The Mortuary Scares Up Results for Halloween's Friday the 13th/Pee-Wee Tribute

The Halloween season is creepin' along in all its pre-pandemic glory. Pre-pandemic, is sounding a bit lame at this point in time. Guess you could realistically say; there are people out there scratching their heads going...what pandemic.

Of course those people are 'THREE YEAR's OLD'!

But, wait, there's something else out to get you...at least in NOLA country. Imagine you and your betrothed exchanging vows at The Mortuary Haunted Mansion on Friday the thirteenth for Your BLOOD WEDDING... and you're The Mortuary's guest of honor! Welcome to this season's theme - Here come the brides...looking for their grooms. Actually, this is a pretty cool concept and a perfect alternative progression to the 'what to do on date-night' kinda stuff. And nobody has to get locked in a car trunk like in those yester-years...He He He He.

Here's the skinny - Pop the question to your dearest love, dare them and 20 of your closest friends to join the Mortuary Vampires on Friday the thirteenth of October for Your BLOOD WEDDING! Make it a goth happening. Go all out and do it up right with a pair of Wolowitz' fake tattoo sleeves! It's an Eternal Union 'Till Death Do Us Part'...not-to-be-confused with a Netflix cancellation clause.

You'll get to send out cool invites like "The Eternal Prince of the Air and the Undying Queen of Darkness are forming an eternal union. This Halloween, your presence is requested for the Blood Wedding and Grand Feast at The Mortuary Haunted Mansion…So, come by this Hallows Eve and join us. Wear your darkest attire and be prepared to dance forever on the knife’s edge of destruction. Bring the gift of the crimson manna that fills your veins and be prepared to meet Eternity"! Not your idea of being able to read the room...

 

The Mortuary's text goes on to say; Do you not Fathom, O Mortal, that you are so much more than a mere wedding guest? More than some doting debutante or royal foxtrot! You, Dearest, are the most important part of the night’s ceremony! It is an honor… To perpetually fill the Wedding Cup with the red wine of your life blood …to fatten the Mortuary’s larder with delectable delicacies for the Grand Feast… this Honor is yours, O Mortal, and yours alone! Indeed, what a delicious honor! 

Some of you will indeed taste the rich nectar of the Nights Herald, and slip beneath the intoxicating waves of the Red Sea, only to be reborn in our own image, a Creature of the Night, feeling your life’s sweet essence become one with the Tribes of the Moon. And, yet, others will sink irrevocably into an eternal oblivion deep down into the still, black void...Drink in the Darkness". (fade to Black)

 

Saddened by the news of Paul Reuben's passing after a six year fight with lung cancer we pay tribute.

Paying tribute on Instagram at the time of Paul Reubens death earlier this month, was Weird Al Yankovic, who said: "What a dear, sweet man. He was always so lovely to me and my family, and we’re all so enormously sad today." Paul, is best known for his character of Pee-Wee Herman.
"The world lost an icon, and I lost an old friend. We love you, Paul." Eric Appel, who directed the movie Weird the Al Yankovic biopic,  and thinking about a biopic on Reubens, was asked who he wanted to play Paul. Eric said he would like to get actor Jorma Taccone to take on the role.

He had previously starred as the Pee-wee Herman character in WEIRD and is one-third of the sketch comedy troupe The Lonely Island, with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer. Below, we pay tribute to Paul with a not-too-shabby rendition of Pee-Wee's voice on IFC's Thanksgiving promo.

 

 

by:Tom Clifford, VoiceOver & Creative Services   

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Sag/Aftra Members Still Wanting a Fair Share

What has Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers (AMPTP) said about the SAG/AFTRA strike?

In a statement on July 13, the AMPTP said, according to ABC News, "We are deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations. This is the Union’s choice, not ours. According to SAG/AFTRA's national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, and Fran Drescher union president, this strike is the result of big corporations that refuse to treat our members fairly. 

“Are they willing to give actors true informed consent about the use of their own face, voice, body, likeness in the creation of artificial intelligence digital doubles of them? ‘No.’“Do actors get to have minimum wage increases that keep up with inflation? ‘No.’

