Voice Talents Peter K. O'Connell, Karen Commins & Craig Crumpton in Atlanta

Enjoyed over a week-long visit with my family for Easter break in Atlanta – grandparents, cousins and in-laws, oh my! It was (it can now be revealed) the location of my “undisclosed location“.

Having now returned today, I enjoyed the great camaraderie and stories of new and old voice over friends at dinner at the Olive Garden Monday evening.

Karen Commins and her very nice husband Drew stopped sorting socks (long running joke there) just long enough to join me with tremendous stories about their life together and Karen’s very successful career. Also stopping by for a longer visit than when I was here last year was the triple threat (film actor – singer – voice actor) Craig Crumpton whose stories about his participation about the upcoming Robert Redford-directed “The Conspirator” kept the conversation going on into the parking lot! Great stuff!

These voice over meet-ups always leave me so proud of the people whom I call peers. They also fill me with hope for the enormous talent within the voice over industry. I am sincerely grateful for the time Drew, Karen and Craig shared with me.

Tags: voice actors, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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After the worldwide success of my YouTube debut a few months ago, while I had some time this week during a commercial session, I thought you would enjoy watching how I performed my parts for a radio spot I was cast in.

This again was a remote recording session but I think its great fun and at the end you hear the finished part – chosen not by me but by the producer of the spot. I hope you enjoy it.

And if you are not yet a subscriber to my YouTube channel, I hope you will be, it’s free.

Tags: commentary, commercials, social media, video, video production, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover, youtube by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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So I was looking at Paul Strikwerda’s blog earlier as he was participating in Mahmoud Taji’s blog post discussion when I saw the above graphic that caught my eye.

How nice, I thought, that Paul would offer his VO services if someone donated to his participation in the Multiple Sclerosis walk and how great he put it on his blog.

Then I read further and was even more impressed.

However, no one had seemed to donate yet. Well I fixed that and I hope you’ll add to the pot too if you can.

While it would be lovely I’m sure, I don’t need Paul to read anything for me so I hereby offer my read up as an “extra” for anyone who might want it.

Our voice over industry is almost as amazing as the journey it takes us on everyday.

Tags: blogs, commentary, community, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Voice Talent Lee Gordon (I swear it's him)

Last evening I enjoyed two very pleasant phone calls that I thought I would share with you.

First, I got a call from a number I had never seen before – which isn’t that unusual as many new clients call me all the time. But this wasn’t a client, it was my friend and fellow voice talent Lee Gordon (that’s his picture above) who shared with me the fact that he took my advice (yikes…I’d forgotten what I said) and got a cell phone he could use just for his business. This would be his primary business number: 860-805-8100. I was his first call on the new phone, which was a great honor in my mind. I hope if you read this here, you’ll call Lee and congratulate him while simultaneously putting the number in your own database, as I did.

Lee also called to share some other good news: he was cast as the “Sun” in a national commercial for SunSetter Awnings, though our mutual agent and friend (the two aren’t mutually exclusive) Erik Shepard at Voice Talent Productions. I was especially thrilled to hear this because Lee and I had spoken in New York in December about how we were both up for the announcer role for the SunSetter Radio spots, which I was hired for. Let it be known that the FIRST person to congratulate me on that win was Lee Gordon – the very definition of gracious. We both hope somehow our paths will cross on these campaigns and we’ll get to work together.

Later in the evening, about 8:00 p.m., I got a call from the agency president of one of my other agents, Lynne Heyman of Heyman Talent (that’s not her pictured above). She was returning my call, which I advised her automatically puts her in the upper echelon of my agents. But as I also pointed out to her, the dedication she shows to her talents on her roster by following up with a call even at 8:00 at night is very impressive. And as usually, our 5 minute call lasted almost 1/2 an hour and it is always time well spent with her. I just wanted to thank Lynne here for taking the time with me last night.

Tags: announcers, voice actors, voice casting, voice talent by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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John Florian is usually a pretty savvy, smart guy. But I think he may have lost his mind. Either that or absolutely everyone else on the planet said no.

John pinged me last week to invite me to be on a panel he is moderating at VOICE 2010, June 2-5 in LaLa Land.

I am to speak eloquently on how I use the internet for my voice over career and for my companies: audio’connell Voice Over Talent, International Voice Talent and Voice Over Workshop. If he wants eloquence, I hope he has a script for me.

Trish Basanyi (who I had the pleasure of meeting at the NYC Voice Over Mixer) will be on the panel with me along with David Kaplan.

Our plan as panelists, I have decided here without consulting either Trish or David, will be to have a pre-meeting confab with John and us at the most expensive, trendy, posh restaurant in LA (on John’s dime of course, he’s rollin’ in it).

This way, when I open my mouth to speak at the conference and the audience realizes I have nothing to say and my voice over career promptly ends of the spot, I will at least have had one last good meal.

Tags: commentary, voice actors, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Male Voice Talent Bob Souer

No but he plays Him in an audiobook. (Ba-dum-bump!)

About four years ago my friend, fellow traveler and sometimes dining companion Bob Souer was booked to narrate entire Bible in the “New King James” version.

Let me repeat: the entire Bible – all 700,000 plus words of it. It’s now been released.

Personally, I’ve always felt there was a bit of divine intervention in the booking because you’ll not find a more kind, Christian man with greater voice over talent than Bob.

If you or someone in your family enjoys absorbing Scripture, this would be an awesome gift, written by some awesome people and presented by an awesome guy.

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