Category: Audio Post (Page 1 of 4)

VO for the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers, in the style of another giant.

June 3, 2024 / admin / 0 Comments

One day about a year ago the Steelers called. That happens every day, right?

They asked if I’d be interested in voicing some in-stadium content. Since then I’ve voiced a few productions for them that promote ticket sales for upcoming games. When they called this year to see if I could voice a draft day promo in the style of the legendary John Facenda it didn’t seem real. How many voice styles do people know? Mel Blanc, Harry Kalas (another hero), Don LaFontaine, Paul Frees and a few others? And John Facenda. The voice of NFL Films. “The frozen tundra of Lambau Field…” Ya know?

This is by NO means an impression. But his bold, loping, storytelling delivery informed the approach. It’s an honor. I can only hope they keep calling. And thank you Mr. Facenda, for being one of the voices inside my childhood head.

Jay Smack VO – Mack Trucks

May 24, 2023 / admin / 0 Comments

What says tough, capable, legacy and hard work more than Mack Trucks? Before you answer consider also what says modern, forward-thinking, intelligent, environmentally-friendly and EV more than Mack Trucks? It was a pleasure working with the team at Colle McVoy to bring this project to life as Mack powers into the future.

Jay Smack VO – new spot for GameDay Collections

May 4, 2023 / admin / 0 Comments

It’s funny how things turn out sometimes. Funny “interesting”, I mean. I first approached this copy with an NFL Films, John Facenda-type of read in mind. That was based on the direction and the subject matter. But the client actually directed me away from that a little. And the end result was much better and more appropriate than what I had envisioned. That’s the beauty of collaboration and highlights the subjective nature of creativity. There’s never one answer, but when you work together to find what best serves the project it’s win/win. #voiceover #jaysmackvo

Jay Smack VO – Design Blasting Services

August 5, 2022 / admin / 0 Comments

A new VO project for Design Blasting Services. I love digging in on a read like this – authentic, blue-collar, a little gritty, unhurried. Great vision, production and direction by Dawson Waters.

Design Blasting Services | Director’s Cut from Dawson Waters on Vimeo.

Editors are storytellers – A tribute to Taylor Hawkins

April 5, 2022 / admin / 0 Comments

Editors are storytellers.

Post production editors, mixers, motion/graphic artists, animators, composers, cinematographers, directors, and other creative technicians often work in secluded rooms using creative vision as a compass. It’s not for everyone, but for some, it’s the only thing they could ever envision doing.

Please excuse the sharing of someone else’s work, but when I saw this tribute piece for Taylor Hawkins I was floored. I don’t know who produced and edited it, but we rarely do, do we? It hits all the right notes and deftly combines the emotional impact of losing such an inspirational figure with the artistry of this production to generate a visceral reaction. The rhythm, the shot choices, the length of each shot, the song, the timing, all of it comes together to say what words never could. It tells a story succinctly, passionately, honorably and completely.

Music is what got me into this business and it’s what prevents me from ever leaving. I have to be close to it. It’s the same for many of us. As a vo artist/audio post mixer (and drummer) navigating a career path through the intersections of creativity and commerce, it hasn’t always been an easy business to be in. But I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

RIP, Taylor Hawkins. Thanks for the music and the joy. And thanks to the lifers in this crazywacky business who remain unsung, which is most of us. And we’re fine with that. #postproduction

Video Game Promo for “Hidden Deep” – Jay Smack VO

January 25, 2022 / admin / 0 Comments

This is a recent promo trailer I voiced for the video game “Hidden Deep”. Video games and the media associated with them are a massive industry and a huge part of the voiceover and post-production world. It’s always a blast to work on a new project with game developers. Their imagination and vision is incredible. When you first receive a script for a part, whether it’s a trailer like this, or a part for a character, you don’t always have the benefit of a treatment, a video or even an illustration. It’s up to you to interpret their vision and bring it to life while enabling it to match what will eventually be a (virtually) living, breathing character with a backstory. It never gets old and it’s always a challenge.

Another interesting aspect, as an aside, is the audio, music and sound design. As a post production mixer and musician, I hear elements of Ableton Live in the production. If you work on Ableton you’ll hear some of the sounds and instruments.

Hidden Deep website

Steam online gaming platform

Good Eye Podcast – Dan “Gravelthroat” Wright – Voice Actor

December 10, 2021 / admin / 0 Comments

Dan Wright, a.k.a. “Gravelthroat”, is a working voice actor and one-time vocalist for hardcore and metal bands. His raspy, gravelly vocal tones can be heard on national commercials for ACE Hardware and hockey broadcasts and promos on ESPN as well as other places in the media and internet universe. We talk shop about all things VO including breaking down copy, finding the sweet spot in your reads, coaching and gear. We stray a bit too and get into music-related topics and our past histories. This episode is something of an experiment as we’ve talked about starting our own podcast. Join us, won’t you?

Gravelthroat
Jay Smack VO
Good Eye Podcast

Good Eye Podcast – Video Clip From the Latest Episode With Voice Actor Dan “Gravelthroat” Wright

December 10, 2021 / admin / 0 Comments

Listen to the full episode and subscribe, share, etc.

XBox Game Trailer – Jay Smack VO

September 28, 2021 / admin / 0 Comments

I love doing gaming vo – characters, trailers, Kickstarter campaigns, ALL of it. As a voice actor you get to stretch out and inhabit a fantastic domain. You’re very aware of the community, the creativity, the producers, designers, writers, composers, coders – it’s an amazing world and one of the most important and fastest-growing genres of voiceover.