The Voice Over Cafe made its way to Charlotte, NC, for FaffCamp and recorded its latest episode there….what a blast.

Female Voice-Over Talent Trish Basanyi and Male Voice-Over Talent Terry Daniel have been hosting and producing the Voice-Over Cafe for a while and it was a special treat for me to be invited on to this live recording session as there was a room full of interesting people with whom they could have spoken. Terry and Trish are supported in their production by the lovely and talented Sean Caldwell, Tom Dheere and Peter Bishop – each a bad ass voice-over talent in their own right and all loyal Faffers to the core.

The episode stars Amy Snively and features Bob Souer, Liz deNesnera, Dan Friedman, (movie star) Melissa Exelberth, Connie Terwilliger and Cliff Zellman.

You can listen here. And I hope you will.

Tags: commentary, community, Faff Camp, faffcamp, faffcon, podcast, podcasting, voice over podcast, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover meet-ups // Add Comment »

If you’ve never met Mara Junot, you may not understand why every man and woman who meets her has an instant crush on her. She exudes a charm, jubilance, intelligence and 50,000 megawatt smile that envelopes everyone…EVERYone who meets her.

But that’s not what makes her a great voice-over talent. But it is her talent COMBINED with all of the above that makes her a star.

And while there is a star on her website, that’s not why I think it’s a great site. Certainly it’s not because it’s adorned by her lovely pictures (which it ain’t). It’s that the simplicity of the site let’s you get a sense of the talent while allowing the demos to take center stage. When you hear that voice (which is terrific) come out of that web site you are focused on the sound…not the performer, not clutter.

Sound. It’s what voice-talents’ sell. Mara does it well.

Tags: commentary, My Favorite Voice-Over Web Sites! // 2 Comments »

Dave Courvoisier has 1,823,234 subscribers to his blog so the chances that you, gentle reader, have NOT seen this post is slim but I’m going to tell you about it anyway in case your RSS feed crapped out.

At FaffCamp, Cliff Zellman unveiled his new demo production company, Done By Six Productions (disclaimer – I’m one of the directors because the federal government mandated that, for equality purposes, he hire an Irishman…it was a nasty lawsuit and he lost). I could describe it further but I’d rather you read Dave’s blog post and watch the video interview featuring Cliff.

Tags: commentary, voiceover, voiceover advice // Add Comment »

My friend Sean Caldwell is known best as one of America’s premiere promo voice talents but he’s also pretty handy with a camera.

He was kind enough to share this shot of my friends and fellow voice-over talents Amy Snively and Lauren McCullough who, along with Dan Friedman and Natalie Stanfield Thomas (and about a billion other folks), put together Faff-events.

I am very blessed to be included with all these talented people.

Tags: commentary, Faff Camp, faffcamp, faffcon, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover meet-ups // Add Comment »

Knowing that I would be in Pittsburgh, PA a few days after FaffCamp, I went on the web to see if the Pittsburgh Pirates were going to be playing a home game and it turned out they WERE home on Tuesday.

So when I saw Pittsburgian voice talent Bob Souer and his talented editor son Eric at FaffCamp, I asked if they wanted to join me for the game. They said they were already going and plans were set.

Rains came and went just before game time and we had a wonderful time: me, Eric, Bob and FaffCamp duck Daffy Gormon.

And the Bucs beat the Mariners 4-1. Great night thanks to Bob and Eric!

Tags: voice talent, voiceover, voiceover meet-ups // Add Comment »

I missed the very first FaffCon.

My magnificent third child was coming into the world and Mrs. audio’connell somehow felt it was more important that I not spend a weekend in Portland, OR lest my dear boy make an early entrance while I was three time zones away. My suggestion that she just hold her legs together during the trip was not accepted with grace. Need I reiterate, it was only a suggestion?!

Oh, that was also the time I found out I’m a bleeder.

So I remember that whole weekend thinking ‘I wonder what they’re doing now at FaffCon? I wonder who’s speaking? I wonder what they’re talking about?’ I was bummed even though I didn’t yet have (or fully understand) the FaffCon experience.

I made a promise to myself I would make it to the next FaffCon. After attending FaffCon 2 in Atlanta, I promised (save for something of immense importance) I would not miss another Faff-event.

As I sit here going through notes and business cards and memories, I am thinking of some of the posts of those who couldn’t go…who wanted to go but for all the right reasons (whatever they were) didn’t go. And as I began to type of my profound joy from everything and everyone at the FaffCamp event, I stopped. I really did.

I am profoundly grateful not only to everyone I spent time with, learned from and especially worked with on FaffCamp…but those feelings and opinions extend to each and everyone of the past FaffCon attendees as well. I wanted EACH of them to be at FaffCamp for their own professional and personal development but also for my own selfish reasons of wanting to be around and learn from greatness.

Yet, remembering my feelings about missing the 1st FaffCon, I don’t want to boast about the many things I took away from the event lest it make my fellow Faffers who attended in spirit feel badly, feel jealous or feel sad. That is NOT the spirit of FaffCon.

Each of you in abstentia need to know, as a matter of record, you were missed. That is not stuff and nonsense…I speak sincerely and from the heart.

Though nor do I (by way of this post) want to take away the euphoria of the other FaffCampians who ARE posting their joy and pictures and thanks….they can and they should because it’s all for the right reasons. They want to share their joy and I am enjoying it.

There are over 100 people to thank and I tried to tell them all yesterday (especially the sponsors). If we spoke, if I shook your hand, if you watched me present —if you shared any of your time with me at the event, thank you.

I thank our foundress Amy, my brother from another mother Dan, the ever- supportive and lead improviser Natalie and our dearest angel Lauren for leading this event to its very successful liftoff, execution and completion. “Tireless dedication” is an over used phrase in most descriptions…except this one.

And so I’ll end it there. If I name anyone else, I’ll stupidly forget someone unforgettable.

Call me if you want to hear my FaffCamp experience one-on one…I’ll gladly share my phenomenal experience.

Because, really, for those of you who understand a Faff-event, no description is really necessary and for those who haven’t, no description will suffice.

I hope…I mean really hope, I see you all in San Antonio. Thanks for being my friends.

Tags: Faff Camp, faffcamp, faffcon, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover meet-ups // 1 Comment »