Seeing My Work on TV: MeowMix Edition

This was a fun project to cast.
We got to bring in all of my favorite, "chill next door neighbor" guys, and it was one of the most competitive days of casting I've ever directed.

The final spot is charming and simple, a perfect pairing for Ben Shields who booked the job.

 

Seeing Your Work on TV: Anti-Smoking Edition

We went multiple rounds casting these PSA's, and out of all the final versions, this one is my favorite.

Titled "Don't Stop Fighting", we watch someone struggle (with themselves) to quit smoking, and speaking as someone who hasn't lit a cig in over seven years, I know exactly where this spot is coming from...

Voiced by actor/writer extraordinaire Brian Bloom (A-Team, The Avengers Animated, Dragon Age II), he is genuinely one of my favorite people to direct.

You can watch the PSA on the official site here:
http://www.TobaccoFreeCA.com

Hear Some Audio Guy on an ACTUAL Commercial!

Just who IS that sexy sexy voice at the end of those cheesy Alibaba.com commercials?

Yup, VO director snakes job from talent.

I'm officially the voice of Alibaba (a company that hooks up designers and manufacturers for international business).

It's actually kind of gratifying doing some work every now in then in front of the mic as opposed to ALWAYS being behind the mixer. Hopefully it means I still know what the crap I'm talking about when I'm directing people LOL!


Here's one of the spots I did:


You can catch the rest at http://success.alibaba.com/ , and you'll probably see them over the next couple months on cable!

Is WIll Lyman the voice of New Balance?

I think I'm way behind on this one...

Just watching The Simpsons, and heard a really interesting commercial for New Balance shoes.

I was thinking to myself, "huh, that sounds like the BMW guy".

What do YOU think?



Here's the commercial I saw:


Click here to hear Will Lyman's demo.

Click here to see BMW commercial (listen for announcer at the end).


Your thoughts?
voice over commercial voice acting demo voice of bmw will lyman narration vo

Well there goes Phase One, AFTRA votes to go it alone...

Well there you have it.
Hollywood Reporter is reporting (it's what they do) that AFTRA will be negotiating contracts on its own from now on.
i agree with comments that this move doesn't seem to be for the benefit of the actors involved with both guilds, but political.
SAG has been making A LOT of noise of late, but recently been backing off, even pulling plans to institute bloc voting and pressuring AFTRA for a more accurately representative split at the bargaining table.
With upcoming contract renegotiations, it leads me to think AFTRA is making a play for AFTRA contracts to be the preferred contracts. Why wouldn't actors want a unified front at the negotiating table? Much like previous contracts (video games for example) I think we'll see a guild ready to expend as much energy negotiating with producers as it will be expending in undercutting rival guilds.

Could we be witnessing the beginning of buy out contracts? This would worry me as both guilds are notorious for setting ridiculous minimums for scale. Combine that with losing residuals, and I just have to wonder how much further we can de-value performance...

Story @ Hollywood Reporter

SAG Watchdog: Aftra Killing Residuals?

someaudioguy some audio guy AFTRA, SAG, Negotiations, Contracts, Phase One, Rogue

Val Kilmer replaces Will Arnett as voice of KITT!

I really should've kept my mouth shut, but I kinda called it.

Variety is reporting that Val is replacing Will as the voice of KITT because Will is currently the voice of GMC and KITT is a Ford.
Says Arnett:

"I was very excited at the prospect of playing the part of KITT in the new 'Knight Rider' movie," Arnett said. "However, because of a long relationship with General Motors as the voice of GMC Trucks, I had to respectfully withdraw from the project."

That kinda sucks, as I was really looking forward to Arnett's sarcastic KITT, but I think Kilmer will deliver.

Dang I'm actually really mad I called it!


Story @ Variety

My Post Calling it (Boo)

Million Dollar Voices

Little FOX news story about the biggies of VO posted up on Youtube from last year.

Really just any excuse to drudge up LaFontaine and Ben Patrick Johnson...