VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[bobsouer]

In my long series of posts about this year's Summit, here, I promised to try to post a segment from the Critique-A-Spot-A-Thon that was a great learning experience for me and I hope you for too.

What you'll hear is the 60 second spot I submitted for evaluation at this year's event, followed by Dan O'Day's comments and eventually his interaction with me as he walked me through how I could have done a better job with this piece.

The audio is here.

I hope it's of some value.

By the way, if you'd like to get a brochure about next year's Summit when they're available in May 2007, you can email Dan O'Day at this address:

danoday@danoday.com

And I'm sure he'll be happy to put you on his notification list for next year.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

[Dan-O]

You nailed it on the head, Bob, when you talked about the environment most radio folks are in when producing commercials. Around these parts we call it "meatball surgery." A term used in the TV show M*A*S*H* to describe the get-em in, get-em out as fast as you can operations they would perform. No time for high quality work. just make sure the patient can breathe when it's over.

I recently spoke with a prod director about this problem, when he asked me how to become a better VO talent. My answer was to pick and choose the scripts. The more "human" the script, take your time, break it down, add life to the character you are about to portray. When the script is filled with clichéd announcer drivel, give them what they wrote.

[jayj]

Dan-O...

Amen brother....thanks Bob for posting this. Very informative and educational.

Back to the MEATBALL PRODUCTION theme, Those of us in radio wonder why we are sending people to satellite radio, I pods and other sources of entertainment.

Imagine hitting a STOPSET (spot break) with six of those MEATBALL PRODUCTION pieces stacked in a row. It comes down to an assembly line.

First we put every cliche in the copy, Make sure we mention useless info ike phone numbers, model numbers and other drivel. Try to slam it out with 90 secs of copy in a 60...there is no emotion and unfortunately no retention by the listener.

It's like being in a gunfight and taking both six shooters out of the holsters and aiming directly at both feet.

It makes us programming types crazy. With the changes in radio, we've lost the craft of storytelling and the creative use of audio that paints the picture.

I hear my soapbox creaking...so I'll gp to the radio gig now....Time to Make the Donuts.

Jay J.

[Deirdre]

Dan O'Day has some nifty info here about the summit and an offer in PDF form for CDs of the summit itself:
http://www.danoday.com/Summit2006Special.pdf

If you don't subscribe to Dan's newsletter, I highly recommend it-- if onoy to keep your sanity in an ad world gone mad.

Dan-o—

I used to use the term "Meatball Theater" to describe our summer stock process where rehearsal time wasn't measured in days, but hours.
We managed to put up some damned fine shows in spite of the gristmillian method of cranking 'em out.

My favorite cable TV commercial producers would call the continued creation of bad spots "flipping burgers".

"We're not winning awards here, we're flipping burgers."

Meh.

I need a rant blog.

edited to disable pirates
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DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[donrandall]

Bob - I'm probably gonna make everyone think I'm nuts or sumpin' - - but in all honesty, I liked your original read better. It had a sense of power and urgency which made it seem important - a message I should listen to and which was worthy of conscious and willful consideration. I did not get any impression of the read being something that was done on autopilot or without conviction.

I'm certainly not qualified to say that Dan O'day is wrong - and that is not my intent - I am only stating my (probably worthless) opinion and telling which read had a dynamic that got and held my attention most effectively and actually made the stronger mental impression on me.

Well, this oughta get some sticks and stones tossed my way - so I got my hardhat on - throw 'em if ya got 'em!

In any event, your reads were outstanding (as always), no matter which version one favors.

[TC]

[bobsouer]

[TC]

[BenWils]

Awesome example of what "feeling" can do to those reads that would other-wise be "another read". Great clip Bob.
_________________
Ben


"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap."

[jrodriguez315]

That was a great lesson Bob. Thanks so much for posting that. It's amazing what those additional :30 made!
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Joe Rodriguez, Bilingual Voice Actor | The Voiceover Thespian Blog

[bobsouer]