Rita Pardue Judges Gracie Allen Award Media Contest
January 30, 2009
On January 24, 2009, Ms. Pardue, Production Manager at 89.3 KPCC-Southern California Public Radio, presided as a judge in several broadcasting areas including local, national, and international television and radio at the George Washington University Media and Public Affairs building located in Washington , D.C. The three day event was hosted by American Women in Radio and Television.
Of the many contestants vying for the coveted Gracie Allen Award, there were many well known entrants such as CBS Sunday Morning and many well-known television personalities such as Barbara Walters. Though the judging categories focused on production and content, Ms. Pardue critiqued, “In my opinion, the most talented pieces weren’t just newsworthy, but they were the ones high in diversity where the high production quality combined with the newsworthiness just moved me.”
Former award recipients include American Idol’s Cecile Frot-Coutaz in association with Fremantle Media, Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus, Harpo Radio’s Dr. Maya Angelou, Saving Grace’s Holly Hunter, Heroes’ Ali Larter, Today’s Hoda Kotb, CNBC’s The Suze Orman Show, WE tv’s Wedding Central and MTV’s Half of Us Special, CBS News’ Nancy Giles, CNN’s Heroes: An All Star Tribute, Lifetime Television’s Army Wives, and Oxygen’s Who Cares About the Girls.
The 2009 Gracie Allen Award winners will be honored at the 34th Annual Gracie Awards ceremonies on June 3, 2009 at the New York Marriott Marquis and June 4, 2009 at Tavern on the Green, also located in New York. For further information please visit:
http://www.awrt.org/awards/gracies.html
Source: Rita Pardue
apt-X® raises audio fidelity for Jaybird’s next “Made for iPod” Bluetooth stereo headphones
January 30, 2009
Belfast, Northern Ireland [Friday, January 30, 2009] – APT Licensing Ltd (Belfast, UK) [www.aptx.com], the real-time audio compression systems house, today announces further consumer electronics industry endorsement of its low-latency, high-quality apt-X® audio codec technology with news of a collaborative partnership with JayBird Gear, LLC (Salt Lake City, Utah) [www.jaybirdgear.com], maker of the critically acclaimed JB-200 Bluetooth Stereo Headset series for iPod, iPhone, MP3 players, PC/Mac, mobiles and other portable media players (PMPs). Jaybird will incorporate the outstanding wireless sound quality of low-latency apt-X® audio codec technology into the company’s next generation of high-definition stereo Bluetooth wireless headphones for the growing active lifestyles market. The Jaybird Freedom Wireless Headphones, successor to the award-winning Jaybird JB-200 Bluetooth Stereo Headset, becomes available from April 2009, and is again primarily targeted toward the active lifestyles sector of the consumer electronics market. LAPTOP Magazine [www.laptopmag.com], the leading US mobile-technology magazine, conferred its Ultimate Choice 2008 “top pick” status on the Jaybird JB-200 in a comparison of stereo Bluetooth headsets from various manufacturers.
Made for iPod, made for sport
JayBird CEO and founder Judd Armstrong said: “The Freedom headset is Jaybird’s new crown jewel, the ultimate music machine for sports, and builds on the whirlwind success of the critically-acclaimed JB-200 series. Many listeners agree that standard Bluetooth A2DP stereo sound has background static issues, but with the apt-X audio codec option, wireless sound is crystal clear. The ears of sweaty athletes are in for a treat come April.” Like the JB-200 headset, the Freedom Wireless Headphones will be “Made for iPod” approved.
Mike Canevaro, VP Business Development, APT Licensing, added: “In less than two years, JayBird has established a strong active lifestyle-orientated audio brand in an underserved market niche: sports, athletics, and fitness. With apt-X inside, the Freedom headphones are positioned as one of Bluetooth stereo headset industry’s most complete solution for music-lovers on the move, and are compatible with the broadest possible range of PMPs, from simple MP3 players to smartphones like the iPhone 3G and Blackberry.”
