Hey, Christy, Hi, how are you?
I'm so good? How are you?
I am good?
Man?
It's getting good, isn't it. So Hannah Bama moved on last week?
Yeah, she did, and she she did it right like she She came in with all of the passion and spirit and I think that's so much of what we're looking for, wouldn't you?
Oh? I agree. She also took her time, she hid every note. I mean, she was great. It was that both contestants were awesome, but it was one of those things, especially when we got to the tiebreaker challenge, which was fun to do, she really stepped up. So, man, the first one in the final four is absolutely worth. I mean, they're all worthy of being there. But man, it's going to be the competition's getting stiff, you know.
I also thought that we did a really good job of conducting the new format of this round, because it's never been done. I've never seen anyone do something like this before. And yet it was still like I thought, Okay, they're going to do an ad read. It's not going to be that dynamic, it's not going to be that different, But it actually was quite different. Round for round, take for.
Take, Yeah, no, it's it's it's crazy. So we are very very excited to continue the competition because we are going to find the next person. So actually, I'm just
super excited about who we have today. Who's who's helping us our guest judge today, because not only is she a friend for a very very long time, not only is she incredibly talented, especially when it comes to the to animation, but a lot of people don't know she's the voice of everything she does, like oh, like the voices of ESPN and we'll talk to you about it, but I mean, we is legendary in this side. Can you tell us who's joining us today?
It's Vanessa Marshall.
Hi, Vanessa, how's it going? Welcome back?
How are you?
Welcome back? Thank you you are here to help us as a guest judge today. Excellent, Moving on to the next round. So the last round of the show, we were doing the game the where we were picking our contestants and the contestants were you know, are are our guest judges were picking numbers. It was called by the Numbers, and they were building the uh character right there, yeah, right there on the spot as fast as they could.
But as we've said from the beginning, we are looking for a all around voiceover actor, like somebody who is can do anything whenever we need to, just like that's one of the So we are doing our second game now, which is called Extra Extra Read all about it and it's all ad reads. And one of the things I was talking about in your intro is how everybody knows you from all of your voiceover stuff when it comes
to animation. I mean, we've talked about Wonder Woman, We've talked about Gamora, we've talked about everything you've done, but a lot of people don't know you are also huge in the world of like you're the voice of this, you're the voice of that product.
I cannot know that.
So can you tell us a little bit about some of the some of the stuff that you do.
Yes, of course, So you're asking about commercials and commercials.
And I know that you did. You did a lot of stuff for ESPN, and you've done stuff for all these kind of different companies, and I guess I'm just asking not only what which ones have you done, but how is that different than the animation side.
Oh it's yes, commercial, promo, trailer, narration, all of that stuff and I also do radio liners. I have various radio stations all over that I and there are different genres within that for rock, you know, adult contemporary, this and that. But yeah, the difference, well, okay, what's the same is that each thing is telling a story, right and in animation we bring the story to life. In a commercial, it's a thirty second story. There's a problem,
here's a solution, live happily ever after. Right So in analyzing what the promise is, it's the same general idea. It's just only thirty seconds long. Right. So in terms of text analysis and stuff like that over the arc of a season, you know, say Guardians of the Galaxy that we were in Gomorah seeks for redemption if you will. You know in the commercial, I did an eyeglass commercial the other day and it says something like mullets were
never cool. Cattis eyewear. Like there's someone on camera like with a mullet and like big goggle, you know, and I actually love mullets. Let's just give a shout out to the mullet community. Yes, anyway, but the problem it's like, you know, ugly mullet. Fix it with a pair of glasses. It was it might have even been a fifteen second spot. And then I just say, you know, get a life at cadisywear dot com. And so problem mullets were never good,
You're disgusting. Solution Catisyewear will solve all your problems. So that's sort of the mini version of it in a commercial. And then you know, I've voiced stuff for the X Games and I think they said they wanted b Orc to do it, and I was like, guys, I don't know that that's going to pan out for you. But they said they wanted some sort of transatlantic, like some indistinguishable bizarre act, and I kind of did sort of a British accent. But that person has traveled quite a bit.
You're like, coming up next on the X Games, she's like twenty and she's like seeing some things. You know, she's a bit precautious, right, And so that was specific, but normally it's just sort of straight announcer read. But anyway, each scenario, like say for the Special Olympics for ESPN, that is more of you know, it was hard not
to cry while I was reading that copy. I mean, these kids were so amazing and I was like, I'm such a schlub, you know, I felt like, you know, I was so inspired and and so the you know, the deal there is to just like hold it together and all these kids, you know, to help to help guide the viewers through witnessing these miraculous events. So so again it's it's sort of the same premise, but different
different lengths of time and different goals. And then of course in the video game there's the video player or the video game player, and you're sort of equally guiding them through it. So I guess it just depends on the agenda, the length of time, the proximity of the listener, how well do you know them, or do you have to be more formal stuff like that. That it's just a different approach.
Yeah, so it's so in depth. I mean, it's just you think it's just I'm going to go and read some mad copy. It's I that's what we're looking for.
Wow, I'm so excited for you to be our adjudicator today.
As yes, we've now call it the Adjudicators, and we have some really talented people that have done through first round. So I think we told you we had like almost forty five hundred entries. We scaled that down to the final sixteen, and those sixteen we are now down to the Elite eight and we have our first our first last week Canabama went through. So we have our first member of the final four and we're going to be picking our I can remember of the final four today.
And with that being said, we have some incredible people today. We have Danielle from Tennessee and Matthew from Delaware, who are both very very talented people. And I don't know who actually can we always go by who got into the room first? So do we know who? Yes? Okay, so Danielle was here first, so if we could bring in Danielle, that would be great. Here we go, Danielle.
Hi, guys day, welcome back, How are you good?
Once again? Congratulations on making it into the Elite eight. Trademarked. I made that up. I didn't.
He's a genius.
Thank you, such a genius.
So you know, as you know you last game we played was called by the Numbers, and we created characters for you on the spot. Are our judge. Our judicator created characters for you on the spot randomly based on numbers. And as we've said from the beginning, we are looking for an all around voiceover actors. So today we are going to be playing extra extra read all about it, where you are going to be just reading ad copy,
which is going to be a ton of fun. And our guest judge today is the amazing Vanessa Marshall.
