Freakin’ Sweet Deal for Voice Actor Seth MacFarlane

Freakin’ Sweet happens to be the name of geek idol Seth MacFarlane’s new musical revue, but it’s also an apt summary of the big deal he just cut with 20th Century Fox TV, according to The Hollywood Reporter. As creator and primary voice talent behind animated comedies American Dad and Family Guy, MacFarlane will continue to produce shows and online content for Fox through 2012. In exchange, he’ll receive up to $100 million.

MacFarlane’s spinoff series, The Cleveland Show, is expected to be announced next week at Fox’s “upfront” session in New York City. MacFarlane has the fans to thank for his emergence as Hollywood’s highest-paid show runner. Family Guy was famously canceled in 2000, then brought back on the air after consumer demand for the first-season DVD and good ratings of reruns on the Cartoon Network convinced Fox execs to give the then-26-year-old upstart a second chance.

As for Freakin’ Sweet, MacFarlane, like fellow TV auteur Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), has a soft spot for musical numbers. He’s staging a one-night only revue of 26 original songs celebrating the letters of the alphabet. On May 10, MacFarlane and The Family Guy Orchestra will perform onstage at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.

By the way, he’s not getting paid. It’s a benefit.

Photo of Stewie from Family Guy courtesy Fox TV
[via Variety and Hollywood Reporter]

Source: Wired.com

“Horrendous” Voice Acting to be Replaced by Professionals in Two Worlds : The Temptation

Reality Pump knows that most of you were disappointed by the utter mess that was its first RPG, Two Worlds, but hopes it’ll a second chance to win you over with the sequel, Two Worlds: The Temptation.

Two Worlds caught flak from reviewers for its lousy graphics, horrendous voice acting, and clumsy interface. The Xbox 360 version was also particularly buggy, locking up with frustrating regularity.

Reality Pump acknowledges the problems, chalking it up to being overly ambitious.

“We tried to fit in every idea we had, even the ones that came late in the process,” the developer told OXM.

The same mistake will not be made with The Temptation. “We clearly delineated the game’s components at the start, and we’re sticking to this target so the end result will be a more finely polished game,” said Reality Pump.

Fans of Two World’s bad Renaissance Fair-style dialog (lots of “forsooth!”ing in that game), will be disappointed to learn that The Temptation’s “script is being written by someone that’s worked on plenty of game dialog in the past, and is getting many more passes and edits so it will read much better,” according to Reality Pump.

The overly hammy voice acting should be gone, too. The voice work for Two Worlds was actually performed by Reality Pump staff, “which I’m proud we accomplished but the end results show that it’s not exactly our forte,” said the developer. The sequel will feature professional voice actors.

Two Worlds was an absolute train wreck, but did have some genuinely fun and interesting ideas hidden beneath its broken exterior. If Reality Pump has, as it claims, learned the lesson of restraint, and can build off the experience it acquired making Two Worlds, then The Temptation may very well be worth a look.

Source: Wired.com

Spider-man Web of Shadows Game Swoops in August 2008

Activision has officially announced the next Spider-man game. It will be called Spider-man: Web of Shadows and appear on virtually every console ever including DS, PSP, PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, and 360. This should come as no great surprise as there had already been rumors swirling, but to hear it’s official is calming.They haven’t said much about what the game will entail except that it’s a restructuring of the open-world New York gameplay that allows for more vertical battling up in the sky and lets the player make choices on which missions to follow, and which to ignore.No word yet on if the game will suck like 3, but we’re holding our hearts in our hands for a good Spider-man game. We feel we deserve it.The game is set for release in August of this year and if you’re going to be at the New York Comic-con this week, you’ll be able to audition for voice over jobs on the game. Videos of the auditions are going to be posted on the Web of Shadow’s web site where users can vote on who they like. Nice.Source: G4TV.com

Jackie Chan Wants to Slow Down, Scoping out Voice Acting

Popular martial-arts and action-film star Jackie Chan says now that he is in his mid fifties he would like to slow down a bit on-screen. The actor says he would prefer to do movies involving fewer stunts and do more voice-over work like his role in the upcoming animated feature Kung-Fu Panda.

