Buck The Norm
Here's some recent work for Third Degree featuring a voice over by yours truly.
Yarg!
Voice Deepener
Everyone knows that inhaling helium can make you sound like Alvin on "Funky Town" by Alvin and the Chipmunks, but did you know that inhaling Sulfur hexafluoride can give you the voice of Satan?
Thanks Mythbusters!
Via kottke.org
Don LaFontaine, R.I.P.
The stories and tributes are piling up around the web today about the passing of a true voice-over legend, Don LaFontaine. Undoubtedly LaFontaine is best know for his movie trailer work, especially for his deep and dramatic delivery of that oh-so-ubiquitous blockbuster phrase: "IN A WORLD. . ." That being the case, most of the obituaries I've read today play off the idea that though LaFontaine possessed one of the most recognizable voices in the industry, few in the public knew him by name. Such is the plight of the voice over artist. That said, Don could be seen (as well as heard) on national TV in a popular GEICO ad. Plus, if you haven't seen it, 5 Guys In A Limo is a fun, Hollywood romp that features a well-coiffed LaFontaine goofing off red-carpet style with four other masters of the craft.
But, of what I've seen today, I think Don LaFontaine: The Voice offers the best tribute to the man. Especially interesting are his thoughts (around the 4:50 mark) on how each voice artist makes the best use of his or her talent when they bring their own experience to a project. Well said, Don. It is most definitely the human touch that brings any script to life. So, it was with a touch of horror that I also noticed that his /Film obituary can be heard online spoken by a TTS (text-to-speech) program. The aforementioned irony-of-ironies can be heard here.
Rest in peace Don. You will be missed.
The Pilot, The Lawyer, and The Coach 11
So here's a batch of radio spots we had a lot of fun producing. Once again, the old maxim "great radio starts with great writing" applies here. With that in mind, the voice talent did some exceptional work breathing life into these characters.
Our pilot nailed that cool, underplayed, this-is-your-pilot-speaking voice:
Our lawyer knocked it out of the park with his Foghorn Leghorn meets Atticus Finch take on the script:
And finally, our coach sounded just like the coach we had for Little League football. Gruff but also kind, a little world weary yet without the angst, he's more of a weathered boyscout than a hardened soldier:
As for the announcer, what can we say? Think of him as a cross between Napoleon Dynamite and Steven Wright.
Agency: Red Deluxe
Writer: Justin Dobbs
02-26-07 UPDATE
More awards for the Dog: "Coach" won the JAN GARDNER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING RADIO at this year's Memphis ADDY Awards. Or as Justin called it, the "'Judges Special Award for Awesomely Bitchin'-Ass Radio.' (Or something.)"
We also cleaned up the entire Radio category, which ended up looking something like this:
REGIONAL/NATIONAL :60 or more
- Red Deluxe: The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal, Client; Lawyer, Title; Justin Dobbs, Copywriter; Martin Wilford, Creative Director; Scott Minor, Studio Engineer; Hallie Miller, Account Strategy
REGIONAL/NATIONAL -Campaign
- Red Deluxe: The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal, Client; Pilot, Lawyer, Coach, Title; Justin Dobbs, Copywriter; Martin Wilford, Creative Director; Scott Minor, Studio Engineer; Hallie Miller, Account Strategy
