Friday, August 6, 2010

Supervalu Grocery!

I am excited to announce that for about 5 weeks now I've been the new insert voice for Supervalu Grocery Store Chain! Supervalu is a huge nation-wide chain, including Albertsons, Shaws, Shop n' Save, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Farm Fresh and more! I'm the voice that comes on at the end of the spot and tells you to hurry in and make sure you don't miss such and such- whatever is in season and on-sale from week to week. It is so much fun to do! I have to admit, I've been imitating grocery ads as I listened to them on the radio in my car for years now! I'm a self-admitted geek for both food and great bargains- I always knew this was in my wheel house. What a trip to now be in my car driving, listening to myself! So grateful; it's a blast, the folks I'm working with are awesome... and to have a regular gig is such a gift.

I actually happen to love grocery stores. One of the few things that my mother and I always did together was grocery shop. She taught me how to do it, and how to do it like a pro, every Friday at the ShopRite. From the time I was a baby, I'd ride in the little front seat of the cart and watch her as she piled up food a mile high, to feed four kids, a husband, a dog and three cats. She'd show me her list, how she'd organized everything according to where it actually was in the store - and I thought that was amazing; to me, that store was HUGE! How could she possibly know where everything was?? When we'd get up to the register, I'd stare as the food zipped through and the total would climb....higher and higher...and my mind would always swirl with horror and delight when I saw the final cost--Over $200??! How could she spend that much on food every week! She'd moan and feign despair as she smiled. She'd say "I know-can you believe it?!"

When we got home, it was everybody's job to help unload the car. If you were home, you helped. That was the rule. Mom did not bring in the groceries. Instead, she'd be inside, cleaning out the fridge. Throwing out the old and making room for the new. Restoring order to our lives. Soon, the brown paper bags would be in rows across the kitchen floor and everyone would disappear, back to their own lives. And the next thing you knew, she had put them all away, folded up the bags and started dinner...and we had a fully stocked house. Another week of safety, comfort and stability realized in that weekly ritual, put away lovingly on our shelves.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Timken/United Way

Here's one I did a while back for United Way. I remember having fun with this-it was one of my first bookings! I love doing super "conversational" reads and I love what the United Way does. I am glad to have a copy of it!

Monday, July 19, 2010

LasikPlus

Here's a new spot I did while I was in upstate NY for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. I found out I booked the job and they couldn't wait for me to get back to LA...so I jumped down to NYC and cut it there at a cool studio called Headroom. I love that about this industry. When I was doing on-camera, that never could have happened! You have to be where the shoot is! I love the world of remote connection--such tasty freedom and flexibility!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

first female voice of HBO

I'm taking a really fun promo class with Gene Cordes and Joyce Castellanos on Thursday nights. The class is "to picture". It's excellent. Their basic approach with promos is that every station is a family and all of the shows are their kids. And, as the voice, you are an insider- a member of that family - either a crew member or really in the show, but that you know the cast really well. I had just practiced one for a block of Fox shows, ones that I knew very well and I was remarking about how much easier it is when you actually know the shows. Then without thinking (or I might not have said it? why is that?), I announced that I want to be the first female voice of HBO. I know and love all those shows. It seemed like the people I was talking to really heard me, and in a few seconds, visualized that with me. What's more, I felt everything go so still, just for a moment. It actually felt like universe was listening. Absorbing the call. Let's hope so! Here's to the Power of Specificity!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

great day

Today I had two sessions, a morning one and then an afternoon one. The morning one took one hour, a promotional video for Aquatic's Ava Bath, recorded at Voice Trax West in the Valley. They offer their ISDN to talent for $1/minute with a minimum of 30 minutes. What a great deal! Why bother paying for your own? And they are super cool, too. Totally my kind of folks over there.

The afternoon one was for Beaufort Memorial Hospital, this amazing hospital in South Carolina. I recorded it at my home studio, a series of six :15 spots for tv. I knocked them out in about 2 hours. Coulda been faster, but I tend to be a perfectionist.

The cool thing is, not only did I thoroughly enjoy myself today, I made more money in 3 hours than I would all week at a "day" job. What a fun life. This is how I imagine it will be every day sometime soon. I love it. I love that nothing is ever the same and that I get to learn about all these interesting products and services, offering up my creativity to complete a picture that a lot of people have worked really hard at manifesting.

Everybody is selling something. I get to sell in a creative and exciting way that feels right to me.

Monday, March 15, 2010

happy client

I got this note the other day. I love these!


Hi Rachel,

Hope this finds you well! I can't recall if I sent you the final video for
St. Margaret's Episcopal School. The project came out SOOO well, and the
clients love it. We are likely doing an admissions video for them in the
near future, and will be in touch about that when the time comes.

Again, thank you for lending your talent to this piece, your narration was
the perfect fit.



Here's the clip on Vimeo

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

P&G's DDF Anti-Aging Protocol Booking!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of doing a gig for Proctor & Gamble's DDF (Doctor's Dermatologic Formula) Anti-Aging Protocol. It was a a long piece - we were in the studio for about 3 and a half hours as they recorded me and dropped my voice into the piece. Originally they had intended to use two different VO women for the two different parts, but they ended up giving it all to me! It was fun to play two different "roles"; one voice was a more clinical/scientific/expert read and the other was a more friendly/peppy/everyday person read. It was a Direct Response/Call to Action type of infomercial, which I am finding I have a knack for! I had a great time doing it. Everyone was fun, focused and positive. I hope it plays over and over again!! It was recorded at Dave and Dave's in Toluca Lake, which I had heard of, but never been to. As it turns out, they are the ones who produce the VORG (Voice Over Resource Guide)! I left with two copies. They were great, and it was a beautiful studio. I love my job!