Kreg Tool Infomercial - Jimbo VO, just in!

I know this is already running, as I have recived hits on this blog from Google searches that point here. So.. here's a portion of that Kreg Tool Company show I voiced. The original show is 30 minutes. Of course just finishing building a house, WOW this would have come in handy! Dang! ;)

Amtrak, Feedback, Body by Jake!

Uh.. that sounded like a line from Billy Joel's "We didn't start the fire." Nope, just a day in the voice over fun! First the spots for Amtrak have been completed MINUS the local tags, it's amazing, 15 second spots. My part is just half of each of these: SPOT1, SPOT2, SPOT3. Short & sweet, and I get paid for this? Ok! Some nice feedback from Flannery at the ad agency, Glass McClure;

Matt, the copywriter, picked you because he liked the improv
bit at the beginning (showed an ability to be flexible) and felt that the range
you showed was much higher acting ability than any of the others we listened
to... And there were over 200.... we loved working with you! The
client is thrilled with the spots, and they will begin airing in a few
weeks...

Today's Auditions included: BODY BY JAKE infomercial, and some sort of client that wants an Australian accent for a "high end" client. Oh, and no script.. so make it up. Quick, watch me pull a rabbit out of this hat! So this is my best sophisticated Crocodile Hunter. Oh, and some sort of VIDEO GAME bit. Whew.. busy afternoon.

2012 Audition Today and TQ's Memorial Service

Today was a busy day. NAB conference started today. Went to the hall and picked up show passes and sat in the Emmis job fair booth to talk to attendees. Also picked up Ted-Smith and took him with me to Tom Quarles' (TQ) service. Dusty Black did a wonderful job of putting together a fitting tribute to Tom. A veritable Who's Who from the Austin Media market were there. We all laughed and cried and laughed again. Exactly what TQ would have wanted. Austin radio veteran Bob Cole, Bamma Brown, and Cody Nichols were there to keep the festivities moving. Again, very moving. We'll all miss you Tom!!

Today also had a nice audition for a History Channel project: Nostradamus 2012. (Hear my aud HERE) Nothing like narration! Love that stuff! Tomorrow Amtrak California session and more NAB. Tonight will be a late one, NAB festivities will keep me out waaaaaaay past my bedtime. 4AM will not be pleasent tomorrow morning!!

Oklahoma Tourism - Travel OK... uh.. ok!

Nicer and nicer gigs have been coming down the pike here lately. These spots below are a good example. These were done for Oklahoma Tourism, and are high end shot on film, many helicopter shots too. All in all very nice campaign, and am very happy to be part of the final product. Thanks TAG Talent and Oklahoma! (where the wind goes......)

This first one above is for the entire state. There is a little wait before it fires off, but hang tight.

This one is Tulsa-centric. Again, very lush in colors and pacing.

This one is OK City-centric. Big and bold. Don Juntunen (good Oklahoman name.. right?) did an awesome job of putting these together at the agency Ackerman/McQueen. They can be found at http://www.am.com/. Thanks ya'll! (they hate that... tee hee)

Weekend Happenings - Singapore calling - Nerf too.

First off, the service for Tom Quarles (TQ) will be this Wednesday, Sept. 17 @ 2:30pm/Weed-Corley/N. Lamar. Wow.. I still can't believe he's gone. What a local legend and someone I looked up to. Gonna miss Tom.

In voicing news, Voices.com came through with a gig for Best Denki, a chain of electronics stores in Singapore. Makes a huge difference working with someone 13 hour difference in time. We're getting up while they are going to bed! This was a corporate video project that was a rush job. Of course I am coming off of some nasty cold/bug picked up from someone at the station!! Aaagh!! (snort, spit)

However one thing that does happen when a cold comes on, I can channel Don Lafontaine as I did in this audition for Nerf for VoiceCasting in Atlanta. Wow.. what a violent... toy? Listen to entire audition, it's kinda funny. Never voice angry..... or hyped up on antihistamines!! ;)

This week NAB Radio also hits town (That's David Rehr, NAB Pres above). I think he was against the bridge to no where from the beginning. ;) I will be attending the radio festivities, Tom's service, the Amtrak California session is also this week. Whew. Glad I can multi-task.

Another larger than life hero of mine leaves us.

