Do That Voice!

King Lear in a Cupboard

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:11:04 -0600

In this Telegraph story on audiobooks, more compelling than the facts and figures on audiobook sales are the actors' insights into performing for the medium. It's a nice glimpse into the process from a decidedly British point of view, but certainly of value to Yanks and other species of voice talent.

Help Stock20 Raise Funds for Haiti

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:16:32 -0600

Some readers of this blog may have seen my posts touting the virtues of Stock20.com, a great production music resource for media professionals. Now I've got an even better reason to give them a plug.

Site owner Daniel Rudd is donating $40 directly to the efforts of the Red Cross in Haiti for every "Complete Production Library" that is sold. If you're in the market for a broadcast-quality production library, now's the time to pick one up; not only is it a terrific deal for you, it will help give the people of Haiti the assistance they desperately need right now.

Stock20 will run this until Monday morning (Jan. 25th), so as not to delay the donation. Feel free to repost, share and/or blog this yourself to spread the word.

Justin Kaiser R.I.P.

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:07:55 -0600

Justin Kaiser 1976 - 2010

I was saddened to learn that broadcaster and voice talent Justin Kaiser passed away yesterday, following complications from surgery. Justin was part of the VO-BB family, and his presence will be missed there.

Justin was Operations Manager and also a Morning Show host at WGFA Radio in Illinois.

A Pioneer Passes

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:43:52 -0600

"Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!!"

The style may be passé, but it set the standard for announcing car shows, monster truck events, and even concert promos for decades. Jan C. Gabriel, the originator of the high-energy voice delivery for those formats, passed away this past Sunday.

He couldn't have timed it better.

Story (Chicago Tribune)

This Bond Thing Just Won't Go Away

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:44:27 -0600

Just when I started to think my near-gig experience with the 007 franchise had firmly settled into the archives, a funny thing happened.

Without going into details that can't be revealed (for various official purposes): a good friend of mine and his wife were in London recently on a mini-vacation. There, she met up with a friend who works in the same rather important line of business. The talk somehow turns to my Bond gig, and it's learned that the London friend's boss communicates directly with Daniel Craig on a fairly regular basis.

My friend, tongue firmly in cheek, asked that Mr. Craig be informed through this new channel of his inadvertent burgling of a nifty gig from a poor, hungry actor. While I have no doubt that he delivered the request properly, the way these things go, by the time it gets to Mr. Craig he's likely to have been told that some sod named Davis in the city of Houston has invited him to go on a dig.

That would be in keeping with my luck regarding the whole affair.

Objects in this Entry Less Evil Than They Appear

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:10:20 -0600

Voice-talker and tea-biscuit-dispenser extraordinaire Philip Banks is a lovely fellow, really. It's just that the news team putting together this story on Philip were in an incredible hurry, and managed to print a photo that would unnerve even a Bond villain.

At any rate, the piece talks up Philip's appearance at VOICE 2010, coming in June to a massive voiceover conference near you. Congrats on the press, Philip, and I promise I'LL TALK! I'LL TELL YOU WHERE THE MISSILES ARE!!!

Jeffrey Kafer Talks VO on TV

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:42:38 -0600

My friend and VO colleague Jeffrey Kafer appeared on Mike Huckabee's cable show this past weekend, to talk about making the transition from day-job exile to full-time voiceover artist. He shares the segment with another guest, but Jeff is the far more telegenic and compelling of the two.

It's a great bit of self-promotion for Jeff, and it underscores the fact that working to market your VO business can pay off. Jeff had issued a press release on his blog about his jump from layoff-world to an audiobook career, and it caught the eye of the show's producers. Here's hoping it leads to more gigs for this talented voice-talker.

Merry Christmas from the VO-BB!

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:45:07 -0600

It's here! Several voice actors from the VO-BB forums, including yours truly, got together to read a classic holiday tale for you. Big yuletide props to Jeffrey Kafer for initiating, organizing, and finalizing the whole shebang. Enjoy!

CAST: Philip Banks, Bob Souer, Todd Ellis, Bobbin Beam, David Houston, Peter O'Connell, Bruce Miles, DB Cooper, Donna Postel, Michael Minetree, Mandy Nelson, Dave Courvoisier, Andrew Frame, Jeffrey Kafer, Justin Barrett, Connie Terwilliger, Pam Tierney, and Tony Impieri

Happy Birthday, VO-BB!

