Not everybody who reads this blog follows the voiceover industry (hence the marketing and advertising elements in the voxmarketising brand).

But all of you have likely come across the radio imaging, television imaging and commercial work of professional voice over talent Brian James. I don’t know this as a fact but I always had the impression that his voice was on at least one station in every major market in the US. I know the program directors in the UK proudly used Brian to as their stations’ voice as well.

Last Friday, March 6th Brian died of a heart attack.

What Don LaFontaine was to movie trailers, Brian James was to station imaging. I am heart sick for his family and for our industry. I knew him only as a voice talent….but my gracious what a tremendous talent he was.

There are memorials popping up all over the place…this is one that’s set up on Facebook.

Life is a gift, not a guarantee.

Here is a very brief sample of what you’ll now be missing.

[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/brian_james_radio_imaging.mp3]
Click here to download.

Tags: announcers, commentary, radio, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
4 Comments »

While an idea that has come to my mind is not original in the blogosphere, it is original to my blog as I have never invited guest bloggers to participate here with their thoughts. While comments and discussion are more than welcome always, I just never organized guest blog posts before.

Now that’s changing.

Those of you involved with voice over may have opinions on our industry that you’d like to flesh out a bit further. But you may not want to blog regularly or even have your own blog…so use my soapbox for a moment. I may act like I never get off it but I am truly interested in your opinions.

Here is what I am proposing and inviting any of you to participate in on voxmarketising.com’s latest experiment

• I will present a topic for anyone to submit their blog post on within a set time frame (likely a week).
• Depending on the response (hopefully not crickets) I’ll post them with your by-line etc. NOTE: If I think your post has no merit or is poorly written…I won’t post it. Know that now and don’t be mad/sad with me later. My house, my rules (just practicing that line for when my kids get bigger)
• Please keep your length to about 500 words or less if possible.
• Please include a one to two line infomercial about you, your company name, web site and something interesting about yourself so that I can include that as an “author’s information” tag at the end of the post.
• Be polite etc., if you’re rude or slanderous (or even rude and slanderous etc.) I won’t publish you. (again, my house, my rules)
• Make sure you properly credit any sources, especially if you include any audio or video clips (obviously include their embedded code etc)
• As it’s my blog I reserve the right to append your post for grammar, length or any other reason as I see fit. No I don’t intend to screw with your intent and if you don’t like my changes you may ask me to take down your post and I will. (MYMR)

Now here’s a cool twist (or what I think is a cool twist). Again based on responses, what I hope to do is take a few of the authors on the topic, Skype them and do a round table recording where they can chat (debate?) the topic with points from their posts. The give and take would make a cool VMT interview for my podcast….with added exposure for the participants.

>>> My first topic?

If you were advising someone at any point in their VO career how to produce a terrific commercial voice over demo – what would you tell them are the top 5 elements that they need to include in that demo and why?

This idea may be a resounding success or a dismal failure but I believe you miss 100% of the shots you never take.

Email your posts to me at peter at audioconnell dot com and let’s enjoy the ride together! Thanks.

Tags: audio'connell voice over talent, blogs, commentary, internet, podcast, podcasting, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
1 Comment »

OK, I know that providing internet service has costs and with every business there is a right to include a profit margin and that applies to Wi-Fi providers. So I’ll back off the constitutional amendment and focus strictly on travelers.

What do you mean this sounds like a selfish post from a business man who travels a lot? OK, maybe it is but just listen cause I think this will benefit you too.

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are testing Wi-Fi service on their planes. OK good, please stop testing and let’s do this thing! Internet access on airplanes would be a God-send. Please do it.

And (here’s where I need you to back me up) let’s make it free.

“Zoinks!” (yelled Shaggy from Scooby Doo) you think Wi-Fi should be free? But airlines need new revenue streams, they’re bleeding red ink! They must charge!

No they mustn’t nor should the airports. They should take a page from one of the busiest airports in America – Charlotte Douglas International. Free Wi-Fi.

My logic is this: Wi-Fi is a one time set up fee with minimal maintenance… maintenance that can probably be done in most cases by a current employee who will be trained…many people perform multiple jobs at their work. I voice commercials and clean the toilets…if it needs doing I do it. Simple.

And the fee for getting the Wi-Fi service to the plane is the fee. Eat it.

