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

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

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

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

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