“Do actors get to have a share of the streaming revenue that has been created because of their faces and their voices on these new platforms, these new businesses these companies are creating? ‘No. We don’t even want to talk about it.’

And it’s not okay, and we are standing up and we are saying ‘No’ to that…This is a united membership who are standing together and are saying ‘No’ to an unfair deal. Are saying ‘No’ to disrespect from these companies.”

In a union memo signed by Fran and Duncan, SAG-AFTRA members were ordered “to cease rendering all services and performing all work covered by the TV/Theatrical Contracts” once the strike begins.

Amid the writers' strike, many shows had already paused production and will continue to be on hold indefinitely amid the SAG/AFTRA strike. Deadpool 3 was one of the first major films to shut down production. Insiders anticipate that Beetlejuice 2, Gladiator 2 and Wicked could also be affected. There is a loophole for some shows filming overseas, however.

The folks at People Magazine have learned that the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, will be allowed to continue shooting its upcoming second season as an Equity contract production. 

"Since the cast is mostly comprised of actors who work under Equity, the sister union to SAG-AFTRA in the U.K., they are not advised to participate in the current strike. The same rule could apply to HBO’s Industry and Max’s Dune spinoff series Dune: The Sisterhood, which also operate under Equity rules"(The Wrap/People).

What can’t actors do during the SAG/AFTRA strike? 

According to the memo, that includes “principal on camera work,” such as acting, singing, dancing, performing stunts, piloting on-camera aircraft, puppeteer-ing and performance capture or motion capture work. In other words, any work on TV shows and movies comes to a halt, shutting down production completely.

Off-camera work that is forbidden includes re-recording dialogue, voice acting, narration and stunt coordination. Promoting new projects — including tours, personal appearances, and attendance at premieres and screenings, is also not allowed. Interviews are also off the table, as well as podcast appearances and promotion on social media. Actors cannot appear at any conventions, fan expos or festivals in order to promote “any project that was made under the TV/theatrical agreement.” 

The SAG/AFTRA Foundation Emergency Financial Assistance and Disaster Relief Fund, confirmed Monday, that "Dwayne Johnson contributed a 7-figure to its charitable Emergency Financial Assistance Program". It's a historic and single largest donation since the foundation was created in 1985. Says: Courtney B.Vance, President of SAG/AFTRA's Foundation,"It's a call to arms for all of us". Courtney had drafted a letter to 2,700 of the union’s highest-earning actors outlining the financial need that many would face in the work stoppage. In no time from sending Courtney's letter, Johnson’s team reached out to the foundation to say Dwayne wanted to help. So, he and Vance hopped on a phone call.

Well, guess what came in the mail yesterday...Bill Shatner's 'Dear Tom' reminder, outlining the benefits of the Hearing Life hearing aids. 

Yep, We'd like to echo that. And, oh, one more thing...

             

                    K%$#H#!%$A!%$#N !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by:Tom Clifford, VoiceOver & Creative Services   

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WHAM - Hearinglife - G.Willig ~ courtesy of TC & Company

Hey, guess what we saw after someone asked us for a path to our pal George Willig? It was an Article printed about George Willig ten days ago, featuring an opening link to the video we made of George: "Unclimbable". It's a 'how it happened' video that's light on production and effects, but unveils some behind-the-scene nuggets of George's World Trade Center climb of the south tower, May 26, 1977.

I haven't even had a chance to ask George if he knows he's back on top again. And after all, it was his 46th anniversary of the climb a month ago. 

Plus, it's getting some sort of algorithm churning in all our behalf's.

 

Check out a multi-link representation of the climb and related stories that affected George with our 45th Anniversary post in May of last year (on the line just below).

We featured the CNN’s Original Series “The Story of Late Night" on HBO Max after noticing they were using a clip of George on David Letterman's Morning Show more than 40 years earlier. And it was being used without his permission. For whatever it's worth, I had booked George on that show, which aired on September 19th, 1980. We wound up getting an agreeable sum for George and a copy of the actual clip being used...finally.

