I’m featured! April 22, 2008

My first feature! Women’s Weekly did a write-up on myself, Sheela and Audrey for their March issue – about self-confidence. They very nicely shaved off a year off my actual age, haha! Back then, my show was still on at 12pm so I had to be the first to be done up. Venue was Indrani Spa, Starhill Gallery. I specifically asked for a long-sleeved top because I knew if my mom ever caught sight of me in a magazine in anything short-sleeved or, heaven forbid, sleeveless, I would never hear the end of it. Trust me. You don’t know my mom.

Voice Acting April 22, 2008

“Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters (including those in feature films, television series, animated shorts, and video games), doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.“

One thing I’d love to do more of is doing character voices for cartoons. It’s an interesting challenge, I think, to be able to come up with different voices and completely different personalities from your own, based on your voice alone.

Below are the projects that I’ve worked on so far:

• Provided the voices for cartoon characters – both cats, Eddy (surfer-dude type character) & May (a highly intelligent 11 year old), in the locally digitally-animated English cartoon, “Kilat” in Betarecs.

• Provided the voices for various supporting characters for locally animated Malay tv series “Bola Kampung” in White Noise.

• Provided the voice of the singing Queen Bee in the upcoming animated tv series, “Brady’s Buddies” in Wasp Studios. Check out the clip on http://www.rocketfishstudios.com/ (under portfolio/pre-school/image of cartoon dog)

• Recently began recording for yet another local animation which shall not be named here else I may end up getting grabbed, gagged and kidnapped and never heard from again. Those Non-Disclosure Agreements are brutal. What I will say though is I am voicing the lead female role and the whole production may only be completed and aired by 2009 or so. So watch this space! (For a very a long time, may I add…)

In the studio – the remix! April 21, 2008

Jinx put together a mini music video. He had to rap on the Kiss Mint ad so he managed to create this amusing lil vid which featured fellow colleagues Teoh and Race. Enjoy!

If you can’t see the video, copy and paste this link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBpOIXiu1sk

In the studio April 21, 2008

This was taken in 2006 when I was doing a recording at Addaudio for an Indonesian ad called Kiss Mint which used Six Pence None The Richer’s “Kiss Me” song. So I had to give it that same “lightness” in the singing as per the original. Jinx, the resident composer, was feeling snap-happy at the time and took a lil video of it. Also seen in the vid are Teoh (sound engineer) & Faith (composer).. and yes, I’m wearing a baju kurung. What can I say, it was a Friday and soon after the recording, I got on a bus back to JB for the weekend.

If you can’t see the video, copy and paste this link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFxHCTAzCm8

Howdy! April 20, 2008

So I’ve finally succumbed to the lure of The Blog after refraining myself for so long. I long thought that blogging is for people who have nothing better to do and have a LOT to say. I’m not the type who feels comfortable about sharing too much information on my personal life/thoughts for all and sunder to see… I mean, why would anyone be interested in anything I have to say? But it’s only just dawned on me (hey, better late than never!), what better way to reach people who are looking for a female voice-over talent/radio personality/emcee/make-up artist? From time to time I’ve been asked to e-mail my profile and send over samples of my work but this way, you can find out all that and more!

Right now, I’m still trying to get the hang of this blogging thing (thanks Mad for introducing me to WordPress!) (thanks Tim for recommending me Blogspot! ) so… bear with me!

For the moment, this blog is not yet ready for public consumption so only a rare (invited) few will be able to be privy to its contents – aside from random people who happen upon it through Google of course. Even “Whutadilly” is a working title for lack of a better one so that may or may not change in the future…

Dilly

P.S. Like the pic? My brother did it. *puffing up with pride* I asked him to create an Avatar of me ala Hed Kandi style. I think I look better as a cartoon than in real life!

Back-up vocals April 19, 2008

“harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously, and chords, actual or implied, in music.”

My forte is my ability to harmonise. I discovered this little skill when I was around 10 years old when one of my classmates “taught” me. I can’t read musical notes for nuts or be able to distinguish a C sharp from a B flat, but uncannily, I’m able to harmonise naturally simply by listening to the melody once or twice. Which makes my job – and also the composer’s job – that much easier.

Below is a list of artists whom I’ve done back-up singing for:

• Adibah Noor on “Detik Itu” (Betarecs) Sample
• Mawi (AF3) on M-Mobile (Betarecs)
• Sahri (AF1) on “Prasedar” (Betarecs)
• Burn (AF1) on “Silent Night, Holy Night” (Betarecs)
• Anuar Zain (live performance)
• Nora (live performance)
• Jamal Abdillah (live performance)
• Leonard Tan (live performance)
• Ella (live performance)
• Erra Fazira (live performance)
• Fazley (live performance)
• Dayang Nurfaizah (live performance)
• Anis Suraya (live performance)
• Intan Sarafina (live performance)
• Hetty Sarlene (live performance)
• Safura (live performance)

voice-overs April 19, 2008

voice-o·ver [vois-oh-ver] – noun

1. the voice of an on-screen narrator, announcer or the like.

2. a televised sequence, as in a commercial, using such a voice.

3. any offscreen voice, as that of a character in a narrative.”

