Tag Archives: Laser Tag of Baton Rouge

UFO Sighting in Louisiana Skies? Well, sort of…

Laser Tag of Baton Rouge latest TV spot searches for Intelligent Life - and Laser Tag Fun - elsewhere in the Universe
Laser Tag of Baton Rouge latest TV spot searches for Intelligent Life – and Laser Tag Fun – elsewhere in the Universe

As one who’s written and produced countless thousands of radio & TV commercials through the years, I’ve come up with some pretty strange spots and approaches, but none stranger than the subject of this blog.

Imagine a TV spot with NO dialogue until the final seconds, all sound effects and undecipherable alien tongues … a commercial that rewards repeated viewings and definitely arrests attention.

Imagine all that and you can begin to get your imagination around the latest :30 TV creation for Laser Tag of Baton Rouge.

Mastermind Nathan Ales
Mastermind Nathan Ales

Running partner Nathan Ales threw down the gauntlet of challenge back in late July, the germ of an idea originally conceived by Laser Tag management that sounded, well, pretty crazy!

A teen alien doing an ‘Oogle search’ for the Best Laser Tag arena in the universe, who then cajoles his mama into letting him go, they do, he then scares the pants off the staff as he enters to play! 

O-o-kay!

Video Magician Todd Schmidt and I then went to work. 

I laid-out a rough storyboard concept and began an exhaustive sound effect hunt; it had to be cartoon-ish, outlandish and in-your-face Looney Toons fun!

Todd Schmidt, Video Wizard
Todd Schmidt, Video Wizard

The finished audio track was then relayed over to Todd, who did all the ‘Heavy Lifting’, as he waved his magic wand and created all the animation and edited video.

Frankly, I’ve worked with many a video dude through all these years, but this guy is hands-down the Best!

The end result of all these efforts? 

A :30 belly laugh for the folks of Baton Rouge – who after the rains & high waters of August could sure use one!

In living rooms, dens, and bars around the state capital flat screens this late summer, it looks – and sounds – like this —-

** Laser Tag of Baton Rouge “Alien Encounter” TV :30 spot **

At last check, Davor & his Baton Rouge crew were still re-stocking their supply of Reese’s Pieces.

Oh, and E.T., if you just so happen to be reading this one … PHONE HOME, little dude!

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Airlift Productions ~ Audio Alchemy from NOLA since 1984

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harlon miller“Airlift is THE place to go for a top quality demo. With Mike behind the board you are in very capable hands. His vast knowledge and command of all things audio blends with his laid-back fun environment to bring out the best in any voice.  Airlift Productions has the experience and all the tools necessary to make a voice-over reel that is on par with anything you would find in New York or LA!”

– – – HARLON MILLER, Voice-Over Actor

(Hear Harlon’s most bodacious demo on his website at  www.harlonmiller.com)

Napoleon Hill, Star Wars & Airlift Mike

"Think and Grow Rich" Author, a young NAPOLEON HILL
“Think and Grow Rich” Author, a young NAPOLEON HILL

As the great 20th century American thinker Napoleon Hill so eloquently reminded us all – the IMAGINATION is the Workshop of the Soul! And therein, I use power tools.

You see, one of the many things that separates me from the one-thousand-and-one other guys who offer VoiceOver services on the internet today is that I not only operate a genuine, bonafide, tricked-out full recording studio, but, in many cases, I also get the opportunity to WRITE and CREATE – from the ground up – the V-O copy I read. 

How thrilling to put my OWN words into my OWN mouth!

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Airlift Productions’ Micheal Ziants putting in another day at the office.

The power tools? Well, those would be meditation and exercise. Properly focused and fine-tuned, these two aid and assist in the entire creative pursuit, as they feed the imagination from the deep wells of the subconscious, which then directly grease the wheels of the entire writing process.

Too deep? A classic case in point would be the exercise of this past week. 

Tasked by running partner Nathan Ales to create, write, voice, and produce thirty seconds of audio for Baton Rouge, La. television & radio to promote a Laser Tag outfit … I went to work. And can we make it “Star-Wars-y”?!?