Hello, Hello, how are you?
I'm great? Also, I'm loving the Funko figurines behind you. Those are fabulous.
This is the big Star Wars collection. I love it.
So we can't wait. So, Danielle, you were here first. Do you have your lines of dialogue?
I do?
Okay, great, So we are just introing people right now and we will be right back to you to start round one. So sorry, second, daniel thank you so much, and now let's bring in contest the number two ladies and gentlemen. We lay Matthew from Delaware. Come on down. Yeah, it's Matthew from Delaware. Hello. Hello, hey Matthew. How are you?
Hey, matt doing pretty well?
How are welcome? Welcome? We're doing great. Thank you, congratulations again on making the Elite eight and moving on. As we said, so you got here second. You know, we do the contestants in the order that they arrive, and you were second, so very briefly, I just want to tell you a little bit about today's game. You know, last time you were here, we played by the Numbers, where we created your character on the spot. Today we are playing Extra Extra Read all about It, where it
is all straight ad reads, no games, no numbers. We are just giving you ad copy and stuff and letting you sell us as we go. So are you ready with your first two lines of dialogue? Okay? Perfect? So we are just introducing you right now, and I would like you to meet our guest judge today, Vanessa Marshall. Hello, who is doing the voice of everything if you've watched cartoons, bought any products, listen to anything, and that is just
the Star Wars stuff. She's also it on eighty seven trillion other things and is the voice of a whole lot of stuff. So we just wanted to say, Hi, Matt, welcome you to the contest again, and we will be right back for round number one.
I should have been singing this whole time, Will here we go? You should what I should have been singing, like the background music this whole.
Nice that wouldn't have been wouldn't have confused our contestants at all. But you can sing really well, so it would sound nice, but it's worth a shot. Here we go with round number one. Let's bring in Danielle from Tennessee to start Extra extra read all about it. Hello, Danielle, how are you?
I am running nuts?
How are you that?
I've actually got a dr for a project I'm working on on Tuesday? So I am like real excited about it.
For you, you still don't have an agent though, right, No good making sure you're still eligible for the contest.
Cap That be awkward.
It would be awkward. Here we go. So you got line number one. We're just gonna not get in your head, not give you any notes, not do anything about it, just let you read it at your pleasure and see where we can go from there. So line number one, whenever you are ready.
Okay.
I never drank and never smoked, but my addiction soda. I would go through ten to twelve cans of that sugar water a day. Not only was I always really jittery, but I was gaining a ton of weight. That is until I found Zest Supreme. Zest Supreme is the new bubbly drink that has no sugar and no calories, made from only natural ingredients. Zest Supreme has replaced my old fashioned sugar soda with a carbonated water that I can drink all day, every day. Zest Supreme say goodbye to sugar water forever.
Very nice, Vanessa, that was just a cold read. No, we've got the first the first two, we give the contestants the night with, and there might be a round three. That's cold. But oh what do you think, Vanessa any notes?
Well, first of all, that was fantastic. I of course, as a stand up comic and improviser, I'm curious about the comedy behind it in that when you started, I didn't know if you were doing a commercial for a rehab. I wondered just to give it more depth. I mean, if this were an audition, then you were looking to make your audition stand out. That almost like those progressive
commercials where you're becoming your parents. It's a very sad music, like labeling a trash can, Like if it started out as my addiction, you know, not not a complete you know, any episode, but something that misleads the listener to then like the solution is this awesome drink that it's not quite as dour. I don't know. I was just thinking to uh play a little bit. I don't know. I was curious what that would sound like. But I mean, is that is that proper feedback or she.
You're the expert.
Yeah, absolutely, And you know again that's this is just kind of if you were listening to it and you're directing her, you know what kind of what would you say? And I think that's great. Well.
The other thing that I would do, and that I do do is whatever the product is, I do a ton of research before going in the booth. I'll look at what the product is, who's in competition with it, what the other competition is doing in terms of branding their product. How how can I assist them in redefining their brand in a way that stands out. I would
look at the stock prices. I would get a better sense of I would get a better sense of what the ad agency is up again says like, oh, they just did a Super Bowl commercial and those guys did we blast, so they're doing damage control or whatever it is. I can ally my align myself with what it is that the ad agency is seeking to do and make it look like I don't understand any of that.
This is why, this is why certain actors work all the time and other actors don't necessarily is because you get people like Vanessa that just take it to the next level.
I mean, I just love I love solving the mystery of it because it's almost like a mystery dinner theater is like, ooh, what is this product up to and why are they doing it this way? That's interesting and and to deliver the razzle dazzle that the ad agency needs while still maintaining the integrity and the spinal cord that the product needs, like oh, well, we don't want to offend anybody, like wait, why are you being so edgy? Okay, wait,
don't alienate anybody, Like there's a fine. This is probably from growing in like a dysfunctional family. I can like, I can read, I can tell, I can tell what mom needs to hear and what Dad needs to hear and be sa Switzerland in the middle. And and this is how we make use of our troubles.
Anyway, man, monetize your trauma.
That's iologize the trauma.
What about you, christ Christy, do you have any notes?
My god, are you kidding me? I have to I have to go next to that. I mean, but I Honestly, I remember when we spoke to you the first time, and I feel like I learned so much from you, and I feel like it's happening all over again.
Cool.
God, are you so cool with your jacket? I don't want to be you.
It's like catching solving a murder mystery. You know, you come upon a car crash and you're like, what happened here? Like how can I help you?
Know?
Not not that commercials are car crashes.
All of them might be, but the industry is a car crash. And I think that she makes a really
great point. I think that the one of the takeaways that I got to, you know, the auditioning process was instead of getting in your head about it right, because this whole process is daunting and nerve wracking and to some degree, and I think when you're trying to just give the client like an opportunity to you're trying to help them, right, It's like you're almost trying to you know, you're just there to help them, like they have a problem and you're there to help fix it, rather than
be like I'm here to perform for myself. I do find that you will be happier with the work that you create in the room, right, because you leave it in the room that way. Even if today you're doing this and you're like, no, I did what they were telling me to do, and you took all the notes. So I think that I think what I got from Vanessa if I were you, was let's play with it more. But also keep in mind that there's a story being told, right that there's a problem and then there's a solution
to that. So in doing so, I think that you know we don't want it as one note.
