Anna Vocino, Star on Free Radio, Interview

The Virgina native is a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, where she helped to create the Whole World Theater with Lance Krall and others. Although it was not the intention of its founders, an improvisational comedy troupe was formed and together they have written and produced and starred in vehicles such as The Lance Krall Show. Currently, Vocino can be seen playing the annoyed co-host to Krall on the sublime Free Radio. The first season finale can be seen tonight on VH1 (check local listings for times in you area).

Vocino is also proficient in voice -over work. Her resume, according to Voices.com, includes “Comcast, Southern Linc, Disney, AT&T, X-Box, Ford, Canada Dry, 21st Century, Kiwi Cellular, Register.com, Zoom Whitening, plus on-going contracts for narration and phone on-hold / voicemail messaging in both American and English accents.”

Pop-Rock Candy Mountain recently spoke with Vocino about Free Radio and making your family proud through the Young And The Restless.

Pop-Rock Candy Mountain (PRCM): I read where you that majored in history at Emory. Did you take Dr. (Kenneth) Stein’s class on Middle Eastern History with President Carter?
Anna Vocino: No, I wish I had. My focus was on early modern Europe and early modern Japan. I took classes from every other region but that one (laughs).

PRCM: Do you miss living in the South?
AV: I miss the food. And I love springtime in the South. I bet Atlanta is gorgeous right now.

PRCM: How did you get involved with Whole World Theater?
AV: There were eight of us that started it–we’ve literally been working together for-ev-er–like our entire adult lives, which is probably sad and scary (laughs). We all started that–we just got together because we loved improv. It’s still going today. That makes me so happy.

PRCM: Were you guys excited when you were given the opportunity to do The Lance Krall Show?
AV: I was so excited. And I was happy that Lance decided to take the whole company back to Atlanta. It actually cost less money to make the show in Atlanta than it would to have shot it in LA. It was really cool. We were able to get locations for dirt cheap. One time, we just showed up at this public tennis court and started shooting. We shot for about three hours and then a cop came up. And we thought, “Oh man,, he’s going to arrest us.” But, he was like, “Hey what are you guys doing? Can I be in it?. We were like, “Sure, come on over…” (laughs) We had a lot of fun doing that show.

PRCM: Let’s talk about Free Radio. Are you involved with the creative process of the show?
AV: Obviously Lance created it and he and his producers developed the storyline for the characters. But it’s all improvised. When Tony Hawk was coming on, we knew that there were certain questions we were going to ask him, but we had no idea how he was going to respond. It was the motorcycle versus the scooter episode. Lance asked Tony Hawk if he thought motorcycles were cool because it was Tony Hawk, an extreme sports guy. Other than little things like that, it’s all improvised. I loved the Marylene Rajskub episode, because I had been waiting for someone to freak out on him physically and she did.

We love this show. Some of the messages that Lance has been getting or that I have been getting are amazing. For the most part, people get it, but you get the “You are a terrible interviewer” things as well. When Lance told Angela Kinsey from The Office that they “need to make the show more like Friends“–obviously he’s spoofing the belief that you can only shoot sitcoms in the four-camera format. I think the show may be a bit confusing on VH1 because there is nothing else like it on the network. I love some Rock Of Love and Celebrity Rehab–I can’t stop watching it. (laughs)

I hope that Free Radio can connect with some people because we love making it and it is getting good reviews. I hope that we have a different angle to the whole “Hollywood celebrity parody thing.”

PRCM: What led you to doing the voice-over work?
AV: I’ve always been a singer and when I came to LA, I decided to do commercial work. I love being behind a mike without a camera on me. I just feel so at ease. So, I put a demo together and now I have eight different demos and I work with different people–I just love it. I actually do Brit voices for people–people tend to get less angry when they are put on hold by someone with a British accent. (laughs) I was so excited when Don LaFontaine was on Free Radio. I kept asking him all of these nerdy voice over question–”What type of mike do you use?” (laughs) It was totally nerdy.

