Wolf Brand Chili :30 TV

The Voiceover Gym Class

Because the vast majority of voiceover work out there doesn't require character voices, I typically avoid training my students on any spot that calls for a dialect or accent. I'll make an exception for Wolf Brand Chili. Although I did applaud Mike's choice to do not an out-and-out caricature Texan, but a voice that was really just a slight twist on the Mike we know and love. Mike's reads felt a bit rushed as he tried to shoehorn all this imagery-heavy copy into 30 seconds, but 4:07 he delivered a read that was at a much better pace. This led to my discussion at 4:45 about how never to deliver an audition that sounds rushed, unless the agent specifically tells you that it needs to come in under :30 or :60. Script-wise, this copy is about as formulaic as they come. You've gotta love the non sequitur when we go from talking about broad concepts of "work is work" and "play is play" to something as mundane as a mass-manufactured can of chili. On this spot, we "shot out" the MKH 416T shotgun microphone, vs. the Neumann U87ai large-diaphragm condenser. Both sound excellent...which do you prefer? The U87 sounds more natural and less colored to my ear, but the 416 is wonderfully punchy. Love it!

Deep in the heart of Texas, everything's real. Our work is work. Our play is play. And every night, the stars come out. Especially on Fridays. So it stands to reason that chili's gotta be real too. That's Wolf Brand Chili. A Lone Star favorite since 1895. Bold, fiesty, seasoned up like it was born with spurs on. So whether's it's mixed in, heaped on, or straight up, you're getting the genuine article. Wolf Brand Chili. Open up a big old can of Texas.