Voice Talents Peter K. O’Connell and Connie Terwilliger

On February 2, 2005 my voiceover career veered in an entirely new direction, solely by signing into a fairly new web community.

I made a professional, online connection with a fellow voice-talent named Connie Terwilliger on a short-lived, voiceover-centric website that was closing down.

Voice Talents Mary McKitrick, DB Cooper and Peter K. O’Connell

Connie (who is an amazing female voice as well as stage actress) clued me into something call the *Voiceover Bulletin Board*, or VO-BB.com , started by another great voice actress, D.B. Cooper.

Voice Talents Bruce Miles and Peter K. O’Connell at FaffCon 8

Bruce Miles now manages the website daily.

Sidebar: I just realized that those three people – who are all part of my VO-BB experience, and now my voiceover life – are sincerely 3 of my most favorite voices in the industry

The ways the members of that community have helped my career and befriended me over 18 years cannot be counted. But I am grateful for all of it.

Should you not see a topic you have a question about, it’s easy to post a question. Members are there to help members…most all of whom are seasoned voiceover professionals.

As just one example, it was on and because of VO-BB that FaffCon – the Unconference – was conceived, born and flourished.

If you are in voiceover or if you think you might want to be in voiceover, join VO-BB.com….it’s FREE board and search any possible voiceover topic you have a question about (performance, business, technology….you’ll find many interesting discussions and helpful ideas.

Enjoy the ride.

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Back in April of 2014,  I was in Kansas City and I grabbed dinner with fellow voiceover friends Dan Hurst, Andy Barnett, and Matt Wiewel at a great BBQ joint (well Kansas City is full of them).

As we chatted a lot and ate even more. the conversation turned to voiceover agents in the KC area and I was told about a new agency that had recently opened called Moxie Talent Agency.

The next day, I drove over to see the folks at Moxie Talent — well actually, because it was so new, I only remember meeting Stacey Siegert, Moxie’s owner.

We had a very nice chat about my voiceover business.

At first she was afraid I was looking to become a male on-camera model…I said “never” and she said “thank god!” (I made that last part up).

Stacey and I set up a voiceover representation agreement within a few days that is still going strong today.

It’s really not my place to say I’m proud of Stacey and her (now much bigger) team but it IS an amazing accomplishment for anyone in the performing arts or operating a supporting business for the performing arts (like a talent agency) to remain around for 10+ years. Even thought Stacey and Moxie may make it look so, longevity is NOT easy in the performing arts.

I’m grateful for Moxie Talent Agency’s support and am glad to be a part of her agency’s voiceover roster for all these years.

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Back in the day, the folks at LinkedIn used to let users post a little video about themselves that you could see in the profile picture.

I was always delaying doing it – mostly because I don’t like being on camera and because the world is absolutely FINE with me not being on camera.

However, this week, I was inspired! I decided I would make a quick :30 second video welcoming the masses to my LinkedIn profile page.

I wrote a little script and practiced it.

I set up my unfancy ring light that has a holder for my phone.

Then I hit record.

I hit record again.

I hit record about 75 times before I read the script (that I rehearsed with) with vocal clarity and the motions of my mouth, head and hands did NOT look like I was having a seizure.

Did I mention how I don’t like being on camera?

Anyway…I edited the video and went on the LinkedIn app to upload it.

Except it wouldn’t upload.

That’s because it couldn’t upload.

A quick search showed LinkedIn stopped adding profile videos this past June.

They must have heard I was coming.

Anyway…now you have to watch it…do not avert your eyes!!! If I had to record it you have to watch it! 🙂

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I’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.

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If 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.

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MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – August 15, 2023 – – One of the world’s largest home improvement retailers, Lowe’s, recently produced an in-house media project featuring the character voiceover work of male voice actor Peter K. O’Connell.

O’Connell voice was cast as a gruff contractor in the corporate video, whose day and mood improved with the help of the friendly associates at a Lowe’s store.

About Lowe’s

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 17 million customer transactions a week in the U.S. With total fiscal year 2022 sales of over $97 billion, approximately $92 billion of sales were generated in the U.S., where Lowe’s operates over 1,700 home improvement stores and employs approximately 300,000 associates.

About Peter K. O’Connell

Voice actor Peter K. O’Connell has shared his voiceover and audio production skills with companies around the world. In addition to his latest character voice work for Lowe’s Home Improvement, Peter’s commercial and narration clients include brands like iHeart Media, Crest Toothpaste, IBM, Duracell Batteries and AWS (Amazon Web Services). O’Connell, who recently celebrated his 40th anniversary as a professional voice talent, owns audio’connell Voiceover Talent – a Source-Connect equipped voiceover studio – which is a division of O’Connell Communications, LLC. He can be reached via peterkoconnell.com.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS

CONTACT:

Peter K. O’Connell

Your Friendly, Neighborhood Voiceover Talent

audio’connell Voiceover Talent

P.O. Box 5493 | Raleigh, NC 27512-5493

PH. +01 716-572-1800 & +01 919-283-1516

EM. peter@audioconnell.com

W. audioconnell.com

COMPANY MEDIA CENTER

http://www.audioconnell.com/media

PETER K. O’CONNELL VO CREDITS

VO Credits Link

COMPANY NAME SPELLING

Use lower case letters- audio’connell or audio’connell Voiceover Talent

COMPANY NAME PRONUNCIATIONau·di-o’·con·nell (awe-de-oh-kah-nel)

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