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very nice! rodney saulsberry nominated for NAACP image award

Actor Rodney Saulsberry

I saw the news on Voiceover Universe today that the wonderfully talented Rodney Saulsberry has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his acting work on The Bold and the Beautiful.

He is nominated as Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series.

Folks, there are hundreds of talented actors that cruise through the soap opera world every year and get nary a mention let alone a nomination – this nomination is a BIG deal.

My congrats to Rodney and the team at The Bold and the Beautiful.

faffcon 2 announces charity partner

One of FaffCon’s missions is to leave a positive footprint in each of its host cities by making a donation to a local communication-related non-profit. FaffCon 2’s charity partner is Everybody Wins Atlanta. Their mission is to reach young students, stimulate a love of reading, and help them develop the reading skills they need to succeed in school and in life.

You can read the whole story here.

You can register for Faffcon2 here.

audio’connell in pittsburgh

Voice Talents Peter K. O'Connell and Bob Souer in Pittsburgh, PA, January, 2011

It has been noted before in other ways but this is what I thought tonight: as it always does, having dinner tonight with Bob Souer reaffirms my faith in the goodness of mankind.

Voice over is nice.

Good friends are better.

That’s all.

MEDIA RELEASE – Voice Over Workshop’s O’Connell Kicks Off 2011 “Voice Over Experts” Podcast

audio'connell Media Release

LONDON, Ontario, Canada, January 10, 2011 – – Sampling has been a necessary tool for most businesses throughout history and the same is true today for voice actors who audition for jobs by providing an audio sample of a script for clients. If the client likes their audition, the voice over talent gets hired for the project. With so many people auditioning for the same job, however, the key point of difference is how to best prepare and properly execute the voice over audition.

Voice Over Workshop owner and professional voice talent Peter K. O’Connell (also known as the Voice Over Consigliere) shared his professional insight on voice over auditions in the recently released Voices.com podcast “Voice Over Experts”. O’Connell’s episode was titled “The First :15 Seconds” and explained why it’s important for a voice over demo to establish the tonality of a script, the sell, and the relationship with the listener within the first fifteen seconds of an audition.

“The truth is voice talents have at most fifteen seconds to truly grab a producer’s ear and a casting agent’s attention,” said O’Connell, who has been recognized by Voices.com as one of North America’s top voice over coaches and voice talents. The podcast can be heard at http://podcasts.voices.com/voiceoverexperts/.

Voices.com is the voice over industry’s leading website that connects businesses with professional voice talent. Clients that have worked with Voices.com include NBC, ESPN, PBS, The History Channel, Reader’s Digest, Comcast, Nortel Networks, Bell Canada, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, ING, Western Union, Ford, GM, Jaguar, Firestone Tires, American Airlines, the US Army, the US Government and thousands more.

Peter K. O’Connell owns Voice Over Workshop, which provides professional voice over training to novice and experienced voice talent world-wide. A professional voice talent since 1982, some of Mr. O’Connell’s professional voiceover credits include productions for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Shell Oil, Starz Cable Channel, Time Warner Cable, New Jersey Tourism, J. Walter Thompson Advertising, Cleveland Browns, Harlequin Enterprises, and Pathmark Supermarkets. O’Connell’s voiceover skills have been heard world wide in retail commercials for radio and TV, medical narrations, infomercials, e-learning narration projects (computer-based training, internet-based training or web-based training) political commercial voiceovers, TV network promos, public service announcements, as well as other video productions.

O’Connell also owns audio’connell Voice Over Talent is a worldwide, English language-based voice talent business. The company provides voice talent for commercials, animation, corporate narrations, documentaries, broadcast voice imaging, audio books and messaging on-hold. Founded in 1982, world-wide industries served by the audio’connell include advertising agencies, media and broadcast production companies as well as both large and small businesses. Sister company International Voice Talents provides similar services, using professional foreign language male and female voice actors.

audio’connell Voice-Over Talent, International Voice Talents and Voice Over Workshop are all a part of O’Connell Communications, LLC.
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NOTES TO EDITORS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Company Media Releases ON LINE:
http://www.audioconnell.com/media

Company Name Pronunciation:
au·dio·o’·con·nell (awe-de-oh-oh-kah-nel) or au·di-o’·con·nell (awe-de-oh-kah-nel)

Company Name Spelling:
Use lower case letters- audio’connell or audio’connell Voice-Over Talent

Company Web:
http://www.audioconnell.com

Company Blog:
http://www.voxmarketising.com

O’Connell Voice-Over Resume:
See resume here

Twitter

YouTube

LinkedIn

Google+

embarrassed, humbled or jealous?

I learned one thing about the internet early on – unless you are a savant at making viral videos, you had better be good at promoting yourself cause as much as they might like you, others will never promote you as well as you can promote yourself.

Well, I must change my opinion of that, having now been distilled through the Voices.com PR machine. Others, it turns out, can promote you as well as you can promote yourself…in this case, better.

Hubris or ego or savvy marketer (I’ve been accused of all three), I was never really comfortable with having to directly promote myself as much as the internet dictated I would have to, if I was to help my business. I did it (and do it) strictly because it does help my presence on the web – period. But it is awkward to do it – that’s truly how it feels to me. I offer that as background.

So fast forward to recent times, having been hounded (maybe just “asked” a number of times) for a few years by Stephanie Ciccarelli at Voices.com to do a podcast for them, I sent her “The First 15 Seconds” (about voice talents should approach their voice over auditions) before Christmas, 2010. Stephanie published my podcast the first week of January, 2011.

Then their public relations flood gates opened. It was torrential and impressive.

First Voices.com was kind enough to say in their release “Peter K. O’Connell is one of North America’s top voice over coaches and voice talents.”

