Entries Tagged as 'voice talent'

“SPEECHLESS” Voiceover Podcast to Celebrate 100 Episodes on April 18, 2024

Speechless Voiceover Podcast 100th Episode - Peter K. O'Connell VoiceoverIn almost all of broadcasting, be it radio, TV or cable, making it to the 100th show is a milestone.

The same is true for podcasting and it’s especially true for voiceover podcasting (says the blogger/podcaster who couldn’t get past 3-4 episodes back in the waaaay early days of the medium).

Seriously, I’ve heard and long forgotten a large number of VO podcasts from producers who seemingly lost interest in the medium.

So when I saw a post from my voiceover pal (and fellow Faffer) Natasha Marchewka about the upcoming 100th episode of her SPEECHLESS voiceover podcast with Kim Wilson (on April 18th), I know it promises to be a big deal.

Over 2 (maybe now 3) seasons/years, Kim and Natasha’s SPEECHLESS podcast has been a behind-the-scenes take on real life in the voice over biz! The good, the bad and the ugly.

SPEECHLESS Voiceover Podcast with Natasha Marchewka & Kim WilsonIt takes true production commitment and focus to keep a podcast (or any media program) on-air for ANY length of time. Guest aren’t always great, ideas aren’t always flowing….but if you have the determination, producers like Kim and Natasha fly over the problems and focus on the good stuff.

If you get to 100 episodes, that means the audience likes all the good stuff and wants you to keep going.

And that there (as we say in the south) is the greatest cause for celebration there is!

Voice Actor Peter K. O’Connell Releases New Character Voice Demo

Peter K OConnell Character Voice Actor

Truth be told, this new character voice demo was a long time in the making.

A loooong time…like 18 years.

You read that right.

Why so long?

I kept getting hired off the 18 year old demo.

LISTEN TO PETER K. O’CONNELL’s 2024 CHARACTER VOICE DEMO BELOW:

Then the character voice demo evolved – there were character voice demos, then just animation character voice demos, then video game character demos. Then offshoots and collections mixing all that stuff. Oy!

I wasn’t sure how I should roll with these changes. I can do voices and voice acting for all those genres.

I even worked on one of the early famous video games (with a boatload of audio files) – Bioshock. But when I saw the game, I didn’t really like the story and visuals…they creeped me out, honestly. Clearly there was a huge audience for it but that audience didn’t include me.

Plus, I realized if I played in those video game voice acting waters…I’d likely be faced with that same gut/moral conundrum more than a few times. I don’t mind ceeding artistic control on most projects…but video games could get really weird really fast for my tastes. Not judging others but it was not for me.

I decided I was more of a commercial and animation character voice person. Plus there are a ton more talented than me video game voice actors in the world.

Voice Actor Peter K. O'Connell - Buffalo Bills fanThen there was the paralyzing (for me) question of what to include in a new character voice demo. I can do and have done a ton of unique and familiar characters…I became overwhelmed.

It was a terrible but very real feeling about this inconsequential character voice demo (inconsequential when compared to the big picture of life).

I talked to some character voice producers (smart, talented folks) but I didn’t feel confident enough in my choices and the direction I wanted to go in for my demo to make it a worthwhile partnership to invest my money and their time.

Then a few weeks ago, I spent a Saturday doing a deep dive into the archieve of ALL the character stuff I have voiced. I sensed a direction and felt a great confidence to begin assembling, writing, voicing, editing and mixing.

One of the great benefits of working professionally in voiceover for over 40 years is that you become friends with very talented people who opinions you respect and who you know will lend a helpful ear and thoughtful, smart feedback.

I am so grateful for the help of my friends Bruce Miles, Steve Pogatch and most especially Rowell Gormon – who together easily total a century’s worth of professional character voice performance and production – for their insights. If you love the demo, it’s in large part because of them. If you hate, that’s on me.

I hope you love it.

And I hope there was a wonderful reason in God’s big plan that I had to wait 18 years between character voice demos. Cause I’m not sure I still be around if I have to wait ANOTHER 18 years for the next one! 🙂

Voice Actor Mara Junot Serves as Live Announcer for the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards on February 24

Voice Actors Mara Junot and Peter K. O'ConnellMy friend and fellow voice actor Mara Junot will be the announcer for the live broadcast on the Screen Actors Guild Award on Saturday, February 24 at 8pm ET on Netflix.

That statement may surprise you (not that I have a friend but that…well, OK maybe you are surprised I have a friend that’s a real person but…oh shut up).

Anyway, Mara is an extremely talented and versatile voice talent, that’s the whole point.

I have known Mara for many years and while I would not be so arrogant to say we are close friends (we live very far away from each other, also she is young and I am as old as death), if I were to see her next week, we would start talking like it had not been over 4 years since I last saw her.

She’s just that friendly, kind and open. She’s just Mara…I think she’s like that with everybody.

It’s a gift.

While I am (of course) extremely bitter that I did not get the live announcer gig for yet another major award show (my perfect record of “not invited to audition” remains safe) 😉 if anybody else should get the live announcer gig, it should be Mara.

I know my fellow friends in the VO industry who know Mara share my inordinate joy for her on securing this great gig. 🙂

When you see the show and hear her work, you’ll understand. She deserves all good things.

voiceover workshop invited on the “ask me anything” webcast with tom dheere

Tom Dheere & Peter K. O'Connell "Ask Me Anything" Voiceover MArketingI’ve been fortunate to be invited on a number of voiceover related podcasts and webcasts (because the ‘cooking show’ podcasts know I don’t really have that much to offer – as I am a Platinum Member of the Arby’s Best Customer Club).

