The Producers Podcast - Voiceover And Radio / Audio Production

The show’s guest, Graeme Judd, is one of the preeminent Promo Voices in the US (and Canada). I have had the luxury of speaking to some of the biggest names in more than one industry and in his, he is near the very top.  Graeme is regularly heard on CBS, E!, Fox and a multitude of other networks and platforms.  A few Graeme Judd adjectives that come to mind after our chat: Humble, Driven, Passionate and Genuine.  In the show we chat everything from his career’s genesis, music, audio production, all facets of voiceover, coaching, agents, managers (probably too much) tech/geek stuff and his VERY amazing studio.  I hope you dig it and please check out the links below. HERE is that TMZ clip I reference.  I loved this. Visit Graeme’s Website:  http://www.graemejudd.com/ Graeme’s AMAZING Studio:  https://wsdg.com/projects-items/graeme-judd-voiceover-studio/ Graeme on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/graemejudd

As long as I can keep featuring the biggest players in the industry AND they happen to be female it’s a big win-win. While my guest, Vanessa James, happens to be one of the stellar imaging voices in radio she also has her hands firmly dug into so many other areas of media and brand building. I get her talking about how she progressed to where she is now – From Radio to Voice Acting to Social Influencing to Brand building and everything in between.  There is definitely a lot in between.  You hear her on stations around the states like KTU in NYC, HIT 97.3 in Miami and as a voice for JetBlue, Palace Resorts and more. Plus she is out there on location for Nissan and more!  I grabbed a bunch of links and put them below so please hit her up while you enjoy the show. Vanessa James Links: http://vanessajamesmedia.com/ Twitter  |   Facebook   |   Instagram   |   LinkedIn   |   Youtube

Many people in the industry and/or who regularly check out my podcast will be familiar with Randy Thomas, today’s guest.  If you know the basics – scroll on down to the links, download the show or just hit that big round play button! For everyone else Randy is thought of by many, myself included, as Voiceover Royalty. She is one of the few professionals who have been heard by billions…yep, BILLIONS…of people, LIVE.  To list a few achievements:  Voice of The Oscars (8x) The Super Bowl (3x), The Emmy Awards (5x), The Tony Awards (18x), SAG Awards (5x), Entertainment Tonight, Netflix, CBS, ABC, TNT, FXX, Bravo, Brand voice of Radio Stations everywhere and the list rolls on.  To say she is a polished professional on and off the mic is an understatement. Voiceover pros, neophytes and any person who loves pop-culture will enjoy listening to her stories.  I had a blast and I appreciate Randy carving out a nice chunk of time for me, especially in the busy holiday season.  I am excited to round

I think based on his “Online Names” being episode 113 might be a good thing for my latest guest, Josh Jensen.  He is a bunch of things at iHeart Media but mainly Creative Director at 98Rock and US 103.5 (WFUS) in Tampa.  He also handles creative for the National iHeart Platform (CHR) and Nikki Sixx’s national shows PLUS (yes there is more) Imaging Production for The Mix Group’s ever-growing fleet of stations. I got to meet Josh a while back and he is kind of…no,  IS the guy who you expect to be making his Imaging. Take that as you will but I certainly mean it as a BIG compliment.  His style is dynamic, he is extremely skilled in many formats and he is a work-horse.  He says he has little focus but BIG Drive.  That is evident in what he accomplishes. Discussion 13min: Tampa iHeart 20min:  Tech Talk 27min: What the Producer wants from the VO talent 36min: The Bar in El Cortez – THE PARLOUR http://elcortezhotelcasino.com/dining/parlour-bar/ Reach out RadioTweaker.com Instagram

…OR you might know him as “Sidey.”  Mike Andersen is the Imaging Director at Triple M in Sydney and the Triple M Network. There are a million reasons why he has been the Imaging MAN there for over 20 years and hopefully you’ll hear about a few of those in this show.  I guess to put one word on his style I’d go with “Unpredictable”.  You could say he is quirky, edgy, funny, succinct, interesting and a whole bunch of other descriptors that mean you don’t know what you are going to get…ever…in the best way possible.  Mike is also a prolific Voiceover artist heard on radio (Triple M), Commercials and TV networks like Channel 7 and FX.  Mike is a Rock guy at heart but you’ll hear plenty of contemporary things going on in his sound, original writing, and even some old school, brassy, jingly stuff too. Oh…did I mention award winning? He’s won a bunch of Radio/Broadcast awards (which I know from the internet, I didn’t bring them up in

How about one of the top Radio Imaging Voices as my next guest?  I welcome in Wendy K Gray.  On top of that, Wendy is a killer in the world of Promo, Animation (all aspects of that), Commercial, Industrial and Narration. Plus she is a singer/songwriter with years of writing, recording and performing under her belt.  She’s taking meetings on projects with the likes of Seth MacFarlane and tells the story at the end of the show.  But she is a super shy, humble and talented individual that  even let me get a few words in over the course of our 70 minute chat. By fault of only ME I have not featured enough Women on this show.  I will try to do better. I tossed the link to her site below but I also hope you swing by the Show Notes Page for this one.  I condensed all the content to a few links and paragraphs but she gave me a ton of Bonus Content!  ENJOY!! EDIT: (I blame Wendy for sending me SO MUCH stuff) I forgot to put her email address here so you can reach out and bother her be nice to her:  wendykgray@gm

My first Maltese guest, Dan Testa, is one of, if not the youngest guests on the show to date. I actually had no idea he was this young BECAUSE of how advanced his skill-set is. I believe when you hear his work and hear him talk about radio it will obvious why I had to get him featured.  A “Young Gun” for sure but a skill level beyond his years, Dan is Head of Production at 897 BAY in Malta.  He is a shining example of how Networking can and should be used in a positive manner, how you can learn from the BEST in this business even if you are secluded on a tiny island “near” Italy and the barriers to becomig VERY good if not GREAT at radio production are of your own making.  Enjoy this one as we start with the big picture stuff (Like where is Malta?) on down to the nuts and bolts of how he accomplishes his sound. Distorted Panda  – DistortedPanda.com *Note: Distorted Panda will be out in the next few days!  OR maybe it’s already out…if you are listening in the future

The more I think that being north of 100 episodes means I’ll start to run out of BIG names to get on the show..the more I realize thats absurd. John Pleisse is a major player in the voiceover world especially when we talk in terms of Radio Imaging AND TV Affiliate work. He is heard in the largest markets on varying formats in radio and while primarily on NBC affiliates across the States he is also on other networks and cable channels etc.  Basically, if you have functioning ears and are in ‘merica — you’ve heard my guest. And what a humble, sane, honest individual John turned out to be.  I slaughtered my intro with him (so I think I cut most of it out) but he is one of the guests that I had never had contact with in the past.  We weren’t friends and never even emailed.  I never know how these shows will go but clearly from my limited interaction with John he’s a guy you want to know and would be excellent to work with. Hit his site below for in-depth, longer demos (audio an

Chris Ward’s official title: Content Operations Director / Group Production Director for the Bauer City Network , Northern England & Scotland. That means he has his hands in dozens of stations and networks across the UK.  He is also part of the larger Bauer Media Group which, as I learned in the interview, is REALLY HUGE in Europe.  I had the pleasure of meeting Chris in Amsterdam in 2016 and he joined me on a Jingle Related panel at The Imaging Days.  It was clear to me then that I had to extend our chat to this podcast.  He has a very well rounded skill-set bringing much to the table in the world of radio brands from managing talent, creating focused messaging and of course the actual Production of IMAGING. He brings a nice balance of creative and science to the work. AND you will hear his Imaging Voiceover skills on display as well. We cover it all – all we could cover in about an hour!  Enjoy! Contact Chris: Chris.Ward@bauermedia.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-ward-96166

Andrew Berger is the Imaging Director at POWER 106 in Los Angeles, CA.  Power is one of the longest running Hip Hop stations in America and one that has built genres and landscapes, waged battles and defined radio strategies for decades.  It has certainly evolved in different ways but to say it isn’t an EXTREMELY important station in the grand scheme of radio would be wrong. Andrew is one of those people I think about when I keep doing this podcast. Andrew consumes these interviews more than most people (more than anyone should). He analyzes everything that the pros with whom I speak have to say and applies them to his advancement. He reached out to EVERYONE and, by his own words, was really annoying and he knew he was.  But he was determined and driven to be where he is so it was probably written this way all along.  I first heard from Andrew when he was about 18…and now a few years later he has the gig at POWER in LA.  We go into detail on his path and what he has done to get where he is.  We do

Justin Spencer Dove is a rising star and has been for a solid decade or more.  I always know that if a guy’s name comes up many times, by many independent people consistently, I want to get him on my show.  AND he has one of the real nifty Imaging gigs out there too!  He’s the GUY at 90.3 AMP (huge) and XL 103 in Calgary on top of being the National Imaging Director for ALL of NEWCAP RADIO. On top of handling imaging in neighboring markets, and across the company, he’s also producing some really cutting edge sound design.  Look on his website under INFO to hear and buy JD2 and JD3. We had a great chat – his background, day-to-day at Newcap, some tools he loves, picking imaging voices, how he works creatively, sound design and  why us producer types are sort of mental – all topics of discussion. Links: Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/justin-spencer-dove Facebook – @JustinSpencerDove Twitter – @coreimagejd2 Website – CoreImageStudio.com  

Roger Rose is one of the premier promo voices in America. While many people will know Roger, or at minimum his voice, from the Columbia Broadcasting System it might still be a surprise to find out on just how many venues he is heard. CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX – The Grammys, The Emmys, People’s Choice, Other Live events – Animation, Commercial, Affiliate Voice, Trailers, Long-form Narration (on networks and shows you probably watch) – Director, Producer, Actor (Ski Patrol!), Improv, Comedy, Drama, Variety….I should stop. Wait – One more – Fred Savage Friend. (I love Fred Savage, so I had to bring it up) OK, we perhaps spent a little too much time on Fred to open the show.  I left it because, Fred Savage.     Visit www.RogerRose.com for all the other Roger Roseness you can handle.

“Tell us how you did it.” I should do this more often but I pulled a small, simple quote from the end of our interview because I think this is very important for new/young/budding talent to keep in mind. When applying for gigs and sending audio THAT is what Marc Vickers, Creative Director of Wisebuddah in The UK, wants along with it.  It’s a simple “extra” to provide if you want to be heard and considered for a job and worth your attention. Marc Vickers is indeed the guest for this show and was very generous with his time. More Marc Stats – Marc has been branding radio stations worldwide for over 10 years, and is responsible for producing jingles & imaging for Sky Radio, Radio 538, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2,  Radio Veronica, BBC 6 Music, Dasding, Magic, Antenne Bayern, Bauer City 1, Astral & Rawlco networks (Canada) Kiss FM (Spain) and Mix Megapol (Sweden) among many others around the world.  As well as music for TV & Radio advertising campaigns including Renault

That’s Ben marks!  Imaging Producer at Reel World Europe.  I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many people from their team and like everyone else – Ben exudes class, humility and TALENT. Check out the link below to Reel World’s Blog about the Radio 1 Extra project.  It should show you all you need to know about what Ben does and can do.  You may have seen him speak at Imaging Days 2015 or reelMix 2016.  I did my best to expand on many techniques, themes and projects you heard or saw. It’s hard to talk about “How” you do very high level audio crafting but Ben does a great job of that too. We mentioned a few links, his email, a screen grab in show: Ben’s Website:  SubstanceB.co.uk Email Ben:  Ben@substanceb.co.uk Reel World Blog Article   Effectrix from SugarBytes 

Xavier Paul is a Voiceover Artist, Theater, TV and Film actor, Stand up comic, On Camera Host and a Musician. “HBO, THE NBA, CNN, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, MOVIE TRAILERS, CARTOONS, ANIMATION!” BUT when he breaks it down to the core:  he is a STORYTELLER.  We had a great chat, we got a little deep into industry issues and some of the hurdles he has had to overcome to get to where he is. AND as a geek for great cinematic art it was a real pleasure to speak to someone who was a part of HBO’s ‘The Night Of’ – if you know the show, you know.  If you haven’t seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it! Check out the podcast and the links below.  Xavier is putting a lot of great content into the world. Hit him up on Twitter:  @VoiceoverToday Listen or download below. Check out ALL the Xavier info and love below! Xavier Paul, an experienced actor/voiceover/standup comedian. Voiceover website: www.coolvoicemedia.com Just finished doing a recurring role in the HBO series, The Night Of” w

To celebrate the (official) 100th show of my now 8 year old podcast I set out to create the most International audio program about the current state of Radio Imaging.  I asked about 40 radio pros to talk about radio imaging. Simple right?  We discuss why we do it, the future of the industry, what we do well, what we can improve, some tools/plug-ins and some wise words and wishes. YIKES…I thought this was such a good idea (and maybe it was) but did I plan for the actual “How?” of the thing?  Nope.  I probably could have put it together 7 days ago but I kept trying to envision how you would want to actually listen to this type of thing, then second guessed myself over and over. There are 40 different people representing 14 countries speaking maybe, 20 languages…(actually they were all kind enough to answer me in English). So, I finally decided to JUST DO the thing – I had everyone do one intro in the beginning and then answer the questions as they came.  Not everyone answered every

Programming Note:  No, you did not miss Episode 100.  I had planned to line it up with my trip to Europe BUT I actually did a couple bonus episodes so I’ve brilliantly traveled forward to 101 today.  NEXT, in October, I will create and post a “100th Podcast Extravaganza Show” – and that will fittingly be titled Episode 100. Today we hear from the new Imaging Producer at RTE 2FM (Ireland).This is the new National CHR station and it kicks some serious ass thanks to our guest, Denzil Lacey. He was brought in to not only image the station but create the brand.  He has some fun stories about “Illegal Radio” or Pirate Radio from when he was a kid.  He has radio in his blood and actually started his career at the age of 2, kinda.  We discuss the team, the environment at a large media campus, his panel at The Imaging Days and a whole lot of really nerdy audio and computer stuff. If you want to reach out to Denzil hit HIS WEBSITE or just look for @DenzilLacey on all the socials BONU

It was not quite ONE year ago today when one of the highest profile Imaging jobs on earth opened up. Dave Foxx left iHeart/NYC – Z100 and KTU – after almost (or more than??) 30 years on the job.  I immediately started asking some friends on the inside (including Dave) who would, or could, take the gig. It was pretty quiet for a while. Turns out there were actually many solid names being tossed around.  Then in about April of 2016 the news was made official.  Staxx Williams was dubbed the new Imaging Dir. at iHeart NYC servicing Z100 and KTU. And now, finally, he gets to be on a podcast to talk about it! But seriously he was nice enough to donate his time to my cause and discuss EVERYTHING that went into the move, the search and some of the obstacles to getting started.  Plus we went into his radio career from the beginning, his upcoming session at The Imaging Days in Amsterdam and what else he possibly has time for! Check out Staxx on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/z1043-staxx Check out Staxx

Another high level and still continually rising voice-talent is featured on the show. Chad Erickson is a big name in the world of Radio Imaging Voiceover but he is also found all over your TV box with promo work heard on CBS, Fox, CNN, ESPN College Basketball, Steve Harvey and many, MANY more. Chad is heard on stations everywhere (too many to begin to list) but hit up his website below to see and hear all about it. Chad has many years in the production room and we discuss that too. I tried to balance the “Radio” and “not-Radio” talk throughout the show but we definitely get into plenty of great info for veterans and budding stars. Chad Erickson’s website: http://www.chaderickson.com/

I don’t like to label someone as “The guy from…” or  “The person you know as…” in reference to what they do – but in this case, as far as Radio Imaging Voices, Howard Cogan is as connected to ONE specific brand as anyone. Howard is the well known voice of the multi-national JACK FM Radio stations.  He is also turning up all over the Network Promo world.  As far as TV work goes he is a veteran and  you’ve likely heard him voice a promo for Modern Family but he is actually heard all over the network landscape including ABC, FOX, FX, CTV in Canada and more.  Howard is a very genuine guy who has a healthy perspective on his position in the industry and that position is continuing to rise.  Website: http://www.howardcogan.com/