VO Archives - Heidi Rew

BEST HOLIDAY COMMERCIALS 2020

Holiday commercials to me are like Hallmark Christmas movies to others. I know we’re just at the beginning of the season, but I thought I’d share some of the Best Holiday Commercials of 2020…at least in my opinion.

Besides a funny Capital One commercial starring John Travolta as Santa and Samuel L Jackson as his “promo coupon guide,” I think most of the 2020 Holiday ads will be heartfelt. With COVID cases on the rise, the holidays will be lonelier than ever to some. I think that’s why this Kohl’s commercial brought me to tears…

Kohl’s “Give with all your Heart” spot | Yard NYC Agency

Need a tissue nearby for that one, huh?

This next one will just fill your heart with warm fuzzies. Seeing someone meet someone else where they’re at is what community and unity is all about.

Hallmark | Leo Burnett Agency

Way to go Hallmark…give us a commercial that speaks to our hearts just like your cards do. Beautiful.

And this next one will make you laugh and then make you cry. So sweet…

Paypal | Agency Unknown

And this next one is so relatable to so many…

Etsy | 72andSunny Agency

Do you have a name that was hard to find? My husband’s name is Mike and I’m like…I bet you could buy a license plate keychain in whatever state you went to with your name on it, you lucky duck. ;p

The holidays look different for us all this year in the midst of a global pandemic. My hope is that we can all find a little joy in the midst of it…even if it’s for a moment.

Great job to these voiceover actors, ad agencies and brands!

Heidi Rew

LIVE ANNOUNCER for VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

Acting & Hosting, Voiceover

One of the major industries affected by COVID is the live event industry. But thanks to technology…live events can still take place. And Atlanta North Studios has the technology to do just that! Which is why Todd Duncan, who hosts Sales Mastery, flew from California to Atlanta to take his conference virtual.

Innovation with Live VO

This is where I come in. Todd and the Sales Mastery team needed a live VO announcer to help tease upcoming sessions, shoutout brand sponsors, encourage participation and give other important details. The live VO announcements also gave a transition time between special guests and interviews.

They reached out for my avails. I honestly was a little shocked and wanted them to listen to my demos first to make sure they wanted my voice. I don’t have that attention-grabbing, announcer-type voice. Because this wasn’t going to be in a large crowded room but a screen in people’s homes/offices, it made more sense to have a voice that could connect rather than project.

Getting the Job Done

The most challenging part of the live announcing is that there can be no mistakes. In the words of Eminem, “You only get one shot.” But it went great. Selfishly, I learned so much from Todd Duncan, his guest speakers John Maxwell, James Clear, Joel Manby and other great leaders. Todd Duncan himself is so inspiring. I shared his story on my Encourage Minute podcast. There was also a plumber named Roger Wakefield whose success on YouTube has been incredible. Love the way he thought outside the box! If you want to hear Todd or Roger’s story on my podcast, click HERE. They’re episodes 40 and 41.

The team at Atlanta North Studios created this little booth just for me, so I felt very at home.

If you or your company are planning a virtual conference and need a live announcer, someone who can connect with the person on the other side of the screen and make it more personal, I’d love to help. Even if you’re not in Atlanta, I could do it from my booth.

Super thankful to Todd, his team and Atlanta North Studios for letting me part of such a cool event!

ONLY MOVIE

Acting & Hosting, Atlanta Voiceover Studio, Voiceover

Two years ago, I auditioned for a VO-only part in an indie film called Only.

Only stars Frieda Pinto and Leslie Odom Jr. It’s about a mysterious virus that just kills women. It’s more than a pandemic movie (I mean, we’re all basically LIVING that movie) but a love story which draws deep parallels about the intricacies of relationships and also asks the question – do you take no risks and feel imprisoned or do you risk it all to live freely, if just for a moment more?

Auditioning

At the time I auditioned, I didn’t really know much about it. In fact, right after I auditioned I decided to take a little hiatus from on-camera acting. With running Atlanta Voiceover Studio with my husband Mike Stoudt and maintaining my own VO career, my days were just slammed. It was hard to really be able to focus on doing well with my on-camera auditions.

The Callback and Booking

After making that decision, I received a callback for Only with director Takashi Doscher, producer Gabrielle Pickle, casting director Jordan Blair Brown and Craig Miller. After I auditioned for the VO part, Takashi asked me to read for an on-camera role of a news reporter as well. I did and they ended up booking me. But not for the role of a news reporter. This was for a brand new role of a talk show host (or Anchor #3 as it says on IMDB).

The Shoot

The shoot was really fun and Takashi was a great director. Everyone on the crew was lovely to work with and it made for an easy shoot. My part was shot in a sound studio (ironically the same sound studio we originally had Atlanta Voiceover Studio in) on a green screen.

The movie first made its rounds at film festivals. Then I heard rumors that it would be released in certain theaters at the beginning of 2020 but then COVID hit. In July, it ended up coming out on Netflix and for a couple weeks was in the top 10 movies.

The reviews have been pretty good too. Here’s one from Variety.

My part goes by fast, so don’t get up to get popcorn but I was so grateful to be part of this movie. Takashi was a wonderful writer and director and the rest of the team were a delight to work with.

If nothing else, watching the movie, you may get some great quarantine tips during COVID?

Heidi Rew

A SWEET VOICEOVER

Advertising, Food & Drink, Voiceover

It’s always exciting when you get to do a voiceover for a company you personally use…especially when you’re talking about a sweet treat! I call that one sweet voiceover. That was the case when I booked Edible Arrangements. I love getting and sending Edible Arrangements.

When I booked it, it happened to fall right at the beginning of COVID19 and they were offering FREE delivery. I wanted to figure out a way to send my friends some joy during this time and with free delivery, Edible Arrangements was the perfect solution. My friends all loved them and it was such a great way to feel connected, despite being quarantined.

Here are a few of the commercials I’ve done for them:

Mother’s Day

Free Delivery

TV Spot

Edible always wants my upbeat, peppy, smiley reads for these commercials. I guess if you’re saying “Joy” you need to sound JOY-ful!

I’m partial to the classic chocolate-dipped strawberries but you can’t go wrong with anything from Edible. They even offer fresh produce, cookies, popcorn and a ton of other goodies. With so many more sweet treats to choose from, think about sending an Edible Arrangement to a friend or family member!

To hear more of my commercial voiceover reads, go HERE.

HEIDI REW