Ever since I was a young girl, I enjoyed reading aloud newspaper articles to sound like a professional newsreader or I’d read ads in magazines and make it sound like an actual advert. Little did I know I’d grow up to actually do this for a living! As a voice-over talent, I’m asked to do different reads and be asked things like “Can you sound like a teenager?” or “Can you sound like Queen Latifah?” or “Can you sound like you’re in heat?”. I love my job.

Below are just some of the brands I’ve done voice-overs for :

• Samsung (RedFM) Sample 1 Sample 2
• Eu Yan Sang (RedFM)
• Self-defense (PSA on RedFM) Sample
• Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who (movie promo on RedFM) Sample
• Alvin & The Chipmunks (movie promo on RedFM) Sample
• MBF Lady Card (Betarecs)
• Funtasy Socca (Betarecs)
• Maybank Shopping Mania (Betarecs)
• Nike (Betarecs)
• Big Top Lollipop – TV3 Spongebob Squarepants promo (Incognito) Sample 1 (BM) Sample 2 (BM)
• Gervenne Clear White (Incognito) Sample 1 (BM) Sample 2 (Eng)
• Sweet Dolly – TV8 Gossip Girl promo (Incognito) Sample
• Philip Wain (McGivern Media) Sample
• Maybank (McGivern Media) Sample
• ITrain (on FlyFM) Sample
• Air Asia (McGivern Media) Sample
  

Theme songs April 19, 2008

Theme songs are the closest I get to singing an actual full-length song. They’re still usually just under 2 minutes but a lot is going on during that time. Not only do I sing the melody, but I’m usually also the one providing the harmony as well. Same with jingles.

Below is a list of theme songs I sang for (also in no particular order):

· Astro “Afi & Abah” tv series theme song (Jose Thomas)

· Tom Tom Bak theme song – Astro’s Ceria Channel (White Noise) Sample

· Astro Hari Raya song 2007 (White Noise) Sample

· Singer Corporate song (Purple Houz) Sample 1 (Eng) Sample 2 (BM)

· EO Corporate song (McGirvan Media)

· Sustagen (Oshern Sound Studios)

· Mead Johnson Asia corporate song (Oshern Sound Studios)

· Cara Hidup Sihat for Ministry of Health – (Betarecs)

· Zaid Ibrahim (back-up vocals) – (Addaudio)

Jingles April 19, 2008

“jingle [ˈdʒiŋgl] noun – a simple rhyming verse or tune
Example: nursery rhymes and other little jingles; advertising jingles”

What I like about doing jingles is that every job requires you to deliver something different – a different style; a different theme; a different voice; it could be as little as 20 secs or as long as a minute. I never know what to expect when I get to the studio! And jingles are by no means all that easy to do. I’ve learned that the shorter they are, the more precise your pitching has to be. Clients can also be very particular about their brands being mentioned clearly because if you don’t, you’ll have to go back to the studio another day just to get that one word redone – or in this case, re-sung. (Although sometimes I wonder what a Ventolin-carrying, Butacort-snorting little lass like me is doing venturing into singing in the first place. God has a sense of humour. Having said that though, there are people out there who think I can actually sing and are even willing to pay me for it so.. who am I to complain?)

Below is a list of brands that I’ve done jingles for (in no particular order):

• Ambipur (Betarecs)
• RC Cola (Betarecs)
• Halls candy (Wasp Studio)
• TC Boy Tuna (Betarecs)
• Kao Laurier (Betarecs)
• LG ArtCool Air-conditioner (VHQ Post)
• Carrefour (Oshern Sound Studios)
• York Air-conditioner (Betarecs)
• Fujifilm (Nada Studios)
• Suzuki ERV (Betarecs)
• Nutri Plus Eggs (Betarecs)
• Santan Harmuni (Betarecs)
• MBF Lady Card (Betarecs)
• British American Tobacco (White Noise)
• Downy Anti-Bac Softener (Betarecs)
• Ajax Fabuloso (Betarecs)
• Darlie toothpaste (Addaudio) Sample
• Matahari Shopping Complex – Indonesia (Addaudio)
• Kiss Mints – Indonesia (Addaudio)
• Caxon – Indonesia (Addaudio)
• Courts Mammoth (Addaudio) Sample 1 (Eng) Sample 2 (BM)
• KTAK jingle (Betarecs)
• Carotino Cooking Oil (Sky Studio)
• Smart Balance Cooking Oil (Sky Studio)
• Ali Tea (White Noise) Sample
• Action Mobile (White Noise) Sample
• Nokia (Addaudio)
• Apple3G Download – Indonesia (Addaudio) Sample
• Horizon Hills (White Noise)
• Life sauces (Betarecs)
• DIGI (Addaudio) Sample 1 (Eng) Sample 2 (BM)
• London Swiss Rolls (White Noise) Sample
• Oligo Coco (White Noise) Sample 1 (BM) Sample 2 (Eng)
• Canon Selphy (White Noise)
• Big Top lollipop (White Noise) Sample
• Darry’s WOW candy (White Noise) Sample
• Sri Aji (Incognito)
• Star Cell (White Noise)
• Tune Money Insurance (Betarecs)
• Kao Attack – Indonesia (Betarecs)