As God as my witness, I never, ever recall claiming that in any of the stuff I’ve written about my work ever (send me a document I wrote if you can prove otherwise and I’ll admit my mistake…cause I don’t think I did so). I think Voices.com wrote that on their own (thank you for your kind words, folks). I’m also thinking all the really good voice over teachers are pretty pissed at me right now for soiling their talent pool…but I didn’t say that, Voices.com did.

Then I was sorting through some of my normal Google Alerts to see what if anyone is saying about me, my business or my industry. There I realized that Voices.com flushed their press release about my podcast through every public relations pipe the web has!

Truly, I thought I had this web promo thing worked out but now I see I am a pathetic rookie compared to these crazy (in a good way) Canadians (I can say that because I am part Canadian, which explains my affinity for Tim Horton’s donuts).

So thanks to Stephanie and her team for the plugs and good on them for their web marketing machine. If you’re going to go – go all out or go home!

faux-ditions time: unofficial voice over casting call for the price is right!

Editor’s Note: If you don’t subscribe to this blog, you miss all the cool stuff like this faux-dition. Click here to subscribe. And please promote this via social media to all your VO pals. Thanks!

You know how new products come out with a new version and say “It’s Better Than Ever!”?

Well, with this year’s unofficial announcer’s audition (faux-dition), it’s true because we have one doozy of a prize for the winner.

GREATEST GAME SHOW EVER
This year, I picked the most amazing announcer supported game show in the history of broadcasting for our unofficial casting call: “The Price Is Right”.

A staple of CBS mornings since the late 1700’s, this perennial ratings winner has had only two daytime host in its modern version (Bob Barker and now Drew Carey) and three announcers: Johnny Olsen (my hero), from Buffalo’s Big 1520 WKBW Rod Roddy and most recently Rich Fields.

But the show has been doing on-air auditions for a new announcer and so it seemed only fair that we collectively throw our fake hat into the ring for this great announcing job.

As always this event is for fun (“this is not a competition, just an exhibition; please, no wagering”.) No one…but NO ONE who enters this phony audition event is in line for the announcing job on “The Price Is Right” and no way is ANYONE associated with “The Price Is Right” endorsing, condoning or otherwise support this annual announcing fantasy. They also own all the copyrights to name, music and everything else to do with the show. I make no money on this but merely am promoting one of the coolest VO jobs in our world. Let’s all dream a little together.

I’ll grab 3 judges and we’ll whittle all the contestants down to 10 finalists and then we will vote (but not until I call the vote).

You as the participating voice over talent are responsible for the mixing and audio quality (which has been a factor in past judging and voting); your audition needs to sound broadcast ready which means the mix should sound as great as your voice. If you want to be a pro you gotta sound like a pro…completely.

Here’s my demo – again just as an example – perform the announce in whatever way you think would be most likely accepted by “The Price Is Right” producers if they were auditioning you as a new announcer (which, as far as I know, they are not).

LISTEN:
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/110103_TPIR_Auditions/OConnell__Unofficial_TPIR_Audition.mp3]

THE PRIZE
But here’s where the NEW & IMPROVED part comes in – the winner by votes will win a grand prize: a complimentary registration to Faffcon 2 Electric Boogaloo – The Voiceover Unconference, taking place in Atlanta, GA from February 25-27, 2011.

This donated prize includes:
* Registration for the Faffcon 2 Conference ($199.00 value)
* A Complimentary Faffcon 2 T-Shirt ($20.00 value)
* A Private Studio Tour of CNN with your fellow Faffers on Friday, February 25, 2011
* A Complimentary Dinner Dinner at Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill and Brewery, including tax and tip (beverages not included)
* A one year FREE membership to VoiceTweet! ($75 value)

The winner (who must be 18 years of age or older as of today’s date) is responsible for ALL other expenses involved in their participation in Faffcon 2 including but not limited to travel, lodging, taxes and bail money – in case you enjoy yourself too much in Atlanta.

The idea with this prize is if you’re great enough to be judged to be the best in this forum, you should have the opportunity to learn with and among the best in our industry at Faffcon.

There were a bunch of people who chipped in to support Faffcon and the spirit of this annual unofficial casting call and I am truly appreciative of help in creating a complimentary Faffcon registration including but not limited to (and in no particular order) Bob Souer, Liz de Nesnera, Dave Courvoisier, Diane Maggipinto, Melissa Exelberth, Trish Basanyi, Natalie Stanfield Thomas, Amy Snively, Pam Tierney & Todd Ellis. If I have forgotten anyone…please ping me.

THE SPECS
Remember – although it is not – treat this like a real audition. Give us your best performance.

>> Here is the script – do NOT deviate from the script – enhance it vocally as you wish (that’s the fun) but stick to the copy:

Here it comes!

(Pause)

From the Bob Barker Studio at CBS in Hollywood! It’s The Price is Right!

Mary Thomas! Come on down!

Hugh Merriweather! Come on down!

Clara Jones! Come on down!

And Ben Smith! Come on down!

You are the first four contestants on The Price Is Right!

And now, here’s your host, Drew Carey!!!!!

HERE is your music and sound effects bed (right click on the link and click “Save Link As” to save it to your computer).

Do NOT deviate from this bed, do not create your own and do not substitute another version of music or sound effects. There will be a lot of entries and the judges can’t listen to auditions of varying lengths because you think you can produce a better bed.

Email your audition to peter at audioconnell dot com. MP3 file only.

File name: YOURLASTNAME_Unofficial_TPIR_Audition

LISTEN TO ENTRIES HERE.

I’ll allow submissions until it becomes tedious or boring so stay tuned. Only one entry per voice talent, please. Have fun and enjoy the ride.

P.S. The script has been altered from its original form. This now contains the most updated script.