Tag Archives: Toby Ricketts

Careful-They Might Be Ziants, National TV VoiceOver

Safelite AutoGlass TV Ads, Columbus, Ohio – And Airlift Mike?

December 28, 2021 Micheal Leave a comment

Pascal Barone, Safelite AutoGlass naional spokesperson records TV VoiceOver at Airlift PROductions, NEW Orleans

It happened again last night, I caught a national TV ad broadcast across America – with audio recorded here in New Orleans at my Airlift PROductions, wherein (who knew) yours truly was the “silent partner”.

Ya’ see, my family up north – from the coal mines of West Virginia to the newspaper offices in Pittsburgh & the grade school classrooms of Lancaster, Ohio – has NO IDEA whatsoever that I am the dude behind the glass “teeing-up the ball” for these national TV ads.

First contacted and contracted by the Ron Foth Agency in Columbus, Ohio way back in 2013, I’ve been recording Safelite AutoGlass national on-camera spokesperson PASCAL BARONE ever since!

Pascal “drops the mic” with Airlift Mike for Safelite AutoGlass

Amiable, authentic, and as genuine as they come, Pascal has been a front man for Safelite for nearly a decade and, as the fates would have it, is a New Orleans local (actually Kenner-bruh).

Give a listen to audio excerpts from our phone-patch recording session between NOLA & Columbus with Pascal from March 2020, used in Safelite’s “Camping/Road Trip” :30 TV spot now airing.

** “Gee, Pascal, you took your cell phone into my booth? And, how nice, he only dropped one ‘S-Bomb’. What a FUN session, though.. Great talent; great client; great guy!”…mgz **

Nice job, Pascal! Great spot, Ron Foth Columbus, Ohio dudes!

As to me, Airlift Mike?

Well, sorta like that old line from the Wicked Witch/Judy Garland cinema classic, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”

No smoke. No mirrors. Not even a brainless scarecrow.

Just call me, ah, well, ok …”The Wizard of Ads”.

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Toby Ricketts Instagram-Twitter ‘Selfie” taken in the Airlift Productions booth

“Working on the road can be a pain for voice artists – I was so glad to find Airlift studios on my travels, just outside NOLA CBD! What a beautiful, cozy, and quiet space to work in. Michael was an absolute pleasure to work with, being 100% professional and 100% nice guy! If I’m ever in the Big Easy again, I’ll be sure to stop in and see Mike at Airlift Productions.” — Award-Winning, World-Class, New Zealand-based VoiceOver Talent, TOBY RICKETTS

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Airlift PROductions ~ Audio Alchemy & Digital Magic from New Orleans since 1984

National TV VoiceOver, New Orleans VoiceOvers

Judah Ben-Hur’s Messala Drops The Mic – With Airlift Mike

March 4, 2021 Micheal Leave a comment

TobyKebbellRecordsVoiceOverForSonyAtAirliftProductionsNOLA — Ben-Hur Star Toby Kebbell records national TV Sony Tablet Commercial VoiceOvers at Airlift Productions NOLA

I didn’t know quite what to expect the morning TOBY KEBBELL showed up at my Airlift Productions Studios to record VoiceOver for Sony Corporation and it’s new Xperia Z tablet.

“Ben-Hur 2016” wasn’t even on the drawing boards yet, he was in New Orleans to film “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, and tagged by Tag-Europe (a huge London-based ad agency) as the voice for Sony Products, he needed a studio to record a few V-O patches.

The UK's TOBY KEBBELL drops the mic - with Airlift Mike, on behalf of Sony — The UK’s TOBY KEBBELL drops the mic – with Airlift Mike, on behalf of Sony

So, Toby and his brother arrived at Airlift that morning … Toby was unshaven, in flip-flops & cargo shorts – hey, it WAS for a VoiceOver session, after all; at 6’1″, we stood eye-to-eye – I set-up the phone-patch to connect us with Europe and we went to work.