Jaybird joins scores of new and existing apt-X audio codec licensee partners who design and manufacture a range of digital wireless audio products for both high-end professional and consumer audio markets. APT Licensing provides application-specific variants of its low-latency, high-quality apt-X audio codec technology (apt-X, apt-X Live, apt-X Voice, Enhanced apt-X) for broadcast, studio, games, microphone, speaker, headphone, intercom, 2-way radio, and Bluetooth A2DP applications. Recent apt-X licensees include Bluegiga, CREATIVE, iSkin, Luci (Technica Del Arte), Mandozzi, and Shure. APT Licensing is partnered with leading Bluetooth chipmaker CSR, and is an associate member of the Bluetooth SIG.
In contrast to other forms of lossy and lossless audio codecs, apt-X is uniquely designed for ultra low-delay transport of broadcast-quality multi-channel audio over wireless links and digital circuits, including IP networks. These same performance attributes make apt-X ideally suited to a multitude of wireless audio technologies in consumer electronics.
APT Licensing exhibits on Stand 1A59 at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, February 16-19.
About JayBird Gear
JayBird Gear designs and manufactures high-performance Bluetooth stereo headsets for those who want to take high-quality audio with them through their active lives. For more about Jaybird, JB-200 and Freedom Wireless Headphones, visit http://www.jaybirdgear.com
About APT Licensing
Trading in semiconductor intellectual property since 1989, APT Licensing provides industry-leading audio compression solutions to the broadcast, professional audio, and consumer electronics industries. The company’s apt-X audio codec technology has earned a reputation throughout the audio industry as the ultimate high-quality, low-delay audio data compression algorithm available. Today, apt-X technology is licensed for use in broadcast audio codec hardware, professional audio systems, and consumer electronics devices, including portable media players and mobile phones, Bluetooth stereo headsets, and wireless microphones. Headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, APT Licensing also has direct sales offices in the USA and Japan. For more information, visit http://www.aptx.com
About Bluetooth A2DP wireless technology
Bluetooth wireless technology is the global short-range of wireless standards for personal connectivity from a wide range of electronic devices. The technology is now available in its fourth version of the core specification and continues to develop, building on its inherent strengths:-a small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, strength, accessibility, and ad hoc networking abilities. There were more than one billion installed Bluetooth devices at the end of 2006, making it the only well-known choice for developers, product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide.
About “Made for iPod”
For more about the “Made for iPod” program, visit http://developer.apple.com/ipod/
Note: The Bluetooth word, mark, and logo are registered trademarks and are owned by The Bluetooth SIG, Inc. iPod, iPhone, Mac and the “Made for iPod” logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. JayBird, and the JayBird logo are trademarks of JayBird Gear LLC. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Source: APT-X
Peter K. O’Connell Elected to MCA-I Board of Directors
January 30, 2009
Peter K. O’Connell, president of audio’connell Voice Over Talent, has been elected to serve a two-year term on the board of directors of Media Communications Association – International (MCA-I).
As part of his role on the association’s board, O’Connell will also serve as chairman of the association’s Membership Committee.
“Over my twenty-five plus years in the communication industry, the technological avalanche I have witnessed over the past five to seven years has been amazing. It’s one of the reasons I joined MCA-I,” O’Connell says.
“The portability, the speed and the accessibility of the technology driving personal and professional communication today across so many media channels means that individuals and companies will need to access the brain power of our MCA-I membership now more than ever.”
With nearly 800 members world-wide, MCA-I supports professional communicators who work in film, video and the Internet as well as other electronic media, and who communicate through broadcast and non-broadcast delivery channels.
The professional association is headquartered in Madison, WI, and with 29 active chapters, celebrated it 40th anniversary in 2008. The association’s web address is www.mca-i.org.
Source: VoiceOverXtra.com
Don LaFontaine to be Posthumously Honored with an AMEE Award
January 30, 2009
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the people who entertain and inform America, announced today that the AFTRA Foundation will honor recording artist Smokey Robinson, broadcaster Vin Scully, actress Jeanne Cooper, and voiceover artist Don LaFontaine at the AFTRA Media and Entertainment Excellence Awards (The AMEES), at a dinner gala event at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on March 9, 2009.
