-
Voice Casting – Anyone recognize this guy?
Ok, not really a business/marketing question (other than it does relate to my business), but there’s not really an appropriate forum and I know several of my friends in here are fellow producers… so here goes…
I’m doing voice casting on an upcoming commercial campaign, and I really like the guy who is on these Marie Callendar’s spots…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S7YBdj8oG8&feature=related
Problem is, I have no idea who he is (much less where he lives, or his agent). I know who the ad agency is (the ginormous DDB), but haven’t been able to track down anyone there who knows, either.
We’re using Peter Thomas for the rest of the campaign, but one of the spots needs something different, and this guy is just about right on the money. He’s very evocative of the late Hal Riney, rest his soul. I always wanted to cast Hal, but never got the chance. This guy is really close to his sound.
My one (and some say only) gift in life is being able to recognize almost any voice actor, but I don’t know this guy. None of the usual voice agents we use in NY or LA (and beyond) recognize him either.
Any chance anyone here has worked with him? Or recognizes him?
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
10 Replies
-
It sounds very close to Tim Allen (“Home Improvement”), who does some ongoing promo campaigns for the state of Michigan, but it is not Tim.
-
[Mark Suszko] “It sounds very close to Tim Allen…but it is not”
Very helpful, Mark {insert appropriate eyeroll here}.
Can you think of anyone else that it’s not? Then I can do it by process of elimination.
Kidding, just yanking your chain.
Although if anyone does know who that guy actually is, I’d be most appreciative.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
Well, Tim does this one. Tim Allen voices Chevy.
Vince Becquiot
Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area -
Hmmmmm. Yeah, he’s got a quite similar voice, but my ears just can’t make it be Tim, even though some other internet sources say the Marie Callendar’s voice is Allen (but not trustworthy sources).
The first time I heard the Chevy spots (as well as the Campbell’s Soup spots) a while back, I instantly recognized the voice as Tim Allen. But this one… I just can’t quite make it be him. Maybe I will be proven wrong, but my ears just don’t recognize him there.
I’ve got bunches of calls and messages in to various people at DDB in several of their offices… maybe someone at one of them will be kind enough to clue me in.
If it does turn out to be Allen, my client might not find him affordable. Although, since there is such a current rage of using “celebrity” voices, these days many of those guys will work for the same rate as other typical high-end voice actors. But some won’t. Mike Rowe? No. James Earl Jones? No. But surprisingly, many of them will work for the same rates as say Beau Weaver or Peter Thomas or Joe Cipriano or other voice guys of that level. Not cheap, but doable.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
It’s hard to tell, especially with accents, but if you feel adventurous, this article lists the agencies involved in the piece.
Vince Becquiot
Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area -
And since we’re at it, here’s the producer’s linkedIn page 🙂
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/el-goco/11/212/28a
Vince Becquiot
Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area -
Yeah, as I said I’ve had email and phone messages in to DDB for a couple of days, but have yet to get them to return. They are the creative agency on that campaign.
They are sooooo gigantic though that small fish like me probably get lost in the shuffle. I’ll give them a little more time before I hound them again.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
TT-
I wish I could give you the answer, but he’s not anyone that I think I’ve heard before. And like you, I’m pretty good at identifying the celebrity VOs, starting with William Shatner doing a salad dressing in the mid 70’s to Gene Hackman for Home Depot (or was it Lowes?) to James Spader for Acura.
Most actors love VO work because they’re able to concentrate on a single facet of the performance — one that doesn’t require hair, make-up, blocking, facial reactions — just the vocal performance. Problem is when the celeb is doing on-screen work, they’re seldom available for VO.
But none of this solves your problem, does it? Have you tried going through the big talent agencies, ie- ICM, CCA (New York AND LA for both), William Morris, Don Buchwald, Atlas, etc. and asking agents there if they know who this guy is? Any friends at SAG (or, as a spot would this be AFTRA) who could look up the production report? Yes, I know that one’s a long shot, but in the age of databases it would be a lot simpler to find than it would have been in the paper age.
WHEN (not if) you find out, please let us know. The guy has a great presence without pushing any individual personality.
-
Thanks, Nick… good ideas.
I hadn’t approached any of the “regular” agencies (CAA, ICM, etc.), yet… I had only hit up the big voice-specialty agencies (Atlas, Tischerman, Buchwald, Danno, etc.,) so far, with no luck.
Trying to get a union report is a thought, but not too hopeful about that. I my past experience (both as a producer and as a actors union member), trying to get a favor out of SAG/AFTRA is a bit like trying to teach a pig to sing.
I think this guy, as I said, has a very “Hal Riney quality.” If we can’t find him, we might use Tim Russell (Prairie Home Companion) who can do a very similar sound (“Ketchup Council”). We’ve talked with Tim about working in the past, but never cast him for one reason or another.
In a weird twist, this client was originally really set on using Morgan Freeman’s voice, really wanted to see if we could get him, and we were pursuing that pretty heavily (and I was excited about that). But last week they caught wind that Freeman was engaged to marry his step-granddaughter with whom he has apparently had a decade-long affair… and they thought that was a bit too creepy and unseemly and dropped the idea. I’m wondering if that’s gonna come back to bite Morgan with other casting opportunities as well… though he’s probably more than rich enough that he doesn’t care.
Nothing’s easy.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
My messages to DDB were passed to someone who passed them to someone else who passed them to yet another person… who was kind enough to finally get back with me.
The guy is Peter Jessop, with Abrams Artists in LA.
Whew.
Thanks all!
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up