We're still awaiting the clients video link from their roll-out ad drive for Tinol Paints. We did a voice-over for their TV spots titled: "We put things in Place". 

The campaign is a cross between mis-combobulated word signage to emphasize how the politicizing of colors can speak in a thousand ways and how it plays into their theme of where is our colorful spirit. 

Here's an abbreviated version of it.

Stefan Nedelman's legacy (resume) is ever growing. From whence we worked together on the voice track of Terminal Bar to doing the animation, main title graphics or generating images using textual prompts for a number of Hollywood films, including the new Netflix documentary: WHAM!

Yeah, those guys - George Michael & Andrew Ridgeley, who in 1982, formed the band (Wham). The plot begins in 1982, the best of friends and still teenagers - George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley as WHAM set out to conquer the world. By June of 1986, they played their very last gig at Wembley Stadium having done exactly that. 

And it's better than ever...Stefan has been steadily busy with a work sheet that's including - Stable Deffusion. Check out his newest releases: "Con Queen of Hollywood" and "McMahon".
 

Why, we almost forget to mention our newest slice of good fortune of being up-for-the-part in a "HearingLife" voice-over with William Shatner.

Got-a-call from an old contact and they want me for a national cable campaign for the guy asking Bill about the wonders of HearingLife, hearing care centers of specialists and audiologists.

 

Of course, this comes on the heels of a looming SAG/Aftra union strike. Like they say...you can't make this sh..stuff up!

On July 14, 2023, at 3:00 am officially, the nations actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, went on strike over an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It has coincided with a Writers Guild of America strike as part of broader Hollywood labor disputes.

Fran Drescher, SAG/Aftra president, gave a rousing impassioned speech just after the decision to strike. She cited the "entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital and A.I." and it was being foisted upon the actors without equitable compensation. She mentions that "there's no way to predict" how long the strike will last.

 

 

 

 

 

by:Tom Clifford, VoiceOver & Creative Services   

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WGA Strike is Ka-booming...SAG/Aftra Strikes are Looming

 Special Strike Edition

(May 3rd, 2023) — WGA - The union represent-ing 11,500 writers of film, TV and other entertainment has launched a strike. For the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era.

(May 26,2023) As the Writers Guild of America strike wraps up its fourth week today -- with no end in sight -- the strikers will break from the picketing script that's defined the first month of their walkout and will, instead, take part in what's expected to be a large, multi-union rally in downtown. 

The strike has been having an impact on television viewing, with late-night talk shows and "Saturday Night Live'' all forced into reruns. The walkout has also prompted numerous television and film productions to shut down as other union members refused to cross the picket lines. The last WGA strike lasted from November 2007 until February 2008.

SagAftra unions are marking our solidarity with WGA. On a project that continues production while the WGA is on strike, you are legally obligated to continue working  in any capacity covered ... and employed under both capacities on a production, such as writer/actor, you must continue working as an actor. 

Sag-Aftra is nearing the end of its contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the Hollywood studios, and last week, its leaders called for a strike authorization vote as labor negotiations approach. Watch Celeb Members ask to Vote

The AMPTP has pushed back against some of the WGA's demands, particularly around its calls for mandatory staffing and employment guarantees on programs. AMPTP has also pushed back against WGA demands around streaming residuals, saying the guild's offer would increase rates by 200%.

The use of artificial intelligence has emerged as a major topic as well. 

The WGA says it wants a ban on the use of AI, and contends the AMPTP has refused to even negotiate the issue. The AMPTP said the issue raises "important creative and legal questions" and requires "a lot more discussion, which we've committed to doing."
 

Fran Drescher (President Sag/Aftra) wrote: On June 7, Sag-Aftra will enter into negotiations with the trade association representing major studios, streamers and production companies

We are united in support of the WGA and I thank all of the Sag-Aftra members who are showing solidarity with their strike. For those who haven’t yet been able to do so, I hope you will join me and others in supporting the writers on a picket line. 