Voting is Open For Unofficial Jimmy Fallon Announcer Nominees
January 29, 2009
Who should win the unofficial Jimmy Fallon announcer bragging rights?
Over 80 professional voice talents threw their proverbial hats into the ring, leaving ten men standing as contenders, including in no particular order:
Lee Gordon, Robert Hantson, Joey D Williams, Scott Larson, Allen Scofield, Tony Pasquale, Bill Elder, Mike Elmore, George Robinson, and Bruce Miles.
Peter O’Connell has opened the floodgates to voters to submit their top 3 choices for who they think should win the honor.
The winner will be announced in the voxmarketising podcast coming up in the near future.
For more information and to vote, visit the official voting page on audioconnell.com.
Source: Peter O’Connell
D3Publisher Announces Voice Talent for Video game Based on LAIKA and Focus Features’ Coraline
January 15, 2009
D3Publisher announced today that the Coraline videogame, based on LAIKA’s exciting new movie – the first-ever stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3-D – will feature the voice talents of Dakota Fanning, Keith David, and Robert Bailey Jr. All three actors will reprise their onscreen voiced roles of Coraline Jones (Fanning), Cat (David) and Wybie Lovat (Bailey Jr.). The Coraline videogame will ship to North American retail stores for the Wii™ system, Nintendo DS™ and the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system on January 27, 2009 to coincide with Focus Features’ nationwide domestic release of the movie on February 6, 2009, in both 3-D and non-3-D theaters.
The only videogame based on the upcoming movie, the Coraline videogame will let players take on the role of the adventurous heroine Coraline and interact with the wondrous characters from the movie while navigating the scheming Other Mother’s web of deceit in a fantastical adventure through two distinct and interactive worlds. Coraline will allow players to explore and interact with such immersive 3-D environments from the movie as the Pink Palace, its nooks and crannies and apartments, and the unpredictable Other World. Players will engage in unique mini-games and adventures with Coraline’s faithful friends, Wybie and Cat, as they collect items that will unlock the mysteries of the Other World.
Coraline for Wii and the PlayStation 2 system is developed by Papaya Studios and is rated “E 10+” (Everyone 10 and up – Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes) by the ESRB. Coraline for Nintendo DS is developed by Art Co. Ltd., and is rated “E” (Everyone – Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes) by the ESRB.
For more information on the game, please visit: www.CoralineTheGame.com.
About Coraline (the movie)
Combining the visionary imaginations of two premier fantasists, director/screenwriter Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and author Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Coraline is a wondrous and thrilling, fun and suspenseful adventure that honors and redefines two moviemaking traditions. It is a stop-motion animated feature – and, as the first one to be conceived and photographed in stereoscopic 3-D, unlike anything moviegoers have ever experienced before. The movie opens in theaters everywhere on February 6.
Coraline Jones is a girl of 11 who is feisty, curious, and adventurous beyond her years. She and her parents have just relocated from Michigan to Oregon. She uncovers a secret door in the house. Walking through the door and then venturing through an eerie passageway, she discovers an alternate version of her life and existence. On the surface, this parallel reality is similar to her real life – only much better. But when her wondrously off-kilter, fantastical visit turns dangerous, Coraline musters all of her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family. For more information, please visit www.Coraline.com.
About Focus Features (Domestic Distributor)
Focus Features (www.filminfocus.com) exists to produce, acquire and distribute original and daring films that challenge the mainstream to embrace and enjoy voices and visions from around the world that deliver global commercial success. The company’s Oscar-winning films have included Brokeback Mountain, The Pianist, Lost in Translation, The Constant Gardener, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Motorcycle Diaries, and Atonement.
