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MEDIA RELEASE – PBS Secures Peter K. O’Connell for Fizzy’s Lunch Lab Promo

audio'connell Media Release

ARLINGTON, Virginia, November 30, 2009 – – The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) secured voice over talent Peter K. O’Connell as the announcer for the TV and web promotion of the national network’s new web series Fizzy’s Lunch Lab, beginning December 1, 2009.

WATCH THE PBS-TV PROMO:

Fizzy’s Lunch Lab is a vibrant, fun and kid-friendly web-only series featuring original characters and funny stories that entertain and educate families about the importance of good nutrition, a balanced diet, and physical activity. Professor Fizzy and his friends in the super-charged Lunch Lab Test Kitchen prepare healthy snacks, investigate the difference between good and bad food, and learn what happens once the food you eat goes into your body.

Each week, The Lunch Lab web site will release a new animated short video as well as a corresponding recipe for kids and parents to enjoy. Monthly food/nutrition themes will help guide the program’s message and the animated videos will reinforce concepts pertaining to the featured theme. This will make it easy for parents to extend the learning into the home. The site can be found at http://pbskids.org/lunchlab/.

A professional voice talent since 1982, some of Peter K. O’Connell’s professional voiceover credits include productions for Shell Oil, Starz Cable Channel, New Jersey Alliance and New Jersey Tourism, J. Walter Thompson Advertising (JWT), 2K Games, Cleveland Browns, Tops Friendly Markets, Island Press Publishers, Harlequin Enterprises, First Choice Power, Bank of Tuscaloosa, Crosby Stills & Nash, Fashion Outlet Mall, Junior Chamber International, Peek N’ Peak Resort and Spa, Devaweb and The Advertising Club of Buffalo.

Peter is President of audio’connell Voice-Over Talent which provides English-speaking professional male and female voiceover services for national and international clients. The voice over needs of foreign language clients are served through another O’Connell-owned company, International Voice Talents. Mr. O’Connell also owns Voice-Over Workshop, which provides professional voice over training to novice and experienced voice talent world-wide.

audio’connell Voice-Over Talent, International Voice Talents and Voice Over Workshop are all a part of O’Connell Communications, LLC.
-30-

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

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voice over talents – do i have your blog listed

London_bus

Back in the early 1950’s 😉 when I started out blogging about voice overs (and marketing and advertising), there were like…5 of us. Now there’s a double-decker London bus full of voice over bloggers.

While I think I have them all listed here and subscribe to them all, I know that the playing field changes fast and frequently. That coupled with the fact that some bloggers fall of the face of the earth or get bored with blogging means my list needs updating. If you’d rather not watch paint dry, you can always sift through a listing of voice over bloggers to see who is still actively publishing…the effect is the same but voice over blog list actually feels more tortuous.

Example: one blog I THOUGHT I was subscribed to and had listed here was Paul Strikwerda’s blog called Double Dutch. Very good blog and you should subscribe.

Today I realized this omission and fixed it. But it reminded me to ask you if you have a voice over blog and are not listed with a link on voxmarketising.com to:

1. Please let me know this and I will correct the error
2. If you haven’t already, please link back from your blog to this blog (audio’connell’s voxmarketising – is the proper name and the address is http://www.voxmarketising.com) So simple, even a caveman can do it.
3. If you have ceased blogging and are on my list, just ping me and I’ll pull you off the list.

Thanks.

buffalo talents – post your stuff for free

casting_central

For many folks the economy has really ruined their year. That has been equally true for performance based professionals – voice talents, actors, disc jockeys, producers, directors, writers etc. I’ve been lucky with my business and I know it. So let me share with you a secret.

Full Circle Studios (yes two mentions in two days – they should pay me – and they’re not paying me for this) created a web site called Casting Central where actors, voice talent, models and agents within Western New York State can get a free listing. So when FCS clients want to check out possible talent for a production – it’s as close as a mouse click.

Are you a talent who wants to get listed? Click here for details.

I hope this helps you in your search.

Happy Thanksgiving.

indie buffalo

indie_buffalo

If I was better organized I would be able to tell if I had written about this before but to the best my old cranium I haven’t.

While this addresses a topic more closely associated with those in or around Buffalo, NY, it could be worth while to those in other cities because with a little Googling, you might find a group in your area similar to the one I’m about to speak about.

Indie Buffalo is a web site dedicated to everything for the independent film maker in Buffalo and Western New York – casting notices, crew posts, production updates, the whole shootin’ match.

It is hosted by my friends at Full Circle Studios who have the community spirit to support this great idea(disclosure: one of the partners there was a groomsman in my wedding and a former business partner of mine).

So I hope you’ll check it out as a possible resource for yourself or others in your circle of influence. Or like I said, check out a similar resource in your neighbor.

overheard regarding an olympic logo

<em>2014 Winter Olympic logo (maybe)</em>

2014 Winter Olympic logo (maybe)

If you’re looking for rumors or gossip, this is absolutely the wrong blog to visit. We don’t gossip or spread rumors here. Tisn’t nice and we’re a nice blog. So no rumors.

But we’re OK with idle chitchat.

So the idle chitchat we came across today involves one of our favorite topics – Olympic logos and the possible sighting of the new official logo for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. See that graphic up there…that’s supposedly it.

