Voice Actor Ralph Hass Is CanuckStruck

At a Tim Hortons in Kelowna, BC, a creative collaboration between sports announcer Ralph Hass and a homeless Johnny Cash impersonator known as Sir Edmund Thundermonkey the 5th spawned a YouTube video dedicated to hockey or more specifically, the Canucks.

The tribute video includes footage of the ongoing Stanley Cup run of 2011 for the Canucks and highlights from the unsuccessful 1994 and 1982 Cup runs. The video editing was completed just one day after game one of the Stanley Cup finals against Boston.

The collaboration extended across British Columbia as Hass called in singer/songwriter Corey Doak for sound engineering and Jonathan Galbraith of Vancouver to assemble the video. The photos and graphic at the end of the video are courtesy of Geoff Heith, a photographer based out of Abbotsford, BC. Justin Dueck helped out with backing vocals. Dueck just happens to have the same name as Hass’s eldest son. Hass acted as main songwriter for the parody project – with a lot of help from AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” original.

Hockey and humor here. Enjoy!

Create A Jingle, Win A Civic

Honda Civic is holding a social media contest on their Facebook page inviting Civic fans to create an original theme song that captures the spirit of this iconic car for any of the five 2012 models – Sedan, Coupe, SI, HF or Hybrid.

“We’ve seen a high crossover of Civic fans and music lovers. And with the launch of the 2012 Honda Civic we saw a perfect opportunity to give our amazing fans a little bit of both,” said Steve Center, vice president of national marketing operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “We know our talented fans will show off their skills and submit some great Civic-inspired tunes onto our Facebook page.

The contest has been open since April 25. A number of submissions are already up on the company’s Facebook page. Submissions are being accepted until June 5th. Fans can cast their votes as many times as they like to vote up the best tunes.

Eight finalists will be selected by the number of votes they receive. All eight finalists will receive $2,500 in music gear from Sam Ash. The person with the most votes will win a brand new Honda Civic, have the opportunity to perform live during the 2011 Civic Tour, and be featured in an online marketing campaign.

Official contest rules and information on how to enter can be found on Honda Civic’s Facebook page.

Source: PR Newswire

Justin Bieber To Record PSA On Cyber Bullying

Justin Bieber has agreed to record a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to help get his manager Scott “Scooter” Braun and a Def Jam Records executive off the hook for charges they face after an incident at a mall in Long Island, New York in 2009.

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Podcast Features Insight From Audio Producers

Marktree Productions presents VO Minute, a free podcast from audio producers Joe McNeil and Allison Moffett. Presenting their combined experience as producers, casting directors, and voice talent they are able to both educate and entertain.

Joe and Allison launched VO Minute in March 2010 with a new lesson offered each week. The podcast covers a wide range of topics concerning voice over artists including technical issues, performance techniques, equipment, recording methods, the business of voice over and the occasional anecdote for good measure.

VO Minute can be found and downloaded at podcast.com or on iTunes.

Marktree Productions is a full service audio production company. Located in Huntington Beach, California, just south of Los Angeles, they have an extensive pool of voice and music talent who are available for any project. Marktree productions provides voice-over recording & production, casting & directing, script review & editing, music composition & production, music transcription, sound effect design and full post-production services.

Source: Allison Moffette, VO Minute

Wheel Of Fortune Seeks New Announcer

After the passing of legendary announcer Charlie O’Donnell in November 2010 the long time running game show Wheel Of Fortune is searching for a new announcer. They’ve been auditioning talent for the past several months in an effort to find the perfect voice for the show.

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Folgers Jingle Contest: Vote to Win!

Semi-finalists are currently being selected for the Folgers® Jingle Contest. The video contest features contenders playing an original musical performance for the Folgers® melody and lyrics “The Best Part of Wakin’ Up is Folgers in Your Cup®.”

Beginning March 31st through April 25th you can help shape the future of the Folgers® jingle by casting your vote. Visit the contest website each day to increase your chances of winning. The lucky grand prize winner will receive $10, 000 just for voting! Plus there are $100 grocery store gift cards and daily prizes to be won.

Voters will help select the finalists for the Grand-Prize Audition in New York City where they will competing for the chance to win $25,000, potentially appear in a future Folgers Coffee commercial, and receive special mentoring session with award-winning songwriter Kara DioGuardi.

