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autobiography of an announcing master

Don_Pardo

The Archive of American Television has so many amazing interviews of performers who have truly fascinating stories that you really can’t hear anywhere else. Most of the interviews are uncut and I’ve really enjoyed that.

Well on a You Tube fly around I found this great series featuring the legendary Don Pardo from 2006. They are long segments but they are amazing.

I hope you enjoy.

requiescat in pace dick tufeld

Voice Actor Dick Tufeld

Here’s another one of those situations where I missed out in meeting somebody whose work I always enjoyed.

Last week the voice over world and TV fans everyone bade farewell to Dick Tufeld.

Most of us “of a certain age” can remember Dick as the voice of “Robot” in the TV series “Lost in Space” and he WAS great in it.

But I also remember him on a number of award shows where at the end, he would say “This is Dick Tufeld speaking.”

I’ve written about Dick before on these pages. Here also is an obit.

Two nice ways to remember – or learn about – a great voice talent.

And of course, have a listen:

podcamp toronto 2012 #pcto

If you are involved in social media for your business or if you’d like some edumacation on same, you should attend a Podcamp.

If you are near Toronto (like me) you should attend this one – great people, great knowledge, great town.

February 25-26, 2012 at Ryerson University.

why radio sucks when it doesn’t have to

Voice Talent_BILL ST. JAMES

If a guy does a radio show across the country for 25 YEARS – do you think maybe you could let him say goodbye to his listeners if his tenure on the show comes to an end?

Especially if the show is pre-recorded?

The story from ALL ACCESS reported that Bill didn’t get to say that “goodbye” and that Matt Pinfield will take over St. James’ show “Flashback” (OK, he was the host, not the producer – but he was host for 25 years!)

I don’t know Bill St. James and I was not an addict of the show but I certainly knew of the show and know of his fine voice work.

I don’t really care what kind of political BS maybe involved in any of this…there’s a respectful and dignified way to end something like this. But it didn’t happen that way…again!

I think way St. James was treated here, as described, unnecessarily sucks.

Doesn’t it just seem wrong to you, or should I just stop caring?

game changer OR too little too late?

AFTRA_SAG_merger

The headline screams: “American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Screen Actors Guild Reach Agreement on Merger Package for Recommendations to SAG and AFTRA National Board of Directors”.

Tip of the hat to Mercedes Rose for the heads up on Facebook.

Read all about it…this merger WOULD impact professional voice over talent in either union or a VO considering joining the new union.

In years past, these two professionally aligned unions couldn’t really get out of each others way in contractual disputes with studios and production companies and finally each other. People have realized for years that there is no need for TWO unions doing basically the same thing. Finally in the most recent elections, those supporting a merger were elected and now it seems, if the plan is ratified by the memberships, it will happen.

Will anybody outside of New York and Los Angeles care?

I’m not asking that in a snide way, I mean it as a real question: Has the non-union train left the station, not only for the people who join the performing unions but for people who hire the talent?

While talent outside of NY and LA question the value of agents to bring them substantial new work, those same people will debate the value proposition of what a union can really offer in calculable ROI for dues memberships. The performing world operates differently than it used to operate.

If this merger goes through (and I would be surprised if it didn’t) the resultant organization will have a LOT of work to do, I think, to encourage non-members to see significant value in becoming a member. It can be done…but that’s going to be a tall wall to climb.

What do you think will happen following a proposed merger?

voiceover web nicely redone

liz_deNesnera_voiceover

My friend and bilingual voiceover talent Liz deNesnera recently achieved one of her written goals from Faffcon 3 which was to redesign her web site and rebrand her company.

Take a look for yourself but I think she did a very nice job.