Gerry Gartenberg

Southern Accent, British Accent, Jewish Accent Brookyn or New York-ese accent, PA Stadium Announcer, Game Show Announcer, Game Show Host, Master of Ceremonies, Man-In-The-Street Interviewer.

My job is to make you comfortable--help you enjoy the moment, the message, the feeling. I don't think you can make people feel very comfortable with your words, unless you're comfortable with yourself, and can draw from what you have inside to "Get The Word Out!" 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. •Neuman U87 Microphone •Mackie 1642 VLZ3 Premium 16 Channel 4 Bus Mixer •Symetrex 528 E Voice Processor with Downward Expander •Pro Tools Recording & Editing System •M-Box Audio •JK Audio In Line Phone Patch •Musicam Roadrunner ISDN •Acer Flexible Studio Monitor Voice Over Talent Services: • Commercial Voiceovers • Promos for broadcast and cable networks • Movie Trailers • Testimonial/Man-On-The Street Interview spots for TV, Radio and Non-Broadcast • Direct Response Radio and TV spots • Infomercials • Documentaries • Corporate Narrations • Medical Narrations • Video News Segments • Audio Books • Museum Audio Tours • Announcer for Shows, Sports and other Events • Host for Corporate Presentations and Events • On Hold Recordings/Phone or Voicemail Greetings • On/Off Camera Interviewer/Actor for radio and television • Talk show Hosting and Announcing