As a member of the WGA, I can say firsthand the contributions made by writers cannot be undermined, diminished or cheapened. I’ve said it a thousand times, “If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage!”

Even while we are showing strong public support to our sister union, we are privately finalizing and preparing for our own negotiations. Let me unpack that process briefly so you can feel confident that no stone has been left unturned. 

We must focus on modernizing our outdated and conservative contract. It is essential that we reshape our agreement to better reflect the new digital, A. I. ramifications and streaming business model that is rapidly changing our industry.

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MetaVerse Immerses into 3-D Healthcare with TC and Company

Back again for their immer-sive new era medical know-how is  Boehringer Ingelheim. They wanted a voice, a sound that was hi-tech-ish to introduce the world to their 3D virtual iMetaVerse. I was told that this is real futuristic stuff for the medical field. You know ~ "You're traveling through time in a multi-sensory emotional connection with patients...Up ahead, it's the first live ILD use case  that allows clinicians to virtually live their patients symptoms vicariously"! 

Picture a holo-deck of sorts that unfolds into a virtual environ-ment where patients and caregivers can feel as though they are in the same space together. Alright, it ain't like living on the moon. But, this is the sort of thing the future looked like it would be, as a kid attending the '64/65 NY Worlds Fair. Which brings us to the voice-over character of Peter Thomas. Peter, for me, has always been associated with "That Fair" with his transitional narration on the Travelers Insurance Exhibit.

Peter's VO portrayal in Travelers "The Triumph of Man" Exhibit, typifies for me the voice of the future. Doug Rain's voice characterization of HAL in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey, could very well have been fashioned after Peter's story-telling delivery in the Exhibit's dioramas. Peter's read could be described as sounding a bit lilting with a dash of that disembodied thing goin' on.  

He's the perfect sound to satisfy that hi-tech-ish direction we got from the agency, but with a small hitch. Why not make 'em a bit younger and pick up a little of the you'tz market.

 

The agency came back with a tightly cut video packed with holographic virtual environments that's accented with a cool electro-techno music track, plush animated graphics and actual ground breaking advancements in medicine. Considering the daily diet of A.I. these days, it's nice to be still working, even if it's moonlighting as the iconic Peter Thomas' younger self! 

Check it out below.

 

 

Oh, and if you're wondering what Tucker Carlson's doing these days for gainful employ...he's making the rounds on the cable networks and taking it all too seriously...and he ain't always gettin away with it. Watch as Tucker Gets Puckered by WWE's Kane! Circa '90's

 

by:Tom Clifford, VoiceOver & Creative Services   

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Tinol Paints does Int'l Color Day with TC & Company

The fine folks over at Tinol Paints came-a-callin again...gratefully, the crickets were talkin' about puttin' the band back together. This time the creative team at Tinol wanted the performance to be inviting, motivating and catchy. You know, a break-thru-the-clutter sound to introduce the world to the International 'Color Day' Competition with the theme of "Tinol Colors Speak in a Thousand Ways".

They were putting a lot of effort to get as much splash as they could muster, mister. It was a fun gig and we just went with the flow. Click to Play

This was an entirely different campaign from when we first joined talents last year on the politically charged and the Pikasso Silver award winning "You Name It" campaign. Not that there's anything wrong with spreading the democratic word or trying to dismantle the political rhetoric ranging from the social liberal left and conservative right to ultra left/right and ultimately fanatic. How's that Blue and Red lookin' to ya.

We were proud to be representing a company that's taking a stand for the cause...for its country and its unity and freedom for all. 

What we're being asked to do for the competition spots is to simply call upon the public to submit their best colorful picture. All in an attempt to celebrate the colorful holidays ahead - Easter, May Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, etc., with Tinol colors. We'll be auditioning Bugs for Easter if that's something that might have leggs for the coming holiday.

With the stormy winds startin' to be a'blowin here in Manhattan over the Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford -No Relation) hush money pay-out case, we thought a tribute video could be in order. Nothing too 'strongly' or badly in nature. Just a little good natured spoofing...before the world ends...as we know it.

