Childhood fantacies realized via the magic of Advertising.

So I go to this editing house on a weekly basis to edit stupid grocery store commercials. (Not the same editing house mentioned before, and not the same grocery store - yes, there are two grocery stores that I work for).

This one has a tricky name, and in fact, it may have had many of you confused and wondering if I had surgery this summer. It's called PostOp. And, no. I have not had a nose job (Buker).

On my first outing to PostOp, all I knew is that we'd be recording a voice over talent for these weekly specials for a grocery store chain in Texas. You know the lines, "This week at your _amazing g-store___, get NY strip steak, just $3.97/lb...etc, etc, etc..." Yes, someone actually writes that stuff.

I was in charge of shortening copy if it didn't meet the time restrictions, or re-wording on the fly if something didn't work. They call it "directing the talent." Though, I find that to be a lofty term. And a scary one. Especially considering I had never "directed talent" aside from maybe my dog in home videos.

So I pulled up to this rather unsuspecting shop in an upscale part of Downtown Dallas. But when I walked in, I was greeted by what appeared to be an ad agency. There were exposed ceilings, brightly colored walls, and there wasn't a flourescent bulb in sight. It was refreshing given the drab, bank-like surroundings of Richards.

As we were walking upstairs to start the recording session, my art director who had done this a few times before, told me that the voice talent we use is Kath Soucie.


me: "Ok, who's that?"

a.d.: "She's the voice of Phil and Lil from the Rugrats."

me (inside head): "Whaeoihfldkjeaaat? I am going to be directing the same voice that I listened to, googly-eyed, as a child? I'll be telling her what to say? That's the talent I'll be directing?"

me (for real): "Oh. Cool."

So the recording went on and was uneventful, as most of them are. I've been going for the past 3 or 4 weeks now and have directed the Voice Of My Childhood each time. What I've found out? She's a pretty laid back gal from Ohio and 4 of her past 5 most recent boyfriends were black belts in karate, just by coincidence. She didn't seek them out. Amazing.

More About PostOp:

The Frosted Sugar Cookie and Root Beer
one of the many free perks at editing houses
last week, it was a margarita and salsa
The Sweet Pad we hang out in / watch the final spots
on the tube in front of us for last-minute revisions
A few tables in the "Kitchenette" upstairs
Your choice of candy...
...or if you aren't into candy, have a power bar,
a beer, or a shot of Cointreau. Your call.
The Studio where we record Kath / play it back
Awesome fish tank
Oscar, the awesome fish in the awesome tank.
Check out the white stuff in his mouth - kind of like
teeth, but just a solid-jaw-like-row of chompers.
Perhaps a colorful game of chess while a creepy kid watches you...