With the 2012 presidential race officially underway, we thought we’d get a perspective from the front lines.

ProComm voice talent Bob Jump has carved out a niche in national political advertising. We asked him to share his perspective and experiences from past campaigns.

Q:  How has this presidential election season been different so far?

A:  Well, let’s see. You’ve got one candidate who called another candidate a liar. Next you’ve got a presidential candidate being endorsed by an ’08 candidate who lost the election. We’ve seen video moments where two out of the seven in the primary couldn’t contain their tears. And …  there’s money. Huntsman spent about a nickel and Perry spent $480 per vote in Iowa. So, yeah … everything’s pretty much on par. Different personalities but the feeling is like, this may already be a done deal.

Q:  With the record early number of caucuses and primaries, what do you think will be the “peak” time for political advertising this year?

A:   I don’t know. But I do know that if you live in South Carolina it might be time to take that vacation you’ve been dreaming about.  If you think Iowa was crazy with TV ads, wait till you  see what happens in that “make it or break it” state of South Carolina. And you can bet most all of the ads will be negative / attack, too. This is going to be harsh… and they haven’t even started skewering President Obama!

Q:    Do you pick the candidate and/or party, or do they pick you? How does it affect your work with other candidates?

A:    As a voiceover, I’ve always said you pick your party, not your candidate. Years ago, I had a choice to make and I went with the Republicans. Some voiceovers work both sides. But certain political consultants view them as “guns for hire” and it can become an issue of party loyalty which may concern them. They also worry whether that voice may be on a competitor’s ad and that, of course, is a big no-no. By not working both parties you’re giving up two sources of income. But, you’re also known as the “go-to” guy of the GOP. They know I’m strictly in their corner when they need me; it’s an added value.

Q:   Is that how you came to do work for Rick Perry?

A:   I’d like to think so. When they do call you, two things immediately come to mind: Will they have you continue with the entire campaign or is this a one-shot?  The other is, are you going to get along with that political consultant and that team? I’ve had as many as  eight people that are all a part of the session. They might pull you in eight different directions. I try and decide just who it is I want to please the most.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTZUV6pz_CM

Here’s one of the spots Bob recently recorded for the Perry Campaign.

Q:   When you talk about 24/7 availability for political work, is that to be taken literally?

A:    Yes, literally. During the peak of the political season, a voiceover is like a doctor on-call. It can be 10 or 11 at night and that phone will ring. You drop what you’re doing and hit the mic. Weekends are no different than weekdays. One Sunday I had eight sessions! Did I complain? I don’t think so.

Q:    Are you asked to adopt regional styles, or do they just want your “signature” voice?

A:   Good question. Yes. For example, if it’s something airing way down south, I’ve been asked to dump the “ing” off some words. In Texas, I’ve been asked to give it a bit of a “drawl.” In North Dakota, they’ve asked for a “rural” sound as in: “talk to me like a cattle rancher, Bob.”  So, yes … you learn to adapt to the group you’re targeting. And you adapt quickly or you don’t get asked back.

Q:   Have you seen an increase in messages that are exclusively for the web, as opposed to TV spots with shared web exposure?

A:    Yes, and every year it continues to climb. One reason is you can get an ad up on the internet so quickly these days. Richard Blumenthal was in a tight race with WWE’s Linda McMahon in Connecticut. He was going to speak at a noon fundraiser. Timed to create some mischief, as well as throw him off just before the fundraiser, the McMahon team created a web/ TV ad (below) about his record serving in Vietnam. They called at 7 that morning and the ad was up by 10. Super fast. It went viral, it worked and it was embarrassing. All the new media choices give us an amazing ability in terms of speed, but they won’t replace traditional media any time soon – if ever.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWqC3K9lBBg

Q:   Do you meet any of your candidates face to face?

A:   The closest I’ve come to a political “one on one” was a special White House party for Marvin Bush. I wasn’t there but my voice was. It was a roast and I was the guy with the humorous jabs starting from his childhood. The fella that had me voice it was sitting right next to Barbara Bush that night. When my narration was over, Mrs. Bush turned to him and asked,  “Was that Walter Cronkite?”  My highest praise ever!

One of the busiest voice talents in the industry, Bob Jump has recorded countless radio and TV commercials, movie trailers, political ads, and narrations. He’s been the voice for Smucker’s, Ron Paul, ArmorAll, Bridgestone, and the PGA Tour, just to name a few. We took a minute to sit down with Bob to find out what makes him tick…

Bob, how long have you been in the voiceover business and what got you started?

Ricky Martin was chosen over me as the replacement star in the boy band Menudo in 1984; it was then that I knew voiceover acting was my life’s path.

How would you characterize your style, sound, or signature read?

Well, I’ll let one of my clients speak for me, (yeah, that’s a first!). He said, “When Bob says words like “divorce” or “chemotherapy” it doesn’t sound so bad.”