PRCM: How did you like doing the Young And The Restless? Did you get to hang out and have cocktails with Victor Newman?
AV: I have been watching that since I was little with my grandmother. I did five episodes of the show, but it was all voice over work, so I didn’t get to meet anyone. I would just show up at 6:30 AM on the CBS lot, do a couple of takes and leave–that’s the bad part of doing voice-over work. My work on the Young and the Restless is the ONE thing that my family is most proud of–I think one of my lines was “Flight 373, now boarding for China,” like it’s just going to all of China. I told my mom about it and she was like “Oh My God, you’ve made it!” (laughs)

Source: Pop-rock Candy Mountain

New Jersey Div. of Travel & Tourism Includes Voice Over in Spring Campaign

When the New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism debuted the state’s new multifaceted Spring advertising campaign, two compelling new television commercials take center stage in a media mix featuring radio, billboards and the Internet. With vivid imagery, the 30-second TV spots go beyond simply suggesting a visit to the Garden State — they draw viewers in by highlighting New Jersey’s signature attractions as well as a sampling of the state’s artistic, cultural and historic destinations.

The campaign, which features images of GPS navigation screens and the familiar “you have arrived” broadcast voice-overs, capture New Jersey’s range of experiences — from bicycling to birdwatching, from starfish to spa treatments. Viewers will see historic venues such as Red Bank’s revitalized Count Basie Theatre, exciting dining and nightlife, and families bonding over Wildwood’s exhilarating rides and nostalgic “Doo Wop” culture.

New Jersey’s great destinations will be splashed across the Eastern seaboard — from Toronto, Ontario to Roanoke, Virginia, and from Cincinnati, Ohio to Long Island, New York. Drivers will see billboard images of the state’s diverse tourism gems — as colorful GPS screens — along major thoroughfares. Web surfers can explore online through Internet advertising. And radio listeners will hear “mini itineraries,” perfect for a quick getaway. “We’re not just saying ‘come visit New Jersey and you’ll be pleasantly surprised’ (although you will be),” notes Nancy Byrne, executive director of the New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism. “The campaign celebrates the theme of ‘Great Destinations in Any Direction’ by spotlighting destinations that visitors will want to know more about. Stroll the gorgeous beaches of Spring Lake — or the indigenous New Jersey art at the Noyes Museum. Steal away to one of Cape May’s romantic Victorian inns. Take the kids on an eco- tourism canoe trip in the Pinelands. Or come see family-friendly Atlantic City attractions, like the fascinating water, sound, and light show at The Pier at Caesar’s or the Steel Pier’s classic amusements. Atlantic City’s luxurious resorts, dining, spas and shopping are world-class.”

For information on these destinations and assistance when planning a New Jersey vacation — including additional itinerary ideas, finding accommodations and ordering brochures — go to www.visitnj.org.

Source: PRNewswire.com

Iron Man Video Game to Feature Robert Downey Jr.

SEGA Europe Ltd., SEGA® of America, Inc. and Marvel Entertainment, Inc. announced today that the Iron Man™ video game, based on the successful Marvel comic book series and the upcoming film by Marvel Studios, will feature the voice talents of Robert Downey Jr., Terence Howard and Shaun Toub. All three actors will reprise their onscreen roles of Tony Stark (Downey), Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Howard), and Yinsen (Toub). The Iron Man video game launches the same day with the blockbuster movie on May 2, 2008.

Iron Man is the story of Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and inventor who had it all. But during a routine weapons test in the Middle East, Stark was captured and forced to construct the ultimate weapon. Instead of following his captors’ demands, Tony built his own devastating weapon – a powerful suit of armour that provided the key to his heroic escape. From this point forward, Tony Stark became more than a man. He became Iron Man.

Iron Man, an explosive third-person action shooter game that pits one of the world’s most renowned Super Heroes against unspeakable odds, draws its story from the upcoming movie while also incorporating story elements from original Iron Man comic books. Using the advanced technology in Iron Man’s suits of armour, gamers can take advantage of the wide array of high-impact weapons to strategically annihilate any enemy force standing in their way. Before tackling stunning and immense open battlefields, players can customise their armour suit as they encounter progressively more vicious enemies, and fight in epic battles that could challenge even the toughest Super Heroes.

Iron Man will be available in May for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, the Wii™ home video game system, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Nintendo DS™ portable handheld system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and PC.

Source: GoNintendo.com

Alltel Wireless Offers More Voice Over Perks with Voicemail MAX

Alltel Wireless has announced that it will offer Voicemail MAX™, an application designed to enable customers to personalize outgoing voicemail greetings with the voices of Hollywood stars, comedians, celebrity impersonators, and top-selling music artists.

