In my high and might board position at MCA-I (it’s neither really but with no stipend for my work I try and make myself sound more important than I really am) I was reading a critically important email chain (it really wasn’t that important actually).

What WAS important was that I saw one of the names in the email was from San Diego voice over talent Jeff Gelder who runs Gelderhead Productions. Part of his web site includes a blog which has now been added to this site blog roll.

Welcome Jeff!

Tags: commentary, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Female Voice Talent Bettye Zoller

Courtesy this morning of Dave Courvoisier’s blog is news that Bettye Zoller has entered into the voice over blog world.

Bettye was nice enough yesterday to offer me some voice care tips via my blog post yesterday that she read on Plaxo.

Voice is doing a bit better today, thanks Bettye.

Tags: commentary, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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A couple of pings to my email box to pass along if you are so inclined:

Marice Tobias has announced her spring sessions for her “The Shift” voiceover training for commercials and narrations.

– St. Louis, MO – the weekend of May 15th

– Washington, D.C. – the weekend of May 22nd

– New York, NY – private sessions from May 24th – June 1st.

For information on Marice’s events, contact Stacey Stahl at 503-246-2239.

Pat Fraley is presenting “Making the “A” List: An Acting for Voice Over Event” featuring Pat, Ed Asner and Scott Brick on Saturday, May 22nd at World Famous Buzzy’s Recording in LA. To secure your spot call 818-400-3733.

I have been taught by both these individuals and while both have issued restraining orders against me because of my lack of performance skills (the way the both individually screamed “don’t ever back here” was kind eerie) , I’m sure you’ll fair much better. They are great teachers.

Tags: commentary, commercials, narrations, voice actors, voice casting, voice over training, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Voice Actor Allen Swift, photo copyright Neal Boenzi, The New York Times

Shame on me for missing the Cartoon Brew post last week and only now catching the New York Times obit on voice actor Allen Swift.

What’s sad for me in these situations is I learn of a performer’s work after their passing. Shame on me again.

Tags: animation, commentary, requiescat in pace, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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With the switch to HD, networks and local stations are not only sprucing up their sets (and their talents – make up doesn’t work the way it used to), they are also updating their graphics package.

So Monday, CBS’ Early Show did just that…complete, I’m advised, with a new announcer.

I am open to correction but it sure sounds to me like the lovely and talented Mr. Beau Weaver scored himself another network gig. Sounds great to me.

Tags: announcers, CBS News, CBS Television Network, commentary, voice actors, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Andre, Greg and John at Babble On Recording Studio in Minneapolis have published a fairly unique blog post that I think is worthy reading for producers, clients, engineers and voice talents.

I don’t know these fellas, I just subscribe to their blog – I’m also pretty sure they don’t know of me.

As engineers in a recording studio, and no doubt as producers themselves, they participate in a great many voice over sessions with clients or 3rd party producers. Some of these sessions don’t go well because the communication between the producers and voice talent doesn’t seem to click. If you’ve been in the VO business any length of time, you’ve likely been directly involved in one of “these” sessions – as the talent, it can resonate in your head for days.

What Babble On presents in this post are ideas on how to better communicate with voice talent based on ideas and insights from voice talents…what type of direction gives them the ability to offer a better performance.

I thought it was a really great read and terribly insightful. I hope you do too.

Thanks gentlemen.

Tags: announcers, commentary, voice actors, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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