The Folgers® jingle has been re-adapted by a variety of renowned recording artists over the company’s twenty-six year history. Now America can vote on the new sound!

For official contest rules visit www.bestpartofwakinup.com

Source: Folgers® Jingle Contest

Corff Voice Studios: New Lessons Via Skype

Hollywood insiders have been relying on Corff Voice Studios to resolve their vocal issues for decades. Operated by husband and wife team Bob and Claire Corff, anyone searching for lessons in speaking, singing, dialect and accent adoption, and accent reduction can receive training from these two premiere voice instructors.

Corff Voice Studios now offers online lessons through Skype video, so no matter where the client is located they can still receive top notch training. Together with their vast experience in the industry, the Corff’s have been able to create effective techniques for identifying and improving people’s voices through Skype lessons.

“I first discovered the value of Skype when an actor I had worked with was away on location in Europe said to me, let’s try a lesson on Skype. It worked so well that we continued to work that way for weeks. A light bulb went off in my head and so I offered it to more clients,” says Bob Corff. “At this point some people are right here in town, but for convenience sake we just do it on Skype. It is the next best thing to being with someone in person. At the end of the lesson I email the audio of the session to the client so they can go over it again and again if they need to. In the past I sometimes gave phone lessons, but this is a modern step forward to the future.”

There are few vocal teachers that are able to match Bob Corff’s experience. He has been in the mainstream entertainment industry for over 30 years. Starting off as an actor on Broadway, Corff eventually branched off into motion pictures and television.

He has worked with the likes of Halle Berry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, and Samuel L. Jackson. With over 100 A-list celebrity clients, it’s no wonder that Bob is Hollywood’s most sought-after teacher for voice lessons.

More information can be found at:
http://www.corffvoice.com/lessons/outside-la/

Source: Free Press Release / Corff Voice Studios

Voice over Artist David Houston Chosen for New Callaway Golf TV Spots

Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY), a global manufacturer of professional-grade golf equipment, worked with Austin, TX-based multimedia company FG Squared to produce the spots. Voice actor David Houston was chosen to provide the voice for the campaign.

In the spots (which include a series of :15 and :30 second TV commercials), Houston’s voiceover advises customers on Callaway’s Buy-Back Guarantee and 12-month warranty when purchasing pre-owned Callaway clubs. The commercials will run on The Golf Channel™ and various outlets during the Masters Golf Tournament 2009.

Callaway Golf Company manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf accessories, under the Callaway Golf®, Odyssey®, Top-Flite®, Ben Hogan® and uPro™ brands in more than 110 countries worldwide.

David Houston (davidhoustonvoice.com) is a voiceover artist, actor, and audio producer based in Austin, TX. He has been heard on numerous national TV and radio commercials, and also performs voiceovers for animation, corporate narrations, documentaries, broadcast voice imaging, audio books, podcasts and messaging on-hold (MOH). Houston was originally cast as the voice of James Bond in Activision’s “Quantum of Solace” videogame. Also an on-camera actor, David Houston has appeared in episodes of TV’s “Friday Night Lights”, and will also appear in the upcoming films “Ex-Terminators” and “Temple Grandin”.

Source: NewsWireToday.com

Johnna Gottlieb VO Class Now Available Online at UCLA

Johnna Gottlieb is no stranger to the classroom, and this new step to promote voice over excellence and inspire her students through the Internet is no exception.

Gottlieb’s new online course is scheduled to take place this spring through UCLA, entitled, “How to Become a Successful Voiceover Artist”.   Starting April 9th, 2009, students can join one of America’s most innovative voice acting consultants, studying from the privacy and convenience of their own homes using the Internet. The course covers voice over technique and essential knowledge that makes a world of difference in the career of a voice over talent from the unique perspective of a former voice over agent.

Topics include:

• Developing a marketing strategy
• The different categories of voice overs and their rates of pay
• Standards for a competitive voice over reel
• Signing with the right agency
• Understanding contracts

Instruction also covers the future of Internet voice casting, unions that govern voice over work and how to become a member, union vs. non-union work, the use of celebrities and the impact they have on the industry, and the basics of creating a home recording studio.

