Entries Tagged as 'CBS Television Network'

faux-auditions now open for the late show with stephen colbert

Fauxditions_UnofficialCastingCalll

So many folks over the years have asked me “when are you going to have a new unofficial audition?”

Well today’s the day! Ladies and gentleman you are all invited to submit your faux-dition!

For those who don’t know, the unofficial audition (or faux-dition) allows voice talents the opportunity to create a fake “audition” for a high profile (and non-existent) job opening. In other words…it’s all for fun and not for a real job. Here’s the unofficial auditions we did about 4 years ago for “The Price is Right”.

THE NEW GUY IN LATE NIGHT
My choice for which show to NOT audition for was an easy one for me.

When the new “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” debuted, the show did not (and as of yet still does not) use a live announcer as David Letterman did and as Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon do.

Colbert himself read the pre-recorded intro in the first shows. This of course got me thinking about a possible new Faux-dition at the time. In more recent episodes, it sounds as if they have a regular announcer doing a pre-recorded intro over show titles.

I can’t give the fellow any credit here with a shout-out because there seems to be no credit given to him on any web site. But, rest assured, he does does a perfectly satisfactory job. This faux-dition should not be seen as an indictment of him but rather just a way for the rest of us to have some harmless and unprofitable fun.

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 “Late Show with Stephen Colbert ” and no way is ANYONE associated with “Late Show with Stephen Colbert ” endorsing, condoning or otherwise support this 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 3 top finishers.

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 (just as an example – I’m not saying it’s good enough for broadcast but it is broadcast ready). Perform the announce in whatever way you think would be most likely accepted by “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” producers if they were auditioning you as a new announcer (which, as far as I know, they are not).

LISTEN:
[audio:https://blog.audioconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/OCONNELL__UnofficialLSWSC_Audition.mp3]

THE PRIZES
We discussed cars and even a new home for the winner but decided on something more impressive

FIRST PRIZE: A set of 4 dishwasher safe audio’connell plastic cups

SECOND PRIZE: A set of 1 dishwasher safe audio’connell plastic cups

THIRD PRIZE: 1 dishwasher safe audio’connell plastic cup

Takes your breath away, doesn’t it?

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

* Download the script in PDF form HERE. Please note the timing notes on the script which you should try and follow as it matches the show’s timing with the opening credits.

* As a reference, here’s a LINK to the show. The credits start at about the 6:32 mark and yes, the band seems to perform a faster paced theme in the live show (oh well)

* HERE is your music 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. 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.

* Note if you like that the new announcer the Colbert Show is using is not your classic, bravado, big voice announcer — you might want to take that into account in your read (but as always, do it ANY way you want)

* Email your audition to peter at audioconnell dot com; MP3 file only 44.1/16 mono is fine

* Name your file: YOURLASTNAME_UnofficialLSWSC_Audition

* I’ll accept auditions until January 1, 2016 and then sometime after that, we’ll announce the winners

new cbs sports logo

CBS Sports Old New Logo

I really need to listen to my inner voices sometimes.

About 3-4 months ago I remember seeing the CBS Sports logo and thinking “Man, that thing is dated!”

Now I come to find out that at the end of November, CBS Sports announced they are unveiling their new logo during Super Bowl 50 (notice “50”, not the roman number for 50 which would be “L”, which in the common vernacular would stand for “loser” — this is my guess as to why the NFL isn’t using the “L”).

It’s good that they are updating the logo. The problem is the new logo sucks.

Drab. Dull. Not a damn sporty thing about it.

Now you may say “it’s a TV logo, they’re going to make it bounce around and spin and look really cool in motion.”

Fine but no. A logo needs to be able to convey the message of what you (your brand, company) do, in and of itself. This new CBS logo could be for a CPA firm or even a dishwasher. The old one at least has a little style and some motion to it. It felt a bit sporty.

Where’s the action? Where’s the excitement in this new CBS Sports logo? It’s SPORTS for goodness sake. Where’s the vibrance? Where’s the motion? The old logo (much as it needed a refresh) had lots of these attributes.