Okay, mine are very simple and it's going to be exactly what you hear anytime you go into the booth. A lot bracket, the product more and a little bit faster. That's all I'm going to say. And let's go from there. So line number one again, at your pleasure.
Okay.
I never drank, never smoked my addiction soda. I would go through ten to twelve cans on that sugar water a day. Not only was I always really jittery, but I was caning a ton of weight. That is until I found Zest Supreme. Zes Supreme is the new bubbly drink that has no sugar and no calories, made from only natural ingredients. Est Supreme has replaced my old fashioned sugar soda with a carbonated water that I can drink all day, every day. Zes Supreme say goodbye to sugar water forever.
That was great, Thank you so much, and we will be right back with you. Appreciate it. Awesome. Okay, she was great. I thought she took the notes well and yeah, yeah, it definitely took took what we're saying. She bracketed the product mark, did a little bit faster, I thought she was. She played with it a little more of the second round. So let's see what Matthew can do. Let's bring Matthew in. Hello, hey, hie. So Matthew, we are not going to get in your head.
We're not going to tell you anything. We just would like to hear what you can do with line number one. So at your pleasure anytime.
All right.
I never drank, never smoked my addiction soda. I would go through ten to twelve cans of that sugar water a day. Not only was I always really jittery, but I was gaining a ton of weight. That is until I found Zest Supreme. Zes Supreme is the new bubbly drink that has no sugar and no calories, made from only natural ingredients. Zes Supremus, replace my old fashioned sugar soda with a carbonated water that I can drink all day, every day. Zest Supreme say goodbye to sugar water forever.
Thank you very much, Vanessa, Any notes.
Oh my god, that was amazing. That was so hilarious. That was so hilarious and there was something so intimate about it. I love how you started and just really let the copy breathe and uh, make me curious if you need some sort of seer intervention. And I'm I was relieved to hear that the solution was was so simple and and and yet it wasn't delivered with jazz hands. I thought, I thought that was fantastic, Thank you. Curious curious what it would sound like without the without the character.
But I loved him so much. I don't really want to know, so I well that I have any notes. I thought that was so I don't know. There's that guy. Is that you pix it? The guy's like, yeah, my psoriasis used to get in my crush, you know. He oh, he's like that bald guy and he's like, yeah, now I can fix this light over here and look at my elbow, you know, and there's just something about like, yeah, that guy is cool, you know, like I want to I want to buy that that guy looks really comfortable
in his life. You sound like that guy.
Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, Matt. You sounded like a completely different person. Like it was crazy to me how how different he sounded. So I don't really have any notes.
Will what do you think I do? I liked what you did. I am I would switch up what Vanessa said where I do love the character, but now I want to hear one. I do want to hear one without the accent, just just the justice, straight ad read and if you could make it a little I guess i'd say smooth it out just a little bit, just a little bit. I think what Vanessa said is absolutely true. I loved how you let it breathe in the beginning.
I loved how you let the copy kind of flow, but maybe just a little smoother and just your regular voice. I want to hear what that sounds like.
Okay, smooth out the rhythm, fewer pauses and then quick okay.
Yeah, just yeah, because I thought you had some peaks and valleys there that were great, but I just want to hear try just your regular voice and again, just to hear it all right, because I thought the character was awesome. So let's hear one without that and see what happens.
I never drank, never smoked my addiction soda. I would go through ten to twelve cans of that sugar.
Water a day.
Not only was I always really jittery, but I was gaining a ton of weight. That is until I found Zess Supreme. Zes Supreme is the new bubbly drink that has no sugar and no calories, made from only natural ingredients. Zess Supreme has replaced my old fashioned sugar soda with a carbonated water that I can drink all day, every day. Zes Supreme say goodbye to sugar water forever.
Great, Thank you so much, and we will see you in a bit.
Great job.
Thank you.
All right. Well, you know I'm doing the turndowns today, right. I promised you I committed to doing this. He's been doing it the whole time. Sorry.
The worst thing is telling whoever doesn't make it that they didn't make it to the next round. And Christy said she do it. I thought, I'm just for round number one. I think they're very close. I love how he came in with a different character. I thought she was a little smoother. That's my my for my round one, that's what I would think about. How about the two of you.
You thought she was, what a little smoother, A little smooth smooth, just a little bit.
There's there's something very natural about about her delivery that I thought was And again, it's real close. It's not like it was like, oh my god, she was way back to him. And I do love how he came in with a character because a lot of times you're going to get people that do straight ad reads and you're not going to have somebody that comes in with a character. And that's a great way to stand out as all of a sudden, I'm from New York and
I never drank, never smoke my addiction soda. Like, you're not going to get fifty of those, You're going to get one of those, So that really is going to stand out. I just thought her acting was a little bit better, that's my opinion. Vanessa.
Yeah, yeah, I hear what you're saying.
Yeah, he definitely demonstrated range. Yeah, but I but I see what you're saying perhaps the ease and the polish that she had would be.
Would be able to work more. But I don't know. It's really tough because yeah.
Yeah, I mean we hear.
We've been hearing a lot of female voices lately, which is so great because they are so different from one another.
Women are killing it.
Yeah, they are. If we if we were to eliminate Matt today, we would, that would.
He's the only man left in the competition.
She's great, So it's like, oh gosh, we are. And I also do want to commend Will for being just such a fair human being on every step of this contest. That has led me to understand what fairness truly looks like because I I reserved. I just don't have any judgment on anything. And then I'm like, but yeah, okay, I get it. So I think Matt's great. I think Matt showed range. But as I'm fifty to fifty right now, so I think Matt can still take this.
Oh I do too. Oh this is by no means a runaway, by no means.
Just direct him in a way, because I remember we were doing certain directions towards the tail end of round one where we were like, let's try to help this person, right, And he did come in with like a he did come in with like a sort of a character that he brought to it, which, like what Vanessa was saying, she does a lot of pre work, and so I like that he had that approach. And I also just like his voice.
