4444get about it!

The Sabres lost 4-1 last night to the Ducks and the two guys I slammed in my last blog post were the first (Todd Bertuzzi) and third (Chris Pronger) stars of the game. Ooops...

The first shutout in Sabres history happened on this very date in 1970. Thank you Roger Crozier! It was a 1-0 win against the Minnesota North Stars. One of his partners in the net that year was Dave Dryden. His brother, Ken Dryden, was a future Hall of Fame goalie with the Montreal Canadiens. I have a nephew named Dryden turning three this month. His Dad played a lot of goal "back in the day" so that's how he got his name.

My youngest son is Jordan Michael - and yes, he loves basketball right now. Had a grade seven b-ball practice this morning at 7 am. I'll be on the hardwood in the men's league at 9:15 tonight.

My three stars of the day...ladies first:)

• Liz de Nesnera - sending a lovely Christmas greeting to all her voiceover colleagues. Liz has inspired us all this year!
• Tom Dheere - of Rognog Productions. Founder of the Good Karma Network. He graciously shares marketing tips and links and encourages us with his weekly newsletter, which goes on his blog too. Rognog eggnog? Sounds like a great idea Tom!
• Glen Dufresne - National Sales Coordinator, Shaw Advertising

Concrete Evidence

As I said yesterday - and Arnold Schwarzenegger first said in 1984's "The Terminator" - "I'll be back." Arnold was a six-time Mr. Olympia. That title currently belongs to
34-year-old Jay Cutler for a second time. That Jay Cutler is not to be confused with the current starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos, Jay Cutler. You can see him in next week's "Monday Night Football" game as Tennessee visits the Mile High City. Remember, I warned you about the "Colorado Conspiracy." I should also warn you about the duds showing up on "Monday Night Football" lately. This week Seattle beat San Francisco 24-0. First downs favored Seattle 27-6. The Monday before, November 5, saw Baltimore get a measly five first downs in getting pummeled by Pittsburgh 38-7.

Concrete Evidence

Did you know Bronco Jay worked at his dad's Cutler & Son Concrete starting at age six; was pouring concrete by age 10. Meanwhile, Olympia Jay worked at his brothers' Cutler Bros. Concrete starting at age 11. He credits it with developing his physique.

Last week I had the opportunity to be a customer voice in a corporate video for one of the world's largest suppliers of quality cement products. My thanks to Robert Jadah for throwing this "slab of cement" voiceover my way.

On October 4, 2007 in Kelowna, a new, continuous-concrete-pour record took place at the Verve 8 condominium building. It took the entire day for 125 truckloads of concrete to be poured into place to make the 36, 000 square foot suspended slab that acts as the ceiling of an underground parking lot and the foundation of the four-storey 68-unit building.

Finally, let's wrap this up with another sports tie-in featuring Charlie Brown. This article appeared in The Sporting News seven years ago. Paragraph 3 has Lucy's not-so encouraging words of "Throw it in there, Cementhead!" Lucy's philosophy of life is also shared: "If you can't be right, be wrong at the top of your voice!" In closing, I would like to encourage all of my voiceover colleagues by quoting Robert Jadah: "Voice On!"

$$$Penguin Power + Horsepower

It has been a long time since I blogged. A couple of long projects have kept me busy lately. I recorded 15 stories totalling about 180 minutes for ProWEBRadio.com - including a 39-minute story on 2007 Senior Market Advisor of The Year: Craig Randall. I also did my first project for
a company that creates e-Learning programs for the financial services industry. I created over 110 audio files and the final length of my tutorial timed out at about 45-minutes. Both of my invoices ended up going to Pennsylvania. That's a long way from here - but not by email:)

Pennsylvania's Pittsburgh Penguins figure to be one of the NHL's best hockey teams in 2007/08. They will be playing outdoors in Buffalo on New Year's Day.

Club Penguin is one of the most popular kids' websites around. Their offices are here in Kelowna, BC and just over a month ago, the Walt Disney Company made the founders of Club Penguin multi-millionaires! INCREDIBLE! Many of my earliest corporate videos were done a long time ago with Dave Krysko of Club Penguin and his company New Horizon Productions. We used to record out of his home and he also had office space at one time with a local dentist.

This morning I did a couple of lines for an animated horse named Reason for a company in Ireland, who's client is in the US. The project is aimed at 6th grade students with learning difficulties to help them understand mathematical concepts in a fun environment. Lesson One today and four more to follow. It seems a long time ago that I was first approached about this project: July 18 - the last time I blogged here. But I will be back sooner this time as my 1-year blogiversary takes place September 22. You are all invited!