It is with great sadness that another large figure in voice and production, Tom Quarles or TQ to most that remember him, passed away earlier this week. Tom and I shared the same positions, Creative Services Director, he at Clear Channel, me at Emmis. We spoke often, fighting the good fight to make better radio. TQ was Production Director prior to Frank Scales here when the company was simply LBJ Broadcasting back in the 80's, and prior to that was an on air personality back in the day before play lists and computer generated music logs. Little known fact, it was Tom that actually was the FIRST jock to play The Police on the air in the US and broke the band before any other station at KLBJ in Austin TX. Sting still credits "that station that was owned by a US President" for playing their record first. That was Tom. An incredible voice, fantastic sound designer, and impeccable writer. Couple that with he and his wife Bev's love of rescue dogs (cocker spaniels in particular at first - something close to my wife Peggy an my hearts) as well as his gift for cutting through the clutter of many times BAD radio and TV commercials... needless to say, there is a big hole in our hearts with his passing. I'll miss you Tom. I hope crossing the Rainbow Bridge is everything you thought it would be. ;) Please kiss Sassy for us! We'll see you again Pumpkin!

ALLLLL ABOARD!!! Now landing in studio 1...

Ok.. for those of you that know about THE SECRET... it works.. that's all I have to say about that. (silly Forest Gump voice here) Today, as I was grocery shopping I thought to myself.. Hey.. self... what's the deal with the Amtrak audition I did (see Amtrak posting way below) a few weeks ago? Then did a call-back audition last Friday last minute. I called Becky at BigFishVoice.. Hey Becky whats with Amtrak? "I'm on it.." she says.... I get a message while I'm standing in fresh fruits and veggies isle about 10 minutes later (beep) "Hey Jimbo, Becky here.. no sooner did you hang up the phone with me, I get a call from the agency for Amtrak California.. you got the gig. I didn't even have a chance to call them.. they called me!" Seee? Attraction people, Attraction! How funny.

Wait, more potentially huge news, as I get home there is a very large audition for the new Harry Potter video game coming out. Let's just say this is wwwwaaaaaayyyyyyy huge..er. Of course I gave it the full treatment on the audition file to send in... hear THAT here. That and I get messages from three friends from high school I hadn't seen in 22 years?Strange. (I'm thinking of you right now!?!?! OOOoooooooooo)

Trade Pub... Pub.. Radio and Production Mag tease.

Jerry V at Radio and Production and I had a wonderful conversation about life, sound design, radio and building homes (my wife and I general contracted and lived IN my soon to be studio while building our house). The article hits this month's issue. Here is the tease that the publisher has on their site: http://www.rapmag.com/

Interview: Jim Kipping, Emmis Broadcasting, Austin, Texas
by Jerry Vigil
How many times have you said, “One of these days… I’m going to buy me a piece of land outside of town and build my dream home, with my dream studio”? That’s what Jim Kipping said some 9 years ago when we last interviewed him in May of 1999. In fact, he had just purchased 11 acres near Willie Nelson’s home outside of Austin, Texas. This month’s RAP Interview checks in on this dream, which is in the final stages of completion – a fabulous home he calls, Il Poggio Secco, Italian for “the dry hill.” Keeping with the Italian theme, the house features a tile roof, picturesque views from the windows overlooking the Texas Hill Country and the Pedernales River, ornate décor throughout, and of course, his soon-to-be dream studio. Did he hit the lottery? No. This is a simple story of vision and hard work, even while maintaining a demanding full-time job, which he still holds as Creative Services Director at Emmis Broadcasting’s Austin properties. An in his spare time, Jim has managed to cut his niche in the national voice-over business. Jim tells us what’s new at Emmis Austin, how he’s managed to grow his VO business, and what it has taken to bring his dream to fruition. Check out this month’s RAP CD for a sample of the excellent work his crew is churning out at the stations, and check out his website at www.jimkipping.com for more on Il Poggio Secco.

Loss of a voice legend, Don Lafontaine.

You might not recognise the face, but the VOICE you sure will. And it will beat you upside the head until you do! Don Lafontaine, pioneered the modern movie trailer that we all know today. Over 5,000 movie trailers and 100's of thousands of TV spots and promos are just some of the credits to his long 30 years in the voice business.
I was fortunate enough to have a chance to speak with Don from my home studio (ISDN, the way he did most of everything he voiced in recent years) for a book I am writing about people that make money from their voice. The book, (working title) Me and My Big Mouth, and How It Makes Me Money! is not necessarily how to break in to the business, but more about peoples unique story on how THEY did, and their success. I spoke with Don for about an hour, and found him to be the most gracious, humble, hard working and fun guys you would ever meet. One quote I got from him includes THIS ONE that pretty much sums up the book. Don died this past Monday, he was 68 years old. He worked all the way to the end, as many of us could only hope and pray for. He was and still is a legend that, although his voice may be silenced in body, will live on forever somewhere around the world, on some media. I'll miss you Don. I hope your new session is everything you thought it would be. Stand by?!? JK