CBS Television Network Logo

But of course the old CBS Sports logo did not posses a classic style to it that would allow it to live forever like, for example, the logo of its mother ship, the CBS Television Network and it’s classic Eye logo and font. This logo will (and should) live forever.

So let’s take a quick peek at how this new sports network for CBS compares to some of the other sports network logos.

Sports Network Logos ESPN, Fox, NBC

When looking at sports networks, you’s have to start with ESPN which has gone from a little cable station in Bristol, Connecticut to a sports giant. How big? Basically, ABC Sports ceased to exist when Disney (which owns ABC) bought ESPN. And this logo needs a refresh. It looks about as 80’s as the old CBS Sports logo.

Fox Sports logo is…meh. Whether it’s Fox Sports, Fox News and the Fox Network, the logo is plain. Not bad, just plain. Such a wide ranging and successful company should have a more impressive network icon. But again, there’s a reason I’m not part of this discussion. 😉

Finally NBC Sports. This is a bit of a mashup. You’ve got the iconic peacock (one of the great logo refreshes/rebirths of the 20th Century), the recently refreshed NBC workmark (which I like very much) and the scripted sports work mark, which is just OK. But of the three logos, probably NBC Sports works the best as a logo.

So there you have it, my take on network sports logos.

The bad news is you can’t get the last five minutes of your life back. 🙂

so, about dave….

 David Letterman announces his retirement Photo copyright Associated Press

David Letterman announces his retirement
Photo copyright Associated Press


As a broadcasting nut (mostly because of my personal and professional addiction) I have been fortunate enough to hear and see some amazing things on television. Each makes you feel something whether it was the horrible OSCAR telecast with Rob Lowe and Snow White, the Challenger Disaster which I watched live in my dorm room as it happened or even the final shows of countless TV programs that I used to watch.

Many of us watched the last Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (and Jay Leno – twice- and Conan O’Brien- also twice). Not so much for today’s generation but for mine, Late Night television has been something special (even when it was bad).

But Johnny- as great as the show was- was not of my generation. I caught that train somewhere in the late 70s when it was already established but still in its 90 minute format.

But then came this fellow that Carson mentored, David Letterman. I remember first seeing Dave on something like Don Kirschner’s Rock Concerts as a stand- up comedian. I didn’t think he was particularly funny.

Then somehow Letterman ended up with a morning show on NBC. I caught that for a while and just thought the whole episode was awkward, although towards the end some of the bits were funny because clearly they didn’t care any more.

But Carson decided he wanted Letterman as part of the new 12:30 am slot. Given lots of rules that would differentiate it from The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman debuted and television was not quite the same after that.

It was unique mostly because Late Night had to twist the talk show format to suit Carson. It was a wise move for Carson and ultimately for Late Night. Dave and his writers came into their own in a time slot where really nobody cared much about what you did as long as it didn’t mess with Johnny.

Elevator races, top 10 lists, viewer mail, Velcro suits and Larry Bud Melman soon became television staples. What today’s generation of late night viewers take as standard operating procedure was, at the time, an inventive and modern twist on what Steve Allen and a few others had done in television’s infancy. But Dave made it ours.

I was standing in my kitchen one Friday evening in the 80’s and The Tonight Show had ended another program. In a cold open, for the next show on NBC, we see a shot of the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia in his dressing room with a guitar trying to play a song but not getting it. In walks David Letterman who reaches over, adjusts Jerry’s fingers on the guitar. After which Jerry proceeds to start strumming “Proud Mary”.

It was hysterical. I was hooked. I had MY Johnny.

Through college my roommates and I always watched Dave. The NBC debacle between Dave and Jay was high drama for me (for no good reason except my peculiar fascination with the situation) and I was so pleased when Dave got the CBS deal.

I have been to a taping of the original Arsenio Hall show and Late Night with Conan O’Brien and even a rehearsal of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. But I never made it to the Ed Sullivan Theatre. I guess watching on the TV (and avoiding the cow herding aspects of being in a long studio audience waiting line) was good enough for me.