We've been hearing Paul McCartney's "Let 'em In" tune in our collective heads and it seemed to be some sort of calling within this tune...but weren't sure just how. Then we wondered no more, those lyrics just needed some adjusting, that's all. Yes, that's the ticket. Then came the news...Trump is indicted! We were almost there!

Now came time for the re-wrapping of the lyrics...and achieving that high octave voice of Pauly. We made a few attempts and no dice. Too fake or strained. So, why not all-out satirical. We got a stanza outta some brain equity and pretty much went along with the original lyrics until some interchanges were made with today's narratives. 

The Stormy spoof can be off key in spots and Paul occasionally bleeds through, but it still manages to get-a-laugh when it lands on target (below). 

by:Tom Clifford, VoiceOver & Creative Services   

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Sag Awards Transformative on YouTube/Netflix

For the first time ever the SAG awards were being aired solely online this year...We were looking forward to something different and planned to be at a hotel out east on Long Island when we watched it. The awards are being carried by Youtube & Netflix. We weren't sure if signal issues were going to be something to consider for a seamless viewing, but we were game either way.

 

Well, the day started on a celebratory note to begin with. We were off to a 100th birthday party out on the eastern end of Long Island at the Sparkling Pointe Vineyards in Southold. 

Betty, the centenarian in all respects (she, after all, was a Marine, and has the official presidential commemorative White House letter from President 'Joe' Biden to prove it!) was in great centennial form and ate and drank wine as if she were 80. 

It was a rare and wonderful affair, on a terrific sunny unseasonably warm day in a interesting vineyard tasting house of Méthode Champenoise Sparkling Wines.

After, we retired to our hotel nearby and piped our Chrome-Book's HDMI port into our rooms Big-Screen TV...and we were transported into front row seats at the Fairmont Century Plaza. We were feeling kinda flush and ordered room service and felt right at home with all the other actors eating dinner. Couldn't get much cozier than Steve Martin's banjo pickin intro with Marty Short and Ms. Gomez' click for - Sag Awards Show 

Geez, by the looks of it, they seem to be eating from the same menu as we were. It could've been that we were watching the program in different surroundings, or that there weren't any commercials or host, just a roving camera that played the part of one for the evening. But, the best part of the show came from the actors who were so inviting to join them without an agenda or ulterior motive. 

 

It was difficult to make out at times what was going on in the background. Click the pic above to get a glimpse of Jeff Bridges helping out Michelle Yeoh to find her bearings after she unloaded the most innocent "F" bomb and said "I'm gonna walk away now"... without a dry eye in the house. And there were so many inspirational, genuine and sentimental journeys of when actors got their first SAG card. As an audience member...and as a SAG card holder, I got a strong sense of communal belonging and a ton of positive reinforcement. When you're in this business, it ain't such a bad thing to do the Susan Walker mantra of: I Believe every once in a while.

Oh, and there was no exit music played to signal actors to wrap-up their acceptance speeches. And because of it, fervent speeches like those of Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Coolidge and Sam Elliott wouldn't have happened. They didn't conform to the play book and what a difference to not feel the vicarious discomfort an actor must feel at a moment that is already a tad strenuous. 

These days, it goes with saying that our pal Stefan Nadelman (Master of the digital graphic environment) has been (in my best Keanu Reeves) prodigious these last 6 months and has a few award contenders he's worked on himself. Stefan did the graphics and animation for Sr. (a movie about the life story of Robert Downey Senior) as well as supplying the Main Title animation for Steve Carell's The Patient. 

Stefan, is also working on 100 ft. Wave 2,  a Hollywood grifter series, a WWE insider project and something about NFT's. This could be very inside track stuff... so, please as the Metropolitan Transit Authority has repeatedly advised; "if you see something well, you know, just keep it to yourself". (in my best Buddy Bizarre) Wrong!

by:Tom Clifford, VoiceOver & Creative Services   

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