<em>Official 2014 Sochi Olympic Bid logo</em>

Official 2014 Sochi Olympic Bid logo

Now for their bid, Sochi submitted this logo which we here at voxmarketising were very fond of. But the new logo (if indeed it is the official logo) probably sets the correct tone for what this historic international competition should be: global, friendly and inviting. This would be likely positioning for the Games anywhere they were held and a valuable world branding opportunity for Mother Russia, whose legacy does not always evoke the warm and fuzzies in many places.

I will miss the Sochi bid logo (which clearly did its job well) but hold great hope for the 2014 Winter Games under their new logo (if in fact this is the final choice, as it’s only idle chitchat presently).

What do you think of the new/proposed logo?

be in it for the money

audioconnell_money

One of the reasons I am so focused on making sure voice talents continue to see a career in voice over as a business is because I’ve witnessed so many who get caught up in the joy of getting the work that they ignore the key detail within the “career” part of the equation – getting paid.

I have been VERY fortunate in my career…less than a handful of times has any client tried to stiff me; I am bless with very professional and nice clients. You probably are (or will be) too. The overwhelming majority of potential or existing clients in our world are ethical people.

But a very few aren’t so my advice up front is that you create a process for every client where you have more control over how funds are delivered to you and you establish that control in your initial negotiations. I have a one page work order/agreement that lays out for the client (and, in the case of those few stiffs I mentioned, the courts) work, payment terms (am a big fan of payment upon delivery) and payment amounts. Professionals I work with don’t mind this a bit document one bit and in fact appreciate it.

Understand that no matter your level of voice over experience, some clients will try and pull a fast one; these are people who are usually unscrupulous in all aspects of their lives and it may just be your turn to deal with them. Sorry, its your turn to take out the trash.

My friend and fellow voice talent Jeff Kafer has had occasion to blog about this problem. And today I read on the Yahoo Voiceover Group about a collection challenge fellow voice talent Cheryl Fall’s friend has faced with an international client. You think its challenging to collect from across the street? Try collecting money from across the seas. Here’s Cheryl’s post (complete with collection emails), reprinted with her permission:

Jobs from India
Posted by: “Cheryl Fall” cheryl@cherylfall.com cheryl.fall
Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:54 pm (PST)

Hi All,

About a month ago, someone posted a message asking about voice opportunities
coming in from India. I had replied that I avoid doing any work with anyone
who contacts me out of the blue from India or other offshore locale, because
it is difficult to get paid.

Recently, a fellow voice talent did a huge job for an group called VoxBox,
based in India. This job consisted of hundreds of individual files that had
to be recorded, edited and delivered within a very short time frame. Seven
(7) months later, she has still not been paid – and probably will never be
paid.

For the record, this is a well-known Spanish speaking voice talent with MANY
years of experience, who I work with on a regular basis. Excerpts of her
emails to this client are below, and she gave me permission to post these to
the group. Hopefully it will help others understand why I do not do business
with offshore companies.

~Cheryl

HERE ARE THE EMAILS:
On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 1:25 PM:

Melroy,
I sent you the invoices again yesterday when you said you would pay only
$500.00. I am sure you had time to review them by now and determine that
the total due is more than $500.00. We are waiting for full payment through
pay pal immediately. I Just check the account. No payment has been
deposited.
————————–

I will send $500 via Paypal. Give me a few more days. I need to refill my
Paypal.

Yours Sincerely,

Melroy D’Mello
Founder – Vox Box
http://www.voxbox.in
+919833020332

——————————-
On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 2:28 PM:

Hello Melroy,
We received your email promising to pay us the first week of November. We
are already on the second week and no payment has been received yet. My pay
pal account does not reflect your payment either. When do you intend to pay
and through what method?
Looking forward to hearing from you,
———————————-

Melroy D’Mello has sent you a message.
Date: 10/27/2009
Subject: RE: Please reply to my email messages requesting payment

I will send across payment by first week of next month. Sorry for the delay.
Appreciate your patience and hope you can forgive this delay.
Melroy

On 10/25/09 10:34 PM:
——————–
Melroy,
I am not willing to wait any longer than the 6 months passed since working
for your math project in Spanish. You have repeatedly ignored my messages
and have disregarded my inquiries for payment. Please be so kind as to remit
payment immediately for the money you owe me and reply to my email from
today Sunday, October 25, 2009.
—————————

I have received all six invoices :
I request your patience for a short time more and to take this up in
exactly a week and a half’s time as Melroy is currently travelling on
business and handles the payment procedures. We are considering taking a
låna pengar with the help of Sambla but need approval from our manager.
Shawn Pereira
Project Manager
www.voxbox.in
——————————-
On Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 3:18 AM:
Hello Shawn,
Since Merloy is not available, he mentioned in his automatic reply to refer
all emails to you. Thank you.
——————————
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:38:45 -0700
To: Melroy D’Mello <melroy@voxbox.in>, Michelle <michelle@voxbox.in>

Hi again Melroy and Michelle,
Would you be so kind as to forward payment for the attached invoices? It
has been 75 days since I sent these invoices.
Thank you kindly for your prompt attention to this matter.