Freschetta Pizza :30 TV

Even an announcer role has conflict and a problem to solve. When you get a commercial script, look for the line where the "lightbulb" comes on. It'll usually be when you hear the product name, or when we first see the product on-screen and realize what the commercial is actually for. It's where we go from thinking-out-loud about a problem, to knowing and sharing the solution to that problem. In this Freschetta Pizza spot, for example, we get several questions right at the top. Ask these questions as if you know there's only one possible answer. Make your listener want to know what's coming next. The answer to those questions is the product. Everything from the product on down to the end of the spot is the answer that only YOU have, so we want to hear you letting us in on a secret. Once that lightbulb is on, it remains on and lends its energy to the rest of the spot. The podcast episode for this spot is rather a marathon at 25 minutes, with both Mike and Heather discovering a lot of new things. Stick with me. As always, you can click the title of this blog post to get to the "real" spot on YouTube.

VO: Who makes a better-tasting pizza? Who uses real tomatoes, and all real cheeses, Dough that rises naturally, with no chemical leaveners? Who uses only premium meats? Who makes it taste fresh? Freschetta Naturally Rising Crust Pizza. No other pizza tastes like Freschetta, Because no other pizza is made like Freschetta. And for a crispy, fire-baked crust, try our Brick Oven pizza.

2012 Chrysler 300 :30 TV

From the first line of the spot, this AVO is overflowing with opinion and point-of-view. The AVO is dismissive of the idea of a fuel-efficient car as an end in itself. And even contractions like "gonna" and "gotta" show that this AVO is a real person, not a disembodied voice. Of particular note is the use of the word "and" on the line "One with character, and conviction, and pride..." This is meant to sound like we're naming these attributes as we think of them, rather than reading them off a prepared page.

VO: If you're gonna build a fuel-efficient car, The first thing you gotta do, is build a car that's worth building. One with character, and conviction, and pride you can notice from down the street. Then, and only then, do you put in an 8-speed transmission that gets 31 miles per gallon. That combination of luxury and efficiency only comes from one place in the world. (On-screen text: The new, 31 mile per gallon, Chrysler 300. Chrysler. Imported from Detroit.)

Wolf Brand Chili :30 TV

Because the vast majority of voiceover work out there doesn't require character voices, I typically avoid training my students on any spot that calls for a dialect or accent. I'll make an exception for Wolf Brand Chili. Although I did applaud Mike's choice to do not an out-and-out caricature Texan, but a voice that was really just a slight twist on the Mike we know and love. Mike's reads felt a bit rushed as he tried to shoehorn all this imagery-heavy copy into 30 seconds, but 4:07 he delivered a read that was at a much better pace. This led to my discussion at 4:45 about how never to deliver an audition that sounds rushed, unless the agent specifically tells you that it needs to come in under :30 or :60. Script-wise, this copy is about as formulaic as they come. You've gotta love the non sequitur when we go from talking about broad concepts of "work is work" and "play is play" to something as mundane as a mass-manufactured can of chili. On this spot, we "shot out" the MKH 416T shotgun microphone, vs. the Neumann U87ai large-diaphragm condenser. Both sound excellent...which do you prefer? The U87 sounds more natural and less colored to my ear, but the 416 is wonderfully punchy. Love it!

Deep in the heart of Texas, everything's real. Our work is work. Our play is play. And every night, the stars come out. Especially on Fridays. So it stands to reason that chili's gotta be real too. That's Wolf Brand Chili. A Lone Star favorite since 1895. Bold, fiesty, seasoned up like it was born with spurs on. So whether's it's mixed in, heaped on, or straight up, you're getting the genuine article. Wolf Brand Chili. Open up a big old can of Texas.

Home Depot "Small Project Inspiration" :30 TV

The top beat of this script, with its three questions, throws a bit of an acting curveball. You need to sound impressed and genuinely curious without sliding over into the realm of incredulity. The subtext needs to be "Wow, that's cool" as opposed to "What the F are you trying to do?" Your task here is to make it sound like you think it's a positive thing! This is a great exercise. How many different ways can you deliver those opening lines? Come up with a mental image for whatever that "idea" is. I imagined my neighbors painting a mural on the side of their garage. The real spot shows up plenty of projects, but when you're auditioning to do the VO on this spot, you won't have that TV screen to help you...so come up with some impressive creative projects on your own mental TV screen.

Where'd you get that idea? How'd you learn to do that? What'd you use? Every project we finish comes with a story built in. It's how our rough ideas become . . . "You did that yourself?" So when we can save more on the projects that let us fix, make, and do more, that just makes the stories even better. More saving. More doing. That's the power of the Home Depot.

AARP :60 TV ...and SPECS Discussion!

How much attention should you pay to specs, on auditions your agent sends you? Listen to our discussion at 12 minutes in to find out.

VO: At this point in the game, you've worked hard. You've accomplished a lot. You're an expert at doing what you love. But when it comes to making healthcare choices, you might need a little help. That's where AARP Health Care Options comes in. Designed by experts to keep you covered, so you can do what you want to do, now and in the future. For nearly 50 years, AARP has brought premier health insurance options to its members, selecting from the nation's leading health care providers. You'll get one-on-one customer service geared to help you choose just the right plan. Everything from dental and health insurance, To discounts on prescription drugs as well as eyewear. Learn more now. You don't have to be a member to call or click. You're the expert at living your life. For your health care needs, trust the experts in life after 50.

