of their 2008 broadcast campaign with audio’connell Voice Over Talent providing audio production services.
Professional voice talent and audio’connell Voice Over Talent president Peter K. O’Connell has again provided the voice for the television and radio campaign, producing it with the resort’s popular jingle. O’Connell’s company had also voiced and produced the audio for Peek’n Peak’s 2007 campaign.
The Findley Lake, New York resort that attracts families and groups looking to enjoy the snow on and off the slopes in winter and golf in the summer (its acclaimed upper course has hosted the PGA’s Nationwide Tour) also offers a spa for hotel and condominium guests and groups to enjoy year round.
Source: News Wire Today
Is Proper Diction “Old School”?
January 25, 2008
According to The Guardian, some people say that young stage actors in Britain have taken the every man “real person” voicing style too far, resulting in poorly annunciated lines barely audible to audiences past the first few rows.
In efforts to determine why impeccable diction is now considered old-fashioned, thoughts have turned to the challenges that present themselves to live stage actors in performance.
Blame it on the java scene or the latest North American trend of natural voicing, but perhaps the answer has more to do with architecture, technology and poor audience etiquette.
Phoenix Comicon January 26-27 at Mesa Convention Center
January 24, 2008
Mesa - Boba Fett. The Incredible Hulk. Chewbacca. Enterprise’s Lt. Chekov.
Only in comic books and movies can these characters have their stories told, and only at the Phoenix Comicon can you meet the actors who brought them to life; along with comic book artists, anime voice actors, and best selling authors.
“The pop culture lights shine bright at the Phoenix Comicon” says Convention Director Matt Solberg. “From those who grew up reading comic books under the covers to those who cheered the Rebels on in Star Wars, we offer something for everyone who has a little bit of geek in them.”
Media guests attending the Phoenix Comicon are:
Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Walter Koenig (Star Trek’s Lt. Chekov), Tim Russ (Star Trek: Voyager Lt. Tyvok), Peter Mayhew (Star Wars’ Chewbacca), Jeremy Bulloch (Star Wars’ Boba Fett), and Jeph Loeb (writer & producer Lost and Heroes).
“Only at the Phoenix Comicon can you meet Vulcans, superheros, anime ninjas, Zombies, and other characters only found in your imagination,” says Solberg.
The Phoenix Comicon offers a full weekend of events, from the Zombie Beauty Pageant, to Jedi Lightsaber training for kids. A Japanese Fashion Show, Art Auction, musical performance by Star Trek’s Tim Russ, costume contest, dance, and anime dodgeball are just a handful of the 166 hours of programming that is being offered.
The Phoenix Comicon is January 26-27th at the Mesa Convention Center. Doors open on Saturday and Sunday at 10 AM. Full events tickets are $25, with single day passes available. Kids ten and under get in free with a paid adult. Tickets are available online and at local comic book stores.
Source: Anime News Network
