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  Scott Gentle April 6, 2011 at 2:21pm

  Zurek: 

  Indeed it is - I was replying to Gregory's question (apologies that I forgot to use the quote feature to clarify):

  "Anyone know who does the VO for  Chrysler new Motor City ads?"

   

   

   

   
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  Voiceover Universe April 6, 2011 at 2:15pm

  Scott,

   

  The commercial above is Kevin Bacon.
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  Scott Gentle April 6, 2011 at 12:24pm

  Gregory:

   

  That was Kevin Yon, a Grand Rapids area resident by way of Massachusetts according to these great articles - we should all hope for such a great performance, and the positive press coverage and public approval those spots have garnered:

   

  Rockford resident and 'my own worst critic' Kevin Yon thinks his vo...

   

  Chrysler Super Bowl ad: How it all came together | Drive West Michigan

   

  Michigan man performs voice-over for Eminem Chrysler ad | Detroit F...

   

   

  Some interesting notes from the first article on the session and the end results, which many of us VO folks can definitely relate to:

   

  Those feelings of pride didn't apparently come through during the first take, considering Yon recorded the monologue hundreds of times before the final cut was accepted last Saturday prior to Super Bowl weekend.

  However, Cascade-based Sound Post Recording Studios owner Stuart Poltrock feels Yon nailed it with his first take. 

  “They had him do it about 200 more times,” said Poltrock,....“They directed him over and over and over again.”

  Interestingly, the one line producers “drilled” Yon on more than others was ultimately replaced with Eminem's rendition, which are the only lines the rapper speaks during the spot.

  “'This is the Motor City, and this is what we do' – it's the line that ends the spot. And they had (Yon) read it so many times,” Poltrock said. “And then we finally get to see the spot, it's not even in the spot. Eminem reads it.”

   

  Something else Kevin said that pretty much sums up the secret behind what makes for a massively successful VO:

  Yon woke up to texts and e-mails from “people I have no idea who they are” expressing their thanks, their feelings of pride or how the commercial made them “burst into tears.”

  “It's hard to explain. It's just like boom, wow. It's affected a lot of people in a lot of positive ways, I think,” he said. “I think these guys went in, found an emotion and what was not being said and said it. It's much more than a car spot. … It's about people.”

   

  Well said, Kevin - GREAT job!!
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  Gregory Best April 6, 2011 at 3:00am

  I like it.  Anyone know who does the VO for  Chrysler new Motor City ads?
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  Mike Shepherd April 5, 2011 at 10:44pm

  How many Voice Over Talents are needed to screw in a light bulb?  6 - just one to replace the bulb  - but 5 others to stand around and say "I cudda done that. . . !"
  
  Alternate punchline... " I don't know....but it only takes one 'Movie Star' "       ; )
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  Chris Knowles April 5, 2011 at 4:46pm

  The pitch thing occurred to me because he doesn't sound quite "himself" as someone else had pointed out earlier.  Dropping it a half-step or so would not compromise the quality of the audio to the point where it would be noticeable and would result in a read that has his phrasing but adds just a touch of ... age to the overall delivery and they wouldn't have to tell Kevin Bacon to "sound older."

  And yeah, keeping all of that spot in the family would be quite a gig!

   

  As for those folks who are upset that Kevin Bacon got the gig ... I am happy for anyone who gets paid work in this industry.  I've been dancing around it for almost 10 years now and have yet to get an official paid gig.  Maybe that's a sign :)
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  Chris Knowles April 5, 2011 at 4:12pm

  Okay, one serious question and one "somewhat serious" question ...

   

  Serious:  Am I the only one that thinks they dropped his pitch by a half step or so?  and

  Somewhat Serious (not really): Think that Theme music was written by the Bacon Brothers?  :)

   

  And I agree, I would never have guessed that was Kevin Bacon.  Good for him!
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  Loren Gursky April 5, 2011 at 10:28am

  it sounded like Kevin had a fight the night before. His voice sounds strained. In my opinion,of course.
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  GRAY GLEASON April 5, 2011 at 3:09am

   

  For what it's worth, I believe that most of those who are critical of the VO ARE blaming the game - not Kevin. . . . hey, that's the biz, sweetheart - and them's the breaks..... reality's a bitch. 

   

   . . . and who's this Bernie fellow, anyway - does he do Voice work?

   

   . . . Just kidding....

   

  Tito Gray - voice guy  -- www.graysvoice.com
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  Scott Gentle April 4, 2011 at 1:55pm

  Count me in as another who totally didn't wouldn't have known it was him on first or repeated listens - his voice is definitely moving into different sonic territory as he gets older. 

   

  Quite honestly, I thought he was the VO in this recent Tostitos spot, which turns out may in fact be Kyle Chandler from "Friday Night Lights" - to my ear, the tone and "Bacon-isms" are very similar to what I remember him sounding like in his earlier movies (admittedly, which I've not seen many of, nor in recent years):

   

  YouTube - Tostitos "Questions" Commercial

   

  By way of comparison, check out this old interview with a young Kevin vs. the Buick spot (with an advance warning for the craptacular audio mix) and see if you agree:

   

  YouTube - KEVIN BACON NTERVIEWED ABOUT DINER