Voicemail MAX has been developed by 9 Squared, a Zed Company and provider of mobile content in the U.S. This solution features content from Larry the Cable Guy, Steve Harvey, Orlando Jones, T.I. and popular voices from Comedy Central’s Reno 911.

“With Voicemail MAX from Alltel Wireless, our customers now have a fun way to personalize their wireless service,” said Kristi Crum, director of multi-media content for Alltel Wireless, in a Thursday statement.

“With hundreds of messages to choose from, customers can select voicemail greetings that match their personalities for incoming calls from friends, family and colleagues.”

Available on select phones and providing access to more than 500 audio clips recorded by premier voice talent, Voicemail MAX can be downloaded and previewed for no additional cost through the phone’s main menu.

A greeting may be purchased for $2.99 and customers have the option to choose from a wide variety of content categories that include Hip Hop Celebrities, Rock Stars, Sports, Business, Holiday , Cartoon, and many others.

“Voicemail MAX establishes a new category for mobile personalization. Our unique content from providers like Warner Music Group and MTV Networks allows Alltel Wireless subscribers to customize their voicemail greetings with entertaining clips from the worlds of comedy, music and pop culture,” said Brian Casazza, Chief Executive Officer for 9 Squared, in Thursday’s statement.

“We are pleased to team with Alltel Wireless, a leading provider of cutting-edge, fun and engaging solutions for their subscribers.”

Alltel Wireless provides customers with choice and control when it comes to their wireless experience. This concept is further promoted with the company’s expansion to “My Circle” which provides customers with the freedom of unlimited calling to and from five, 10 or 20 numbers on any network for free.

9 Squared is an independent distributor of mobile content. The company is equipped with a catalog of premier mobile content and extensive wireless distribution partnerships. Offering best-in-breed mobile distribution technology, direct response marketing and content programming and merchandising expertise, 9 Squared’s capabilities span the value chain.

Zed develops and markets mobile and online entertainment and community products and services. The company is present in 38 countries, including Europe’s largest markets, the U.S. and China. Zed holds agreements with more than 100 mobile network operators and employs 1,400 staff.

Consumers are continuing to demand more and more from their mobile experience and Alltel Wireless understands that it must be able to offer its client base personalization that incorporates fun and is a reflection of their personality.

This approach to customization enables the customer to reflect their unique persona through their voicemail. The huge demand for such customization will help to drive revenue for Alltel Wireless, while also drawing in customers to add to the base.

Source: TMCNet.com

Scott Chapin Adds “Perfect Touch” to Promos for WHDH and Other Stations

” ‘7 News at 11′ starts now,” the smooth, high baritone announces, welcoming viewers to the late-night newscast on WHDH-TV (Channel 7).

If the story is light, his tone teases like a comedic uncle. If the news is tragic, his voice is softer and slower, weighted with compassion.

“It’s like an art form, and if you don’t think it is, try and do it sometime!” says Scott Chapin, the man behind the voice. “What I bring to the table is attitude more than voice.”

Chapin, 54, the signature announcer for WHDH and sister station WLVI-TV (Channel 56), is one of the most famous voices in the local television market, yet viewers never see his face. Three times a day from an audio studio in his home in New Mexico, Chapin records his exuberant promos and teases for WHDH. His voice, in fact, is heard across the country.

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Potential for Voice Acting Can Be Realized, Even in Later Life

As president and creative director of Voice Coaches, David Bourgeois works with voice actors from across the country out of his Schenectady studio. His clients have done work for TLC, Discovery, HGTV and WE.

According to Bourgeois, voice talent today is all about diversity. Companies are looking for voices different from the booming male tones often heard in movie trailers and beer commercials.

“We’ve transcended from being an industry where you used to have to be almost born with the voice to do this. The trick for a voice actor today when they are marketing themselves is to try to figure out what is it their voice is a fit for. Then target that aspect of the industry,” Bourgeois said.

Marketers are looking for voices that represent the people they are trying to reach.

“People are more receptive to a message that they feel is like themselves,” he said.

Bourgeois also said older actors do well in the field.

“As you get older, your voice range actually increases. If I put somebody who’s 60 on the microphone, it’s difficult for me to tell how old they are. They could be 40 or 70. They can play a broader range with their voice,” he said.

Bourgeois describes voice work as a special kind of acting.

“In voice acting, it’s what you hear, not what you see. It gives you a special anonymity. You can be anything your voice wants you to be,” he said.

