Thursday, April 06, 2006
Passwords: Friend or Foe
As Homer Simpson once said, "Urge to kill rising." I wanted to write a little something for this here blog when I was confronted with the dreaded LOG IN road block. "I'm sorry sir, you can't proceed without the proper documents." It feels like my computer is a friend who has forgotten he even knows me. "But this is my blog... I just want to..." "I'm sorry, sir. Without the proper codes and special handshake, you cannot proceed." "But nobody even reads..." "Sir, do I have to call security?"
After hacking away for 2-3 minutes (which, when frustrated feels more like 2-3 hours) I finally got the magical combo of numbers, letters, fonts, capital letters, symbols, etc. to allow me to vent. Now, if only I could remember what it was I wanted to write about anyway.
Voice-overs! Yes.
It's been a while since my last post, so I have had a few voice-over jobs since then. There was a "Marylin Hotchkiss" TV spot, a new "Teen Titans" and a new "Hot Wheels" trailer. The Paramount HD DVD promo was finalized, as well as a "Strangers With Candy" feature commercial for DVD (the theatrical trailer is coming soon) and some stuff for "Little Einstiens" and "Pirates of Tortuga"
Coming up next... vacation! No... seriously, I'm really going on a vacation.
"Urge to kill fading... fading... fading..."
After hacking away for 2-3 minutes (which, when frustrated feels more like 2-3 hours) I finally got the magical combo of numbers, letters, fonts, capital letters, symbols, etc. to allow me to vent. Now, if only I could remember what it was I wanted to write about anyway.
Voice-overs! Yes.
It's been a while since my last post, so I have had a few voice-over jobs since then. There was a "Marylin Hotchkiss" TV spot, a new "Teen Titans" and a new "Hot Wheels" trailer. The Paramount HD DVD promo was finalized, as well as a "Strangers With Candy" feature commercial for DVD (the theatrical trailer is coming soon) and some stuff for "Little Einstiens" and "Pirates of Tortuga"
Coming up next... vacation! No... seriously, I'm really going on a vacation.
"Urge to kill fading... fading... fading..."
Sunday, March 12, 2006
The Blurry Weekend.
"How was your weekend?"
That is a frequent question asked in passing at the office Monday mornings. My pat response is, "A blur." It isn't that I don't want to go into detail about every little thing, it's seriously a blur. A fog. A hazy memory at best. Life with 11 year old twins can be quite the whirlwind. A whirlwind that can leave me befuddled by Monday morning. "Oh, come on," they nudge, "you must have been up to something." "Well," I say slowly, "let's see... uhhhhhhh... Friday... we... hmmm, I can't remember. Saturday, um... let me think... (blank) we had breakfast at... no..."
By this time, the questioner has lost complete interest and moved on to the coffee machine. I wonder if this is what those people who suffer from short term memory loss feel like. I mean, come on, I'm ready for Monday. The commute into work that day is highlighted by an intense few minutes of mental project review between lane changes. I've got to do this this and this on that that and that. Got it.
"How was your weekend?"
"Uhhhhhh..."
In other thoughts, tonight is the "JammX Kids" special airing on the WB at 7pm. I'm DVR-ing it. DVR-ing is a new verb. Like TiVo-ing, DVR-ing is tapeless recording on a hard drive. But you already knew that. On Tuesday, I go in to read another show for them that airs next Sunday night. That should be fun. I enjoy them.
This past week also blessed me with a last minute opportunity to read for a spot promoting "Family Guy Season 3" DVD. That was fortunate, because I lost a job due to a scheduling conflict on Friday. It's that easy come, easy go thing again. So, come tomorrow, after the agonizing recall of the weekend, I will cloister myself in my office, "do my thing," as I like to say, and wait to see if I get invited into the voice-over world again.
That is a frequent question asked in passing at the office Monday mornings. My pat response is, "A blur." It isn't that I don't want to go into detail about every little thing, it's seriously a blur. A fog. A hazy memory at best. Life with 11 year old twins can be quite the whirlwind. A whirlwind that can leave me befuddled by Monday morning. "Oh, come on," they nudge, "you must have been up to something." "Well," I say slowly, "let's see... uhhhhhhh... Friday... we... hmmm, I can't remember. Saturday, um... let me think... (blank) we had breakfast at... no..."
By this time, the questioner has lost complete interest and moved on to the coffee machine. I wonder if this is what those people who suffer from short term memory loss feel like. I mean, come on, I'm ready for Monday. The commute into work that day is highlighted by an intense few minutes of mental project review between lane changes. I've got to do this this and this on that that and that. Got it.
"How was your weekend?"
"Uhhhhhh..."
In other thoughts, tonight is the "JammX Kids" special airing on the WB at 7pm. I'm DVR-ing it. DVR-ing is a new verb. Like TiVo-ing, DVR-ing is tapeless recording on a hard drive. But you already knew that. On Tuesday, I go in to read another show for them that airs next Sunday night. That should be fun. I enjoy them.