He also he also took when when I said take the you know, take the character out of it, let's see it, he did, you know, and he was able to drop the character and go write to more of his natural cadence and voice and very good direction. Okay, you agree, Vanessa, it's kind of it's close. It's still close, yeah, because.
You know, my fear was when he went that route, was like, oh, maybe he's not comfortable just speaking in a neutral voice. And he completely killed that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree. I agree. Yeah, Well, to keep it fair, why don't we why don't we have why don't we bring him in for the first read of line too. We'll switch him up like that and we'll bring we'll bring Matthew back in right now for line too. Hey Matthew, how are you hello? All right, so we are starting round number two here, and so once again we're gonna stay out of your head and just see what you do with your first read of line number two anytime at your pleasure.
All Right, I'm going to be totally honest with you. I love my dog more than I love ninety nine percent of the people I've ever met. That's why when I see her scratching from seasonal allergies, I want to do whatever I can to make her as comfortable as possible. It's times like these that I reach four alachus, made from a newly discovered plant in the rainforest. Alachus have been clinically proven to reduce your dog's allergies by over fifty four percent. They can't speak to you, so you
have to speak for them. Give your dog alachus and save the scratching for her belly rubs.
All right, Vanessa, any notes?
I don't have any notes?
Sounds durable, Christy, Okay, I feel like you're almost there personally. I just love your voice so much, Matt. I think you have incredible range, and I love to see that. Like what you did with the first line from take one to Take two to now this feels very different from both of those takes. I think Vanessa really hit it on the head with her initial you know, which she said, which is that there's a problem and then
there's the solution. So I really want to see you take that ability for range and really breathe it into your storytelling about your dog. So talk okay, So me, I don't know, and you guys, you know, my fellow adjudicators can tell me differently, But wouldn't it be great to see him tell the story more and about the dog. So if you're focusing on more like telling the story, you know, to a group of people over a campfire, I think if you need it visually so it's more fun.
And then something I've noticed that I've been told a lot to do in certain times i've gotten directions in the past was almost the product with a smile, the ale choose, you know, It's like that almost gives you the solution in your you know, with using your mouth in that regard. So that's my two cents. That's what I think.
Yeah, I would love much. I would love I thought it was great. I would love to hear you just talk to us, okay, just like pretend you're almost not reading ad copy at all and just talk to us with using the dialogue.
Because again instead of saying everything like this.
Right, because you get a lot of those kind of like when I was as opposed to you know, and I'm not trying to give you a line read, but just now, I'm gonna be totally honest with you. I love my dog more than I love ninety nine percent of people like me.
You know.
I want to hear you just kind of talk to us like we were hanging out, just like Christy said, and see, yeh see what happens with that?
Cool?
All right, thank you very much at your pleasure. Here we go. I'm going to be totally honest with you. I love my dog more than I love ninety nine percent of the people I've ever met. That's why when I see her scratching from seasonal allergies, I want to do whatever I can to make her as comfortable as possible. It's times like these that I reach for alachus, made from a newly discovered plant in the rainforest. Alachus have been clinically proven to reduce your dog's allergies by over
fifty four percent. They can't speak to you, so you have to speak for them. Give your dog allachus and save the scratching for her. Belly rubs.
Great, we will be right back with you. Thanks Matthew, thank you.
Wow.
All right, it was good, you know, definitely, I think he has he has to smooth it out a little bit, but I think it's overall it's good. I think he's got a nice natural cadence and a nice natural tenor to his voice. You know, it's he sounds good. But let's see what Danielle from Tennessee will bring to the table. Let's bring Danielle back. Hi, Danielle, how are you.
I'm doing fine, sir, thank you for asking.
So we are going to be starting with with line number two for round two, and we are not going to say anything. Let's just hear what you do with line number two, line number two, at your pleasure.
All right. I'm going to be totally honest with you. I love my dog more than I love ninety nine percent of the people I've ever met. That's why when I see her scratching from seasonal allergies, I want to do whatever I can to make her as comfortable as possible. It's times like these that I reach for alachus made from a newly discovered plant in the rainforest. Ala chuws have been clinically proven to reduce your dog's allergies by over fifty four percent. They can't speak to you, so
you have to speak for them. Give your dog Alichus and save the scratching for her belly rubs.
Vanessa, And you knowest.
That was great. Thank you, It's great.
Yeah, would you do it anything? You wouldn't switch anything up?
I don't think so. I mean it had an ease and a. I mean, it's it's kind of hard to say those. I mean, in what scenario would you be telling someone about alex shoes? Do you know what I mean? Right? You know I used to do Mervyn's, which doesn't even exist anymore. And I remember just like Sprockets were four ninety nine and they were like, just tell your friend, And I'm like, I don't generally friends and say, hey, Sprockets are four ninety nine. You know you said that to.
Me last week. You don't even remember you.
Tell me last week about that once in a while.
Anyway, I'm forgetful too. I can't blame you, Yeah.
I really I can't think of a week if you were at the VETS office and somebody was like or like, I've got a dog.
You've got a dog, so it's like you're speaking to somebody has the animal, right, Yeah, it's short.
She made it. I felt like she made it effortless, and I definitely yeah. I mean, if I were doing this copy, I would have to come up with a scenario in my mind. How close it is a listener, How well do I know them? Do they own a dog?
You know?
Uh? Are we at the airport like where? I don't know. I would ask all those questions so that it has the relaxation that she embodied naturally.
Christy, Yeah, No, that's fantastic.
Again, Vanessa is amazing, and I'm just constantly like crushing on her this full time artistic artistically and also her jacket and but honestly, that's so great. I think you do have really great instincts. They're sort of undeniable at this point. And uh, it's it's really I think it's taken you this far into our contest. And uh, I think mic placement from what I see you reading on your phone is not helpful. I think you got to be more on the mic so to speak. Okay, yeah, see,
because then we set right there here. Yes, it's clearer I mean, we hear you so much better.
It's a little close, but then then she popped.
A little bit right, so it's like but definitely not looking off. I'd, you know, ad phone fit forward facing. Personally, I would prefer that just to hear because what we don't realize too And like Will and I talk about microphones, and certain microphones pick up different things about your voice, and so it's and some microphones are, you know, tinier than others, but in general does a great microphone for you. So use it. Use it like as much as you.