Have you had any interesting, unique, funny or scary experiences while voicing that you can recall?

I voiced a soiree at the White House a few years back. Barbara Bush asked if the V.O. was Walter Cronkite! HIGH praise indeed!

Do you have any heroes, mentors or others in the business that you look up to or have influenced you?

The voice of God. No, not that voice of God. Charlton Heston – for heaven’s sake!

What is the best advice you can offer people who are just getting started?

Do not, I repeat, do not take losing an audition personally…. While it’s never happened to me, I’ve heard it can be really devastating to the ego!

What would you be doing if you were not a voice over talent?

Scratching at the top of my coffin. In other words, I LOVE what I do. Being a V.O. actor makes me truly happy. It’s not work, it’s fun – and I am blessed to have fun and earn a living at the same time. I hope to be behind the mic when I’m 80 – even if I have to use a walker and shuffle up to it 30 minutes before a session starts!

What is the most important thing you’ve learned since you started in this industry?

Please refer to question #5.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Usually a little pepper. Maybe a dash of Tabasco.

It’s that time of year. Christmas carols are ringing thru the halls of ProComm Voices and Santa Claus is on speed dial for our casting department. It was a couple of years ago that Dailey and Associates created the ‘Santa Sessions’ viral video, but if you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a good laugh:)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j1FlcM9EeQ

We have a few Santas in our stable of voice talent here at ProComm Voices who are also ready to give you some wild “Ho, Ho, Ho’s”. Here’s a short selection of our cast of Christmas character voice talent.

Bill Thomas - Santa voice over sample

Chris Ritchie - Santa voice over sample

Rowell Gormon - Santa voice over sample

Bob Jump - Santa voice over sample

Grant George - Santa voice over sample

Mike Harrison - Santa voice over sample

Dave White - Santa voice over sample

Russ Cassell - Santa voice over sample

The hospital read. It requires compassion, confidence, caring, and empathy.

For any voice over to be effective there needs to be an emotional connection between the words and the listener, but when representing a hospital or medical institution it’s especially important for the voice talent to bring these emotions to the read without becoming melodramatic.  In this installment of ‘Who’s that Voice?’, hear how some of the professional voice talent from the ProComm Voices talent roster approach this type of delivery for our clients.

One of ProComm’s most in-demand voices for hospital voice overs,  James K Flynn can be heard in markets from coast to coast. Here’s a sample spot for Fox Chase Cancer Center…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLnSmtE1buc

Grace Cantrell is another ProComm Voices talent who does a lot of medical voice overs. Hear her on this spot for Baptist Healthcare:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLKe4BD_RZo

Dave White provides the voice for cancer care at Brookwood Medical Center:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WVhhOt-Mbc

Check out Mare Carmody’s read on this TV commercial for Hospital for Special Care:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QtNfhehMnA

Listen to how Meredith Love’s read, combined with a rhythmic music bed, adds an edge to this hospital spot for Sacred Heart Hospital:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8oNrfpJ_Co

Another ProComm Voices talent who frequently gets called for his hospital read is Bob Jump. Here he is on a spot for Memorial Regional Heart Center.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtiWux9RF4s

When the subject is newborn intensive care, a more delicate approach is required. Listen to Anne Lalley on this spot for SMDC Healthsystem:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KjbXWDQUP8

Jacqui Fehl provides a compassionate voice for St. Thomas Heart Hospital.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1JovpaQMp8

You can hear more examples of hospital and medical voice overs in the hospital/medical business specific demo on the ProComm Voices site.

ProComm recently had the pleasure of working with a client on voice overs for a new video game that has just been released. ‘G.H.O.S.T. Chronicles: Phantom of the Renassaince Faire’ includes voice over work from Kiley Ayliffe, Grace Cantrell, Judy Corcoran, Saundra Cuyler, Rowell Gormon, Mike Harrison, Jason Jones, Bob Jump, Jim Kincaid, Anne Lalley, Chandler Smith, and Angel Tolentino.

Wanted to thank you again for the help with vocals for our game. During the testing phase of the game, the feedback was really positive about the character voices. The whole process went extremely smooth and we will definitely use your studio for future voice over projects.

- Mike/ Aisle 5 Games

The game is also getting nice reviews in the gaming community…

….Rounding out a solid package is the story telling. As you make your way through the park, you’ll meet a host of characters, alive and otherwise, that stitch together the animosity riddled strife that hangs over the renaissance faire. The ghosts genuinely feel put off by the new mischief making spirit, whilst the living inhabitants gossip with an almost morbid glee about the melodramatic plot regarding the park’s ownership. Strong writing and good voice acting seal the deal here.

- Kyle E. Moore/ www.jayisgames.com

Hats off to everyone involved and happy gaming!