“I just finished a movie called The Shinjuku Incident,” Chan told a news conference in Los Angeles over the weekend. “It’s just maybe 1 percent action. It’s heavy, heavy drama.”

“I want a change. I want to be a real actor, not [an] action star. An action star’s life is very short. I’m the myth,” Chan said. [”The action star] Jackie Chan is a myth. I’m still surviving right now, but in 30 years, I’m the only one [left]. How long am I going to keep fighting? I have to change, change and change. I’ve been encouraged.”

Chan recently turned 54. His most recent big-screen role was in the upcoming The Forbidden Kingdom, where he played a martial-arts master.

In The Forbidden Kingdom, Chan plays dual roles as Old Hop the pawnshop owner and as the Drunken Master, a role he first played several decades earlier. “I now realize that Drunken Master was 30 years ago,” Chan said. “My master already passed away, so now I’m the master. It feels funny, really funny. What can you do?”

Source: SliceOfSciFi.com

Corey Burton, Man of 1000 Voices, Interview

If Lon Chaney was the man of a thousand faces, then Corey Burton is the man of a thousand voices. A much admired voice-over actor, he is also a self-professed “socially awkward, scatterbrained geek,” — one whose IMDB listing reads like a compendium of audio-visual pop culture.

Burton has stepped into roles such as Star Wars’ Count Dooku, a Transformer here and there, and even Brainiac. He’s the go-to guy for Disney. You may know him as the ghost host of the Haunted Mansion ride, or the familiar narrator in the Goofy short How To Hook Up Your Home Theater.

Burton is professional, knowledgeable, and he is… nice? Yes. Burton is highly approachable and makes it clear through his own writing at coreyburton.com that his concern and passion extend to the entire industry. I was thrilled to have the chance to hear what he would have to say to the aspiring artists, voice-over actors, and geeks of the world. Burton’s insights extend to how he got his start in the industry, what it’s like to work under George Lucas’s “prime directive,” and why he’s uncomfortable with the idea of prank phone calls.

To read the full interview at Animation World Magazine, click the source link below:

Source: Animation World Magazine

Incredible Hulk Game in the Works, Celeb Voice Actors

SEGA brings the film’s A-list actors to the game to create a more authentic experience. Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Italian Job, The Illusionist) plays scientist Bruce Banner, a man desperately seeking to rid himself of the unbridled force of rage within him: The Hulk. Liv Tyler (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Strangers) is Dr. Betty Ross, Banner’s love interest, while Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) voices Emil Blonsky (alter ego of The Hulk’s archenemy, The Abomination). Tim Blake Nelson (Syriana, Meet the Fockers) portrays Dr. Samuel Sterns, and William Hurt (Into the Wild, The Village) plays General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the man who wants to capture The Hulk and brutally exploit his power.

Fast-paced and action-packed, the blockbuster franchise and comic book saga will unfold for the first time on next-generation platforms, as Banner scours the planet trying to find anything to help him fight his involuntary rage.

Source: WorthPlaying.com

Alpha and Omega Voice Acting Cast

Acting, singing, saving whales.

And now, as widely reported, Hayden Panettiere (along with comedian Justin Long) will voice the title characters in “Alpha and Omega,” an animated family feature whose lineup also includes Christina Ricci and Danny Glover. The movie follows two bickering wolves — one a disciplined, Alpha-bred wolf (Hayden Panettiere) and the other a fun-loving, comical Omega wolf (Justin Long) — who are captured and taken thousands of miles from their home.

Determined to rejoin their pack, the two mismatched wolves begin a dangerous trek across unfamiliar terrain, battling the odds, the elements, the bears and one another — and finding love along the way. Anthony Bell (”The Boondocks”) and Ben Gluck (”Brother Bear 2″) are directing “Alpha and Omega”.

Production is underway. Lionsgate will distribute the film in North America and the U.K. in 2010.

Source: WeHeartHayden.com

Film Fest Draws Familiar Faces and Voices, Joe Sirola for one

It took designers Jason Champion and Laurie Bell 475 yards of white fabric and 20,000 staples to create the elaborate hallway that served as a portal to Saturday’s poolside party and made everyone who passed through it feel like a star.

It was the second year in a row Lakewood Ranch’s most exclusive development was host to the Sarasota Film Festival’s Reel Experience.

