Many voice actors know the names and faces of our more famous voice actoing brethren (and sisteren) who star in popular American animation TV series (you could throw animated movies in there but those castings always feel more about “movie star power” than anything else).

Some of us are even good enough to be able to identify an actor’s voice in animation or commercials on the first listen.

But what about the general public – do they particularly care what these voice actors look like?

I ask the question because on the Fox News web site today they featured a section called “TV Cartoon Stars Unmasked”.

Basically it’s a slide show of cartoon characters with a head shot of the voice actor next to it. Nice and deserved recognition for the actors, to be sure, but I’m just not sure the public really cares (and that is not meant as any slam to the actors).

What do you think?

Tags: animation, character voices, commentary, voice actors, voice casting // 1 Comment »

I hope you have NOT seen this commercial before (I’ve just seen it on the web) and the imagery and imagination that when into it I think is just terrific.

Advertising like this works best when the concept is so unexpected, it makes you think/say “what, what was that again?”

Tags: advertising, commentary, commercials, marketing, tv, video // Comments Off on a little commercial surprise

Writer Stephen J. Cannell

I met Scott Brick, a well regarded audio book narrator, at VOICE 2010; he was a very nice guy. Most people in our business are, thankfully.

But on his blog, Scott just whacked nice outta the park with kindest, most heartfelt send offs to one of Hollywood’s good guys, Stephen J. Cannell.

Sure, he wrote about Cannell and what he meant to Scott, but writing is not what Scott Brick does best.
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/scott_brick_presents_audio_blog_22_in_memoriam_stephen_j_cannell.mp3]

I hope you’ll listen, enjoy and learn.

Tags: commentary, requiescat in pace // Comments Off on scott brick is a class act- requiescat in pace stephen j. cannell

September is National Voice Over Month

Unfortunately for my pal Dave Courvoisier, he answered the phone last week.

I happened to be on the other end because I had an idea which involved his baby – National Voiceover Month. It struck me that with all the things that went on in the voice over world in September, maybe a video should be created to at least attempt to capture the sense of the month.

That was the entire sum of the idea and Dave was all for it. He helped me gather the pictures and I slapped this puppy together.

My thanks to everyone who provided pictures and my apologies if we somehow omitted your event. No slight was intended.

Voice Over Talents who shared their skills in the videos opening montage include Doug Turkel, Peter K. O’Connell, Mike Coon, Bobbin Beam, Dave Courvoisier, Diane Maggipinto, Stefania Lintonbon, Cira Larkin, Scott Nilsen, Liz de Nesnera and Adam Behr.

Some of the activities included “That’s Voiceover!” in New York City; Faffcon – The Voiceover Unconference held in Portland, OR; Voices of Vision in Toronto, Ontario Canada; Bob Bergen’s Voiceover Workshop held in Chicago, IL; the Marice Tobias Voiceover Workshop held in Las Vegas, NV; Bettye Zoller’s Voiceover Workshop held in Dallas, TX; and the Western New York Voice Over Meet-up held in Buffalo, NY.

Tags: commentary, community, faffcon, peter o'connell, video, video production, voice actors, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover, voices of vision // 23 Comments »

Members of Talent Guild International include from left to right Larry Julien, Bob Bailey, Bill Nevitt, Kevin Readdean and guest Peter K. O'Connell. Missing from the picture is Elizabeth Page Colwell

Corinth, NY is not the end of the world but you can see it from there.

Kidding! But it is a long way from Albany…none the less it was a very worthwhile journey to the very lovely home of voice talent Bill Nevit who is a member of Talent Guild International. Talent Guild Internationalâ„¢ (TGIâ„¢) is a group of on-camera, voiceover, print, and theatrical talent that have pooled their resources to help them market themselves more effectively.

More importantly Bill’s wife makes kick-ass chocolate brownies.

I first found the group some years ago on the web and was reintroduced to them when I visited with my friend Kevin Readdean.

My thanks to my hosts Larry Julien, Bob Bailey, Bill Nevitt, Kevin Readdean and Elizabeth Page Colwell for their gracious invitation and a nice evening.

Tags: commentary, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover meet-ups // 2 Comments »

On the left - the old-new logo. On the right - the dead logo

OK, see last week Gap Stores changed their logo. If you have any kind of life, you probably didn’t even know this.

That was the story…until the story became how much everyone hated it.

No, I don’t mean didn’t like it, I mean hated it.

Then the company said it was an ‘evolutionary’ logo – not exactly a vote of confidence for the logo design team.

Then the corporate folks said they’d take suggestions from the public.

Then they corporately said “screw it” and they went back to the original logo.

There is probably a huge marketing lesson in there somewhere.

I prefer to believe that it was simply common sense prevailing.

That is all….for now.

Tags: advertising, branding, logo design, marketing // 1 Comment »