So it was nice to have the VO Workshop invited on Tom Dheere’s “Ask Me Anything” webcast (part of his VO Strategist business) to discuss voice-over marketing.

Full disclosure, I was not his first choice for the show but his original guest had to cancel last minute. Glad to help out my friend of at least 10+ years just before airtime.

The show must go on! Indeed it did!

We spoke about marketing priorities for voice talents including databases, demos, websites and more. We also took questions from viewers of the live broadcast.

According to Tom, the show went very well. As the guest, I know hosts always say that but the response thus far has been very positive. I know I enjoyed myself.

Hope you enjoy it.

a humble voiceover brag about voiceover humility

Peter K. O'Connell Voiceover Booth 350If you ask most actors, unless the part is really wonky, they are glad to accept the voiceover work they’re offered.

To be an actor, you’ve gotta be acting. We love the big parts (as they often bring bigger money and exposure) but the smaller part also pay the bills and can be a lot of fun to perform (and can get you noticed – you’d be surprised).

I bring this up because I get that “big part/small part) question asked a lot from my students at the VO Workshop. Ego rules some actors to the point where they may turn down work that they feel is beneath them (even in voiceover).

If there was a moral or ethical question within the project…that I understand and I’ve turned down a few jobs (most pro folks have) with those issues.

But small parts…especially character work…have been a nice portion of what I have voiced over the past four decades as a professional voice actor.

A recent case in point is a corporate voice project I was signed to do for Lowe’s Home Improvement stores. With over 2,100 store locations, countless divisions within the chain and over 300,000 employees, I’m sure educating them all is a huge task. Hence their on-going training activities including the project I worked on.

LISTEN TO PETER’S LOWE’S PROJECT….

2 lines.

In the Lowe’s project, I had a grand total of two lines…but they were comedic and payoff lines for the narrator so the producer needed someone who could pull that off convincingly, effectively and comedically for what he had in mind.

And who he had in mind was me. No auditions – ‘I want Peter’.

Remember when I said you’d be surprised how small (and big) parts can get you noticed?

These producers had worked with me before, knew my versatility and knew I could be trusted with getting the right character and versions for their script. If need be, I am very directable but this director let me go and I got him what he wanted.

Bang. Zoom. Done.

My point is, for voice actors, I’ll take jobs like this all day long and gladly cash the checks they bring because there are lots of small parts. Yes, I get lead spots too and I love ’em!

But be humble and professionally enough to graciously take all of it.

Be the person a producer can rely on to always get the job done for them…no matter the size of the role. Size is nice but quantity is great too. Aim for both in your voice acting career. Hope that helps.

 

the unique alignment between union and non-union actors during the sag-aftra strike

SAG-AFTRA Strike PeterI’ve been asked by some friends outside the voiceover industry why I – a non-union voice actor – have posted a supportive message for those involved in the current SAG-AFTRA strike.

Kinda like – you’re not in the union, why do you care about this union strike?

Theirs was not a negative question…they were simply curious – and not really involved in the voiceover industry – so they see the two types of work groups (union/non-union) as sort of competing.

I’ve never viewed the two groups that way, but OK.

In life, I have found that when I get asked a question like this more than once (or three times), it usually means more people also have that question…so let’s address it.

My reasons as a non-union voice actor for supporting the SAG-AFTRA union performers who are on strike are both personal and professional.

First personal, which is very simple – some of the striking performers are my friends and many (whether I know them or not) have been voice and on-camera performers for many years.

These performers- working under the “TV/Theatrical Contracts” and many of whom you have likely NEVER heard of – have been underpaid (especially by streaming companies), are facing the prospect of even less work due to technology (more on that in a minute) and are currently getting NO pay and no work because they feel the need to force change through this work stoppage.

SAG-AFTRA On StrikeFor their sacrifice….on their lives, their art, their families and their well-being…I’ll gladly contribute my non-union support to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

NB: A little good news in the midst of a difficult situation – it’s been posted that the current “TV/Theatrical Contracts” dispute does NOT include voiceover work like commercials and narrations. So SAG-AFTRA members can voice commercials and narrations during the strike.

Next, professional reasons. I’ll start (and end) with this: the outcome of the SAG-AFTRA strike WILL have repercussions on non-union voiceover work.

But? Huh? What?!

A few points to clarify the impact of a new SAG-AFTRA agreement on union and non-union performers (both on-camera and voiceover)

  • The current strike specifically involves SAG-AFTRA’s “TV/Theatrical Contracts” with AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) — this contract primarily impacts starring, featured and background TV and movie performers; this contract’s impact on a majority of voiceover projects (and rates) is a fairly small part of this agreement, but not nothing either
  • Non-union VO rates have used a variety of guides to determine our fees…one of those measurements has been the SAG-AFTRA VO rates – ANY change (big or small) in SAG-AFTRA VO rates impacts non-union rates to some level
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) is proving audio and visual technology that would allow producers replace actors with a person’s image, likeness and voice with something computer generated…costing the jobs of tens of thousands of on-camera and voice actors

There are many other important points of dispute of course, but the consequences of the decisions reached on the above items in any new SAG-AFTRA agreement will impact voice actors regardless of their union status.

Stay tuned.