Voice Coaches will present an introduction to voice acting class at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Adirondack Community College through the Center for Personal and Professional Development. John Gallogly, senior creative director for the company, will give locals an overview of the industry in the 2-1/2 hour non-credit “Getting Paid to Talk” class.

Technology has had one of the biggest effects on the field, Bourgeois said.

“Most people think of voice work as being about commercials. Commercials are part of our field, but only about 10 percent,” he said.

Recent growth in voice acting has come from audiobooks, cable television, voicemail systems, video games and the Internet — an area with limitless potential, Bourgeois said.

“That work didn’t even exist if you go back five or six years ago,” he said.

The ACC class is meant to give interested actors a glimpse of the industry, not make them overnight stars.

“It’s designed as an introduction to the field of acting,” Bourgeois said. “What type of voice do we look for today? Where do you look for work opportunities locally? Pros and cons of the field.”

Those attending, however, will get their shot at the real deal.

“At the end of the class, we give everyone in the class a chance to record a short clip under the direction of our producer,” Bourgeois said.

Source: PostStar.com

Kay Levasseur Makes Entrepreneurship Look Easy in SL

Being a serial entrepreneur can present some challenges, but SL business owner Kay Levasseur makes it look easy.

“I have been an entrepreneur for years, and with that carries the skill of extreme multi-tasking along with a pinch of insanity,” says Levasseur who owns a voice talent company, an architecture and building management firm (Vought-Levasseur Building, which she co-owns with her RL husband and SL partner), and Virtual talent, an in-world talent agency.

Her First Life

In her First Life, Levasseur owns and operates a health club and is a professional voice talent.

Says Levasseur, “Any given day, you will find me at the front desk of the health club on my laptop, working on online projects from Second Life businesses to voice auditions. When it comes time for recording, you might find me in the yoga studio at the club with a microphone in my hand, utilizing my portable set-up, at home in my professional studio or at the local radio station, where I’ve worked for over 11 years.”

Talk about multi-tasking!

Levasseur says that time management helps her – to a point.

“Sometimes you just have to devote your time to the project that is calling your emotional and/or intellectual energy,” says Levasseur. “I’ve found that my work in other areas is just not productive if my mind is on some other idea that needs to be worked out.” She adds that her days are long, and her time off is priceless.

The Good Stuff

Some business achievements Levasseur has had in-world include landing a first tenant before the building she and her husband jointly own was even completed. The tenant took not one, but three spaces, giving Levasseur a boost of confidence. Another milestone was getting a booking for a corporate level machinima within her first two weeks in SL.

Her Bottom Line

Levasseur acknowledges that the SL economy is still evolving so she is doing work for “pennies on the dollar” in SL–something she would never do in her First Life.

Says Levasseur, “I think and hope, as more business people find their way into SL, that will change.”

Her initial in-world investment was $50US, and she is now generating enough revenue in SL to keep her business afloat. And buy a few nice outfits.

“I am still earning my living via my RL efforts. However, I’ve made some very good connections in SL that have translated into RL work. Ideally, SL and RL will be integrated parts of my businesses,” she says.

Advice from the Front Lines

Levasseur gives this advice to aspiring entrepreneurs:

1. Understand that your avatar is an extension of you. Don’t let your avatar do anything that you wouldn’t do as a real person. If you must, get another avatar.

2. Write a business plan for each business. Even if its simple, know what your goals are, who your customers are, determine a marketing plan, set up hours when you will work your business.

3. Learn about Intellectual Property Rights.

4. Remember, behind every avatar, no matter what it looks like, is a human being and potential customer or business partner. Treat them as such.

5. Attend business meetings, classes, seminars, etc. You will learn a lot and meet like-minded people.

Source: SL Entrepreneur Magazine

How To Train Your Dragon

DreamWorks Animation has signed a number of actors to lend their voices to the upcoming CG featureHow to Train Your Dragon, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gerard Butler (300), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Jonah Hill (Superbad), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad) and Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up) will play characters in the fantasy toon, set for release on March 26, 2010.

Based on the first book in a series by author Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon is the story of a Viking boy named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third (Baruchel), who must prove his worthiness by capturing a fire-breathing beast. Butler will portray the boy’s father, a Viking chief, while Ferrera plays Astrid, a fellow youngster who joins Hiccup on his quest.