Big G Kids Cereals "Grow Up Strong" :30 TV

• This is a spot where the imagery is more interesting than the copy. As a VO, your job is to give energy to boring copy. • The PLATITUDE OPENING that nobody can disagree with... "To do well, kids need to eat well." No need to convince the audience of this...it's an obvious yes. • The Long Awkward Unrealistic Line with lots of information crammed into it ("Did you know it's the only leading line of kids' cereals . . . " To make it less awkward, make it more spontaneous, like thought. • In this read, you're addressing someone one-on-one at arm's length, putting the performance out in front of you, BEYOND THE MIC. Your read can sound spontaneous and "like thought" and conspiratorial across-the-fence-to-your-neighbor....without being INSIDE YOUR HEAD on something as fun/light/casual as a kids' cereal spot. • "Did you know" means you're talking to ONE PERSON. Listen to Mike's pickups at 14:56 and 15:16. Just a little turn of the dial to make it less announcerish and more matter-of-fact makes it a better and more believable read.

VO: To do well, kids need to eat well. And eating well means getting enough whole grain and calcium. And General Mills Big G kids cereals can help. Did you know it's the only leading line of kids cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium? Cereals they already love, like Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Give your kids more of what they need to be their best. Grow up strong with Big G kids cereals.

Subway "That's A Lot" :30 TV

• When giving a list of related ideas that build on each other, you can give each idea its own space. When that Lexus car commercial says "Escape convention, escape definition, escape compromise," those ideas build upon each other, but they all deserve to be treated as their own separate thing. We don't want to hear that you're rattling off a list . . . we'd rather hear each idea as it comes to you. We don't know what's coming next! Same goes for something as ridiculous as kiddie pools full of grease, water coolers full of grease, and bird baths full of grease. You can consider each one separately as the image comes to mind. (Eww, gross.)

VO: In one year, U.S. restaurants can produce up to 1.4 million pounds of grease. Enough to fill 3300 kiddie pools, over 33,000 water coolers, or 111,000 bird baths. [Over a burger on-screen] Of course, a lot of it ends up right here. Skip the grease. Go for the breakthrough taste of the new Subway Oven Crisp Chicken. Always baked, never fried. Merely 7 grams of fat, and the newest part of a Subway Fresh Fit Meal. Subway. Eat Fresh.

Head and Shoulders Hair Endurance :30 TV

Another great example of a COMMENT ON THE ACTION spot.

VO: Hairstyles come, And hairstyles go. But to get the most our of every style, you've gotta have hair. Hair that's full and thick. Excess buildup on your scalp can leave your hair looking thin. New Head and Shoulders Hair Endurance for men has a hydrating formula designed to remove buildup and help restore your scalp to health, Leaving you 100% flake-free hair that's fuller and thicker-looking, guaranteed. New Head and Shoulders Hair Endurance Respect the scalp. Get the hair.

H & R Block “Wrecking Bunny” :60 TV

One of the best WRY HUMOR/COMMENT ON THE ACTION spots I've found, right up there with the Sears Optical "Missing something?" campaign that we all know and love.

VO: To do a job well, you need the right tools. If you’re filing your taxes online, never settle for less than the best tax software. Nobody knows taxes like H&R Block. Combine your smarts and our expertise with H&R Block at Home. File for free at HRBlock.com Never settle for less.

PODS :30 TV

This spot is a beast. It's also a great example of introducing a new, complex, multi-tiered concept ("Take all the time you need, then call us and we'll come get it...remote storage centers..." blah blah blah) . . . they are CRAMMING information into this :30 spot and it's up to you, the VO, to make it palatable.

In my opinion, the talent doing the VO on the "real" version of the spot (click the title of this blog post to view on YouTube) is he's hitting the ending line a little too much. When you have bombastic copy with words like "best," you've got to treat it like an honest admission as opposed to a hard sell.

VO: What is PODS? A smarter way to move and store. We deliver a container, you fill it up . . . With big things, Valuable things, Things you want to baby. Take all the time you need, lock your container and keep it on site, or call us and we’ll come get it. We can drive it to your new home across town or across the country, or store it at one of our secure storage centers. That’s PODS. The best moving and storage idea ever.

Green Earth G-OIL :30 TV

VO: Can changing your motor oil really change the world?

Yep.

Because this is not just another crude oil.

This is new G-OIL,

ultimate biodegradable high-performance oil.

Made right here on our soil from renewable bio-based resources.

So it's time to make the change official.

Because if G can race in the American Le Mans series,

You can bet the redwoods your car can run on it too.

New G-OIL. Only from Green Earth Technologies.

Get more at Get G dot com.

Raid Max Bug Barrier :30 TV

VO: The way bugs see it,

Your home is their home.

But now you can build a barrier that kills bugs dead.

Introducing Raid Max Bug Barrier.

Its Auto Trigger lets you lay down a continuous, long-lasting barrier like the pros do.

Build a barrier indoors and out

with the new Raid Max Bug Barrier.