Bob Souer had his second blogiversary this past May. He will be spending a long, long time in the studio on a project he talks about here. I look forward to reading about your progress Bob!

Rock 'n' Roll Celebrity sighting!

Last time out I mentioned my daughter, Ashley (below, top right), was in Reno for a huge volleyball tournament. One of those days, Coach Leslie spotted Gene Simmons at the volleyball festival. She had a keen eye because he wasn't wearing sunglasses or the extreme makeup associated with his famous group, KISS. Gene was there supporting his daughter, Sophie, an avid volleyball player. OUR girls got Gene's attention BUT he wasn't interested in posing for a photo - until they yelled out they were from Canada! Well, that sealed the deal as Gene's life partner of close to 25 years, Shannon Tweed, was born in Canada.
The volleyball angle was even featured on this week's episode of the popular reality show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels:
Gene is hurt to learn that Sophie never informed him of a Father/Daughter Volleyball game, not realizing that she just didn't want to bother him and his busy schedule.

Gene Simmons was born in Haifa, Israel (last week I completed the English version voiceover for the AWACS 2.0 system for this Israeli Production company) in 1949 and is the only child of his mother, a German Nazi Concentration Camp survivor. He is a shrewd businessman. KISS continues to be the juggernaut of licensing/merchandising, with over 2,500 licenses. Unfortunately, much of that involves behavior that is:

rude, crude, lewd and screwed

Sorry Mr. Simmons. I cannot allow you to spend any more time with my daughter!

“Go to” guys! No eGos here

Here are some clutch “Go To” guys I’d want on my Team:

Roberto LuonGo: He ain't NO GOat! He's great and the only reason the Vancouver Canucks survived the NHL playoffs until last night. Thanks for coming to Buffalo in January. Click here to see my MSG-TV intro for that game. Go golfing now Mr. LuonGo!

Travis Moen: Got an assist on the first goal last night against Vancouver and scored the overtime winner in the game before that! Played junior hockey here in Kelowna. How could ChicaGo let this guy get away to the Ducks?

Bob Souer: The best voiceover blog around celebrated it's two-year blogiversary this week. You can see some of the many folks like myself who thanked Bob on this special occasion.

Ross Huguet – GO 2 Productions is the result of a merger between
One Stop Voice Shop and Gener8 Creations. I worked with Ross in radio
and he and his right-hand man, Jim Ptycia, helped me get off on the right foot a couple of years ago when I ventured into voiceover. Online video is in the mainstream now so best of luck to Go 2 Productions as they help all kinds of companies with their branding.

Happy Birthday Son!

Our youngest, Jordan, turned 12 yesterday! We'll start preparing for the teen years now:)
13...along with 14, those are my 2 favorite numbers. Jordan's 13-year-old brother, Justin, was born on a 13 - in June. Darlene and I were married on August 13th.

I was born on March 14 and I appreciate the well wishes from my voiceover colleagues two weeks ago. Stephanie of Voices.com, Bob Souer and Liz de Nesnera are all having a great time at a voiceover conference in Las Vegas right now. To quote Liz: "This has truly been a life & career altering experience for me. Yeah, I know, sounds a bit dramatic, but you know sometimes you participate in something that you just KNOW is going to have a lasting effect on you...THIS is one of those times for me." Read more of Liz's comments here.

Happy birthday today to Nathan Paetsch of the Buffalo Sabres! He is 24 today and has 24 points in 60 games played this year. His best birthday present will have to wait for a while: the Stanley Cup! Just 6 games left in the regular season and then the NHL playoffs begin. GO Sabres! Go ALL the way! Just over an hour until game time versus the New York Islanders and here is how my opening (thanks to the pen of Matt Gould) on MSG-TV reads for tonight:
The end of the season is just over a week away...
But playoff excitement is already here to stay!
Wednesday was a major leap towards top spot in the East for Buffalo....
And tonight...the Sabres could be there for good!
The Islanders limp to town grasping for rare playoff air...
But are without their guy in goal.
The Island visits Western New York...NEXT on MSG!