These final shows have been terrific mostly because Dave seems so relaxed that he’s almost like the old “Late Night” Dave. If you haven’t been watching them, you’re missing some great TV.

So far, this clip with George Clooney and Tom Waits with Dave (after Clooney handcuffed himself to Dave – hilarious because Dave was so uncomfortable – which makes him so funny) is my favorite for everyone’s great reactions and spontaneity. Watch this…

None the less, I’m watching these final shows with the kind of sadness I should reserve for people I know – and in spite of the TV relationship, I do not know any of these folks. But I’m sad for them and me none the less. It’s the kind of end of high school “we will never pass this way again” thing we’ve all been through.

I will be sadder than when I watched Johnny’s last show because Dave was my guy and he’s leaving. It may be time, but you never want to say goodbye even when you know you should.

So Dave, you’ll never read this, but thanks. You are a broadcaster’s broadcaster and an excellent entertainer in your own right.

Thanks for sharing your talents.

Good night!

happy anniversary cbs eye logo

CBS_Eye_Logo_SignalNoiseBroadcastBlog

I have been sooo darn remiss in my logo blog posts. I know most folks here like my voice over posts but I have aligned yet varied interests…logos being a weird obession of this guy who can’t draw a straight line.

So earlier this week, the CBS Television Network celebrated the 60th Anniversary of their “Eye” logo – with their wordmark, its a logo I have always liked.

Here is a nice piece by CBS News’ Charles Osgood on the history of this world famous icon.

i didn’t know there was a music video for this….

Late Show with David Letterman

You ever just cruise YouTube and go from one video to another based on the choices that show up in the right hand side of your screen?

I do that all the time which may explain why my brain has shrunken to the size of a pea.

None the less, I was watch a CBS Sunday Morning interview with Craig Ferguson when I can across a video evidently made by the CBS Orchestra from Late Show with David Letterman.

I had never heard the full composition of the show theme. Maybe you hadn’t either, so here it is.

voting is under way for the 2011 unofficial casting call

UPDATE: 1/23/11 5:00 p.m. ET – The voting is now CLOSED.

As decided by our international judging panel, here are the FIVE final nominees for the 2011 Unofficial Casting Call for The Price Is Right (in alphabetical order):

SCOTT BURNS:
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/110103_TPIR_Auditions/BURNS_Unofficial_TPIR_Audition REVISED.mp3]

JAMEE T. PERKINS:
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/110103_TPIR_Auditions/PERKINS_Unofficial_TPIR_Audition.mp3]

JOHN THOMAS:
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/110103_TPIR_Auditions/Thomas_Unofficial_TPIR_Audition.mp3]

BRAD VENABLE:
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/110103_TPIR_Auditions/VENABLE_Unofficial_TPIR_Audition-1.mp3]

JOHN WEEKS:
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/110103_TPIR_Auditions/WEEKS_Unofficial_TPIR_Audition .mp3]

The WINNER will receive one free 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 winner assumes all liability upon acceptance and execution of this prize and agrees to hold harmless the blog owner, the sponsors, Faffcon or anybody else associated with this Fauxdition or event.

This prize is sponsored by: Bob Souer, Liz de Nesnera, Dave Courvoisier, Diane Maggipinto, Melissa Exelberth, Trish Basanyi, Natalie Stanfield Thomas, Amy Snively, Pam Tierney & Todd Ellis.

VOTING RULES:
* Please vote using the comment section on the voxmarketising blog ONLY (votes on posts made via social media aggregates will not count)
* Please rank your top three choices by labeling them 1, 2 & 3
* If you vote for only one person OR if you vote for the same person three times, your vote will be disqualified
* Each person may only vote once – you are on the honor system
* The blog owner will tabulate the votes according to his scoring system
* The winner with the most votes by the close of voting on January 23, 2011 at 17:00 hrs ET will be announced on this blog
* The decision of the blog owner is final in all conflicts regarding this vote

Listen.

Vote.

Enjoy.

Thank you.