Oh, sure.

*** Airlift Mike’s “Star-Wars-y” Laser Tag of Baton Rouge ***

1401389338528328800Working within the 29.5 seconds ‘Goalposts’, that’s a lot to accomplish: Cop a James-Earl-Jones-ish attitude & pitch, grab some cinematic french horns, make ‘Sky-walk’ into a verb,  draw an analogy to paintball challenges, state a very direct call to action, and finish with an ‘out-of-this-world’ tag – literally.

** Laser Tag of Baton Rouge :30 Television, along with running partners Video Wizard Todd Schmidt & Sales Ace Nathan Ales **

Now, how much fun is that?

From the ‘Workshop of the Soul’ – to countless tens of thousands of ears and eyes via the magic of technologies (radio, TV & the Internet) that weren’t even on the radar when Napoleon Hill was born.

Now, how magical is that?

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Airlift Productions, New Orleans

 

Work? Excuse me? That’s what my coal miner brothers have been doing their entire lives, not me. For I have made my vacation … my vocation! The only ‘mining’ I do is within the ‘mind’ ~ and the ‘Workshop of the Soul’.

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The late David Menasche, author of “The Priority List” (soon to be a major motion picture from Warner Bros), recording with Micheal Ziants at Airlift Productions NOLA in 2012

” I would like to thank Micheal Ziants & Airlift Productions for making the recording of the audio version of my book such a pleasure.  Not only is Micheal an incredible audio engineer, he is my new best friend.  This guy is one of the coolest cats I have ever had the honor of meeting.  He made me comfortable, he made me feel talented, and he actually made my book into a product I can actually imagine people enjoying listening to.  So far, the opportunity to work with Micheal on a future project is my best incentive to write another book.  If any of you out there ever need a professional to help you with sound recordings, contact Micheal Ziants at Airlift Productions immediately!”

— the late DAVID MENASCHE, Author, Educator of Young Minds, Brain Cancer Activist, Major Mensch

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Airlift Productions ~ Audio Alchemy from NOLA since 1984

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Variety Is The Spice Of … Airlift Productions!

Truth be known, across America today there might very well be busier VoiceOver dudes and recording studios than Airlift & me, but I seriously doubt that any are doing a wider variety of work!

In the past week alone … I’ve recorded incendiary tracks for the controversial audio book “Murder In Coweta County” (coming soon to a Pelican Publishing download/CD near you),  in-your-face TV audio for Baton Rouge, banging the drum for a Laser Tag outlet …. and canned stage announcements for a N’awlins-based Bollywood dance team!  I mean, really.

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~ Audio Excerpt of Micheal Ziants, interpreting the pain of dealing with a dead body, in Chapter 7 of ‘Murder in Coweta County” – courtesy Pelican Publishing ~

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~ Airlift Productions’ Micheal Ziants invades the flat screens of Baton Rouge – along with ad ace Nathan Ales – with this :30 TV spot (written, voiced & produced in the Airlift engine room by Micheal) to promote ‘Laser Tag of Baton Rouge’ ~

Meanwhile, as the Laser Tag dudes are going at it in the dark of the arena ….  on a brightly lit, spot-lighted stage in an auditorium somewhere around Louisiana and the Gulf South tonight –  jubilant and righteously proud moms & dads are cheering on their daughters to these stage announcements ….

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~ Airlift Mike – at it again – with pre-recorded (canned) stage announcements for Indian export Ruby Pal and her New Orleans-based Ruby Creative Dance team ~

Whew! Honestly, in my thirty years owning and operating Airlift Productions here in America’s most fascinating city, I’ve had busier, more versatile and challenging weeks … but I’d be hard-pressed to name one.

And, yes, the beat goes on …

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~ Airlift’s Micheal Ziants – bustin’ out all over! ~

Do the math ….

Versatility + Quality + Dependability = Airlift Productions.

Airlift Productions – coming soon to a radio speaker, flat screen … or auditorium near you.