|
|
 I was delighted to learn that Jenny Woolf, author of the fascinating new biography The Mystery of Lewis Carroll, greatly enjoyed the two free nonsense poem audio downloads I created for Storypods Audiobooks over in Oxford, England. On her Facebook page, Jenny wrote:
“I’ve been in email correspondence with Andrew Sellon, LCSNA president, but never heard his voice. I am enchanted by his wonderful readings of these nonsense poems, winners of an Alice contest run by Oxford Storypods.”
Thanks, Jenny! I had great fun doing the recordings for Liz and Francis of Storypods. Both poems are very clever, and it’s great to be able to share some free poetry with the online community. I hope to record a lot more poetry to share. If you haven’t already listened to or downloaded the two contest winners, click the image on this post to visit the Storypods site. While you’re there, check out their own recording of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and selected letters of Lewis Carroll; it’s delightful.
 If you have or know kids grades 1-6, check out this great free e-Learning site! I contributed the voiceovers for the Guided Tour, and all the content is created by e-Learning professionals volunteering their time, which I think is fantastic. Kids don’t need to register to use the site, so parents don’t have to worry about any personal information being collected, etc. It’s a global initiative to give kids access to fun, free learning experiences from any pc with an internet connection. Congrats again to Michael Williams, Director of Courseware Development, and to everyone involved in this worthy web site.
To visit the site, click the image on the right. To see (and hear!) the Guided Tour, find the same Guided Tour image on the site’s home page and click on it there. Enjoy, and spread the word!
 I became acquainted with Liz and Francis, the brains behind the Oxford-based Storypods Audiobooks when I reviewed their charming audio production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland a couple of years ago. This year, Liz told me they were going to sponsor a nonsense writing competition, and asked me to be one of their judges. I thanked her but declined since I felt that as President of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America I should remain neutral. But I offered to record the two winning poems if my schedule allowed. Liz thought that was a great idea, and happily there was time, so you can now listen to and download the two charming poems that won the competition. Just click the image on the right to visit the Storypods site, and enjoy!
 When I presented my eLearning voiceovers seminar at the eLearning Guild’s March 2010 conference in Orlando, I met a lot of bright, creative, super-friendly people. One of those folks was Michael Williams, who is Director of Courseware Development for a great non-profit called “e-Learning for Kids.” They run a web site of free interactive elearning for grades 1-6. The content is created by elearning professionals who generously donate their time and skills to this globally-available learning resource. The courses are colorful, fun, engaging, and 100% free. Kids don’t even have to register to take the modules. They just go to the site, choose a grade or a subject area, and dive in. I was impressed with the course samples I saw at the conference, and I’m also a big believer in educational outreach for kids. I give free readings at elementary schools twice a year for the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, and also visit schools to give talks. So, I gave Michael my card, and told him to drop me a line if he ever needed voiceovers for a project.
Last week, Michael contacted me to ask if I’d be willing to create the voiceovers for a new Guided Tour they’re creating for the e-Learning for Kids web site. I said sure! I sent him a couple of sample audio files to give him an idea of the vocal timbre I thought most appropriate, and he agreed those were right on the money. We finalized the script, I laid down the tracks, and I sent the finished Mp3 files along to Michael. I included an alternate “take” of the last audio clip, with an additional “tag” that he loved, so that’s the one they’ll use in the Tour. Once the Tour is posted on their site, I’ll do another update! If you have kids, or know kids, grades 1-6, I recommend you take a look at their site. What a great free resource! Click the image to visit their site.
 Well, this is it. The end of the road. At least for my Disengaged Dozen series of video ads. Episode 6, the last of the series, has just been posted on YouTube. This time, my character (Benny the Boss) has to contend with an employee who just can’t seem to manage his time. Know anyone like that? Watch the clip to see if Benny comes up with a solution, or jets Captain Shirk into the intergalactic unemployment line. Matthew Wages does a great sendup of William Shatner. If you enjoy the clip, I hope you’ll click the “Like” button on YouTube, and maybe post a nice comment there. Who knows, if enough people share the Disengaged Dozen links, and generate enough feedback, maybe the producers will make the other six videos with me as Benny. My bow tie stands ready. Clap your hands if you believe!
My thanks again to the Bernard Hodes Group, my co-stars, the whole crew, and especially to writer/director Dewey Moss, for a great experience, and six very clever videos. I’m delighted to have been part of the campaign.
 I’m back online in part four of the six-part series The Disengaged Dozen. This time, my character Benny the Boss is faced with employee Sandy Bagger, an unhappy and devious camper determined to pull the rug out from under Benny. David Perlman is a hoot as Sandy, and I had great fun playing straight man to his nefarious doings. Writer/director Dewey Moss of the Bernard Hodes Group clearly had a field day with this one.
Will Sandy succeed in sandbagging Benny?? Click the picture on the right to find out! (And remember to click “Like” on YouTube!)
 This week, I return as Benny the Boss in the 6-part sitcom series The Disengaged Dozen. My co-star (or is that co-conspirator?) is the very funny Fleur Phillips, who, when not playing withholding killjoy Cher Nothing, is in fact both lovely and delightful. Once again, Benny must find a way to re-engage an eccentric and wayward employee. Thanks to writer/director Dewey Moss, Benny finds just the right thing to say. Click the image to view the clip on YouTube, and if you enjoy it, please click the “Like” button on YouTube to cast your vote. If you’ve missed the first two Episodes in the series, they’re still available as well.
 Episode 2 of “The Disengaged Dozen” is now online! Just click the image on the right to launch the video on YouTube.
This time my character Benny the Boss helps out Nervous Neddie, an employee so terrified of something going wrong that he can’t get anything right. It turns out that Guy Olivieri, who makes a hilarious Neddie, also went to UNC-Chapel Hill. Small world! I love little discoveries like that.
If you enjoy it, please click the “Like” button on YouTube, and leave a comment there if so inclined. Feel free to leave a comment here as well! And by all means, share the link with your friends. Thanks! :-)
 I’ve just learned that Episode 2 of the web series The Disengaged Dozen (in which I appear as the plucky Benny the Boss) should be on YouTube and elsewhere starting Tuesday, July 6th. Stay tuned for the saga of Nervous Neddie…! The remaining four episodes are now scheduled to be posted every two weeks, on Tuesdays.
 Fuzzy Purpose Finds Her Way The first of the six zany web commercials I shot recently for the very creative folks at Bernard Hodes Group has just been posted on YouTube. Think 50′s sitcom on helium. They were a lot of fun to film, and everyone involved was incredibly nice as well as talented. I’ve seen the final version of all six spots, and they’re a hoot. Congrats to writer/director/editor Dewey Moss for a great job. The remaining five ads will be posted one every two weeks; I’ll add links as they appear. Each spot features me as Benny the Boss encountering a different archetypal ”problem” employee and figuring out how to engage him or her on the job, to everyone’s benefit. Click the image on the right to see the video. If you enjoy it, please click “Like” on YouTube and share the link with your friends. Thanks! 
|