TV interview

Well, it is time to take "our" blogging relationship to the next level. The last 2 blog entries have featured photos of yours truly BUT now you can see and hear me in this TV interview aired locally on Shaw Cable 11 and the show "Okanagan Today." It was produced by Tim Morton - a true Sabres fan...he has a tattoo to prove it:) My thanks also go out to the producer of "On The Adventure Trail", Kelly Veltri, who's technical expertise compressed this footage for the worldwide web. Kelly is a longtime Pittsburgh Penguins fan and they could be battling Buffalo for the title of best team in the Eastern conference. Beginning play tonight, Buffalo is on top while Pittsburgh is in fifth. Kudos of course to Feature Producer Matt Gould of the Sabres for writing those excellent opening scripts and mixing the video footage and graphics for MSG-TV.
I mailed Matt a CD with the interview but I'll email him the YouTube link tomorrow morning when I email him the mp3 voice file opening for the Saturday night game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Business associates I communicated with today on other projects got the YouTube link already. They include Edmonton's Chris Wait (a BIG Chicago Blackhawks fan), Chicago's Darren Callahan and Texas' Jason Gutierrez. As I leave you, it's 2-0 Buffalo against Montreal seven minutes in, 2-2 Pittsburgh and Carolina and Chicago losing 2-0 after one period to Detroit...some things NEVER change Chris!

Thumbs Up!

Congratulations to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts for winning Sunday's Super Bowl against Chicago 29-17! His thumb was just fine after getting banged up late in the AFC Championship game against New England, which they won 38-34.

Next to Peyton is ME and both of my thumbs in the Gary Nylander photo that accompanied this November 19, 2006 newspaper article on yours truly.

Brewin' up a storm!

Daniel Briere just had his second ever career hat trick as the Sabres stopped the Boston Bruins cold in their tracks 7-1! The opening on
MSG-TV had me read:
Two straight third period letdowns...
A losing record for the month of January...
It’s been a rough stretch...that has Lindy looking for answers.

Tonight...
Buffalo gets a top blue-liner back...
While another will get a few looks up front.

The Sabres try to snap a slump..
Part one of two against Boston....NEXT on MSG!!!

When I sent my voice file back to Feature Producer/Writer Matt Gould I included this note:
Hi Matt,
Enjoyed your footage from the All-Star game!
Hope Briere leads like an All-Star tonight…maybe Miller needs a haircut:)

Well, Ryan Miller had the night off in net...don't know if he got a haircut during the game or not..
Daniel Briere's first career hat trick was only last month (December 5) in Tampa Bay. He was the MVP last week at the All-Star game in Dallas and you can see Matt's footage and hear his narration when you go to Multimedia at http://www.sabres.com. You become an Insider simply by registering your email address.

Last week I was interviewed for a TV show called "Okanagan Today" with Shaw TV host Tim Morton. The 3:40 second segment began running last Thursday night after 6 PM in a rotation right through the weekend. It was only on January 12 that I received a copy of my MSG-TV openings through 2006 from Matt in the mail. Like Matt, Tim did an excellent job of editing game footage and great graphics with a story on me and our favorite hockey team of all-time:
the Buffalo Sabres!
I will try to get a link up shortly to the story so the Sabres become your favorite team too .

Viva Italia!

This morning I had an email arrive from Italy. I did a short message (in English) for their website and we'll see if some work follows down the road. Anyway, I have an Italian flavor to this blog entry. Many of us watched TV's "Everybody Loves Raymond" over the 9 seasons it ran between 1996 - 2005. Italian-American star RAY Romano was born in Queens, New York and he turns 49 on December 21. He shares a birthday with Kiefer Sutherland, who turns 40 in 2 weeks. Romano has been married to his wife, Anna, since 1987 and they have 4 kids.
Awesome numbers! My wife, Darlene, and I are close: 1988 and 3 kids.

I also want to send out my kudos to RAYmond Oelrich, creative force behind Big Game Adventures magazine. He read the interview with me in the local daily newspaper November 19 and gave me a call to do voiceover work on the TV show he is producing: "On The Adventure Trail." The show will feature big game hunting with episodes featuring sheep, goat, elk, moose, NO Buffalo Sabres, bear and other species from around the world. 26 new episodes will air in 2007 with a variety of guest hosts while yours truly will be heard throughout the shows with narration and imaging. "On The Adventure Trail" is scheduled to air on The Sportsman Channel in the United States, as well as www.outfitters.tv worldwide beginning in early 2007.

Another Italian-American born in New York 60 years ago is Sylvester Stallone. I mention Sly because he was in Philadelphia last night on Monday Night Football plugging "Rocky Balboa." It will be number 6 in the series. The tagline is "It ain't over 'til it's over." Rocky comes out of retirement to go in the ring once again - this time with a trusty sidekick named Bullwinkle:)
That joke ties in nicely with Romano's 2004 movie "Mooseport."

Well, I hope the Italian Stallion doesn't come after me - but I could take him...I hope Sly casts me in "Rocky 7":) Or maybe we'll get him to host an episode of "On The Adventure Trail."

To "bob" or not to "bob"?

