As
a voiceover artist, there's always a story to tell. Working
with you to bring the words and feelings of the story out--is
what I do. I do it by listening to you, tuning in to your
script and staying open to the moment as I stand before
the mic. For me, it's really about feeling connected to
what I'm saying--emotionally, mentally, even physically.
That's when I often find a voice that reaches people. And
speaks to people.
PROMOS
I've
been the voice behind Time Warner promos for shows and networks
that air on its cable systems, including HBO, ESPN and Discovery.
I have also voiced promos for shows airing on PBS, CBS,
ABC, HGTV, TLC, and Ovation. My news promo work has included
spots for various stations around the country, including
WABC-TV, New York, WBZ, Boston and WTVD, Raleigh Durham.
And I've had fun voicing movie trailers for such flicks
as "Nowhere in Africa" and "Who Is Cleatus Tout?", as well
as a movie theatre promo for a new Elvis Presley CD.
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COMMERCIALS
I've
been the commercial voice behind many leading brand names,
including Volkswagen, Lincoln Mercury, Miller Genuine Draft,
Clairol's Infusium Shampoo, KFC, Dairy Queen, Merrill Lynch,
Ex-Lax and Triaminic, among others. You can also hear me
asking the questions on those man-on the street interviewer
commercials for such campaigns as Kids Smoking Prevention,
Wheaties and the US Marines. And I'm the guy talking on
many direct response campaigns, for such advertisers as
Chase Bank, Best Buy, QVC, Bose, and BMG, for whom I've
promoted many new artists and releases.
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NARRATION
My
corporate narration work has included everything from instructional
pieces on how your digital video recorder works, to informative
sales and training programs, to edgy marketing videos. Clients
include Pepsi, Time Warner, Fed-Ex, The US Golf Association,
Arrow Electronics, Pep Boys and L'Oreal. I've also been
tapped to voice video news releases and longer form medical
and consumer pieces for companies such as Janssen, Novartis,
Biogen, Fisher Price and Century. And I'm often hired to
voice highly technical medical narrations, including CME
learning modules for doctors and other medical professionals.
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DOCUMENTARIES
I truly enjoy narrating longer form pieces in the documentary
style, such as the one I recently completed on "Pocket
Parks," showcasing the philanthropic work of the Rockefeller
family. Documentary narration work gives me a chance to
spread my wings and tell a story in depth. It challenges
me to capture the mood and spirit and sensibility of a time
or place or event--bridging ideas into a seamless story
without intruding upon the story itself. It is ironic that
what makes the documentary read successful is its ability
to go almost unnoticed, because in all its presence, in
all that it may evoke, it just seems to belong.
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AUDIO BOOKS
I love audio book work-- because I love storytelling of
all kinds. In book form, you have this wonderful opportunity
to take people places, through the mood and image you draw
with your words, your tone, your pacing, your heart. My
love of history and biography draws me to the world of non-fiction
works, but I am also quite drawn to making the tales of
fiction come alive, for adults and children alike. I first
discovered my joy of storytelling in reading and creating
stories for my own kids and other young children, and being
told to "do more" with this gift for telling tales. I started
by doing a narration of Zen parables for an audio book called
"Zen Inklings" that is excerpted on my site. Click on the
link below to listen to this and other audio book selections.
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INTERVIEWER GUY
For
years, I've taken to the streets and the studio as the 'interviewer
guy' who brings real people testimonial commercials to life.
As a practitioner of this kind of "Reality TV Advertising,"
my job is to engage people, put them at ease and get them
talking in ways that feel real, honest, unscripted. For
me, it's all about bringing out the best in people and creating
special "interview moments" where great real people spots
can be born. Mic in hand, I have asked the questions to
bring out those special moments on dozens of 'man-on-the-street'
real people testimonial campaigns for television and radio.
Sometimes, you hear my questions, other times they're edited
out, so that the "jewels" we elicit from people can shine
on their own.
I
earned my stripes in the school of "man-on-the-street" interviewing
over a decade-long career as a TV consumer feature reporter
for stations around the country. It was my job to capture
the pulse of the people on subjects ranging from the serious
to the silly. I learned to come up with the goods, because
without good interviews, we had no story. It taught me how
to engage people--to really listen to people--and give them
a comfort zone to be themselves. When people feel free to
be themselves in an interview, special things can happen.
That's what I try to capture--for real.
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BROADCASTING BACKGROUND
I first learned the craft of interviewing, narrating and
storytelling as an undergraduate at Columbia University,
and then at the University of Missouri's Graduate Program
in Broadcast Journalism, where I worked in stints on the
air for an ABC-TV station, for a National Public Radio affiliate,
and for a syndicated radio news service called "Citizen
Report." This lead to a decade of professional interviewing
and storytelling as a national award winning TV consumer
feature reporter and interviewer on network and cable TV
stations around the country. I narrated scripts and did
interviews for more than 2000 short and documentary style
segments on a wide range of subjects---including a story
on water quality in America, that won a National Press Club
Award for the Best Consumer Journalism in America.
I later worked as an announcer and interviewer for a talk
show that aired on WEVD-AM, which put me mic-to-mic with
numerous authors and celebrities. I am presently working
on the development of a radio talk show that takes advantage
of my "real people interviewing skills," and focuses
on how to help people make positive changes in their lives.
All
of these experiences have given me a comfort level with
interviewing, storytelling and copy, and a knack for taking
seconds off a read, or finding the right emotion within
seconds.
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AND
FINALLY, I DON'T WANT TO BRAG, BUT...
I figured I should include at least one testimonial about
my work. It's not one of those professional testimonials,
where the producer sings your praises, swearing up and down
that you have the greatest voice since Pavarotti, or something
like that. This one was unsolicited, and, according to its
author, ten year old Carly Gartenberg, it's mostly even
true.
"Oh
yeah, I forgot to tell you the most important thing about
my Dad. He taught me how to make eggs with salsa and cheese.
He taught me baseball tequnices (sic), basketball moves,
soccer stealing and bowling. He showed me awesome old-fashioned
pizza places like Clint's pizza that are beyond description
in taste. He taught me a few voices (that I couldn't do
for my life). But of all the things he ever taught me, the
most important thing is he taught me how to be a good sport!"
-
Carly Gartenberg, age 10
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2004 Gerry Gartenberg Productions
3
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Plains, NY 10606
Office: 914-949-2550
Cell: 914-882-0072
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914-949-5616
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E-mail: voiceman@gerrygvo.com
