​It's funny that whenever it's a particularly hot and sweaty day in my unconditioned home studio I invariably end up with liners to record for HOT102.7FM, thus really getting into the spirit of the South African radio station.

This time I also got to learn a little more African geography - and geographic pronunciation - thanks to a partnership with Airlink. You learn something new everyday in the world of voice-over copy!

For award-winning imaging and banging old school tunes, move the dial to https://hot1027.co.za/ 💋

​Ever wonder how to keep an almost decade-long client relationship fresh? Here's how we did it...

Way back when in 2015 I started a collaboration with Danone Cow and Gate, showcasing a soft, warm, and loving sound for their 'Your Baby's Tummy' campaign, a gorgeously gooey series enhanced by the beautiful vocals of James Vincent McMorrow's 'Higher Love' cover.

Fast forward to 2024 and we're lifting the mood and energy with the vibrant 'Here Comes Happy' series, a totally new look and sound, but with the same 'ol voice actor, recorded at Mutiny by Mark Richards, with ZOO.

Just goes to show that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks.

There is a new article about AI and creative exploitation that features my own Ariel vs Ursula story (as well as the Scarlett vs Sam news) written by James Muldoon, Associate Professor at the Essex Business School, whose book, 'Feeding the Machine: The Hidden Human Labour Powering AI', I was interviewed for during the course of its research. Muldoon writes:

​"OpenAI has since removed the voice, but the broader concern is that not all creatives have the fame and power of Johansson to defend their rights. In 2023, Irish voice actor Remie Michelle Clarke signed a contract with Microsoft to voice Bing, only later to discover a synthetic version of her voice marketed on another company’s AI voice website. What she didn’t realise at the time was that the contract allowed third parties to use her recordings in perpetuity. Her lawyers informed her that while the contract might be unethical, she had limited legal avenues to prevent the company from using a likeness of her voice.
What each of these incidents demonstrates is a potentially exploitative relationship between tech companies and creatives. Artists are justifiably concerned..."


You can read the rest of the article HERE.

The Book, "Feeding the Machine" can be pre-ordered here, or simply wait until its publication date, on the 18th of this month (July)!

There's so much that goes into one of the TV commercials or narrative films that I work on as a voice-over artist, and my job is usually one of the very last pieces of the puzzle.

First there's the client who wants the thing. Then there's the creative who they hire, who has all the fantastic ideas about the thing. Then you have a producer to put it all the balls rolling into action to get the thing done. Once the storyboard is created, you need to make the damn thing. You need a director who can see the vision of the thing through, and a DP to make sure everything looks peachy. Then you need help with all the other bits and bobs to make sure things run smoothly - assistants, runners, and the like. If you've talent, you need to go through the cast(h)ing process and then book them, going through agents to get everything settled and sorted for the right day and time. You'll need costumes, too, which means wardrobe, and a make-up artist... and the list goes on when it comes to location scouting, prop sourcing and accounts.

In short, there's a helluva a lot of things that go into a rather short 30 second TV ad. Now you know why it takes years to make a 2 hour film!

Here's a bit of background on one I made this year for the lovely folk at The Hype Factory.

And you can watch the finished thing riiiight here.

Hello!

And here is my fresh new 2024 Narration demo for your ears, thanks to the lovely lads at Mutiny.

Featuring the old, the very new, something that may be slightly borrowed, but nothing blue.

Listen to this reel, and more, here at my Irish agency page, Volcanic.

Last week, in the wake of Scarlett Johansson's legal action against head of Open AI (Chat GPT)'s Sam Altman after they launched a new voice assistant that sounds uncannily like her, BBC Newscast got in touch asking me to contribute to their AI episode. I was very happy to oblige - speaking to Adam Fleming and Marc Cieslak about my own run-in with AI as a voice actor, we discussed exploitation of artists, informed consent, and dodgy contracts...

​Have a listen!

After an unusually busy weekend of socialising across the Irish counties of Dublin and Wicklow, including a Nicky Mulvey gig at Dublin's iconic venue Vicar Street and a Diarmuid Gavin gig at airy new Wicklow spot Amo & Pax, and many lovely meals and drinks at some new spots in between, it's back to business at the home studio this morning, back in the dark black box attempting to ignore the brilliant sunshine flooding my garden...

Oh well, the holidays will return - in the meantime, the work must be done!

Come along to this PBL Masterclass in Cork, Saturday 25th of July and elevate your voiceover career!

I'll be speaking at this masterclass about AI and avoiding the pitfalls of the modern voice-over industry - a cautionary tale for would-be VOs if you might. Here's the spiel below:
 
"Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your skills, join us for an intensive session in CORK on May 25th.

Packed with industry insights and hands-on practice and a chat with one of Irelands busiest VO Artists Remie Michelle Clarke.

Limited seats available – secure your spot now and find your voice!

Join our masterclass at Griffith College, Cork on May 25th.
https://pblvoiceover.com/master-classes/
 Limited spots left! Half Day: €97 Full Day: €499 Book now: Voiceover Masterclass"

Take Me to the Masterclass!

​FNI Wrapchat is back in 2024 after a well-needed break with this fresh episode hosted by me, where I get another opportunity to interview the remarkable author, activist and film professional Winnie M Li. This is my second of three interviews with Winnie so far, the first one back in 2023 for the Murder One Book Festival on a blisteringly sunny Sunday in a mercifully air-conditioned auditorium in the DLR Lexicon, and the third coming later this year on a separate podcast - and I hope there will be many more; I could talk to Winnie for days.

We discuss the traumatic attack in a Belfast park that forced Winnie to pivot from her film career into writing, and the 360 journey it has taken her on as she now adapts her novel based on that harrowing experience, Dark Chapter, into a screenplay, a process she calls 'brutal'.

Listen now on Spotify!