Airlines nickel and dime travelers for everything. Air travel is about as glamorous as a flying bus. So impart some much needed good will. Make Wi-Fi free.

Airports, you charge fees to travelers and airlines and vendors who have shops but you also have security and upkeep costs. You also have often angry travelers who would like some good news. Stop dinging your customers….that’s for governments to do (and I know some of you are city and county run….but you don’t have to act like it all the time!).

Anyway, free Wi-Fi for travelers is the right thing to do. Can we make this the next trend: do the right thing? What do you think? Am I nuts?

Tags: commentary, customer service, internet, technology, travel, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
11 Comments »

When I first posted last week the then-preview of some of the 2009 Super Bowl ads, the one what had me laughing out loud then and I swear to God even now is the Pedigree adoption spot. It was a great opening scene with the rhino that catches your attention, the mailman’s reaction to the angry ostrich (which has me giggling now as I think about it) and actor David Duchovny’s terrific voice over at the end set just the right tone for the spot.

Well the nice folks at BrandWeek caught up with TBWA\Chiat\Day creative director Margaret Keene and interviewed her about making the spot. If you’ve ever been involved in the production of a commercial, you know there were going to be some fun stories about that shoot.

The ad team was even smart enough to set up a web page just for the ad and further character exposition about why these “folks” love their unique animals.

And if you fell off the face of the earth and didn’t see the spot, it is my heartfelt pleasure to share it with you now. Please don’t drink or eat anything while watching this commercial as computers and computer screens are very expensive.

Tags: advertising, announcers, branding, commercials, marketing, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
2 Comments »

My business resolution in 2009 was/is actually only one word: execute.

Too often in a business day, I’ll get started in six different directions and lucky if I find the finish line on two of those starts. Same thing the next day to the point where (if you follow the math) lots of stuff didn’t get done.

Well on day to day business, that’s going to happen sometimes but this year (he said with vigor and emphasis!) not on projects or important tasks – not related to clients (their stuff always gets done…money first!)

But like every business person, I’m always studying my business’ trends, activity in the industry etc.

While doing that, a thought occurred to me…should I keep my listings on the pay to play (P2P) voice over web sites?

I do not have a paid listing on the pay to play web sites like Voice 123 because I think these sites qualitatively, quantitatively and financially devalue the voiceover profession. I could rant forever on that but will spare you unless you ask in the comments.

I did keep a free page for SEO/SEM considerations. But the thought had occurred to me on more than one occasion: am I hurting my brand through even a free association with such sites?

Further, by being listed even in a free listing, am I offering an implied endorsement of these types of sites?

Today I got my answer.

On the VO-BB, there was yet another debate about the P2P sites. In the thread I brought up my conundrum. A voice talent friend of mine offered this observation:

“The way I see it, if people in the biz that I look up to are on them (and there are a few folks that are… and do gigs from them) then it’s good enough for me.”

I highly doubt that this person was referring to me in the quote but after reading it I did not doubt that one could see my participation on a P2P site as an endorsement. It was time to execute (I love when the signs are crystal clear).

Voice 123 was very helpful in their (possibly third-world based) on-line chat room with the deletion of my account. In fact, in my history of dealings with the company, this may have been their most impressive display of customer service. For that only, I thank them.

Tags: announcers, branding, commentary, marketing, peter o'connell, search engine marketing, voice 123, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
2 Comments »

Some folks actually watch the Super Bowl for the game (well, I did in the early nineties when a certain football team appeared in four straight Super Bowls and lost, sonova…BUT I’m not bitter).

The rest of us are into the ads and AdWeek was kind enough to provide previews of most of the ads (but not all of them, I don’t think.) Also, the video chain for their site on my computer seemed to progress from this year’s ads to a list of classic Super Bowl ads without warning. No biggie I guess.

Just FYI: From that greatest hits reel is the Anheuser-Busch ad in the airport that tugs on every emotional heart string known to man with nary a voice over in site. And I will go on record as saying a voice over would have ruined it. Sometimes silence does sell….but ONLY RARELY 😉

Anyway in this year’s batch of spots, the one’s that I think will be the funniest is the Pedigree adoption ad (which thinking about know I am STILL laughing out loud at…note the postman’s reaction to the ostrich) and the Pepsi Diet Max ad.

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, commercials, marketing, tv, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
2 Comments »