“It’s been amazing and wonderful,” Champion said of the design process. “I hope the design brings a better vibe, a smooth and more comfortable vibe to people of all generations.”

Even a little rain didn’t dampen the spirits at the ’50s fete as all different kinds of food from - sushi to beignets - was up for grabs. Those who desired could partake in hand-rolled cigars and, of course, liquor flowed freely.

Saturday Night Live alum Nora Dunn, was among the familiar faces. Dunn is one of the comedic forces who make an appearance in “Certifiably Jonathan,” a documentary of sorts that premiers at the festival today.

The film is filled with comedic geniuses who are trying to help Jonathan Winters get his sense of humor back. Everyone from Winters’ “Mork & Mindy” co-star Robin Williams to Sarah Silverman gets in the act.

One of the evening’s most treasured guests, Joe “King of Voice Overs” Sirola, talked about some of his favorite films to be shown, including “Certifiably Jonathan.”

“I knew him before he quit drinking,” Sirola said.

Then again, in a career that spans five decades, there aren’t many influential actors Sirola hasn’t met, but his passion for film is just as strong today.

He raved about his friend Michael Badalucco’s film “Who is Norman Lloyd,” which will premier at the festival next weekend, and William H. Macy’s “The Deal,” which had its showing Friday night.

“Macy’s film was great too,” he said. “I laughed so hard.”

In his long career, Sirola has done everything from beckoning people to Club Med to convincing them to rent from Hertz. He has been the voice of Boar’s Head for 25 years.

That familiar voice can spin tails of the golden days of Hollywood when he and best friend Richard Burton used to go out on the town. He even travelled with Burton to film Cleopatra.

“I quit ‘Molly Brown’ and the soap opera I was working on and went along with him. He was wonderful,” Sirola said.

In addition to the notable faces that peppered the crowd, the Rat Pack-era feel of the party packed a punch.

Swinging tunes from St. Petersburg scenesters Lounge Cat added to the ’50s flair.

The band is no stranger to film festivals but it was their first time at Sarasota’s.

“I love film festivals,” said Eddie Rosicky, lead singer of Lounge Cat.

Rosicky actually just returned from South by Southwest in Austin where he had an opportunity to see the new Bela Fleck film “Throw Down Your Heart,” which plays Sunday in Sarasota.

“I wept it was so good,” Rosicky said.

Source: Brandeton.com Lakewood Ranch Herald

Bob Bergen Brings Animation Weekend to Boston

A mere five years into his life, Bob Bergen already felt confident enough to share the culmination of his worldly ambitions with his parents: When he grew up, the wee lad declared, he didn’t want to be an astronaut or a race car driver or a fireman. No, Bergen would not rest until he became . . . Porky Pig.

“My mom said, ‘You can’t be Porky Pig. You’re Jewish,’ ” Bergen recalled. “Being more ‘-ish’ than ‘Jew,’ I had no idea what she meant. I just knew there was this cartoon character I liked and could imitate. So I studied cartoons more than I studied my schoolwork.”

It isn’t difficult to imagine the trepidation Bergen’s parents must have felt listening to their young son sit in his room for hours practicing Porky’s “eh-puh-peh-eh” cadences when he should have been doing math homework. Yet when Mel Blanc passed away less than two decades later, Bergen was invited not only to become the voice behind the world’s most sweet-natured pig, but also a host of other iconic characters ranging from Tweety Bird and Speedy Gonzales to Marvin the Martian.

For those likewise struggling with misunderstood voiceover dreams, fear not! Bergen will make his way from Los Angeles to Boston on April 12-13 to pass along his hard-earned wisdom via one of his uber-popular two-day Weekend Animation Voice Workshops at the Dexter Media studios.

As one might imagine, unlike at most career building and networking gatherings, there is nary a dry lecture, PowerPoint presentation or dull moment at Bergen’s voiceover shindig.

“At a recent Atlanta workshop I was teaching everyone to bark like a dog,” Bergen said, describing a recent class. “Believe it or not it takes awhile to teach the technique. Well, just as I gave to word for everyone to bark the mailman walked in. He gave us the ‘I don’t know what these people are doing, maybe it’s some sort of therapy’ look. It’s not all that uncommon.”