Bob Souer writes an excellent blog and he sent me an encouraging note on my last blog entry to keep doing this. I plan to. Afterall, I now have a "fan club"...Thanks Bob!

Today I thought I would call some advertising agencies in Buffalo to inquire about voiceover work. Believe it or not, I spoke with 2 BOBs and left a voicemail with a Robert in Buffalo too...in my books, he's a BOB:) Bob J. at ADTown said he gets an estimated 100 calls a month re: voiceover interest. He uses locals but I played up my voiceover work with the Buffalo Sabres. He said I had a great speaking voice and that I could email him so he has me on file. The point here is if you are a voiceover artist, get your voice heard on the phone: introduce yourself to people who could use your services or leave a brief voicemail inviting people to your website.

I also chatted with Bob at BAM. That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? It's short for Buffalo Advertising Management. Click on their website for a very effective welcome. You only have a few seconds to make a good first impression - and they did. Jim Sutton blogged at Voice123 about voiceover demo lengths and how you may only have 6 seconds to win over a potential client. I tend to agree with Jim's thoughts. What about you?

My BOB blog ends with Robert P. at Digital Arts Multimedia. I left a voicemail with the company and followed up with an email to him and a colleague who handles the sound side of things. Audio Art is how they labeled the sound stuff. That is a language I love!

BIG break! Sabres Rock!

The Buffalo Sabres have won their first 3 games! Last Friday night they won a shootout against the Montreal Canadiens and as they did that I watched it on the tube while laying down the voice track in the studio for Saturday night's game versus Ottawa...that was cool:)
Just 90-minutes ago Feature Producer Matt Gould with the Sabres emailed me to confirm I will be doing the TV intros for all of the Sabres TV games on the mighty MSG network. Without question, they are my most recognized client to date.

I have had a couple of BIG (in length) projects this week:
the podcast I plugged last time about Japanese expansion in China ended up being 16 minutes in total. I have also completed 10:30 seconds of a script for www.legalmediainc.com. They offer Houston-based Litigation Support for Attorneys Nationwide.

It is fun to switch gears with my voice! High energy for the Sabres and smooth, informative reads for the projects above. I am listed as the voice with Integrity at: www.onestopvoiceshop.com
Thanks to them this afternoon for a small elearning script. My role? Main drive-thru cashier.
I also have a commercial to tackle for my good friends at: www.ideafactory.ca
The job I am describing in the spot? A certified snubber (I kid you not!). It is Alberta’s newest certified occupation.

In The Buff?

The Buffalo Sabres have been picked by a lot of folks to win the Stanley Cup. The NHL season starts tonight and they take on the defending champions: the Carolina Hurricanes. I could still be the voice opening Sabres' TV broadcasts this year. My read for their last exhibition game was used last Saturday night and tomorrow the Feature Producer (Matt G.) I know with the team said: "I’m going to try to write a touch less copy so that you can be a bit more “movie trailer...deep throatish”...which is what I believe the boss is looking for. I think I gave you too much copy to read in too little time in the last one." So, hope Buffalo beats the Montreal Canadiens Friday night at their home opener:) That should put the boss in a good mood!

Speaking of "In The Buff", Barenaked Ladies' new album "Are Me" is out now. I had the chance to work closely with the band from 1991-'96 when I worked with Warner Music Canada. I connected with their road manager last time they were in town (December '05) and we'll try and hook up again when they are in Kelowna again in 4 months.

It is the Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and I will be starting a large project for the Richard Ivey School of Business/The University of Western Ontario today. It is a 4-page article which should run about 15 minutes as a podcast. It is titled: Japanese expansion in China: A cautionary tale. The target audience is practicing managers.

Hoarse, Horse, Hortons & Hockey?

My voice is not HOARSE even though I have a slight cold...I've taken some Dristan pills the last 2 days and that is doing the job...Having this little cold was actually a benefit in giving me a bit of a twang for a commercial I did this afternoon for Haegles Western Wear and tack in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They have over 1, 200 pairs of boots there! C'mon down Imelda Marcos!

TIM HORTONS coffee is my favourite. I probably stop there once a day. But today I had the privilege of breaking in a new TH coffee cup at home. Tim Horton was a HOCKEY player first and the NHL season is starting soon. I think the Vancouver Canucks are going to do better than expected this year. I could be switching my support to the Buffalo Sabres though. Two days ago I had the chance to audition for the opening of their TV broadcasts...I'll keep you posted on the outcome....hockey historians know both Vancouver and Buffalo entered the NHL in 1970. The Sabres were also the last team Tim Horton played for before dying in a car crash in early 1974.