Voice Over Experts Podcast Celebrates 50 Golden Episodes
May 30, 2008
Once in while an idea forms and inspiration develops into action giving birth to something innovative and new that carves a path for itself in unchartered territory.
For the voice over industry last year, that spark of genius was Voice Over Experts, a podcast created for aspiring and professional voice actors that provides ongoing education and access to some of the most interesting, generous and most esteemed voice over instructors of our time, all of whom have donated their expertise in efforts to positively impact and help propel the industry in the days and years ahead.
Homer Simpson Has A Plan!
May 23, 2008
It has been said that art imitates life. I wonder if Homer Simpson was aware that Dan Castellaneta would want a raise from $360,000 per episode to $500,000 per episode. Of course Dan is the real life alter ego of Homer, and has been for nineteen seasons. Here is a conversation between Homer and his brain that puts a nice spin on why the powers that be may not feel the real life Simpsons voice need a raise:
Homer: Aw, twenty dollars! I wanted a peanut!
Homer’s Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts!
Homer: Explain how!
Homer’s Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services!
Homer: Woo-hoo!
PSAs for Myanmar Cyclone Aid Available Free Online
May 9, 2008
The nation of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) is suffering through the aftermath of a cyclone that has killed 3,900 people and perhaps as many as 15,000, and has left over 10,000 people displaced and homeless.
In the wake of this natural disaster, aid that has been sent to the people of Myanmar has been intercepted by the country’s ruling junta who has seized all materials sent by the U.N.’s World Food Program, resulting in the U.N. to suspend further shipments of food until the matter has been resolved.
WFP spokesman Paul Risley relays “The food aid and equipment that we managed to get in has been confiscated,” including 38 tons of high-energy biscuits.
While governments and agencies around the world are waiting for a shift in the situation, voice actors in North America have banded together as in the past to bring critical messages to the people of the world centered on the welfare of the children who have been affected by this devastating natural disaster.
Organizing voice talent, Peter K. O’Connell, pleaded “If you directly know any radio station or television station program directors, internet radio stations or podcasters, please direct them to the audioconnell.com website where they can download a free :60 or :30 PSA or email them the spots or scripts (if they want to record spots with their own voice talent, God bless ‘em!).”
Several years ago when Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, O’Connell was the first to develop as PSA campaign that made a significant impact regarding awareness of how Katrina had clobbered the landscape and its people, directing those who listened to the PSA to give generously to the American Red Cross.
As O’Connell pointed out, public service announcements don’t do any good if they aren’t played. In order for people to respond to the call to action, they first need to hear the message.
“Please promote the availability of these spots within whatever professional network you are a part of and encourage their use to help raise money the people in Myanmar who have been so terribly distressed,” O’Connell concluded.
Source: Peter K. O’Connell
Source: NewYorkTimes.com
Results of Health Insurance Survey Polling US Voice Actors
May 7, 2008
“Ridiculous and getting worse’ … ‘Horrendous’ … ‘A conundrum” … “Huge concern.”
These unscripted words are among many that are passionately flowing from voice actors in the U.S about the state of their health insurance.
Financial and emotional pain is evident as premiums rise, life circumstances change, and insurance plans yank precious benefits.
“Health care costs are strangling us,” says one. And another: “All our money goes to mortgage and insurance.” Read more
Voice Talent Tony Pasquale Announces Live at the Georgia Dome
April 22, 2008
Voice Talent Tony Pasquale is the live announcer for this year’s DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta.
High energy voice talent Tony Pasquale has been contracted to perform as the live announcer in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome during DECA’s International Career Development Conference. The annual conference, with nationally recognized entertainment, has an expected attendance of over 14,000.
Butcher Swaps Meat Cleaver for Microphone
April 18, 2008
The dulcet Tyke tones of a Bradford butcher have won him the chance to swap his meat cleaver for a microphone as the new voice of Yorkshire Water.
Kevin Carroll, 52, won a competition to find a friendly Yorkshire twang to greet customers when they contact the firm’s call centre.
He and more than 100 others recorded their own versions of the Yorkshire phrase: “Hear all, see all, say nowt. Eat all, sup all, pay nowt and if tha ever does owt for nowt allus do it for thi sen.”
Five finalists were chosen and the contest was put to an online poll, which Kevin, of Gregory Crescent, Horton Bank Top, won with more than two thirds of the vote.
He said: “I’ve been told my voice isn’t bad so when I saw the competition in the Telegraph & Argus I thought I’d give it a go.
“I’m proud that so many people voted for me.
“I think they just wanted a friendly Yorkshire voice, although strangely, I was in America last year and everyone thought I was Australian.”
Kristine Oller Helps Voice Actors Get Organized
April 17, 2008
Most performing artists want only one thing… to be a performing artist as a full-time gig.
In pursuit of the dream, many unconsciously let it slip away from them and find that in order to make their dream a reality, they need to overcome several obstacles, often self-imposed, before they can achieve their goal of a solid and stable career doing what they love.
That’s where people like Kristine Oller come in.
Kristine is a professional organizer and career strategist who consults people, works with them on plans to make the most their situations, and then frees up precious time, space and financial resources liberating her clients from their ruts and the baggage that holds them back from success.
DB Cooper Featured by Seacoast Online
April 16, 2008
For a woman born in California and raised in Hawaii, DB Cooper (Deirdre Williams) is heavily entrenched in the Seacoast. She’s a voice you know, even if you can’t put a face to it.
Cooper is a longtime, regional radio personality and has acted and directed for film and stage. These days she’s still “the voice” performing as a staff announcer for CBS Radio Boston, WBZ, one of four employees doing company commercials.
She actually makes a living with those pipes.
“Pat Fraley (my business partner) says I’m the poster child for the successful voice career from the hinterlands of America,” she says, laughing.
Stars to Give Car Park Voice-overs in the UK
April 14, 2008
THE squeaky voice of comedian Joe Pasquale will soon ring across a town centre - reminding motorists to lock their cars and take valuables with them.
The high-pitched funnyman is one of a number of celebrities whose voices will be given to “talking ticket machines” in Tunbridge Wells.
Reminders will be given to motorists as they wait for their tickets to be printed at Pay and Display machines.
Others voices used include Boycie from Only Fools and Horses, characters from the television show Little Britain, Elvis Presley and cockney actor Michael Caine.
Voice Talkers Video Gets Thumbs Up From Voice Actors
April 10, 2008
To say that the video “Voice Talkers : Living the Dream of a Voice Actor” by New York-based comedy troupe POYKPAC struck a chord with the voice acting community would be an understatement.
Little did they know that the brief video “Voice Talkers” featuring Taige Jensen, submitted to YouTube’s Sketchies II contest would turn into one of the most interesting and close-to-home snapshots of families with multiple voice actors.
Professional voice actor Dan Nachtrab remarked, “It’s as if someone put a camera in my house.”, suggesting that the video hit very close to home and the crew from POYKPAC had done a bang-up job presenting the realities of working in the voice over business.
