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Episode 71: Camille Dixon and Bill Rogers
39 Plays4 months ago
For this week's episode of the show we had the pleasure of chatting with 2 very familiar voices if you are a Disneyland / DCA fan as we sat down with both Camille Dixon and Bill Rogers! They shared many amazing stories from their careers and some helpful tips for you voice actors out there too!
DISCLAIMER: We are not an affiliate of the Walt Disney Company nor do we speak for the brand or the company. Any and all Disney-owned audio, characters, and likenesses are their property and theirs alone.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Sharing the Magic'
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to Sharing the Magic, the podcast that takes you on a journey through the enchanting worlds of Disney.
Guest Appearances and Their Disney Stories
00:00:10
Speaker
Each week, we're joined by a special guest, whether they're a magician creating moments of astonishment or a Disney expert sharing the secrets behind the magic of the happiest place on Earth. Together we'll uncover the stories, inspirations, and behind the scenes tales that bring these worlds to life. So, get ready to be spellbound and transported to a place where dreams come true.
00:00:55
Speaker
Well, welcome everybody to Sharing the Magic podcast. this we We've been guess we we been a podcast for over a year, over a year and a half. Who even knows? And we've had the most magical guests and we tried to live up to our name, which is Sharing the Magic. And and so whether you are are a first time listener or a long time listener, we hope that through this time together that you get a little bit of magic in your life, in your week.
Meet the Hosts and Guests
00:01:24
Speaker
and so we're We're so happy to be here. Again, we have, ah before we introduce, before I will ask our guests to introduce themselves, because we always find that the guests introduce themselves much better than this Shlub right here. um We will introduce our hosts. So I'm going to go from no, no order. This is just the order of what's on my screen. So y'all don't get, don't get mad at me.
00:01:54
Speaker
Okay, but I'm gonna go with James. He's on the top ah left. James, how's your week? How you doing, buddy? It's it's good, it's it's great. I mean, I'm here and I'm upright. So i'm I'm having a good time. You're upright. I'm upright, so i'm I'm here. I'm excited though, because this is ah a big one for me, because being a former cast member, I heard these voices all of the time. yeah So I'm excited to hear the story and ask a couple of questions about Mouse Meet as well. So I'm just excited for our guests.
00:02:22
Speaker
Yeah, there's lots of love. Yeah, everyone, i got I got a lot of messages this week, like, oh my gosh, oh, I'm geeking out about this. So y'all, our guests, before I blow it and say who they are, well, you have a lot of, I hope you i hope you all know you have a lot of love tonight.
00:02:43
Speaker
Dawn, you got Dawn. She's down. She's done. I don't know how to do this. Because I was actually next, but I'm like, I'm going last. So we got Dawn. How are you? Well, I'm not down. I'm upright also. I'm up to you. But as James. We're on Zoom right now, everyone. so Exactly. So we're all over. I'm from Houston. Welcome. I'm looking forward to hearing your story. And I think it's fabulous that y'all at the universe connected, y'all. And you both have this in common. It's so awesome. Welcome. Thank you.
00:03:12
Speaker
Hey, Rachel, do you want a second? Let's give Rachel a second. I'm good. I'm making dinner. So we're talking. OK, I'm I'm in the panhandle area. Nice sunny weather today. Eighties. Great. Great. They're in Florida getting ready for Halloween with the kids and looking forward to our conversation tonight. All right. so Now, Lisa, there the question that is that the panhandle of Texas?
00:03:39
Speaker
or Oklahoma or that's Florida. The panhandle of Florida and Pensacola area. So we're almost we're kind of we look at Texas, but we like to stay in Florida. Now, sometimes I ask this to people. I don't know why
Passion for Voice Acting and Bill Farmer's Impact
00:03:57
Speaker
I'm single singling Lisa out. Lisa, how's your heart? Are you doing?
00:04:03
Speaker
You know, my heart is pretty full. I just got back from vacation at Disney World. It was my first day back um and working in a hospital and so lots of people We're happy to see me back, which is good, right? Where my Mickey pumpkin headband everyone noticed. So i my heart is good. And just hanging out here in Indianapolis again, enjoying the lovely fall weather. and um
00:04:35
Speaker
So happy to be here tonight. I've listened to our guests do multiple um podcasts, interviews, um cons, just just many different things. So I'm excited to hear them tonight. That's awesome. Me too. Now, now you all are guests before I and introduce you, but you guys do so many voices for so many people.
00:05:03
Speaker
And i' i I study one voice. People that know this podcast, there's one, i've since for years and years, I've been studying one voice. and but It's not just a character, it's it's an actor that does the, it Bill Farmer. Bill Farmer is my, I love Goofy, my great, great cousin. Apparently, growing up, they always told me it was Pat Butchram, evil sheriff of Nottingham. And so I grew up as a kid, constantly, just like obsessed about voice acting well.
00:05:36
Speaker
I found out Bill loves, yeah, he loved, ah yeah, Papa Drum. And I'm like, whoa, gosh, if that was, I call it your anchor voice. And so it transformed right for me of what you will share if Atlanta got down and up and down and a little gorge.
00:05:55
Speaker
and but but but yeah Oh, I'm seeing a picture now of Bill. Oh my gosh. A Halloween picture. How wonderful. I call him. He was our king
Bill and Camille's Disney Voice Acting Journey
00:06:10
Speaker
of hearts. Yes. He's mine too. I call him Saint Bill in my house because I, the first time I met him, I gave him a shirt. It was a goofy shirt and he wears it all the time. I'm like, why would you do that? Why would you care? Like,
00:06:23
Speaker
It was so thoughtful where I'm like, I saw an Instagram, like he's wearing my shirt. Well, we've interviewed him a few times on here and, and, um, I think I freak him out. Cause I said, Bill, I said, there's nobody in the world. I said, there i there's nobody in the world that studies. yeah I don't study goofy's voice. I study your voice.
00:06:42
Speaker
probably thinks I'm a big weirdo but I'm gonna introduce y'all in my best goofy whatever ah you know so I'm just so happy to have you and so oh gosh oh hi Bill and Camille or Camille and Bill oh it's really swell having you on this here podcast yeah Oh my gosh, that's awesome. but We are so happy to be here. Yeah, we're so, so happy to have you and and just hope you have a great time. So, well, we would love for you all to introduce yourselves if that's okay. I i don't know if that's not hospitable, but we just feel like sometimes our guests have their tell us about your story and who you are and yeah. Okay. Ladies first. Ladies first. Oh, ladies first.
00:07:33
Speaker
Love it. So I'm Camille Dixon. I'm a voice actor and Disney fans will know me from the time that I spent as the announcer at Disney California Adventure from 2012 to 2023. But I'm also the promo voice for PBS SoCal in Los Angeles. I've been doing that for 27 years.
00:07:53
Speaker
And if you back in the 90s were doing F-16 maintenance and repair, chances are I narrated the training films that you were involved with. um If you've learned auto repair or various you know surgical techniques, I may have been the voice that trained you to do your job. And I'm the guy who's lucky enough to be married to this broad.
00:08:17
Speaker
now but That's all there is to it. Tell him your name. Hi, sweet. My name is Bill Rogers. I used to hang out at Disneyland and then did so for some 30 plus years as the announcer, ah replacing ah my hero, Jack Wagner, and had just immense amounts of respect and admiration for this guy, because he put together he put together a voice that raised the bar for not only for theme park announcing, but for every kind of announcing. Well, we'll get a little bit farther into Jack's voice here in just a few minutes. But to give you an idea, ah like I said, for for about 30, 31 years, I was at Disneyland and it was it was a whole lot of fun. I mean, i i tend to I tend to look at all the different seasons of the year by what particular thing was going on at at the park. So that was that was the way that worked. And um so, yes, i come from I come from very strange stock. I was born and raised in a little town in South Dakota, which is kind of like
00:09:32
Speaker
That's being overly, you know, generous. generous yeah But nonetheless, ah yeah, the both of us come from small town America and ah grew up thinking that to the it was a good time anytime you got a chance to go to Disneyland.
00:09:49
Speaker
yeah And for Cammie, it was, you know, taking her children. i was I was taken by my grandparents of all things in 1957 and that was my first trip to the Magic Kingdom. So, it's been it's been quite a ah life so far. Yeah.
00:10:08
Speaker
That's a great introduction. I'm pleased that I did something right. You did great. No. From the heart. From the heart. And Mr. Haney. Yeah, I know. Mr. Haney.
00:10:23
Speaker
you All right, so James, let's go to James. Again, I'm just going top down to everyone. There's no hierarchy in this here place. We're just trying to do our best. And so, James, I know you're geeking out hardcore. And so, James, you got a question? Don't hold that, James. We'll come back to you, but we'll come back to you. Don't dominate the time. No, no, no. My first question is, though,
00:10:51
Speaker
You guys, we're we were talking a little bit before and you brought up the audition process of like getting into the parks. And I, like I said, I worked at the parks and I heard you guys and yeah that's that's a steady gag for any voice actor, period. And how did that all come about? And how did you guys end up changing that process? Because you were talking about how it got progressively harder for the ones who came after you.
00:11:14
Speaker
but that, yeah you know, unfortunately for them, ah that didn't have anything to do with us. It was just the the way that the folks who were making the decisions um decided to to, you know, handle that process to find new voices. We just were You know, when we got the the gigs, it was just sort of right place, right time, right people, you know, your network really, really matters. um I'm going to let Bill tell you the story of how he got started and then we'll do mine. it's it's interesting That's what I want to hear. it it This is interesting because one of the things we yeah we will get into this a little bit later, but we are about to become published authors.
00:11:57
Speaker
And ah the way this happened was so crazy that that when people ask, well, how do you get into the publishing game? How do yeah how do I get my book published?
00:12:09
Speaker
I have no idea whatsoever because this was one of those things where all of a sudden Kami and I are doing exactly what we do right now. We're sitting in front of a Zoom camera talking to the head the the lady who is the head of Disney Publishing, Wendy Lefkon. And I've got my 25 word elevator speech ready to go, right? I get about 12 words into it. She goes, yeah, that's a great idea. Let me send you a contract. Oh, well.
00:12:37
Speaker
ah It's kind of the same with the same thing with how I got started as does the voice of Disneyland or, you know, Jack. Jack was the only official voice of Disneyland.
00:12:50
Speaker
According to according to the to the the days of your he that was his title. I have a similar title, which was awarded to me back in 2009, 2009, the first day 23. I am the voice of Disney. OK. So that that that's the way that works. But nonetheless, we we regress. So start with your Disneyland origin story from the beginning without the reference yeah without your reference to the book. So it can be a clean start. Okay, and we we will we will start here.
00:13:30
Speaker
I moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, California in 1986 because I got tired of winter. Understand when you grow up in South Dakota, winter is a major factor in your life. I did not want to go through another one. And so, yeah, we went we came to California.
00:13:51
Speaker
loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly, as it were. The interesting part of it was that ah as a voice actor, I was putting together a company that that that made radio commercials for radio stations. In those days, there was no I heart chain of thousands of radio stations. There were lots of people who owned a couple. And so I i decided that what I would do is try and help them.
00:14:18
Speaker
Anyway, in the process of doing that, I also wandered around by my then hometown of Garden Grove, California, and ah started talking to people who owned ah video production houses. Well, one of them, they were lovely people. It was run by a husband and wife. It was a small business, to say the least.
00:14:38
Speaker
But nonetheless, when they decided that they no longer wanted to be in business, the wife told me that one day she was going to be able to do something as nice for me as I had done for them in helping their business grow. And ah I said, thank you very much. That's lovely of you to say. She called me a couple of years later and she said,
00:15:00
Speaker
I don't know whether you know this or not, but I just I just married a guy who ah owns another video production firm. And I said, well, you know, I'm sorry for that, but nonetheless. But she says we have a new audio partner and he this is 1991. We have he has some of the most amazing digital equipment you've ever seen. Now, this day and age, talking on Zoom, that's not a big deal. But in those days,
00:15:27
Speaker
Holy smokes. Yes, I want to see all of this stuff. And so I got the nickel tour and I'm walking out the door after the tour and the fellow says, he says, I understand you know, Jack Wagner.
00:15:40
Speaker
And I said, I have never met the man, but he is my hero. And here is why.
Voice Acting Techniques and Challenges
00:15:46
Speaker
He has managed to combine three really important things into one voice. He is part grandfather. He's part circus ringmaster and he's part authoritarian. And I said, those three things make for an amazing voice that commands attention. But at the same time, exudes that sense of fun that everybody wants to have when they're in Disneyland.
00:16:10
Speaker
And he goes, I want you to read this. And he hands the script that says, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, in just five minutes, Disneyland presents the Main Street Electrical Parade. But at that time, the lights will be dimmed. So please remain in the same area until the lights return to normal. do You know, the rest of this spiel. Nonetheless, ah we did two takes. Understand.
00:16:35
Speaker
I'm a voice guy. I'm used to doing 10, 12, 15 takes. We did two. He says, come out of the recording booth. And I said, OK, he says, I don't make the final decision. But by Thursday, this was Tuesday, by Thursday, you'll know you're the new voice of Disneyland. Jack Wagner is retiring. I went to hell.
00:16:58
Speaker
yeah or something negative and and the lady that introduced the two of us, this this guy became my boss for a very long time ah and and to this day we were we retain a friendship that you know was simply because all of this got started by that really wonderful lady.
00:17:20
Speaker
It was unfortunately gone now, but nonetheless, i' I always give her props because she was the one that got the whole thing started. And, ah you know, when I walked out the out of the door, she she stopped me. She says, well, and I said, that was about I was about four. Thumbs up to the sky. So, yeah, but that's that's that's how all of this got started. And, wow you know, um And I think about what an enormous gift that was in so many ways yeah to come into a situation without that pressure of the biggest audition of my life right now. and And, you know, I don't want to screw it up. You know, that was because I would have.
00:18:05
Speaker
That was a pretty cool thing to have happen. yeah And I think, um you know, it was a similar kind of thing for me because Bill and I, once we started dating, we would go to each other's sessions all the time, no matter what it was. We just were sort of inseparable and we love watching each other work. We're big fans of each other and all of that. so I know what that's like. For those of you who can't see this, this is a gorgeous, drop dead, gorgeous woman. She's amazing. You're so good to me. Anyway, so I was at a session. I think it's in the mail. Yes, your check is in the mail.
00:18:47
Speaker
So I was at a recording session with Bill, and, um you know, so they they knew who I was the Disney team, and um they asked, because they were doing the first iteration of the food and wine festival at Disney California adventure, and they decided that they wanted a female voice to do some of the yeah announcements for the presentations. So they invited me to come in and read. um And it wasn't an audition, this was just come in and do this. um So, but they handed me the script. And it said, Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and then it went with the rest of the information. And I'm looking at that iconic line,
00:19:25
Speaker
And I thought, I can't do it like Bill. I don't want them to think I'm just, you know, so unoriginal that I have to, you know, that I have to do an impression of Bill. so I did it some other way. They said, um you know, we have a rhythm and a cadence and a way we do it. could Could you do it like Bill? Yes, I can. Yes, you can. Absolutely. That's right. So then a few years later, ah into 2012, when they did what they should have done with DCA from the very start and made it so magical with we had Cars Land by then and Buena Vista Street, they were about to open. Bill was the announcer at DCA at that point. And he knew that they would be doing some press events. So kind of just had it on the calendar as a general reminder like, hey, I should probably keep this time open to be available.
00:20:15
Speaker
for those press events and for the opening of those attractions. And so um I was driving, Bill was in the passenger seat, phone rings, someone from Disney saying, hey, Bill, you know how we're opening up Buena Vista Street in Cars Land soon? He said, yeah, I know. Where do you want me to be? When do you need me to be there? And they said, what's Camille doing?
00:20:35
Speaker
So he put me on speaker and that's when I was invited to be the announcer at DCA. And that was about three weeks before the opening. And so over the course of the next two weeks, I rerecorded the entire catalog of announcements. Wow. And it was just a magical experience, but I always like to joke that in one phone call, not only was he replaced, but now he's my assistant.
00:20:58
Speaker
No, but he's been my my greatest champion as well. So it's been pretty special because he brought me to Disney. I brought him to PBS and we've had lots and lots of other situations where that's been the case.
00:21:13
Speaker
clients will always ask, Hey, do you know a male voice that could work on this too? Or do you know a female voice? And so we're both on the same business card and it's just been pretty cool. We like to joke that we carry a spare because there have been times when for whatever reason, one of us has had to step in yeah once when ah the team from Disneyland was doing, it was the largest history class in Orange County and it was held at Angel Stadium and they had every third grader in Orange County.
00:21:43
Speaker
there in the stadium doing this. you know, Orange County gift of history. They were learning all about Orange County history and they had done. No, it was great. ah But there was a until until somebody lost their hat. That's right. But well that's a whole other story. We're not going to go there today. But this particular day, they did this for several years. They tried something different. And ah Bill had to do some very big, bold announces with the 2001 Space Odyssey music in the background. And yeah
00:22:14
Speaker
He had a cold and he sort of blew out his voice in the rehearsal. And so partway through the show, his voice is just gone. But because I'd been sitting there and had, you know, knew the the cues and everything, I stepped in and finished the rest of the show. Then a couple of years later, i I'm also ah ah an on camera host for PBS SoCal for the pledge drives. And one day I was supposed to have um one of the hosts of one of the national PBS shows was supposed to join me for the pledge drive, he forgot and didn't show up. But Bill was there. He knows how to read a prompter. This is known as keeping your calendar open. That's right. That's right. Bill just out of the goodness of his heart had planned to answer the phones that night. So he was wearing a sport coat. He was looking spiffy. So he stepped in the teleprompter broke. So we didn't have any teleprompter. But he so good on his feet and he knows the PBS message and everything. So, you know, he stepped in and saved the day. So, like I said, we carry a spare wherever we go. There's so much to that. I always say this. I say this on the podcast so many times where people are probably sick of it. Story shapes life. And these kind of stories, I think,
00:23:30
Speaker
You know, when when I'm listening to these kinds of things, I'm like, and and I listen to these stories. What I think is how does this shape my own life? And this is the the blessing that I've had on this podcast, because, you know, just hearing these stories of, of, you know, how y'all met each other and and just whatever it is, it just, there's inspiration that I, I personally take. The other thing I'm using.
00:23:56
Speaker
Everyone, by the way, I'm using i'm using up my my ah my talk time right here, right now, just so you and you know. I love voices. I love voices so much. And so when I hear you all talk, I just hear your speaking voices. And I naturally go, oh, I love your guys, and speaking voice, even just your speaking voices. Because I can tell, i um my ear is so like, oh, I love it, I love it, I love it. And I can,
00:24:26
Speaker
You know, I'm a big fan of, I could, I could hear, you know, just someone on the podcast. I hope, you know, you have a great voice. I love your voice so much. Well, both of y'all, I love your voice. And of course, obviously you do this as a living, right? So it's like, I, of course I will, but I just, it's an honor to have y'all. So I think that's it. I think that's what I do. Yeah. Thank you. We're happy to be here.
00:24:53
Speaker
Well, and, uh, Oh, I have one more thing and then I'm going to turn it over. So there was one, this is my experience. So I was at the PA, I was at the California adventure goofy sky school. Now, I don't know. Did anyone do a voice, you know, for for goofy sky school? Okay. Well, I think, I think build it and build it a couple of yells, yeah't but I,
00:25:17
Speaker
No, no, there was no intro. There was some instruction, but I met. OK, but here's the here's my is most likely in that case, it was Corey. OK, yeah been Corey Burton. Yeah. OK, so it was like keep you like to instruct. like OK, well, I. Yes.
00:25:34
Speaker
I threw off everybody in goofy sky school. All right. Here's my story. I was on my honeymoon with my wife and we went to Disneyland for, for a honeymoon and I'm sitting there. I'm like, Oh gosh, goofy, goofy sky school. I'm yearning for some learning. And.
00:25:52
Speaker
it they go people like it was whoever it was that was like i messed up the entire ride because they go the person that was like checking people later like going she thought there was a new a new a new goofy a new track a new track and i that's how i almost disrupted oh oh that's great But that was, that's my only, that's my only pseudo, like experience into the realm of acting and, and, and perfor-, you know, your, your all's realm. I love it. I love it. And the one time I did, I just disrupted everything, but, you know. So I'll never do it again. Oh, that's great. What do you all want to talk about? All right, we got Lisa. Lisa, I don't think you've gone.
00:26:44
Speaker
Lisa, is there something was burning on your mind? What do you want to, what do you want to talk about? Man, nothing like my dogs are now calmed down. I don't know if it was the goofy voice, but no it always is. It disrupts everything.
Coaching and Industry Insights
00:26:58
Speaker
Every time I do that, it just, they often sues my life.
00:27:02
Speaker
And I act like they're small dogs. I mean, they're, they're big dogs. So, um, the boxers still talking to us so um i've like I said, I've listened to many interviews that you've done. Um, and.
00:27:20
Speaker
I find everyday value in that power of networking, power of connection. Do you coach others in voiceover? Do you help others along the way? um Have you repaid some of those favors that that you've been afforded as well?
00:27:39
Speaker
That's such a good question. And you know that's actually really important to us because we did have so much help at every stage of our careers. We both started out in radio, and then it was just sort of a natural progression into voiceover after that. And um we don't do a lot of coaching. Unless someone specifically asks for help with announcing, we're very happy because we feel very confident and very comfortable being a vocal coach for that specific genre. But one thing that we do is offer from time to time a workshop that's an introduction to voiceover. So giving you the overview of everything that you need to know to get started. That didn't exist for us when we were getting started and we had to sort of figure it out and there was no internet and and you know so it was a
00:28:27
Speaker
was an interesting process. But one of the things that we do is, you know, we'll sit down with and even if we're just talking with someone on an individual basis, because we we don't really have plans to do the the workshop anytime soon. But we talk about all of the different genres of voiceover, because people generally think of character work, you know, your favorite cartoon characters, or maybe commercials or things like that. But there's, there's a wide array of work, there's corporate narrations, there's documentary narrations, there's And even within corporate, there's like feel good promotional pieces, there's hard hitting sales pieces, there's live announcing, there's documentary narration, like I mentioned, audio book, there's phone systems, and that's a thing, you know, even though a lot of that's now starting to go to AI. We're starving for the sound of a duck. That's right. You know, there's a television. I heard that one.
00:29:23
Speaker
There's television promo, there's now um descriptive services for people who are visually impaired. you know There's audio description of what's happening on the screen. There's all kinds of work available. And that's one of the cool things that we've been able to do when we talk to people.
00:29:40
Speaker
is they might think that they want to get into character work, but we have them read scripts on commercials. Don't, you know, can't forget commercials. um We have them read something from every genre and almost always there's more than one area that they connect with and they realize, hey, you know, I kind of like that. I feel like, you know, that kind of resonates with me. So, you know, we talk about setting up the home studio and how to market yourself and what you're going to need and and in terms of training.
00:30:09
Speaker
and how to get those first demos and things like that. So we do try to be as helpful as possible anytime we get the chance. So any anybody who approaches us and asks us for help, we're there. That's wonderful. Because I'm so bad. I'm the worst at that. i've had We've had voice actors here. It's like, Jeff, get your get your stuff together. Where's your demo? Where's your demo?
00:30:31
Speaker
And I love it. I think that's wonderful. People, people, but that's what is, people need that, right? And I love hearing it because I started in radio, personally, so. We have another voice guy here. Yeah, so I, from me hearing these tips and like, yeah, I started in radio. So I have, finding similarities here. I'm like, and I'm crossing over from,
00:30:50
Speaker
you know and into voiceover work. So it's it's really, it's just a different ballgame and trying to learn the ins and outs. Because radio, is all it's all right there in front of you. It's all laid out in what you're whatever you're doing. yeah um Voiceover, it's really not. And yeah there are so many facets. I didn't even think about that. So thank you for sharing that.
00:31:09
Speaker
Yeah, and even in you may be discovering this too, um in that there's a lot you have to unlearn from radio yeah to get to be able to do commercials, you know, the commercial reads these days are very conversational. They want you to sound like the person next door, even though you're using phrases like for a limited time and you know, this week only and you know,
00:31:31
Speaker
Oh, this is my 20 percent off, you know, that but that that sort of thing. um So, yeah. But when you come from a radio background, you'll be doing a commercial. And even the way DJs read commercials is entirely different from how an actor reads a commercial. So, yeah.
00:31:48
Speaker
Can you talk more about that? police i think So for me, that is, and you maybe ah you both can speak to that. I think that is so interesting because I, you know, I just, I think there's a, I think that I think that's right.
00:32:05
Speaker
But I don't, I don't, can you just continue? I don't even know what to say to that. I just think that's interesting. First of all, first of all, I'm going to give you a name. And this is for all of you ah voice actors out there who don't understand why it is the conversational read is such a big deal. There is a there's a fellow who whose entire life is dedicated to teaching people about the conversational read.
00:32:31
Speaker
The man's name is Hugh. H-U-G-H Klitsky. K-L-I-T-Z-K. K-E. K-E, yes. He's a genius. He is a genius. And and he he has a ah podcast, he has several online things that that will allow you to at least understand the beginnings of the way he teaches. And he is he is just absolutely amazing, trying to get something that sounds like, hey,
00:33:07
Speaker
I really am a human being and ah not some answer. Yes. Yes. Can I can I can I say something real quick before? Of course. This is my goofy voice. it's It is a a goofy movie. And they're built like is wonderful. He does. You know, it could be all over the place and silly, but it was a goofy movie where they and I know this. I studied Bill 3 a.m. in the morning. Many, many nights up to 3 a.m. just you know, doing silly voices to my, we've all been there probably. done But then with the Goofy movie, they they really wrecked Bill because they were like, they threatened Bill to be like, we're going to replace you with Jim Varney and other people. You know, I know, hey, i'm I'm going to say it on this podcast, but that was that I know that's what happened because I do my, I love me some Bill.
00:33:59
Speaker
Well, that stinks and that the goofy movie was probably the most traumatic and hard thing Bill's ever done. Voice acting wise, but I think it brought forth the best of his heart. And that is where it was not just this, but there was like, you can do goofy all over the place, but can you slow it down? And can you, can you just, just talk?
00:34:24
Speaker
And bill what Bill always said was, it it was uncomfortable. There's a hot tub scene in a goofy movie where he's like, maybe Max ain't no things you think a good son should be. But I love my son. He loves me. And he said that felt so too close to him. It but is sounded like his voice.
00:34:48
Speaker
Well, what you just said resonated with me because I'm like, that, I think that heart, that sort of, that, that, that um authenticity, that sort of, can you just be informal, conversational? yeah that Just, these were two people in a hot tub just having.
00:35:07
Speaker
Well, I don't know Pete. Well, I don't he's judging. Well, I don't know and then he just like breaks it and it's so dead on I thank you so much for saying that I think that's true. And I think I think there is a I think there's a lot in just like every you see this pattern not just in voice acting you see this pattern everywhere where its authenticity is the new thing and I i hate to call it a thing as if it's not like just call it a thing doesn't sound authentic it doesn't sound
00:35:41
Speaker
That's right. It's like it's the new thing is authenticity but but it sort of it sort of is and I i don't hate that and I think what y'all just said is just dead on and I I don't hate that I love it I love it because it it just it makes me come alive so that's cool you know it's something to be honest it's something that we have I won't say struggled with, but our styles are much more formal. You know, people have have said for years when I'm in a recording session for a commercial or something, um just say it like you would say it to your kids. And I'm like, this is how I would say it to my kids. yeah you know And poor little bastard.
00:36:23
Speaker
Yeah. Oh goodness. Mine too. They're probably just fine. Don't don't oh don't be silly. you have you have not You have not heard my lecture on the F word. Do not give it that tower. That was my younger daughter. She's, you know, oh, G.F. bombed this and G.F. bombed it.
00:36:49
Speaker
Christine, stop it. You're giving too much power to that word. yeah Leave it alone. But again, all of us all of us have learned one thing, yeah that if you're not taking acting classes, you're not getting into the world of voiceover today. Yeah, absolutely. It's it's it's essential. When you look at the two of us, but we our foundations are narration, announcing,
00:37:18
Speaker
television promo very formal types of things but when we took an introductory improv class it helped immensely it just gave us the opportunity to just make different choices and even though we're not going to be wild and crazy and yeah you know doing wacky stuff or anything It made a difference. And it's essential. It's absolutely essential for yeah anybody who wants to get into voiceover. I don't care what aspect you're doing. Totally. anyone Taking it back to your hero. And then and then James has it come. Yes. Yeah. Taking it back to your hero, Bill and and a troop of his friends who include the late Fred Willard had the most amazing ah
00:38:02
Speaker
just whatever was fair kind of. Yeah, it was an improv. They learned it from Das Butler, I think it was like, you know, das was yeah yeah yeah yeah just like 10, 15 years ago. yeah but These guys, these were called of the North Hollywood mohoes because it was mo mo hoes. Ho, ho, ho, ho. It started at the holidays and it just got there. And they were wonderful shows, you know, but all of these guys are really super talented actors who were very skilled at improv and, yeah and it was really great to watch them work. And you just know how much that was informing yeah their day jobs yeah as well. So totally anyway, sorry, James, I think we cut you off. No, I'm just, I'm so enthralled by all this and it just keeps spawning questions in my head because I come from a theater background in school and you you hit the nail on the head. Like it allowed me, cause I also have degrees in communications journalism. So there are all of these different mediums of media that I've been in and the foundation of it all had to come from acting and learning how to act. And I think that's the most
00:39:10
Speaker
real thing I think I've heard anybody say in an interview of when it comes to voiceover and learning how to do it because radio, I even took that. i I'm kind of like you guys. I had a formal training. I grew up listening to Vince Scolle. Oh, the best. ah Exactly. You know, that that that East Coast, it's time for Dodger baseball. And you tell it and weave the story and and tell you everything that you needed to know in two or three sentences, but in a formal way.
00:39:37
Speaker
and for in a formal way. And that's the key. Yeah. That's going back to what, sorry to cut you off, but that's right. That's right. What you're all saying is like earlier, it's like, you know, there is a misnomer of how a formal communication is not authentic. And now, but it, but it can be in, it can be. Oh yes. Oh yes. And, and, oh, go ahead. We'll go No, no, and
Project Highlights and Career Reflections
00:40:01
Speaker
no, no, sorry. And and my my thought on that is I think that's what I caught caught in that transition like you guys did because I was going to school when I was doing radio and that transition started to slowly take place from you know formal to informal. And that's where I personally have struggled because
00:40:17
Speaker
of that matter of speaking, of having to learn how to transition, but I felt was able to fall back in some cases into the basis of where I started, which is in theater, and learning how to adjust on the fly, kind of like, you know, Bill, you mentioned earlier, being able to adjust without a talent proctor for PBS.
00:40:34
Speaker
You know, just be able to do it and be so it's all it's all improv. If you don't have that that style of improv, you will definitely struggle. And that is the one thing I will. I hearing it from you guys, it really solidifies how I've I've taken my approach, the unorthodox way of doing stuff. But I've incorporated all these, you know, things I've learned over the years. But a very like poignant, a very, yeah, type of delivery doesn't mean it doesn't come from the stinking heart. No, it doesn't.
00:41:01
Speaker
There you go. Now you don't have to be like, hey, everybody, I'm just a cool guy. Like, but, but to exactly, but you can have audience some class. motion Yeah. Yeah. And Ben Scully was absolutely just the master of that. And he could convey so much emotion yeah without going overboard. And he knew when to shut up.
00:41:22
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Yeah, he let the players do the talking on the field. And he'd like to tell his story. and And my favorite thing was that be his favorite call is ah the 2-2 count induces wild. You know, it's two on, two out, ah top of the second, ah you know, 2-2 game. And he'd go, it's induces wild across the board. And then he'd say that. And it that that as soon as that pitch would come ah up top, from whether it be Kershaw, whether it be, you know, Maddox or whoever it was, he would he would stop on a dime.
00:41:50
Speaker
And he learned from the best and from Red Farmer. Yeah, I mean, yeah. Yeah. And Red Farmer was amazing. Yes. So shut up on a dime. How do you shut that up? Because I'm I'm done. I'm curious, too. Vince Gully was the master of people that talk too much. Let's shut up and and say.
00:42:09
Speaker
but How do you shut up on a dime? Because I think that's something. You know what? Let's give Dawn a chance. do weve We've dominated this. but would have don Oh no, I'm enjoying it. I love watching y'all so excited about it. um But I just look at it from a ah different perspective because I'm not a voice actor. But I know that your moneymaker is your voice. So I'd like to hear how you, like singers, um prepare or make sure you stay healthy because obviously you need to be ready at all times, I would think.
00:42:36
Speaker
So do you drink hot tea, honey? Like, do you have anything like that? And then I have another question because I always ask like, bourbon I don't know, like, yeah, exactly. bo um The other thing is, Would you ever or has it ever presented um an option or the opportunity to do any other recording for any of the Disney, like like please record the monorail, so I don't have to hear Por favor or Montanga. I would love that, that's my favorite part. yeah But I would love to hear it in her voice, for example. Come on, Carl Power, you could do it for the month of October.
00:43:10
Speaker
That's right. so So answer if you don't mind and but how you prepare or stay healthy or do you do anything for your voice before? And then what maybe other than the intro at DCA and Disneyland, have y'all had um the opportunity that maybe we're not aware of?
00:43:25
Speaker
Sure. So I think, you know, it's funny, we've been very lucky for the most part to not have a lot of vocal problems. But I, the minute I turned 50, I developed acid reflux and it was affecting my throat. So I, I sleep kind of propped up at night and, you know, stop eating and drinking at seven o'clock so that it doesn't create a problem. But I haven't had issues with things that traditionally bother people with reflux. Like I know a lot of voice actors ah try to avoid chocolate and tomatoes and and things like that that can be very difficult and he's gone to grab something.
00:44:01
Speaker
um but so For the most part, um you know, I just avoid spicy foods because I find that that does affect oh no i do my voice. wrong I know. And I love spicy food, but that just doesn't love me back. um Sometimes we'll drink throat coat tea if we're not feeling well. But, you know, sometimes I feel like that can dry out my throat. So pretty much it's just a lot of water. um We did find a device where you're getting the Ah, thank you. Bill has gotten two of our most important tools. They're little cocktail straw. ah um There is a straw x if you Google straw exercise, you'll find demonstrations on YouTube on how to do this. But this is amazing. I did after I started having vocal problems with the reflux, I went to some speech therapy.
00:44:53
Speaker
at in your nose and throat practice and ah they gave me the straw exercise and and you just you do the star spangled banner so that you can you feel the air against your hand and you can you can hear that it's not very solid and that's okay that doesn't matter but what it's doing is allowing you to vocalize under pressure so that when you that you remove that pressure, you can just expand into what you're doing. And it's such a great way if you feel like your throat is starting to wear out during the day. It's a great, great exercise. I do it in the mornings before I up before i go to work. Another one is to take a, I realize styrofoam is pretty evil these days, but you poke a little hole in the bottom.
00:45:38
Speaker
and hold that up and you do go through your script with the tight pressure up against, you know and then that that also provides pressure and um can help you to, it helps with enunciation and it helps with the just the vocal characteristics.
00:45:56
Speaker
So, you know, we do some of those things, you you know, you use the knuckle under the jawline to kind of loosen things up a little bit, i didn't know that know that loosen up your your tongue muscles right under your jaw. Very, very carefully, you can just use your knuckles to just move the vote the voice box a little bit back and forth.
00:46:16
Speaker
those those sorts of things, but mostly lots of water and no yelling. And that's that's one thing that we we made a decision. The season sometimes is very difficult. That can be tough. That can be. I also made a decision a long time ago that we wouldn't do any video game work because video game characters always die. And if you or before they die, they they suffer incredible injuries. And so you've got to do those.
00:46:43
Speaker
Even we know people who do that kind of work. And yeah, luckily now producers will wait till the end of the day to give the actor the chance to get everything else done. But you can't work for a couple of days at least after you've done a session with all of these efforts of, you know, being shot or, you know, somehow mortally wounded. Yeah. And um yeah, we just made the decision that we're not going to do that. I did one once upon a time for a company called Atari. But those of you who were old enough. I remember Atari. They came up with Pong, for instance. Yeah. But they also came up with a couple of stop motion pinball machines, one of which was called Rage.
00:47:25
Speaker
Rage was ah so many different things, but it only had one word. And I was I was asked to come to Sunnyvale, which I had flew up from Los Angeles, and I spent the entire day saying one word. Rage, rage, rage, rage, you know. And I walked out of there with a, with a very large check, and you know, checks will allow you to rage for a while. But nonetheless, ah the interesting part of it was I couldn't talk for two days. So there you go. That's when, that's basically when I made the decision, no more video games no of any. yeah no no Wow.
00:48:16
Speaker
And then what have y'all, I can't recall, I know I've heard it because I've been to DCA and Disneyland. So it's probably ah so well in tune and like you're saying, um done so well that it just blends in. But other than the intros, what what have you, what are you known for? Like, could you tell me like what you've done?
00:48:38
Speaker
Well, the yeah that' the thing that's most that most people hear is about eight o'clock or nine o'clock in the morning, depending on what kind of a day it is. And that's the rope drop. You know, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the happiest place on Earth. Now's the time when you can walk to your very first destination. Have a great day and enjoy the the magic of the happiest place on Earth. That's right. And of course, you know, now we've got the new opening. Yes, with you know, that's um to all who come to this happy place. Welcome. Yeah. Yeah. And, ah you know, right now, our rope drop announcements are still playing in the parks. And I think a few others are as well. And it's now as as new things come along. That's when the new voices
00:49:24
Speaker
are stepping into take over some of those things but i love the rope drop announcement at dca you know in 1923 walt disney arrived in california to follow his dreams dreams which led to extraordinary achievements and wondrous adventures it's like how can you not have a good day when you're inviting you to like No. Look at your own dreams and we still memories and yeah there is so all of that. And lovely. And and I will say this. So, you know, the funniest thing. So my if if there's one attraction and one voice that stands out to me, it's this is the Matterhorn and it's keep your arms and legs in the vehicle at all times. And it i i what I realize is my predecessor, Jack. OK.
00:50:14
Speaker
But did did you? normally ask santa a port more Yes. Never heard of that. Well, guess what happened. I thought down the line, like it just stuck in my head. I don't know why. I was like five year old Jeff, like on that ride. But then that voiced. But I can't, you know, like when I came back.
00:50:34
Speaker
you know and i could hear your voice you to me it was like oh that's the same voice that's the same exact voice and i and it is it you know it is it's not but it is i have tried to to to meet that raised bar that jack said years ago you have you have That's that's very kind of you to say, but
Emotional Connections and Personal Stories
00:50:56
Speaker
the what diet makes this work is the fact that I was I was the student and not the teacher. Well, and every student, everyone, every this is just how it it is an art. Every student goes, you you can't. And it makes you you can't, because if you're like, I'm better than my ma my my master and I'm the student, well, that makes you kind of a bad artist.
00:51:21
Speaker
Yes, exactly. So you had to be that way, but it doesn't mean that you don't have you're not the same level. It means that you are. I think you have your own unique way that you brought forth things that were even better and more nuanced. and But you brought you. And that's what I think. I think that, ah you know,
00:51:44
Speaker
i i've i've your' i've I've listened to your voice work. You both actually are just breathtakingly wonderful. I love you guys. You guys are awesome. Oh, thank you. But but it but it's like I know. I know how you feel. Everyone hates their own art. And and but it but no, we we we we do love it. But the really point the point that the point that I'm trying to make is that when you when you start following a path.
00:52:18
Speaker
when you decide that this is where you want to be. It is an incredibly difficult thing to figure out the the person who built the path in the first place. yeah um And i and i I do understand I living in Garden Grove. I actually i lived close enough to Disneyland that I could hear the shots, you know, when they were on the jungle cruise when they're trying to get rid of the hippos and things like that. I would, you know, I'd walk over to the park from time to time and listen to Jack's ticket booth spiel's. yeah Those were the things that informed me of what an incredible artist he was.
00:53:00
Speaker
and I think it really speaks so well of the creative team at Disneyland that they didn't they weren't trying to do a voice match. no they wanted that same They wanted that same feeling.
00:53:12
Speaker
but and and I think you know they're continuing on with you know a different sound, but they so but that's what they want is a magical feeling. and that's I think that's what is going to keep Disneyland being such an incredible place for generations to come. Well, it is. And that's why. Well, and you you brought up a good point. and And let me push back on what I said. I was like, everyone hates their own art. No. OK. I hate my own art. OK. So I was projecting. OK. We've just learned a lot about that. I know everyone. who cares
00:53:45
Speaker
But you no, no, no. But when I listen to y'all, I'm like, wow, this is, you know, when when somebody doesn't have, well, I just, when I'm listening back to both y'all and your your voice acting work, I i am just mesmerized. I'm humbled. I think y'all have just,
00:54:03
Speaker
great voices and um a cute hand of voices I just you know like I've always said I just I can hear a voice just talking voice and I'm just like you you don't even have to do a voice you don't have to do one dang voice for me I can just tell that you all have amazing voices and and even in speaking so anyways you know you know what my favorite voice of those was what as a cast member fantastic when phantasmic got canceled here hearing that that against because as a cast member ah for little insight to you and i see bill shaking to say he knows exactly what i'm talking about As a cast member, and being being there on fan duty, it's a mess down there. And the moment that they cancel fan, it's like ah rats jumping ship and just going to the other part of the park. And it's like, you're sitting there, you're like, guys, guys, this way. And they're fighting against current and stream. But that was like. For me, as a mansion cast member, that was like, all right, I could go run up to the the offices now and see if they have a shift for me over at the mansion. I'd rather be in that costume than than the fan costume tonight. Yes. But when when I heard the winds and the there'll there'll be no performance of fireworks or fantastic, I'm like, oh, gosh, here comes the here comes the the calm before the storm. But here's an opportunity for me to go to my attraction. I love to do so much with that was like my favorite announcement to hear is like, oh, when I do this, I'm like, all right. So anytime I heard your voice, i it was like a calming experience to a degree.
00:55:28
Speaker
for in In some cases, i will I will let you know that when we talked about the fact that the fireworks were being canceled due to winds aloft, ah I would get calls from time to time. You ruined our honeymoon. You ruined our anniversary. I can't believe you canceled the fireworks.
00:55:49
Speaker
you know It was like a friend, the voice of a friend had just ruined your day you know because you were looking forward to those things. it's very It's really interesting the relationship between these voices and Disneyland guests. and It really has nothing to do with the two of us. I think what happened is that those voices became so associated with the parks that it it was like the personification of the park. And it was like the park speaking to you. It wasn't a person, it was the park speaking to you. yeah And you know, and and then the park really let you down and you'd been having this wonderful day and now your thing is canceled.
00:56:24
Speaker
we We also have, go ahead, on this sorry. Oh yeah, so sorry. I also did enjoy, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching that the watching fan and all that, but as a cast member, that that was definitely a highlight hearing that, because I was watching everything scary, but to you know say that I got to be right there and hear it every night, regardless if I was working in Splash or Mansion or yeah or right there on the route itself. It was always a joy to just be able to hear that. Like you said, it's like the park talking to you, but as a cast member, it's something more Yeah. I get it. Oh, definitely. Unless you're my daughter who worked back in Toontown.
00:56:57
Speaker
Oh, yeah and then then you're tortured. That's that's their torture. Really sick of hearing his voice every day. Yeah. And, you know, yeah and on top of that, there was a at the time this was all going on. ah There was a radio station that was incredibly popular in Los Angeles. Kiss FM. And I was I was doing a lot of commercials that showed up on that radio station. And she's there all the time. He's like, Dad, please.
00:57:23
Speaker
Don't. You just can't get away from him. You just can't get away from him. Tell him the Hawaii story. All right, so I have my entire family is sitting in one long row on a on an L-1011 that's going to Hawaii and I'm just just minding my own business just kind of you know All of a sudden here, damn it. And I see a pair of headphones go flying flying up against the seat. And I'm and I look down and it's my younger daughter, the one from Toontown. She goes, I'm on vacation. Stay out of my head. And then she points to the screen up above the rose and doing the commercials for the for the drinks and so on and so forth. And already got.
00:58:11
Speaker
You say, well, that's how this trip is being paid. sadly yes She knows how the sausage is made, but she doesn't care yeah the same love that in thing when um you know, there were from time to time, you know, I'll do some just sort of accents. I've never really done character work. But you know, every once in a while, and one day I was walking around the house doing a British accent, I had ah just done a commercial. it was so It was still kind of in my head, you know, and my son who was about four at the time said, don't do that. I just want my mom. And I said, buddy, that accent just bought your new tennis shoes. So it stays.
00:58:50
Speaker
but um Okay. Exactly. Yeah. You know, back back to the second part of Dawn's question, and that is, um you know, maybe things that we've done that maybe you, the most guests wouldn't know, ah yeah exit, like, yeah, or emergency exit, things like that. Exactly. they never hear that Yes, there is an extensive catalog of recordings um for you know emergencies and things like that. But if you're on Mickey and Minnie's runaway railway in Florida or Anaheim, and if the attraction breaks down,
00:59:23
Speaker
ah You'll hear my voice interacting with Mickey about, ah you know, what to do next. And that's kind of a fun surprise when that happens. And then not that the ride breaks down, you understand. yeah But but but it's hands because those things do happen from time to time. they they hand yeah Go ahead. I will say on um Small World Holiday, there is a very special voice. Oh, but the holiday. Yes, there would there would be some some fat guy with a beard hanging out but behind behind a screen. going Well, he's not getting anything but a lump of coal this year.
01:00:02
Speaker
yeah So Phil is the voice of Santa on Small World Holiday. And yeah, so that's all that's kind of fun. And he put his daughter's names on the on the list and he he put his sons in law on the naughty list. Oh, I love that. So there's a little insider baseball for you. No, this is inside. And this is why sort of why we're doing this, like, you know, hey, we there's some podcasts that are that we've done that that.
01:00:31
Speaker
are really like we get a lot of views and then others and but what we're trying to do this is sort of what we're trying to archive this is Disney history and we want to record this stuff and so you're all stories matter and everyone else's stories matter so why not get You know, Barry is, he's not here, but he's our, our, our usual host. He's, he's a, he's just, he has over the years made so many amazing Disney contacts. Yeah. And we've had so many people sharing their stories and we archive it because this is Disney history. This matters. This history matters. So the fact that you all just said, there are things behind the curtain that there the voice over, you know, there's some voice stuff.
01:01:18
Speaker
Well, that matters because that that's part of the history. And so, yeah. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that with us. the Speaking of archive, I have a real quick question. Are is Disney allowed or I guess they own whatever you did forever? OK. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you they do are you allowed to are you exclusive Disney? I mean, I know you do other things, but like, say if Universal approached you, is there any kind of contract where you can't dapple. And we know we'd, we'd, we'd be able to, we'd be able to do yes and in fact the time that we were under a contract with Disneyland, but there wasn't an exclusivity thing, but we, we tried to be careful with those things. I mean, there was a time when we were the announcers for Luna Park at Coney Island.
01:02:04
Speaker
along with being the Disneyland announcers. But we didn't make a big deal about it. you know It was very different audiences and it was ah ah know like a two or three year thing. And and on top of that, ah I was the the gate. Well, the the front gate announcer for USJ, that is Universal Studios Japan in Osaka for a number of years.
01:02:27
Speaker
And and was also the voice of Tokyo Disneyland for about 10 years in English, because Tokyo Disneyland is so large ah that in any given day, they figure that the the number of English speaking people in Tokyo Disneyland is equal to the number of people at the Magic Kingdom in Anaheim. So. yeah You guys also do the announcement for Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet. I do know that. Yeah, we do. We love the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet. Yeah, I'm actually I live in the the Washington area, so i I do know. And I did get to see um the video that you guys did with Brett. They've they presented all this. I could see all this stuff that you guys did in last year's interview. What is it like working with Don Marin? He's such a great character in my life so far. He's old. What is it like working with him?
01:03:25
Speaker
We love Don, he's so creative and and we love that he's been able to follow his dreams and you know do all of this incredible Disney stuff in addition to having a very responsible and very demanding day job. But his creativity just never stops and it's so great. And anytime he calls and says, hey, I wanna do a video, you guys up for it? We're like, yeah. Or any announcements, you know the first time we went to the mouse meet, it was,
01:03:52
Speaker
just an extraordinary experience. And we've remained friends ever since and Bill officiated Dawn's wedding. And, you know, it's just it's been a really wonderful friendship. So, yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, i because Dawn brought up the other stuff. I'm like, hey, that's right in my wheelhouse because I've i've heard you guys the last couple of years. So it's it's amazing to hear this announcement. It's like the rope drop. I hear the rope drop announcement that you do for them. Like that's that's Disneyland rope drop. That's almost almost identical to it. I love it. And so it's like I I pay attention to those things. And it's always, it's like a real authentic experience that he puts on at that event. Without a doubt. And you guys definitely add to that experience, you know, not only with the guests that he brings to the stage, but you guys being that voice there, it's definitely an authentic piece. And I appreciate it as not only a part of the team now this last year, but as a goer, just having that authenticity that you guys talked about earlier. Yeah.
01:04:49
Speaker
is that something that you think about wanting to do again going coming back to it and being a but we will, you know, sooner or later done, we need to give you guys a break. Yeah, you know, yeah, I know. there we began I think the only guy that's been there any more than we have is Bob Gurr. Oh, yeah, Bob has been there. it So his comment this last year, he goes, when I hit 100, when I hit 100. Oh, that's so cool. Yeah.
01:05:12
Speaker
Yeah. So, um yeah, I'm sure we will come back. and And, you know, one of the things that we're working on right now is that we're writing a book that Disney is publishing. And it's the history of voiceover at the Walt Disney Company.
01:05:28
Speaker
Hell, tell me more, tell me more, I need help. And this is a good segue. We gotta to respect y'all's time. and And this is a great, how can we find you? How can we how we learn more about your story? And you've been so kind and generous with the us to talk to us about your story, your life, all these, and and insights for me personally about voice acting, because I'm i'm kind of a, I'm kind of i'm kind of wed to that.
01:05:55
Speaker
And you've been so awesome. And so how can we how can we support you? How can we learn more about you? Where can we go? All those things. Sure. Yeah, you can. um Well, first of all, you know, the we're in the research phase for this book. And it's um we're looking at a publication date ah or in 2028. So it'll coincide with the 100th anniversary of Steamboat Willie. So just something down in the road and Mickey's 100th birthday's.
01:06:25
Speaker
um You can find us on Instagram. We're both on Instagram. And I'm on Facebook. And, ah you know, if you just do a Google search, you're going to find our websites as well. And there's contact forms on there also. So, you know, anybody who has a question about voiceover, we are so happy to answer those and offer any guidance that we can, because that's a pretty cool way of life, you know? Yeah. So we're, you know, we're we're happy. And matt I'm adding a friend request.
01:06:55
Speaker
Awesome. hi yeah But I want to know what your favorite attractions are at DCA
Creating Magic and Its Importance
01:07:01
Speaker
and Disneyland. Oh, gosh, for me, hands down, it's Soren. And I love it when they bring back Soren over California. I mean, Soren over the world is great. It really is very, very well done. But I'm, I'm a huge fan of Soren over California.
01:07:16
Speaker
And and for me, I think it it has to be. And now that there's like 50 plus versions of it, it's even even in more incredible. But Star Tours is as you know, from the day it opened, I was there the day it was it was premiered. And it's just it's an amazing ride. It's just the and it actually adds new meaning to the word attraction, you know, yeah. Right.
01:07:46
Speaker
No, um I do have a confession. I have never heard the opening rope drop for either parks because I'm, I'm on a central time. And when I come over to California, I like to sleep in because usually I don't bring all five of my kids, but I hear the closing one. So we're good. there you go that mean including the admonishment that the that main street will be open an additional half hour for your shopping convenience. That's right. That's right. And pictures and everything else. um I just wanted to tell you that I flew over on my birthday.
01:08:22
Speaker
one year. And I saw that balloon fly from the castle and heard the announcement about the fireworks being canceled on my birthday. oh And I was quite devastated. But it's okay. I came back. I came back the next year. And it was good. I do have one more question. um Going off of the your favorite attractions.
01:08:49
Speaker
Do you have an attraction that you would love to just redo a voiceover? Like you hear something and, you know, not that it's bad, but you think that would be kind of like a fun thing to do.
01:09:04
Speaker
Well, I did get the chance to do that because um when they did the tree lighting ceremony for the the tree at DCA, I had a cold. And it would make me crazy when I would hear that. So that played for several years. And then I got a chance. And it was that was one of the really nice things during the pandemic. um We did get the chance to redo the catalog. and you know Change the the the the preamble from ladies and gentlemen boys and girls to hello everyone or you know some some version of that so i did get the chance to redo the tree lighting ceremony with a voice that.
01:09:43
Speaker
Luckily, you know, wasn't hampered by a cold. So that made me feel good. I love, that's a great answer. Cause I think yeah there's a lot of us that have been like, you know, we can, I, there's a phrase that I learned. I don't know where I learned it. We can all be killed by conventional weapons. Meaning.
01:10:03
Speaker
Like voice voice people, like it could be one thing like, oh no, I slept the wrong way. Oh, nap now my voice is gone. It's just, it's gone. Sorry. And that's that's just, it's something we all sort of just go through and it's it is what it is. But I think what a wonderful thing when you can rerecord, because sometimes you kind of get that place where like, dang it.
01:10:29
Speaker
You know, I, I know I'm better than this. And then, and then you re-record and you're like, okay. yeah And then what a relief. What a relief. You're just like, Oh, ah okay. Finally. Okay. Okay. All right. All right. I can all as well in the universe. You know, that's right. And I think that I have a small confession. I cherry picked, uh, the ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, uh, to my mansion spiel. I cherry picked that into my personal spiel. I went, uh, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please strike your bodies away from the wall. So instead of putting Yeah. So yeah, I cherry, cherry picked that from, from bill. Love it. i All right. Okay. My friends. So this is, this is probably this, we've been, we've been at it a while. Is there anything else that you what's on your heart? Is there anything now, if if there's anything else that you want to talk about, talk about it. Um,
01:11:26
Speaker
But we've already asked how we can find you, where we are. Yeah. Well, yeah okay. but Let me ask this question. If, if you are a new listener right now, never, never heard y'all you're a, a power couple yeah and you are, you are.
01:11:45
Speaker
You are the voices of Disney, you know, when you go to the parks and we, ah I've heard your voice and it's been what, what advice or what encouragement.
01:12:00
Speaker
would you give to any listener who just maybe just heard you for the first time. Maybe they're not voice actors. Maybe they're just people that maybe, maybe their art is not voice acting, but their art is something else, whether it's music, it could be whatever it is, whatever it is. Yeah. Well, you know,
01:12:18
Speaker
I we just had the opportunity to give a keynote address for the Public Relations Society of America for their meeting in Anaheim. And the the title of our presentation was Every Day Magic Lessons from a Disney Journey. Oh, I was hoping you'd go there. Oh, I'm low balling that. Oh, good. yeah no No, but because we learned a long time ago to look at the magic in our life. And, you know, when you start looking, it's there.
01:12:47
Speaker
you find it and it's it's there and night it doesn't matter whether you're a performer or an artist or an accountant or a teacher or a doctor, whatever it is that you do, there is there is magic to be found in your life. There's magic to be found even in sorrow, even in challenging times and in your triumphs. And um one of the things that really opened my eyes to the way that Disney creates magic and that Bill specifically has done over the years was when I attended one of his early recording sessions and I asked him at the end of the session, how is it that you can have the same energy and excitement at the end of 35 pages of announcements that you did at the very beginning? I have to know how you did this and this is what he told me.
01:13:37
Speaker
I picture this woman who is sitting on the curb on Main Street, USA. It is a hot spring afternoon and she still has her I'm with the band sweatshirt on. She's been hauling susophones, hurting children all day, and she has just had it.
01:14:00
Speaker
I have one mission in life that when I say, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it's your child marching through Disneyland. I want her standing ramrod straight. I want her wiping the sweat from her brow and a tear from her eye and making her proud because she's earned it.
01:14:25
Speaker
And he's actually watched that happen. And he said, that's who I'm talking to. And it doesn't matter how many announcements are on that page. That's a different person, each one. And they all need that moment. And that's what that's what my job is, is to connect with that one person. And I think that anybody can do that, no matter what their occupation is, no matter what ah takes their time you know in life, there's that opportunity to to create magic no matter where you go.
01:14:54
Speaker
so Well, I'm about to cry, so I gotta go. I really am. that that was that that's like That takes me back to the core of like my um my my training of what I got at Disney is you you create that magic no matter what, you matter no matter the instance. It doesn't matter if they just lost their balloon or the kid just scraped up their knee on the middle middle of Main Street. You find a way to create that magic no matter what.
01:15:23
Speaker
because that's what Walt would have wanted. That's what we're there to do. And that's our job. And for you to just tell that story, that that just really hit me right in the feels, like Jeff said, like it was the first time I had heard it again. And that's wow. It's so true. Brace my heart. I love it.
01:15:39
Speaker
Yeah, making everybody feel special. And I think that's what brings me back to Disney over and over again, instead of just going to like six flags. I mean, I appreciate all theme parks and any entertainment, but we all want to feel seen and special. And I think what you just said was the perfect way to deliver that. Thank you guys so much. Thank you.
Conclusion and Call to Action
01:16:00
Speaker
and your tonight This was our pleasure. Thank you for spending the time with us. Oh, you just said my book pleasure. You know, my pleasure. Thank you so much. And our pleasure. And thank you all so much. And we love you. thank We hope, will you come back sometime? We would love that. Okay. well if you were If you find more questions to ask, oh no we have we have questions to answer. Well, that's the problem. We have too many questions to ask. And we, the problem is we have so many questions to ask and
01:16:29
Speaker
and we but we're we're getting to the point where we're like you know we got to we have to respect people's time you know so we're trying to do that better because otherwise we just keep talking and talking about no no no no we we can't do that we well you guys are fun to talk to thank you yeah you're you're very fun to talk thank you so much yes all right all right have a magical day Well, that was just good. That was fantastic. Wow. And you know what, from here, hold on. One, two, three. All right. So we'll do the outro. Y'all are good. So. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This was a pleasure. All right. Take care, guys. Take care. Thank you. Love you all. Thank you so much for being here. We just, what ah what a wonderful time. and
01:17:23
Speaker
thanks we'll talk again soon have a great um a great yeah guys bye ae
01:17:31
Speaker
thank you for joining us for another enchanting episode of sharing the magic we are the thinking fans podcast an entertainment show where education and entertainment collide each week
01:17:48
Speaker
Thanks. We'll talk again soon. Have a great week. Spread the word and let your friends know they can tune in wherever they enjoy their favorite podcasts. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and ex formerly Twitter at at sharing the magic pod. Until next time, keep sharing the magic.