Can because he has pockets. I actually did just get it the other day and I've been playing with it for the last two days, figuring out settings that work that don't work.
It's nice.
Yeah, you don't even need to look at us as my opinion as stotch.
Here's here's what I would say. I would say if I was directing you, I would say, I thought that was a great first take. I really did. I think if I'd like to hear you play with it a little more on the second take. Okay, it was a little one note all the way through. It was a great note, but it was a little kind of one note all the way through, So maybe find some peaks and valleys here a little bit, sure, and just lighten it up a little bit and and just kind of
play that. That would be my only note. And I would have looked at everybody else in the room and say, wow, great first take. Let's see what she does with the second one. So yeah, let's just see what you can play with it a little bit and find a couple beats to make it your own and go from there.
Okay, I'm going to be totally honest with you. I love my dog more than I love ninety nine percent of the people I've ever met. That's why when I see your scratching from seasonal allergies, I want to do whatever I can to make her as comfortable as possible. And it sounds like these that I reach for Alachus made from a newly discovered plant in the rainforest. Alichews have been clinically proven to reduce your dog's allergies by over fifty four percent. They can't speak to you, so
you have to speak for them. Give your dog alichus and save the scratching for her belly rubs.
Thank you very much. We will be right back with you. Thank you.
Okay.
So I hope we're directing him right, because I feel like we're spending more time with her, and I'm wondering if we're doing that only because she's very natural. She's got a very natural kind of way about her. I think he's really good, Like I thought his takes direction very very well. I think he really does. She seems more polished to me, just all the way around, like she's been doing this for fifteen years already. You know, she just comes off that way even in between. And again,
you have to throw nerves in there as well. You're waiting for a week or two to come on the show. You get your lines the night before. Everybody's nervous. I always say, if you're not nervous doing this, pick another line of work, because you're always nervous. It's fun, it's a great kind of energy you can use, and you're nervous for every job you go in and do. So I'm not holding that against him in any way, shape
or for him. But I'm sure she's nervous too. But in between takes, she's joking with us, she's doing other voices. It's like she comes off as more of a voiceover actor overall, And I'm not trying to hold that against him at all, because we're just going by by performance, and his performances have been very good. But there is a smoothness to her that I don't know if we've brought out of him yet. And I'm not saying it's
not there. I'm just saying that maybe we need to spend a little more time trying to bring that out of him, to see if we can get that same kind of smooth quality. That's I don't know. I can be wrong, but do you guys agree or disagree or.
Well?
I didn't think she could improve on the first take, and she one hundred percent did right, I mean, and equally, I felt like I heard more of what he said on his second take when he just sort of took it down and it was a little bit more intimate. But you know, from my experience, what she was able to accomplish in that second take is what makes a career, right.
I don't disagree.
I don't disc because she took the note and she was right in there, and I didn't feel the artifice. I didn't feel like, aren't I clever? Look how I know? It was just she was she was having a conversation with someone. It felt ground that, it felt authentic. It had the speed that we use when we actually communicate to each other that if you're reading, it sounds like you're doing it really quickly, but when we're speaking to each other we think quickly too. There was nothing forced
in it. It was relaxed, and I was really really impressed with her second rate, I.
Agree one hundred percent, Christy, I was too.
I disagree. I feel like I on the second round there, I really I really tried to reach him.
Yeah, no, I think we did. But I'm just wondering if we're you know, and again, maybe it's her ease, like she kind of joins the conversation and and and so maybe it's it's I think it's just his nerves getting getting the better of him a little bit. And yeah, which which one?
Which pad reads. I mean a lot of these guys that we saw their their tapes and their reels. The guys were very animated. They were superheroes. They had they were on and they did these really big voices, and they were really big and and and sometimes I think with ad reads, it does feel a little hard to you know, communicate give information. I mean women do generally probably communicate better.
Sorry, well I think I think it would depend on the woman and depend on the man.
But okay, right, you're absolutely right. Not getting canceled today.
No, but I think that's no. But I don't disagree. And again we've said this from the beginning. The women have just been killing it. I mean they've just they've just been killing it. They've been great. So I think for this third line, whenever we you know, this is all gonna be cold. I think this is going to be a very big step for one of them to see who can do the cold read better. And I think we work with both of them again to see what they can do and to keep it fair. Here's
what we're gonna do, Vanessa. Yeah, I have something in either my left or my right hand, if if it's if you say left or right, left is going to be Danielle and right is going to be Matthew. To see who goes first. Okay, So I'm holding something in my hand, say left or right?
Right?
Okay, it is left, It is in my hand. So we said left was Danielle? Correct?
Right?
Okay, So Danielle will be going first in round number three. So let's bring Danielle back in. Hey, Danielle, how are you doing good? So much like our last game where we had the cold read, we're going to be doing the same thing again and we're going to be throwing a cold read ad at you. And if you look, it should be on your chat.
Yes, I get a picture because my eyes are terrible, and I can put it on my phone.
All right, so we won't get in your head at all again. If you want to take some more time, you can, if and if you're ready, you can any time you're ready for line number three at your pleasure already.
I hate to travel. First you have to book your trip, Then you have to pack, Then you have to sit in traffic just to get to the line that gets you to the line that gets you to the plane. I just couldn't take it anymore. Then I found my Home, the new app that allows you to rent a house in your own town. Imagine taking a vacation on minutes
away from where you currently live. My Home gives you the feel of a vacation while letting you shop at your local store, eat at your favorite local restaurant, and save a ton of money on a rental car. And let's be honest, when's the last time you actually looked at your town from a tourist point of view? My home a vacation from home, well, never leaving home.
Great Vanessa, Great cold read.
Yeah, that was great. I wonder it Obviously it's a cold read, but it's a little bit presentational or sounding, which it's you know, it's written that way. I wondered if you picked a specific listener, whether it's your cousin or your aunt or I don't know, a coworker or someone that creates a kind of ease and familiarity. You know, who would you confide in that you hate to travel
or do you know what I mean? Like a It might make it more specific and then be easier to connect with as a listener as opposed to a presentation. Yeah type, which is the challenge of add copy all the time is to have it do the sell but effortlessly so and you've done that all day, so you're capable of.
