My Father had a saying that I have always tried to live by. I’ll spare you the original Latin; translated it is “Don’t let the bastards get you down”.
It is easy to say but not so easy to do on days like today. But we must not let the bastards get us down.
If we do, we lose.
We’re America…we don’t lose.
TRIESENBERG, Liechtenstein March 25, 2013 – – Voice Talent Peter K. O’Connell is the narrator for a new international DVD series on the Catholic Catechism, entitled “The 3 Minute Catechism”. With O’Connell narrating the English-language version, the 72-part series is also currently available in German and Spanish. Translations in French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Croatian, Czech, Chinese and Arabic are currently in production.
WATCH AN EPISODE OF THE 3 MINUTE CATECHISM HERE:
In book form, The Catholic Catechism is an organized collection of the fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church, which, as the compendium notes, reflects Catholic faith and morals “in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the church’s tradition.”
“The 3 Minute Catechism” consists of 72 hand-drawn and animated episodes each about 3-4 minutes long. The 2 DVD series follows and explains the Creed, covering all four parts of the Catechism. Easier and more difficult subjects are treated in separate episodes making “The 3 Minute Catechism” a modern introduction to the Catholic faith for ages 12 to 120. The series is available for sale from Kathmedia via the web at http://www.3mc.me/eng/index_eng.html
About Peter K. O’Connell
In addition to this most recent narration production for the “The 3 Minute Catechism” DVD series, Peter K. O’Connell’s professional voice-over credits include regional, national and international voice-over productions for companies such as PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), Shell Oil, Pitney Bowes, Bacardi Rum, Deloitte Canada, U.S. Army, Starz Cable Channel, BlueCross BlueShield, SunSetter Awnings, Time Warner Cable, New Jersey Tourism, First Financial Bank, N.A., Harlequin Enterprises, The Buffalo News, Darien Lake Theme Park and Pathmark Supermarkets.
A natural born storyteller, O’Connell’s voice-over productions have been heard around the world in radio and TV commercials, medical narrations, television infomercials, political commercial voice-overs, TV network promos, e-learning narration projects (computer-based training, internet-based training and web-based training), PSA’s, message on-hold as well as other video and media productions.
Known as America’s Friendly, Neighborhood Voice-Over Talent, Peter K. O’Connell owns audio’connell Voice-Over Talent and International Voice Talents, both are divisions of O’Connell Communications, LLC.
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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
If you saw the Super Bowl, one of the ads you probably watched was for Ram Trucks and featured one of my true broadcasting heros….one of the people whose talents I would quickly exchange for mine, Paul Harvey. Even after his death his talent – which is one the greatest successes in radio and possibly ALL of broadcasting – still resonants.
One small example comes every Friday on Facebook when my friend and great voice talent Vance Elderkin posts “Hello, Facebookians. It’s Friday,” in a tribute to Harvey who every Friday would open his broadcast by saying “Hello Americans. It’s Friday!”
Another more recent example is the recent Meme that has grown from the famous Harvey speech upon which the Ram Truck ad was built – many jobs have been substituted for the Farmers in this Meme so I suppose it should have come as no surprise that voice acting would have its Meme day.
Except there WAS a surprise.
There was a surprise for me in the personal impact I felt experiencing the great writing, quality audio production and perfect performance by John Taylor who clearly sneezes away more talent during allergy season than most of us can hope to attain in our lifetimes. The great ones always make it look and sound easy.
I hope you enjoy his work as much as I have.
Congrats to Voice-Over Actor Dave Fennoy following his D.I.C.E. win as Outstanding Character Performer as Lee Everett in The Walking Dead.
Probably best known for his recent work as the voice of HULU.COM, Dave’s promo work has also been heard on ABC, The WB, Fox, CBS, Showtime, Starz, ESPN, The Disney Channel and TV One.
His commercial voice-over credits include Lexus, McDonalds, Corona Beer, KFC, Toyota, Chrysler, and ATT, Time Life Music R&B/Gospel and Southern Company.
In addition to The Walking Dead, gamers enjoy Dave’s voice work on STARCRAFT II, Metal Gear, That’s So Raven, Ultimate Spiderman, Delta Force, Star Wars, Laura Croft Tomb Raider, and many others.
Dave’s narration credits include programs for National Geographic, Discovery Channel and Science Channel’s popular series, “When Earth Erupts”.
Dave did a great interview a while back with my friend and fellow voice-over talent Andy Boyns…take a look.
I remember video jockeys because when I came out of college, I auditioned to be one. (It’s OK to laugh but’s it’s unattractive and insulting to actually snort from laughing…even at something so ridiculous).
It was to this day (I think) the ONLY on camera audition I ever did (or can remember) and I think it was probably as awful a thing to watch as has ever been not broadcast. I quickly realized I had a face for radio (of course I didn’t do much in radio after that time either). We all do things we regret when we’re young…considering ever so briefly a life in front of the camera was one of mine.
But the network I auditioned for was VH-1…Video Hits One, the Adult Contemporary version of MTV and much like its big brother, VH-1 had no earthly idea how to use VJ’s in their programming. I recall Scott Shannon being a VJ at one point and Don Imus too (you thought I had a face for radio?! And Imus is STILL on TV…the attractive bar wasn’t lowered, it was buried there).
I think they too realized these radio stars weren’t cutting it on their channel and as part of a rebranding, they went looking for new personalities, of which I never became one.
All these memories came back to me when I saw that VH-1 recently updated it logo. My first reaction was “thank God” because whatever kind of bet was lost on the creation of it’s last logo, ANYTHING done after it was going to be a billion times better.
And simple as it is, the new VH-1 logo IS better. The tough thing with static shots of network logos is…on TV they’re never static….they move with grace or speed; with color or texture but they are rarely still.
The logo implementation is good, the look is better and the potential is great.
You know how people reach certain age milestones and they are shocked or happy or depressed (sometimes all at once)?
Well when I realized that School House Rock turned 40 this year, I was stunned and pleased and sad (see, I can’t do anything right).
It occurred to me that my life in media may have been a bit of a pre-ordained thing:
* Born on the night the Beatles were first on the Ed Sullivan Show (a pretty major day in entertainment history)
* In kindergarten at the inception of Sesame Street (and yes we watched it in class); it was the same year I took my first tour of a radio station and was smitten/bitten by the radio bug
* At the prime learning age of 7 years old when School House Rock was rolled out
See…destiny. Oh yeah, it also reminded me that I is old.
This one is my favorite:
