VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

...no one has mentioned Don LaF. on screen for a bit doing his thing, or the live performance of the SFX chorus, or Jack's new non-haircut, or Scorcese finally winning, or...

Deirdre · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:54 am Post subject:

You just did.

I loved the Jack Black/Will Farrell/John C. Reilly trio.
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Bruce · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:57 am Post subject:

Other than the inane, "artistic", unnecessary, time-sssstretching montages, it was a pretty good show.

As one who does much of his work in 60 second increments I'm always a little uncomfortable with the professionals who can't put their thanks and thoughts together in a semi-eloquent way in that much time. At least I heard no one thanking their lawyer this year! How awful and greedy sounding that is.
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glittlefield · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 6:38 pm Post subject:

I was just glad Scorsese and Forest Whitaker got theirs, finally.
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billelder · Guest

Four hours! It lasted four hours! LOL I went to bed after 11:30 and I think that's when they handed out the good awards.

The Oscar ceremony was so long....

1. They had to pause the broadcast at 4AM to run infomercials.

(feel free to add your own)

Chrissy · Guest

I can't complain. As a SAG member I received three free DVD's: Little Miss Sunshine, Venus, and The Departed, and a free ticket to see Dream Girls.

Who knows how any of us will react until we're in the moment. I'll volunteer, and let you all know.

Chrissy

KaraEdwards · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:13 pm Post subject:

The sound-effects-voice-theatre thingy was cool, although unusual...

My mom calls me and says, "I had no idea that was how they did all those sound effects in the movies!",,,,,,,

Aww mom.... Get Lost

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ConnieTerwilliger · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:17 pm Post subject:

Here is a letter from Don L. that just appeared on the Yahoo Newsgroup.

**********************

Dear Eddie,
The Oscars!

Thanks to all of you who wrote to me after the Oscars!

First - to all of you who sent me those very complimentary notes after the show - thank you. I hope you understand that I can't send you all individual notes, but perhaps this will do...

Okay - here's the story of the Oscars:

We had all-day rehearsals (from 8AM to 11PM) on Thursday and Saturday, and Oscar day started at 9AM, to clean up a few elements and to do a complete run- through of the show from 11 to about 2:00.

Biggest pre-show highlight: Tom Cruise arriving to rehearse on Saturday, carrying his exquisite baby daughter, Suri. She is a very well-behaved child, who never made a sound throughout the entire process, and seemed perfectly at ease with all the attention she and Dad were getting. Tom was, as usual, gracious and accommodating - taking time to talk to everybody and smiling all the while. A genuinely nice man.

The rehearsal process was tedious. A lot of stop and go while camera positions and set changes were worked out. Plus, there were long pauses while waiting for the arrival of the presenters. Yes - all but a very few of the stars actually came in on Saturday to walk through their presentation sequence. And all of them were gracious and patient
- at least as far as I could see.

Saturday night we had a complete dress rehearsal, using stand-in actors in place of the presenters and recipients. It took about four and a half hours to run the show. In bed by 1AM - and up again at 6 to make it back to the Kodak on Show Day.

Another complete rehearsal - this one as close to time as we could make it - from 11AM to about 2. Then a short break to clean up, get made up and dress for the show.

Gina Tuttle and I were situated at an elevated desk in the wings, just off Stage Right (Audience left) behind the round Oscar Trophy Case. Our script girl, Tina was to our left, ready to handle any changes and to give us our pages of "Walk-ups" - single sheets which contain a brief statement to be read as the winners approach the stage. Every nominee is covered, of course - because we don't know who's going to get the Oscar until they open the envelope.

At 5:30 Pacific time, we went on the air - and it was basically a well-controlled train wreck from there on. To our immediate left was a long red-carpeted aisle, that led out to the backstage space that held the Green Room, a beautifully appointed holding area where the presenters waited to go on. The aisle was illuminated by banks of light for camera, and packed with photographers, friends and family of presenters and nominees, the Oscar girls (the beauties who handed the statuettes to the winners) Densy, the main talent coordinator, and various other stage hands and production people. The noise level was considerable. This was the atmosphere in which Gina and I worked.

When it came time to announce, we opened our microphone and waited for a cue from either the Director, Louis Horwitz, or his assistant, Jim Tanker. While we were announcing, we could hear the constant babble of instructions from the Director's in our headsets, calling for camera changes, set adjustments, etc. It took a great deal of concentration to work with that going on in our ears.

Meanwhile, the parade past our desk was constant. Virtually every performer, presenter and winner walked by at one time or another. During the evening we became a hang-out spot for folks like, Will Farrell, Jack Black and John C, Reilly - John Travolta and Queen Latifah, (Gina held her purse) Reese Witherspoon (Adorable), Leo DiCaprio and VP Al Gore (A very nice man who complimented me on my GEICO spot) George Clooney (who tried to kiss Gina while she was announcing. Much to her credit, she made it without a bobble) The glorious Nicole Kidman and the damn-near as beautiful Hugh Jackman, Tom Hanks and Helen Mirren (another purse to hold)... You get the idea. Near the end of the show, I looked up and saw Steven Spielberg. Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas and recent winner Martin Scorsese all standing not two feet away, and all grinning like school kids.

At one point in the program, Ellen Degeneres and I were scheduled to do a little comedy bit on camera. It was to follow the special Oscar presentation to to Ennio Morricone. That segment seemed to go on forever, with Mr. Morricone droning something is Italian, and Clint Eastwood translating. The atmosphere was solemn, almost funereal, and Ellen thought that it was would be inappropriate to do a comedy bit after it (I felt that's just what the show needed at the time!) But she decided to bag the bit, and got up and left, literally ten seconds before we were to go on. That explains the silent cut to commercial after the Morricone presentation. It was a shame. I would have loved to do it. And my family, gathered around the television at home were looking forward to it.

But that's show biz.

The broadcast was, at least in the estimation of those who worked on it, and who knew how incredibly complex it is, a real winner. Everybody was very pleased with how smoothly it went, considering.

Gina and I were invited to the Governors Ball on top of the Renaissance Hotel after the show, but I knew the lines for credentials and the multiple encounters with Security to get there was going to be a nightmare, so I passed. After all - I had already seen virtually every celebrity walk past me not three feet away, and one of them Anika Noni Rose from Dreamgirls (She's the one who hit that incredibly high note at the end of their production number) was actually living in my house (She's like another daughter to me) - so I just packed up and went home, had a drink and passed out - until 5AM when I had to get up and drive to a post production house in Hollywood to add some narration to a 90 minute version of the show that is released to multiple countries, and which was edited during the night.

And that's how it went at the Oscars. It was exhausting, exhilarating, and unforgettable. I don't know if I will be invited back next year, but you'd better believe that I will be there with bells on if I am.

Don LaFontaine
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allensco · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:37 pm Post subject:

I missed it...but thanks for the recap Don (and Connie for posting).

Deirdre · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:56 pm Post subject:

Connie-- Thank you for posting this!
It's good to hear about the event from The Don's Eye View.
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TheVoiceOfBob · Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:54 am Post subject:

AND I'm glad he mentioned Gina Tuttle. Everyone so easily recognizes Don, but Gina was right there with him all night. I believe she was the "Voice of Oscar" a few years ago as well.

Cheers to Gina!
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Lizden · Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:34 pm Post subject:

I loved Don's Oscar recap! (Thanks for posting it here too Connie!)
As I posted on the Yahoo group:

It was a real eye-opener on all the prep that goes into that show...and how Gina kept her professional cool when George Clooney was planting a kiss???? Embarrassed

THAT'S a pro!

Yeah, Voice-Over is easy...all you do is stand in front of the mic and talk! NOT!

Liz
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TC · Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:25 pm Post subject:

Thanks for posting this, Connie. I got a geeky thrill just reading it.

CarynClark · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:52 am Post subject:

I really enjoyed reading it as well. One has to have nerves of steel (or some good drugs! Smile

) and the ultimate ability to just "tune out" to do live announce work.... I'm in awe of the talented people that can do it. It is really a class of its own.

Once George Clooney even stepped within 3 feet of me, I assure you I would have stumbled on my words... much less trying to kiss me on the cheek. Smile

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Philip Banks · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:29 am Post subject:

I enjoyed Don's musings too. The key to live announcing is a combination of being distracted whilst focused. Distracted by everything going on around you as that's a good way to spot the next disaster and focused enough to mentally plan for it. A director needs to know that if you're left to catch the ball you'll be able to run with it.

Try this. Live music awards. You announce. Keep going until next item is ready.

Coming up –

Next – Jill will be talking to Cold Play front man Chris Martin

Live on stage – Jamelia

Music fans have their say on the winners so far as Simon risks life and limb behind the barrier

We discover the winners of the best newcomer –
Best Female vocalist
Best male vocalist
Who will take the coveted title best single for 2006 (dur 30)

Hand to Jill

If you want to make it as real as possible. See where you can stretch or shrink the script. Record yourself whilst playing the audio posted below in your headphones but do not listen to it in advance. It's live so what you record has to be one take. When you play back what you recorded, no editing allowed, that's what millions of people heard.

www.thecorporatevoice.com/gallery.mp3