It sell without actually looking like you're selling.
Yeah, And sometimes I don't solve that by going how do I sound like I'm not selling? I saw that by making a specific choice, all right, I've called my aunt I'm talking to I know how I talk to her, like, Okay, this is going to be more grounded in what I know rather than what I want it to sound like. Or I don't know if that makes sense. I'll say
for a legal copy, if you ever have that. A great way to solve if it's a say, a ten minute or sorry, a ten second bit of copy that they need in six seconds, rather than the thinking that you need to do it faster at least a two thousand steven nexte or whatever, is that your listener is leaving the room and so you have to speak faster because they're leaving and you want to get your point across.
You see Jesus, that was so there's sometimes there are little tricks and shoe ins to make it sound different that help us as actors to more authentically create that as opposed to I don't want to sound like I'm selling like you know what I'm saying. Yeah, particular listener, it grounds it a little. That would be my recommendation.
Christy.
I personally, I feel like I just want more energy from everybody. I think like when we're on Mike, it's generally like there's a presence you already have that naturally, but I would love to see that even more right now.
I think it could really help, you know. I think we have seen you do different things, but I also kind of want to just see big energy on this one, like maybe like a little more paced up and a little bit more interested so that it feels less selly like Vanessa was saying, but it's still like interesting, you know. I think that that just comes with the ad read territory. Is they want somebody to feel like they can catch you, they can like really strike you with their words.
No, I agree with everything that was said, and again, I here's the fun with this one. I wrote this one to be absurd. Who the hell would go rent a house in their own town to take a vacation, Well, other than Vanessa, it just seems like it's like, you know, oh wow, I get to go to my local grocery store on vacation. It's just so you're gonna be getting products that make no sense a lot of times when you're getting some of these these ad reads. So you've got to make this absurd. I'm going to go rent
my neighbor's house to be on vacation. Seem like a totally natural and normal thing to do while not sounding like you're trying to sell somebody on renting a house in your own town. It's such a such a weird and absurd line to walk, But I think you can get that with with as Christy said, more energy and as Vanessa said, more energy talking to somebody that you know very well. Okay, and let's see what happens with that. So with that said, act your pleasure anytime, all right.
I hate to travel. First you have to book your trip, then you have to pack, Then you have to sit in traffic just to get to the line that gets you to the line that gets you to the plane.
I just couldn't take it anymore.
Then I found my Home, the new app that allows you to rent a house in your own town. Imagine taking a vacation only minutes away from where you currently live. My Home gives you the feel of a vacation while letting you shop at your local store, eat at your favorite local restaurant, and save a ton of money on a rental car. And let's be honest, when's the last time you actually looked at your town from a Taurus point of view? My Home a vacation from home.
We'll never leave me home. Thank you very much. We will be right back with you.
Thank you nicely done.
That was great. I mean that was yeah great energy.
That that energy is what really so weird.
I almost in that read, I felt like she was sitting next to her schlovey husband never takes her anywhere, and she's, you know, like gilding the lily of like listen you you know, it had another dimension of a motive that was like mysterious to me.
That was great her.
One of the things that's really standing out for me with her is her second takes are really good. And that obviously means she's taking the notes, she's taking the direction, and she's using them, and that's she really is.
She's not in her head about that, right.
So let's all right, Well, let's let's bring Matthew in and see you see what Matthew.
I'm going to give him almost the same direction to Yeah.
Well, let's see what he does. Let's see what he does. He might he might nail it. So let's see what Matthew can can do here. Hey Matthew, how are you hello? All right? So, just like the last time, the last game, we played. We're are now going to jump into round three where you are going to get a cold ad that you have never seen before, so it will be in your chat.
I'm excited.
Yeah, has it? Do you have it? There?
Don't have anything yet?
Oh?
There?
It is all right, so we won't say anything, Matthew, at your pleasure.
Here I go. I hate to travel. First you have to book your trip, then you have to pack. Then you have to pack, then you have to sit in traffic just to get to the line that gets you to the line that gets you to the plane. I just couldn't take it anymore. Then I found my Home, the new app that allows you to rent a house in your own town. Imagine taking a vacation only minutes
away from where you currently live. My Home gives you the feel of a vacation while letting you shop at your local store, eat at your favorite local restaurant, and save a ton of money on a rental car. And let's be honest, when is the last time you actually looked at your town from a tourist point of view? My Home a vacation from home while never leaving home.
Thank you very much, Vanessa. Any notes, Yeah, I'm curious.
I wondered who you were talking to and why, and I wonder if you maybe you made that choice. But I wonder if maybe making a different choice of the listener would make it more conversational and loosen it up a bit. And you know, as Will has said, like you know, just make it not faster, but just that it would just roll off a little bit more given what your intention is, that why you would even be sharing this with a friend or a colleague or a
classmate or you know, whoever the listener is. That that would help govern the ease with which you describe these things, and that might make it just fly a little bit more. But I thought you did a great job.
That's really helpful advice visualizing visualizing my listener, all right, yeah.
Christy, Yeah, I mean if that's the advice that will get you to feel really into making a bold choice, I think that's great. You know, we're really wanting to give you direction that feels true to you because we really are rooting for everyone. And so I had mentioned that, like I think in adreachs, generally speaking, you need to pick up a pace, you need to kind of be There's this old saying of louder, faster, funnier in the industry.
But like, I think that more or less this is like more interested, more active, you know, and then the cell kind of comes from that. I don't know. I mean, look, Matt, like it's up to you. If you know you're talking to somebody that you want to have an intimate conversation with, then it doesn't need to be super in your face. But I do think you can still be very interested and excited to share the news within, so really be excited to share that news.
I agree, I think so. You know, a lot of times when you get cold reads, your cold copy the first time, you're really just trying to get through it. It's one of those things where you don't want to make any mistakes. You want to read through from top to bottom, and you kind of finish and it's almost like a hew, I got through that. And that's great because now it kind of gets in your mouth, it gets in your head, and your second take, you can loosen it up a bit. I think, make it, you know,
more conversational if you can. I would also take a sip of water before you do it again and just kind of relax into it a little bit. And just remember exactly what Vanessa said. You're you're speaking, pick somebody to talk to and it it could just be whoever. It's just a buddy, it's a wife, it's a friend, it's a partner, whoever it is where you're just having a conversation about this. And oh, by the way, I also heard about this great app that we can you know, go,
we don't have to leave town. So let's just see if you loosen it up where it can go from there, So anytime, Matt at your pleasure.