Hill takes on the role of village bully Snotlout, and Mintz-Plasse will voice Fishlegs, a small-minded oaf.Attached to direct is Peter Hastings, who has helmed episodes of Nickelodeon’s animated series Catscratch and Disney’s One Saturday Morning. Produced by Bonnie Arnold, Dragon will follow Monsters vs. Aliens as DreamWorks Animations second film produced int its proprietary Ultimate 3D format. Monsters is slated for March 27, 2009.

Hill, Mintz-Plasse and Baruchel have all received screen notoriety under the wing of writer-director-producer Judd Apatow, who created the cult favorite TV series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared before putting his stamp on the hit comedy features The 40 Year Old Virgin, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Knocked Up and Superbad.

The Apatow camp has become a popular pool for recruiting voice talent. Hill and Knocked Up co-star Seth Rogan can both be heard in 20th Century Fox Animation’s Horton Hears A Who! Rogan also voiced a CG-animated character in Paramount Pictures’ The Spiderwick Chronicles and was recently announced as part of the cast of Monsters vs. Aliens.

Source: Animation Magazine

Paisley Beebe Interviews Voicedude Reinoir on Second Life Network Television

On March 16th, voice actor Ari Ross was featured in an online televised interview in Second Life, an online virtual world, on the show “Tonight Live With Paisley Beebe“.

If you are not in Second Life, there is another way that you can see or even download Ari’s (aka Voicedude Reinoir) appearance on the Beebe show at present, including by clicking here.

You can also get the show downloaded free in your iTunes by searching for “Paisley Beebe” to watch the avatar “Voicedude Reinoir” doing voices and talking about the beginnings of Ari Ross’ career and more.

Ari Ross mentioned, “It really felt like I was on TV in a way (thousands of people will see it in reruns in SL, on iTunes and at SLCN.TV) as there was a studio, director, sound guy, cameras, props (couches, stage, plants, etc.) and a darn good host (from Australia). We even had rehearsals, blocking and everything.”

Source: Voicedude Reinoir AKA Ari Ross

Bettye Zoller New Voice Speech Coach for Bravo’s “Top Chef”

Bettye Zoller, voice and speech teacher, has been selected as voice speech coach for publicity agents of the chefs on the hit TV show on BRAVO called, “Top Chef”, many of whom now have jobs at trade shows, endorsements for cookware, working TV interviews, personal appearances, infomercials, and more.

When asked about whether or not she worked with the chefs directly, Bettye replied, “If a chef needs voice and speech work of some sort, I am called on to improve that person’s communication skills.”

Bettye Zoller began coaching voice and speech in the 1990s when, with three partners, she formed a corporation specializing in corporate training and coaching activities. The corporation also published many books and audio books, several of which were best sellers.

One title, “How to Get What You Want on the Telephone Every Time” was an Audio Book Club Best Seller and still is sold worldwide. It is one eight-minute CD. Another publication, “TALK: The Toolkit for Talkers” continues to enjoy top sales worldwide. The corporation was legally dissolved in 2002 by mutual agreement with the partners moved on to pursue other projects.

Since 2002, Bettye Zoller has been concentrating on voiceovers, audio recording activities, voiceover coaching and teaching but still accepts corporate and private voice speech assignments. Over the years, she has coached politicians, top officials and countless celebrities from the worlds of film, TV, radio, and pageants.

Recent clients of Bettye Zoller include Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blockbuster Video Corporate, Closed Captioning Institute, several U.S. government agencies and celebrities on television.

Bettye Zoller shares, “The thing I like most about voice and speech improvement coaching is that, literally, I CHANGE people’s lives. I have quotes and letters to that effect over the years saying, ‘I wouldn’t have my job without you,’ ‘You are the reason I got my promotion,’ ‘I now can speak in public and I’m selling so many more of my books because of it’ and so on. It’s gratifying! I also teach dialect and accent minimization to the foreign-born (and I also reduce regional accents in one’s native language) and do this for actors as well as voice talents and also business clients not in the arts. One never loses one’s accent or dialect totally, but it can be ‘masked’ and ‘minimized.’”

Bettye also teaches the acquisition of some accents, primarily Italian, German, French, New Yorker, deep Southern U.S. and some others and is a proud member of VASTA, Voice and Speech Trainers Association. A serving member on several college and university faculties over the years, she is degreed through PH.D. studies with two Masters Degrees.

Source: Bettye Zoller

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