About Universal Pictures International (International Distributor)
Universal Pictures markets and distributes films internationally through Universal Pictures International (UPI), which officially began doing business on January 1, 2007. In the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, German-speaking Switzerland, Benelux, Russia, Australia, Mexico and France, UPI directly markets and distributes movies through our local offices, creating campaigns and release strategies that respond to the culture and market behavior of those territories. In other parts of the world, Universal distributes through Paramount’s local offices as it transitions out of formerly shared UIP model. In some smaller territories we continue to work through UIP on theatrical distribution.
About LAIKA, Inc.
LAIKA, Inc. (www.laika.com) is the Portland-based entertainment and media company specializing in animated feature films, television commercials, music videos, broadcast graphics and short films. It is a dynamic community of filmmakers, designers and animators fueled by the vision of its owner and Chairman, Philip H. Knight, co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc.
About Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group
Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group (UPDPG) is responsible for global digital product development, production, licensing, distribution, and growth strategy for the extensive catalogue of Universal’s properties across new and emerging digital platforms, including mobile, video game consoles, personal computers, and other portable devices. With a worldwide mandate to help shape the digital future of Universal Pictures, the Group has offices in Universal City, California; London, England; and Tokyo, Japan.
Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group is a unit of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Universal Pictures is a division, and Focus Features is part, of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.
About D3Publisher
D3Publisher, a subsidiary of D3, Inc., is a leading interactive entertainment publisher and distributor for licensed and original titles for personal computers, major console platforms and handheld systems. D3Publisher has operations in the U.S., U.K., and Japan. The company also owns development studio Vicious Cycle Software, Inc., and its technology platform, Vicious Engine. Recent releases have included Dark Sector®, Dead Head Fred®, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords®, and Ben 10™: Protector of Earth. For more information about D3Publisher, please visit: www.d3publisher.com.
Dark Sector® is a registered trademark of Digital Extremes. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. All rights reserved.
Source: BusinessWire.com
Image source CoralineTheGame.com
AFTRA Approves Terms for a New Digital Audiobook Agreement with Audible.com
January 15, 2009
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) announced on January 14th, 2009 an agreement covering performers working on audiobooks produced by Audible.com.
Melissa Disney Featured in Ad, Finals for Doritos Super Bowl Contest
January 9, 2009
Voice over talent and actress, Melissa Disney, also known for her work as the singing voice of Snow White, is part of a team that has created an advertisement for Doritos, making into the TOP 5 in the Super Bowl competition.
To show your support, the voice over community is encouraged to view the commercial and vote for “The Chase”.
Disney relates that you can vote once per day and be entered into a drawing to win tickets to Super Bowl XLIII.
Voting ends on January 25th, 2009.
Source: Melissa Disney
Tavia Gilbert, Narrator of The Middle Place, Honored
January 9, 2009
Tavia Gilbert, narrator of the audio version of the best-selling book “The Middle Place”, has received an honor of late with her work recognized as one of Library Journal’s 10 Best Nonfiction Audiobooks of 2008.
Library Journal noted, “Tavia Gilbert impressively voices the male and female characters of Corrigan’s “heart-wrenching and humorous” breast cancer memoir.”
Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt Talk Voice Over
January 7, 2009
If you hadn’t heard, Superman relocated to Hollywood. He flies about town fighting the never ending battle. When not, he can be seen in a voice booth under the secret identities of Sasuske Uchia, Ben Tennyson or Bobby Drake. When he goes home, he’s greeted by Wonder Woman. She’s also been known to go to work as Temari of the Sunagakure or Dream Girl of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Actually, those are just some of the roles Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt, two of the fastest rising stars in the voice acting world have had in recent years. Since the turn of the millennium, they have been part of a brash new batch of voice actors whose roots were in anime, and are rapidly expanding into other arenas.
The fans are noticing it, too. When Yuri and Tara recently appeared at the recent Florida Supercon, the line at their table stretched out of the room, with fans asking for autographs on pictures of the characters they’ve voiced – anime, animation, gaming or otherwise.
The two have been married since 2002.
To read the full interview as conducted just before the holidays by Steve Fritz via Newsarama.com, click on the source link below.
Source: Newsarama.com Interview with Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt
