Agents, Demos, Marketing, Networking, VO Work, P2P, Unions…
Hear how I got into voice over, my philosophy on business, acting, much, much more!
The full 86 minute presentation is yours FREE!
(and stay for the questions at the end… very informative 😉 )
Thanks to everyone who attended, and those who asked questions at the end.
(click on any picture for a full size wallpaper version!)
It all started with shaving my beard off as a Valentine’s day gift for my wife:
… then, things got a bit out of hand:
It was time to cool down:
… maybe this is a bit *too* chill?
Going for an Andy Warhol vibe on this:
… but my wife said the colors looked like balloons, so:
(parody of “If I Could Read Your Mind, Love” by Gordon Lightfoot)
… and if you like this one, you might also enjoy this:
~~~ Lyrics ~~~
I joined a pay-to-play site
‘Cuz I got my voice to sell
They send me lots of auditions
And I’m doin’ really well
Then I reach the part where the paycheck comes
A dollar ninety three
Are you frickin’ kiddin’ me?!?!?
This headset mic is really boss
It’ll take me twenty bucks to pay it off
~~~
If I could read your copy
For a product you’d like to sell
Be on a national commercial
The kind that pays my bills
Maybe I could be on a cartoon show
And be famous on TV
Or a hero in a game
The Simpsons or an Anime
Can’t you see I only need a break
~~~
My fans would think I’m a movie star
With a mansion on the beach
Or maybe even two
With lots of green, I’m on the scene with paparazzi crowding all round me
But for now I should be real
I never learned how to act on stage
And I’ve got to say that they just don’t get it
I don’t know where I went wrong
But my money’s gone and I just can’t get it back
~~~ (end) ~~~
Persistence:
We Aspire to it in Ourselves,
Admire it in Our Friends,
and Abhor it in Our Foes.
But when is it appropriate?
As the saying goes, nothing feels better than when you stop banging your head against the wall.
Sometimes, knowing when to quit can be just as important as knowing when to push on in spite of the odds.
Only you can make the decision on if you should persevere or throw in the towel. Take the advice of trusted loved ones, friends and mentors into account. If they’re all saying the same thing, maybe it’s time to listen.
If you’re stubborn like me, that can be the hardest part.
Besides, that wall will always be there. Maybe just a bit of a break to clear your head…
Adapt, Adopt and Improve,
Joe
This gallery contains 8 photos.
Yes, I Do Wear Cartoon Undies… Click on any image for a larger size: … and if you’d like to buy some too, check out: Urban Outfitters: Men’s Underwear All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online … Continue reading
*** Updated June 4, 2018: The Pickle on The McPhee Podcast! ***
*** UPDATED 4/30/2018 STEPHEN FRY TWEET! (at the bottom) ***
How did learning to yodel lead to Weird Al, George Takei, The Today Show and Gorillaz?
It all began in 2006, with a contest by the Seattle novelty company Archie McPhee.
They were searching for a yodel.
I was a singer, but had never yodeled. So I consulted the internet and found YodelCourse.org
After some free lessons, I submitted my contest entry and forgot about it.
… until 100 rubber chickens showed up on my doorstep!
I’d won the contest, and the prize was 100 rubber chickens, plus my yodel in a toy.
Now, the first toy (Feb, 2007) was not the Yodeling Pickle, but instead was the “Remote Control Hopping Yodeling Lederhosen” (with a knockwurst remote, of course):
Then in April of 2007 came the now famous “Yodeling Pickle”:
In December of 2008, the Today Show with Cathy Lee and Hoda reviewed the pickle:
Kathy Lee Gifford sang with it and said “Nothin’ beats the Singin’ Pickle!”
Sales of the Yodeling Pickle were great, and soon they came out with other yodeling products (more on those below).
On December 26, 2010, the Grammy winning band “Gorillaz” album “The Fall” featured the yodel on track 15: “Seattle Yodel”:
You can download the whole album for free at: Gorillaz – The Fall (at Archive.Org)
On August 5, 2011, Archie McPhee released their own video of the track:
On March 26, 2013: Archie McPhee announced “International Yodeling Pickle Day“!!!
On May 22, 2013: George Takei posted his comedic review of the Yodeling Pickle on Amazon:
And on June 17, 2015: Weird Al Yankovic tweeted this (along with a review on Amazon)
“You can have my electronic yodeling pickle WHEN YOU PRY IT FROM MY COLD, DEAD FINGERS.”
On June 2, 2017: Gizmodo posted an article on Gorillaz and the Seattle Yodel Track:
On July 16, 2017, George Takei included the Yodeling Pickle in a video review from Knowable:
And on April 30, 2018: Stephen Fry tweeted:
“I don’t know what a Yodelling Pickle is, all I know is that I want one. And in an instant absolute and foot-stamping Veruca Salt kind of way”
New! June 4, 2018: The Pickle on The McPhee Podcast!
Archie McPhee – PODCAST EP 6: THE YODELLING PICKLE AND THE GORILLA(Z)
Other Yodeling products from Archie McPhee:
Gerkin for a living,
Joe “Yodelling Pickle” Thomas
Afternoon Tea Adventures presents a brand new Doctor Who audio drama in 3 parts.
Chapter Three: Marching as to War
Welcott prepares to march his undead army to 1950’s England, to wage war against the Establishment. VTI Security Forces have been ordered to destroy The Space, and all the colonists living there. Julia Shahid is losing her mind. And the Doctor is finally opening her eyes to what’s going on.
Listen to part two here:
Also available on iTunes (click here)
And on YouTube:
(did you miss part one or two? here they are 😉
Doctor Who: Widen Your Gaze – a science fiction ghost story.
“The mind is its own place, and in its self
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.”
–John Milton, Paradise Lost.
Palestine 1975: The Doctor’s companion, under surveillance by CIA agents, writes a letter to her younger sister in New York City.
England, 1955: a grieving father obsessively searches for the ghost of his dead son.
Hyperspace, the 22nd Century: Something is threatening a community in thrall to an ancient alien technology, shrouded in myth and legend.
As all three events collide, the Doctor finds herself in a bloodied life-or-death race to piece together an inter-dimensional mystery that threatens to tear open the divide between sanity and madness and the living and the dead.
In a spectral, hostile darkness, sometimes the best thing you can do to survive is to widen your gaze.
Chapter Three: Marching as to War
Welcott prepares to march his undead army to 1950’s England, to wage war against the Establishment. VTI Security Forces have been ordered to destroy The Space, and all the colonists living there. Julia Shahid is losing her mind. And the Doctor is finally opening her eyes to what’s going on.
CAST
The Doctor … K. Woo
Julia Shahid … Valina Cutler
Welcott … Joe J. Thomas
Fair Hair/Soul … Justin Fife
Lupez … Lisa Michaud
Selina … Fazia Rizvi
Cruz … Al Gordon
Written by Vince Stadon
Doctor Who logo by John Callaghan
Art by Valina Cutler
Many thanks to freesound.org
Afternoon Tea Adventures‘ Doctor Who series is a free, not-for-profit fan production and is in no way associated with the British Broadcasting Corporation. It was created as a celebration of the series, without intent to supersede or infringe on existing copyrights or intellectual property. Doctor Who, the TARDIS, and other registered sounds and concepts remain property of the BBC.
Ok, so where did this bit of madness come from?
There’s a tiny stand-alone restaurant in our neighborhood. It used to be some kind of “Wrap” place, then it was empty for years.
Finally, a minor burger chain bought it! Hurray! And with a college nearby, it should be a huge success, right?
Nope. New seats. Outdoor TVs. Cheap plastic barrier and fence with plastic plants. New heaters.
Nothing.
So… The owners set it up as a Hookah place instead!
Sure. That’s a natural transition.
… and … it’s dormant again.
But I can still wish for “Hookah Burger!!!”
BTW, there’s a real “Hookah Burger” restaurant in Russia.
You can visit them here (WARNING! Slightly NSFW!): Hookah Burger Russia
Until further notice, the management of Joe’s dump is on break for the holidays!
May you and yours have a wonderful time. Relax. Enjoy each other’s company. Stuff yourselves.
… and make some new resolutions 😉
See you soon,
Joe
As voice actors, we often get caught up in the process, and forget the impact that our voices can have on a production.
Recently, I saw a car commercial from Lincoln named “Olivia’s Wish List”. It was a very cute spot featuring a girl in a car who makes wishes on a snow globe. She wishes for snow, toys, dancing. The audio track is only music (The Philadelphia Orchestra “Suite for Variety Orchestra No. 1: VII. Waltz No. 2”).
I wondered how much the feel of the commercial could be changed by adding a voice over track. I chose a more sinister take than the original, but everything else (video, music) is the same.
Here’s my take on the commercial: “Olivia’s Evil Wish”
… and for your reference, the original is here:
(old youtube was watch?v=_0LseZ5BlnI)
What other ways could you interpret this spot? How can your voice breath life into the productions you’re involved in?
Stay creative, my friends!
Joe