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:41:09 -0600

There aren't enough superlatives to describe what a tremendous online forum the VO-BB is (and nobody likes an overwritten script anyway). Therefore, I'll just ask you to join me in a hearty Congrats and Happy Birthday to the site, born five years ago today.

My pal (and creator & manager of the site) DB Cooper also deserves more thanks and salutations than I can adequately express here. Here's to many more!

DB & Me

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:45:27 -0600

My good friend and VO colleague DB Cooper was in town a couple of weeks ago for the Austin Game Developers Conference. We've worked together long-distance, via phone and e-mail, but this was the first time we've actually met up in the "real world". DB and other conference-goers wrapped up the week at Guero's, so I happily crashed the party. With permission, of course.

Earlier in the week, DB shared her expertise for technology company Level 3's Red Couch interview series:

HearTheBill.Org Press Release

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:55:07 -0600

Voice Actors Record Senate Online Version of Health Care Reform

Unique, Non-Partisan Reading of Health Care Bills Brings Critical Issue Directly into American Homes

A group of volunteer voice actors from across the country and around the world has now recorded the Senate version of health care reform legislation making its way through Congress. The recording, available at www.hearthebill.org, follows a successful recording of the House version that is fast approaching a million hits online.

The recordings are keeping pace with changes in Congress, and have now made it possible for voters to hear the Senate bill proposed by U.S. Senator Baucus (D-Montana). All modifications to the bill, including those adopted in the September 22 hearing by the Finance Committee, are updated on the site, as will subsequent changes in both the Senate and House versions.

The audio is free online at the site created last month as a public service for the visually impaired and those who prefer audio to text, such as the tens of millions of people who listen to audio books. Since its launch September 3 with the audio book version of HR3200, the House health care reform bill, the site has had nearly 1 million hits.

“We have made a firm commitment to track any health care reform legislation proposals and get them out there on audio as quickly as possible," said Keesling. "It’s important that as the country debates this issue that everyone – from those who are visually impaired to those who want to learn more while driving in their cars or folding their laundry – have the option to learn what’s in these bills."

The site is a nonpartisan, educational project. The 84 volunteer voice actors come from all across the country, and some from Canada, the UK and Australia. They come with diverse political viewpoints – but also with a commitment not to share those viewpoints on the site.

"There has been a lot of back-and-forth on this issue. While each of the voice actors who have participated have their own opinion, our goal is to provide information so people can make up their own minds based on what’s actually in the legislation,” Havens said. “We want to provide a starting point for a truly informed discourse on one of the most important issues of our time."

Contact: Diane Havens (201) 819-6405
Contact: Kathleen Keesling (970) 769-0006

Hear The (Health-Care) Bill - UPDATE

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:23:15 -0600

The HearTheBill.org project is getting more and more media attention, including this segment of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I also added this quote to my download page:

"It's immensely gratifying to be part of a project that takes on an important political issue without taking sides or muddying the waters. In fact, it's my hope that this will help cut through much of the misinformation about health care reform legislation. While some have criticized the project for presenting an audio version of a bill that's likely to undergo changes, to my mind that makes it all the more important to allow people greater access to the political process in real-time."
~David Houston

You can hear my contribution here.

The James Bond Audition

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:07:58 -0600

Here's the audition that landed me the James Bond videogame gig back in 2007.

(In a nutshell, for those who may be new to this blog: In 2007, I got a gig to be a voice match for an unavailable Daniel Craig in what was to be a Casino Royale video game from Activision. The recording sessions were suddenly put on hold, after which I sat on ice for months before finally learning that Craig had agreed to voice the part after all. By that time, the game had become a tie-in for the following Bond film, Quantum of Solace.)

The audition itself isn't a perfect voice match, but I'm still happy that it was close enough to get the nod.

(If the Flash player doesn't work, you can download the mp3 here.)

Hear the (Health Care) Bill

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:24:00 -0600

It's complete! HR3200, also known as the health-care reform bill that's dominated the news of late, has been put into audio form with a little bit of help from yours truly. HearTheBill.org is a project started by voiceover artists Diane Havens and Kat Keesling, and it allows those interested in the debate to hear the entire bill word-for-word --- or even just the parts they're concerned about. It's a non-partisan project, and whatever your feelings are about the proposed legislation, it's a great resource for anyone interested.

You can hear my nine-page contribution here.

New DHV Promo Video

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:56:46 -0600