I hate to travel. First you have to book your trip, then you have to pack, and you have to sit in traffic just to get to the line that gets you to the line that gets you to the plane. I just couldn't take it anymore. Then I found my Home, this new app that allows you to rent a house in your own town. Imagine taking a vacation only minutes away from where you currently live. My Home gives you the feel of a vacation while letting you shop at
your local store. You get your favorite local restaurant, save a ton of money on the rental car. And let's be honest, when's the last time you actually looked at your town from a tourist point of view. My home a vacation away from home while never leaving home. My home, a vacation from home while never leaving home.
That's thank you very much. We'll be right back with you. Thank you.
So cool. That definitely had more intimacy.
I definitely did, And I thought he took the direction very well. That being said, I'll be totally honest with you, I think she. I think she was the better actor today.
Man, We're just gonna have any guys, I.
Know, And it's one of those things where we, you know, we've said from the beginning, we are going to find the best wherever the best takes us. And it's gonna be if we if if we do decide that that she wins this week, it's gonna also get very difficult for us because we're going to be comparing one woman's voice to another woman's voice for the rest of the competition,
which can get very tough. Yeah, but that being said strictly by acting, I thought she she she really impressed me today and and he was great, he really was, But I thought she was just a little, you know, a little higher level than he was. Vanessa.
I think they are both fantastic in terms of referring either one or the other. If I had to refer them to my voiceover agency, I would probably I would probably more confidently refer her because of her agility and also the ease with which she communicates with the director. There's something about that and it's it's of course we're all nervous, and I don't think he was necessarily even that nervous or shy. I thought he was hilarious and
he was funny. Yeah, but I think she has a way of relaxing people around her that it might it might behoove him to kind of work on like the hang because a lot of times in the business, people they want to work with you if you're a good hang And.
Oh man, I hate that part because I'm so freaking awkward.
You're easy to work within your phone in the room, and that's that's what.
Look Listen, even that you would just say that, oh I'm so awkward like that that makes people relax because everyone's awkward. Everyone feels like I'm the only one who thinks I'm you know, what the hell am I doing right now? Or whatever it is. And for you to have the humility and the confidence to even say like, oh god, you know and and I don't know that I'm a good hang either. I'm a complete dork.
Yeah, but you are a dor but you're a dork that's fun to hang out with. And I can attest to that. But but I guess.
The lesson that I would take away from this for me is like, Wow, I didn't realize how impactful it is. The more I've heard this said before. The more relaxed you are in your own skin, the more you know who you are, the more you know that you deserve to be there, the more you others others have more confidence in your ability when when you give yourself permission to own your power and your gift. And I think
they both did that. I think she did it with somewhat more ease that if I were referring either one, I think he might have seemed a little bit more green in that.
In that way, I agree, And that's fair.
You know, the more jobs he would go to and the more the more comfortable he would get whatever. But the fact that she just has.
That he has the talent, I mean, the talent, is that the talent is certainly there.
Yeah, definitely.
And that's one of the things that we've said, is all. And we say this every week because it gets harder every week. All sixteen of the final sixteen could be signed. I might, I mean really, you know he and you're right, he's because the hardest part is the talent. You can you can teach the rest, and you can. You can be learn how to be comfortable in a booth, but you can learn the right way to address the microphone
all that stuff. I've always said. You know, I can't sing, so I could go to singing class after singing class after singing class. You can't teach the talent to sing. You can take a talent that somebody has and you can make it better. But if you don't have the talent, you don't have the talent, and he certainly does. It's just she's. She seems to be more advanced than him right now, and that alone, I think would would have her move on. And yeah, so Christy, I mean, what what do you think?
Yeah, I think we call it. I think I tell him the snooze and I.
Do you agree about it? You agree though? Right? No? I mean I agree, okay, Yeah, And it's a shame that we're not going to have any men left in the competition. But that's the way it works. We just we.
It's the we. I think if anyone has listened to this podcast as long as they have, and we appreciate you listening, yeah so much, you'll know that. You know, we've been as fair as possible. I don't think I've ever seen a fair contest, so so yeah, so let's go ahead and uh, let's give him the bad news and I will be the one to do it, and I'll be not be able to sleep tonight. Okay, thanks, thanks, Well.
I'll do it. I'm used to it now. If you want me to do it.
They committed to it. Big about my commit Vanessa.
You want to do it, I will do it. If you want I'm I will do it.
I will do it. I will also be awkward, so if I'm really awkward, you sep it.
Okay, fair enough, Okay, all right, great, let's bring them back.
God, hey, Matt, what's up?
Hello?
Thanks for coming back to us here. We have been just racking our brains because this is such an interesting time in this competition. It's like we've gone from sixteen to eight and all of you are so diverse and interesting at different places in your acting journey and whatnot. And obviously, Vanessa and Will we all love you and we love your voice. That being said, today will probably be you know, it's the last day for you with
this contest and you will not be moving forward. But that's We're all sad because we love you and we hope that you will continue in your journey with your career as a voice actor, because you have the goods. We've said it before in this contest that we feel like everyone could be signed in our candidates.
Yeah, honestly, I've the scenario I was hoping for is already a reality. So I'm just excited to be here.
Matt, That's so cool. But no, we were it's getting tougher every week. The tam sixteen were we've said, as Christy just said, could easily all go off and have really great careers. The Elite eight that much more so. I mean, we had you went from forty five hundred to the top eight of this competition, and rightfully so,
I would think moving forward. If I was going to give you any advice moving forward with your career, I think it's to trust in yourself a little more because I do think you have what it takes to move forward. I think you're maybe a little nervous with your own talent, and you've got the talent. So I think kind of stepping into hey, I'm good at this, I'm mad, and I'm damn good at this is a step I think you need to even embrace more because there's a confidence
that you have. But I think you can really have saying I'm good at what I do and I'm going to now take it to the next level. And I think you are going to take it to the next level because you're very good. Thank you will so thank you so much for joining us. Congratulations again on making this far. And uh, someday we'll be able to high five you in the booth because we're sure you're gonna be in there with us.
