Caitlin Sanchez - Voice of Dora The Explorer; Photo courtesy of Nickelodeon-AP
This is not the first voiceover contract battle nor will it likely be the last but Caitlin Sanchez family’s lawsuit now filed against defendants Nickelodeon, MTV Networks and Viacom International is a bit more high profile than most.
It pits Viacom, one of the world’s largest communication companies and owner of many media properties including MTV as well as Nickelodeon against the plaintiff Sanchez (and her family) who was hired in 2007 as the voice of Dora the Explorer for the wildly popular and profitable cartoon series of the same name. The family
According to the article in the New York Daily News, the suit claims “Defendants used Caitlin, unjustly enriching themselves of millions of dollars in profits from the series and branded products, which Caitlin preformed and promoted,” and that Sanchez’ Dora deal promised her more than $5,000 an episode and compensation in residuals and merchandising.
After negotiations between the parties failed the lawsuit, which the defendant’s attorney claim is “without merit”, was filed.
Two Time Radio Mercury Award Nominee - Voice Talent Bob Souer
This is a big freakin’ deal.
For the radio industry, the Radio Mercury Awards are the real deal.
Ad agency’s get to take home the prizes (don’t they always – but we love our ad agencies here, no bitterness ;). For the associated producers and voice over talents, such a nomination is a real honor – hardware or not.
Well my friend Bob Souer (and truth be told, he’s everyone’s friend – he’s not terribly particular about his friends which is how I made the cut) is the sole announcer in not one but TWO commercials that are nominated for Radio Mercury Awards this year.
Two things stand out in both spots: great writing (and that’s usually where everything begins) and wonderful voice over interpretations.
Bob notes it’s an honor to be nominated – it is, he should be and I’m hoping you’ll join me in offering great wishes for a big win for my pal (our pal) Bob.
Radio Mercury Award Nominee-Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation (Bob Souer, Voice Talent)
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation_Bob Souer Voice Talent.mp3]
Radio Mercury Award Nominee-Apex Pest Control (Bob Souer, Voice Talent)
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/Apex Pest Control_Bob Souer Voice Talent.mp3]
All commercials herein are copyrighted by their respective owners.
When I decided to help organize a Western New York Voiceover Meet-up as part of National Voice Over Month, I truly had visions of me sitting alone in a bar for two hours having been blown off – you know, like in the old days! 😉
But the evening turned out much better than that with over twenty people coming out with about a week’s notice. Some folks I knew and some folks I didn’t but much like the Toronto Voices of Vision Mixer, our voice over industry breeds instant familiarity.
What a treat it was for me to entertain my good friend Bob Souer in my hometown after all the years of me coming to see him. Still one of the finest people I know.
And that really was the point of it for me – not just to socially connect with people I already knew in this industry but also to meet and visit with folks that I haven’t yet met or spent time with…the world’s a big place and I know there are lots of people I can still learn from as long as I take the time to meet them.
Voice Talent Peter K O'Connell with Voice Actor and Voice Acting Coach Pat Fraley
My thanks to everyone for showing up but especially my friend and teacher Pat Fraley who has taught me a lot over the years – not the least of which is kindness goes a long way in this world; Pat has it in spades.
Here are just a few of the other folks who joined us Saturday at JJ’s.
Voice Talents Matt Young, Norman Daniels, Chris Greene and Shanda Gardner Fry
Voice Talents Bob Feurdaliso, Justin Feurdaliso, Mike Dugan and Mike's wife Linda
Voice Talents Jack LoCastro, Norman Daniels, Margo Davis, Toni Silveri and Bob Souer
Voice Talent Peter K. O'Connell with fellow Voice Talent and Founder of Voices of Vision Shawn Maroney
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Toronto is one of my favorite cities in the world.
Shawn Maroney is an example why. As a Canadian voice talent attending VOICE 2010, he thought to himself that something like that event should take place in Canada and from June to September he set about to make it happen – Voices of Vision.
Because of personal commitments, I couldn’t attend the Friday and Saturday events but I was able to attend the mixer.
It was a great night – enjoying time with old friends and new – talking voice over all night long. Thanks Shawn for having the vision.
Voice Talent Peter K. O'Connell with Voice Actor and Coach Deb Munroe
Voice Over Talents Peter K. O'Connell and Patrick Sweeney
Voices.com Co-Founder Stephanie Ciccarelli with Voice Talents Peter K. O'Connell and Elaine Singer
Voice Talents Tom Cook, Jodi Krangle and Dan Lenard
Voice Over Talents Peter K. O'Connell and Jodi Krangle - a great friend to voxmarketising.com
Father and son voice actors Donald and Kiefer Sutherland
People ask me alot about how I succeed in my search engine optimization, why I seem to be alot of places on the web and “how do you do that?”
It involves pixie dust and eye of newt, to be sure 😉 but I think a better example would be a recent experience I had that describes it pretty well.
I subscribe to Google Alerts with a bunch of key words – I want to know what those words uncover on the web for me.
One of those terms is voice over talent (because I is one, ya know).
Reading a day’s post headlines in the Google Alerts, I was directed to the blog for the very popular advertising agency, Wieden+Kennedy New York who evidently have the Delta Airlines account. Following its merger with Northwest Airlines, Delta is now the nation’s (or world’s or galaxy’s) biggest airline.
Anyway, the agency has a blog (oooo, is that social media at work? hint) and they did a post about their recent TV spots for Delta. These spots feature the voice over genius of Donald Sutherland.
Damn those Sutherland boys (Donald and Kiefer), I just KNOW that every spot they were picked for, I was the client’s SECOND choice for voice talent. I just know it! You’d think those boys could say no once and a while! 😉
Anyway so I watch the spots and they are magnificent. They are well shot (in black and white no less), well edited, superbly written and the voiceover is as I said genius. You can see them at the end here. I say that not only as a marketing, advertising and voice over professional but also as a frequently flyer and not always on Delta.
So bringing this back to the lesson:
* With a free subscription to Google Alerts to find information that is customized for my likes
* I found a blog post to a major advertising agency’s blog (maybe they could be my client some day – why not?)
* Who produced some amazing TV spots that fill my creative mind with more ideas
* Which also included a wonderful voice over performance that I can also learn from
* And without even any of the parties knowing it (Delta Airlines, Wieden+Kennedy, Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland) I am telling you (and showing you) about their work which now makes it viral.
* If you share this story with even one more person it makes it more viral