Guests include top voice over talent, agents, casting directors, and producers. Enrollment is limited but from recent reports, there are still some spots remaining.  Classes run from April 9th through May 12th, 2009, six meetings in total.

Source: Johnna Gottlieb

Radio Ad Market Down? Not at Bid4Spots, Nearly Doubling in Size in 2008

Video didn’t kill the radio star… and neither will a recession nor a tumbling ad market.  During what was a tumultuous year for both radio and advertising, Bid4Spots said its online marketplace for radio airtime roughly doubled in size.  The company today reported a 93 percent increase in total ad revenue generated for radio stations in 2008, compared with 2007.

Bid4Spots president and CEO Dave Newmark will be speaking at Radio Ink’s Convergence ’09 conference, held in San Jose, Calif., early next week.  His session, titled “How the Most Successful ‘Do-It-Yourself’ Media Buying Model Really Works,” is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Bid4Spots hosts a weekly online auction every Thursday, where radio stations sell airtime for the next broadcast week and advertisers can buy premium inventory at reduced rates.  What sets it apart from other media marketplaces that have failed:  it’s a reverse auction, designed from within the industry by radio and advertising veterans who worked closely with stations and advertisers to build a system that works for both.

Total advertiser participation in Bid4Spots’ weekly auctions increased by 11 percent in 2008 – much of which was generated because existing advertisers are increasing their use of the system.  The Bid4Spots network includes more than 3,200 advertisers, and at least 11 percent of that total had never used radio advertising in the past.

“We’re extremely proud of the growth we’ve experienced, because it’s a clear sign that what we’re doing is helping advertisers and stations connect with each other in a way that works for everyone,” said Newmark.  “Otherwise, they wouldn’t come.  We’ve got a thriving network of 2,500 stations and 3,200 advertisers that come together at the same time every Thursday to do business with each other in a live online auction.  We doubled that activity last year, even in the midst of predictions of doom and gloom, and as industry heavyweights struggled.  We could only do that with a winning formula.”

Newmark says one of the factors in the company’s continued success is an original auction design process that was painstaking in its detail, focused on creating the best possible user experience.  Newmark and his wife and fellow radio entrepreneur, Patty, tapped their long-standing relationships in both radio and advertising.  They worked with parties on both sides to understand and accommodate the non-negotiable
needs of each.

Stations, for example, did not want the auction system to compromise the integrity of their existing rates for scheduled buys.  So the Newmarks limit Bid4Spots’ marketplace to last-minute airtime, and keep rates confidential – masked by the system’s ranking index.

For advertisers, the Bid4Spots system makes radio airtime accessible – with no contracts, no negotiations with stations and no previous radio buying experience necessary.  The Newmarks are committed to nurturing those relationships and helping advertisers know how to use the system to get maximum results.

Complementing Search: ‘One of the Best Ways to Drive Listeners Online’ Ben Kiblinger, co-founder and managing director of online marketing agency RevUpNet (www.RevUpNet.com), uses Bid4Spots to buy radio airtime for his clients – many of whom want to drive traffic to their websites, and all of whom want measurable customer acquisition results.

“Bid4Spots is one of the best ways to drive radio listeners online,” said Kiblinger.

“I’ve seen our search numbers double as soon as we start running a radio campaign using Bid4Spots.  It’s a proven way to get people online to sign up for a product or service.  Bid4Spots has become part of our long-term strategy for our clients, especially this year as measurable return on investment becomes even more important.  With Bid4Spots we’re able to deliver better value to our clients.”

About Bid4Spots
Launched in September 2005, Bid4Spots is the industry’s only online reverse auction marketplace for last-minute radio airtime.  The Bid4Spots network includes more than 3,200 advertisers and 2,500 radio stations nationwide.  Participants come together every Thursday to do business with each other in a live online auction.  Bid4Spots makes radio easy, affordable and accessible for businesses of all sizes, giving advertisers access to desirable stations, airtimes and audiences.  Radio stations gain a revenue stream by selling inventory that otherwise would have remained unsold, in a safe format that protects the integrity of their existing rates for scheduled buys.  Founded by radio advertising veterans Dave and Patty Newmark, Bid4Spots is based in Encino, Calif.

Source: Bid4Spots

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