Hey, great job, everyone, have a wonderful time.
Thanks so much. I'll listening. I appreciate that, Matt, thank you for us. Congratulations, you did great. Thank you, I Matt, Thanks Matt. Bye, Okay so much.
I hate it.
Fun.
That was fun?
Yeah, I hate it so much.
So now we we'll get Danielle on and give her the good news. Should I and all fake are out.
You do.
That's the fun part. We love Okay, we love it. We gotta have some fun, I get it.
Hey, Danielle, Hey, So we have just been racking our brains because this has been just just such a stressful round for us, and everyone is so diverse and so talented, and you know, we just wanted to hop on because we wanted to thank you so much for being a part of the contest. And unfortunately you're going to be going to the next round. And having told you, I told you, it's too.
Ready preparing my sat story here, I.
Was waiting for it, like I just bought this microphone, Like, no, I use it.
No, We're proud of you. Yeah, yeah, it's really great. You did a good job. We're going to be totally honest with you though. So you are now that you're now the number two person moving on to the final four, the competition is getting really, really stiff.
And can we disclose the the fact of the of the candidates left?
Yeah, I mean, well, yeah, I guess you're going to hear it, you know when you listen to the podcast anyway. Yeah, there's no more men, there's no there's no more men. It is only women left in the competition. The women have come in, they have killed it, but a lot of you are very similar and really good. So it's going to start getting The competition is going to get very very stiff. But congratulations on moving on to that.
You're going to be in the final four. Not only is the competition getting harder, but I can promise you the next round ain't gonna be easy.
So I am ready bring it on.
Good.
Yeah, that's what we like to hear.
Yeah again, congratulations on moving forward and prepare yourself because it's it's full gladiator school from from this moment on. So yes, gladiator I love that. So again, congratulations and we will see you in the final four.
This has been so fun. Thank you guys so much.
Thank you, see you soon, see you job.
Thank you bye.
So very briefly before we we thank our amazing and wonderful and incredible guest adjudicator for the day. We forgot at the top to thank everybody else who has made this contest possible. So first of all, we want to thank all of our friends over there at Prime Video who've helped make this possible, and all our friends in critical role. Don't forget to go and check out season two of Voxmachina, available for download now on Prime Video. It is incredible and I say this every week, not
just because I'm on it. It's awesome. We also, of course want to thank all of our guest judges, everybody that came out. We want to thank our incredible friends with their amazing, amazing prize of signing with them for a year CESD, so thank you so much, CESD, and of course our wonderful parent company iHeart, who really helped make this entire contest happen. We could not have done it without any of them, and we certainly could not
have done it without our guests. Oh, our guest judge today, one of my wonderful close friends and somebody I've now known for I don't even know what has it been twenty something years, Vanessa. It's absolutely crazy, But thank you so much for taking the time. We know how amazingly insanely busy you are, and for coming out and helping to mentor some of the people that are eventually going to take our jobs and replace us.
Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. This was so much fun. Anytime I'm happy to come back.
It was great. Thank yous.
We have We've only had a very few people that have come back twice, so it's a very very small category, and you are of course at the top of the list.
Well, thank you, thank you. I'm really really grateful and it's wonderful to see you both.
By gugs you too.
Now once again, very briefly before you go, what are you working on?
Now?
Where can people find you?
Oh? I'm actually well the Harley Quinn Show. I play wonder Woman that's on HBO Max. That'll be coming back with another season. But I'm personally getting into playing video games. There's wonder Woman. Yeah, I'm I'm involved in an event that's a Metal Gear fan experience. It's www dot mgs con dot com. It's also if you follow my social media you can get more information. But we're raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project and all the voiceover actors
from the game are going to make appearances. We'll be signing autographs. I'll be live streaming and playing as my character, and they've got all sorts of fan art. There's an artist's alley and it's like a mini comic con for the game. Metal Gear July fifteenth at the Hilton near Lax down there, but check it out online because we're hoping to take it to London and New York and all over the place because there's a huge fan community. And then I'm hoping that I'm hoping to do that
with other franchises. And ironically, the last time I was on your show, I was talking about how there are voiceover actors that comic cons, why aren't there video game actors at e sports events? And so I've made some traction in that way, and I'm having so much fun and after being trapped in the pandemic, to be able to play and create fun for people and do it for a good cause is just like a dream come true.
So there's other professional stuff going on, but that's what's bringing me joy right now.
So I share that with you, and you said, so can we have the dress again? What is the.
L MGSCN dot com? And it's at MGS con on social media and you.
Said it's on your social media too if they want to find it. What's your social media again?
Yes, my social media for Instagram is at Vanessa Marshall eleven thirty eight and on Twitter it's at van Marshall. Don't ask. It's a long story how those things are, of course saying there's a George Lucas joke in the eleven thirty eight Google it anyway. And then I have a fan page on Facebook. It's just Vanessa Marshall fan page, and it's all it's all on there. But I hope
to see everyone, and I'm really happy. We got an ambassador from the Wounded Warrior Project who's coming out to speak to us, and it's just a really it's just wonderful to see with the world falling apart on so many levels, that there are certain things that are sacred and the fans and different fandoms, the nerd community is powerful and strong and the love just is far reaching. So I'm grateful to be a part of it.
That's amazing. Now, that's incredible, boy, everybody please go check that out again. Anything we can do to make sure that we are propping up our veterans and the people that put their lives on the line so we have freedom every day, we are all down for that, So please go check it out on all of Vanessa's pages. Thank you again so much for joining us. I love you both. Thank you Christy, so nice to see you as always, and Vanessa, thank you for joining us, and
thank you all for joining us again. And don't forget if you think you have what it takes to step up to the microphone, put your voices where your mouth is. Thanks everybody by I Hear Voices is hosted by will Fredell and Christy Carlson Romano. Executive produced by will Fredell, Brendan Rooney, Amy Sugarman. Our executive in charge of production is Danielle Romo, our producer is Lorraine Viuez, and our editor slash engineer is Brian Burton. And that was my announcer voice.
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