While fun may be integral to Bergen’s workshops, the actor stressed voiceover work is, in fact, work.

“What most people can just ‘do’ is funny voices,” he said. “They imitate their teacher. They entertain their family. Their friends tell them how funny they are. And then they get a script and have no idea what to do with it. What they learn in the class is you have to think of yourself as an actor first.”

They also need to know how to hustle. Bergen didn’t spend the years between when he first broke his swine dreams to his parents and his ascent to the upper echelon of animated voiceovers twiddling his thumbs.

After his father moved the family to Los Angeles, for example, a 14-year-old Bergen cold-called every animation studio in town to get advice on how to break into the business. He went so far as to precociously ring up his hero Blanc at home. (The audio evidence is posted on Bergen’s Web site, www.bobbergen.com.)

“I was just a kid with passion, a dream and no idea that what I was thinking about doing was competitive or hard,” he said.

When a friend of the family arranged for Casey Kasem to send Bergen an autographed picture on the occasion of his graduation from high school, the 18-year-old responded with a note explaining his dreams. Kasem offered assistance, and Bergen sent along the tape of himself doing 85 voices. That tape would eventually land him an agent.

Even then the struggle didn’t end.

“I got my first cartoon and my first agent a week out of high school,” said Bergen, who also had guest roles on such classic 1980s sitcoms as “The Facts of Life” and “Gimme a Break.” “Then I worked for five years as a tour guide at Universal Studios trying to pay the rent and eat while I was making a name for myself.”

All of this was hardly for naught, however, for at the moment when the planets aligned in 1990 and Blanc’s replacements were being chosen, Bergen was prepared to seize the moment and – sort of – step into his hero’s shoes.

“There are a handful of us who share these characters and none of us sound like Mel Blanc as far as I’m concerned,” Bergen said. “I do my best to uphold the character more than the person. I don’t try to do Mel Blanc. I try to do Porky Pig.”

Bergen teaches all levels of ability from beginners to professionals with agents. (His Los Angeles classes have a three-year waiting list.) Still, one has to wonder: Is there really any hope for the aspiring voiceover actor these days, what with Hollywood’s A-list gobbling up animated feature roles left and right?

Bob Bergen certainly believes there is.

“I have done almost every Disney animated feature since ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ ” Bergen explained. “I’ve done most of the Pixar films. I’ve been Comet the Reindeer in the ‘Santa Clause’ movies and Luke Skywalker on ‘Robot Chicken’ and in Star Wars video games. I’m not Tim Allen. I’m not Don Rickles. I’m not Tom Hanks. They’re going to play the leads. And I’m fine with that. I play the squirrel. I play the robot. I play the baby.

“Would I like to play the lead?” he continued. “Sure. Will my name on the marquee bring people in? No. Do studio executives care if I’m the squirrel or not? No. Am I happy to be working and getting paid my residuals? You bet. Look, if you’re really interested in this, it really doesn’t matter what’s involved or what the obstacles are. If you’re meant to do it, you’re going to do it.”

And for those who do make a career of it, many wonders await them.

“The great thing about voiceover work is that it’s unpredictable,”

Bergen said. “Sometimes you’re advertising toilet paper and sometimes you’re the voice of the toilet paper.”

Source: ENCORE an edition of The Telegraph

Frank Frederick to Voice “Monster Energy” Supercross Review

Frank Frederick has been chosen once again to be the VO for the 2008 “Monster Energy” Supercross Review which will air on CBS and SPEED-TV in Canada and the U.S.A.; Sunday May 4th, 2008 (Check local listings). Frank has been “the voice” for the Supercross Preview and Review for the past two years as well as the MonsterJam (Monster Truck) Review in 2007.

This show is a review of the SX Season from start to the previous evenings finish; just hours earlier. The years wrap up of the season includes the final standings and awards for each of the Pro Motorcycle racing events plus a look at top riders of the year as they raced for victory.

The FIM and the AMA have combined this year to create one winners circle for the year. Riders for teams Honda, Monster Kawasaki, Yamaha, WBR Rockstar Suzuki, MDK Honda, Team San Manuel, and others compete in one of the countries top viewed racing sports.

For current standings click on http://www.supercrossonline.com for details of the season.

Source: Frank Frederick

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