This past week also blessed me with a last minute opportunity to read for a spot promoting "Family Guy Season 3" DVD. That was fortunate, because I lost a job due to a scheduling conflict on Friday. It's that easy come, easy go thing again. So, come tomorrow, after the agonizing recall of the weekend, I will cloister myself in my office, "do my thing," as I like to say, and wait to see if I get invited into the voice-over world again.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
A New Kind Of Job.
So today was interesting. I got to read for the "JammX Kids All Star Dance Special." This is the first TV show I've ever been the actual announcer for - and I must say... it was fun to read! The special will air Sunday, March 12 on the WB with another special airing the following week.
Reading this job was harder than movie commercials in that there was much more copy and lots of "more to comes" and "coming up next"s. But I am looking forward to more experiences like this.
By the way, just to clarify... this blog is meant to be a way for people to see the real day to day ups and downs of voice-over acting. The writing is intended to be comedic, especially when things aren't going as well as I'd like. This is an "acting" occupation after all and with all acting comes times of intense excitement and serious rejection. Through it all, however, you've got to hold on and enjoy life. So tonight, I will see how my kids did with their "sugar baby" school project. (I have 2 highly caloric grand daughters at home needing cuddles! They're so sweet.)
Reading this job was harder than movie commercials in that there was much more copy and lots of "more to comes" and "coming up next"s. But I am looking forward to more experiences like this.
By the way, just to clarify... this blog is meant to be a way for people to see the real day to day ups and downs of voice-over acting. The writing is intended to be comedic, especially when things aren't going as well as I'd like. This is an "acting" occupation after all and with all acting comes times of intense excitement and serious rejection. Through it all, however, you've got to hold on and enjoy life. So tonight, I will see how my kids did with their "sugar baby" school project. (I have 2 highly caloric grand daughters at home needing cuddles! They're so sweet.)
Friday, March 03, 2006
Is There Possibly A Silver Lining?
And another whirlwind week comes to a close! After the "lost job debacle", I decided to focus on editing this week. I had two projects that had me engrossed with the nitty gritty details of marketing movies. Then something magical happened. I started getting finishes. First on a spot for "Amazing Stories", the first season DVD, then for a project called "JammX Kids". The spots were for a DVD movie, but I also had an audition as the on-air/bumper announcer for a couple of "JammX Kids" TV specials that will be airing soon on the Kids WB. I asked my agents to put in an extra recommendation for me since I was to be the voice on the DVD spots (a different marketing group, I presume) and low and behold, I booked the job! But as I learned from the "lost job debacle," don't count on anything until you hear the words, "Take 1!" Looking forward to a weekend of hanging with the family and watching the Oscars.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Easy Come Easy Go!
Well, it's a no go for the sandwich spot. Nice to find out at 11pm. (The session was for 9am.) I was starting to wonder why I didn't have any studio information or anything. This is the life, people. On hold today, canned the next. I mean how hard is it really to say a few dumb words? Seriously. I look at actors in hot dog suits and bear costumes and think those poor lucky fools! They had to go through so much to say, "Look Ma! I got a job!" This is why you keep the day job. You sound great! Let's hire the other guy. Thank God I haven't had to audition wearing a giant hamburger. I have had to voice characterize a chalupa, however...
But the best part about today was that my kids got accepted to a really great middle school and THAT is worth celebrating! Those wishy washy agency people can take their sandwich and, well... you know, eat it. Tomorrow it will be a salad! Or a car. Or a savings account. Take 1! Due by 3pm! Send, send! Maybe this time...
But the best part about today was that my kids got accepted to a really great middle school and THAT is worth celebrating! Those wishy washy agency people can take their sandwich and, well... you know, eat it. Tomorrow it will be a salad! Or a car. Or a savings account. Take 1! Due by 3pm! Send, send! Maybe this time...
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Another Lazy Sunday.
Hello, friends of The Patch! And welcome to my little thread on the web where I can take a few precious minutes of your life (that you don't get back, mind you) and fill your brain with useless tidbits of thought straight from my narcissistic brain!
Today, the lovely (kind of like my version of the precious) and myself went to the local arthouse joint and watched Felicity Huffman act like a guy acting like a gal, who discovers she's actually a father of a misguided youth who thinks HE has problems! Well, despite the fact that none of the trailers shown had my voice on them and the lights never fully went off until the credits rolled (why?), we managed to enjoy the film, in large part due to the fact that we had snuck in copious amounts of Trader Joes snacks.
On the voice-over front, I am scheduled to read for a radio commercial this week promoting some sort of sandwich I will never touch to my lips. Ah, show business... the lies we get paid to tell.
Today, the lovely (kind of like my version of the precious) and myself went to the local arthouse joint and watched Felicity Huffman act like a guy acting like a gal, who discovers she's actually a father of a misguided youth who thinks HE has problems! Well, despite the fact that none of the trailers shown had my voice on them and the lights never fully went off until the credits rolled (why?), we managed to enjoy the film, in large part due to the fact that we had snuck in copious amounts of Trader Joes snacks.
On the voice-over front, I am scheduled to read for a radio commercial this week promoting some sort of sandwich I will never touch to my lips. Ah, show business... the lies we get paid to tell.