As the fates would have it, in the UK the letter ‘Z’ is pronounced ‘Zed’, and in order to introduce this new tablet here in the states, the tag lines had to be re-recorded with the Yank’s sound.

Toby talks for Sony on the Airlift microphones like this…

The tracks were coached and directed by Louise at Tag, with her agency contact for Sony piggy-backed in on the call – from Tokyo!

I then relayed the wav files via an FTP site into the computers at the editing bays in London, England and the finished commercial – along with some help from David Bowie – appeared here in the United States like this…

And I love the exchange as he exited the studios that day. With Ziants being my last name, I’ve got a welcome mat at the front door with a ‘Z’ on it. Toby pointed it out and chuckled at the irony as he headed back to the rent-a-car.

Toby Kebbell all decked-out for the premiere

The girls (or ‘birds’ as they call them there) in the UK are just gaga over this dude, and the ladies in on the phone-patch session that morning echoed that excitement.

Studly. Easy on the eyes. Soft-spoken. Ultra talented.

But from his appearance as Doctor Doom in the ill-fated “Fantastic Four” to the apparent miscues, in the eyes of some critics, with “Ben-Hur 2016”, I just wish Toby could find his footing in a true star-making role, one that could seriously catapult him into the stratosphere.

In the meantime, I’ll be the one catching Kebbell’s magic via Netflix on the flat screen in the den, remembering my morning recording Toby before his days with Judah Ben-Hur, popcorn in-hand, smiling – and shaking the dust off my sandals.

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“Working on the road can be a pain for voice artists – I was so glad to find Airlift studios on my travels, just outside NOLA CBD! What a beautiful, cozy, and quiet space to work in. Micheal was an absolute pleasure to work with, being 100% professional and 100% nice guy! If I’m ever in the Big Easy again, I’ll be sure to stop in and see Mike at Airlift Productions.” ~ TOBY RICKETTS, Award-Winning, World-Class, New Zealand-based VoiceOver Talent

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Airlift Productions ~ Where the warmth of analogue lives … and the lightning speed of digital delivers!

Airlift Industrial & Documentary Work, New Orleans VoiceOvers

Around The World In 80… Minutes – Airlift Productions Style

August 5, 2018 Micheal Leave a comment

TobyRickettsVoiceOverAirliftProductionsNOLA — New Zealand-based Award-Winning VoiceOver Talent TOBY RICKETTS records at Airlift Productions NOLA

World-Class VoiceOver Talent Toby Ricketts‘ visit to the Airlift Productions Studios here in New Orleans is certainly one I won’t soon forget.

Gee, and I almost didn’t take the call that started it all that Monday night after hours in March 2018.

It was a Cory from Tri-Film in Seattle looking for a NOLA-based studio to help out with a project for Microsoft… and beer!

As it turned out, New Zealand-based Toby Ricketts (Microsoft’s voice of choice) was visiting the USA for a relative’s wedding, and was in New Orleans for a few days, and Tri-Film needed help – STAT!

Toby showed up at the Airlift Studios the next day and, to paraphrase renowned author Jules Verne, Toby and I recorded VoiceOver tracks for points all around the globe – in 80 minutes!

** Toby Ricketts on behalf of Beerwulf, Tri-Film… and Microsoft **

So, after we wrapped-up the session for the boys in Seattle, Toby looks at me through the studio glass and asks me, “Mike, do you have time for a few more?”

We then proceeded to call and phone-patch record with Shane in Dublin, Ireland for a trio of industrial reads for safety videos – to be used in plants from the UK to the Middle East… to Southeast Asia!

Toby Ricketts Pic of yours truly at the Airlift Productions Spirit Soundcraft mixing desk

Toby then says to me, “One more? Please?”

After my consent, we then laid-down the electronic messaging voice tracks for use – at 35,000 feet – for messages to be heard overhead on flights out of Dubai on Saudia Airlines.

** Toby Ricketts speaks for Saudia Airlines (with outtakes) **

Whew!

So, here I am sitting in New Orleans, but recording for guys in Seattle with a VoiceOver talent from New Zealand… who then takes me to Ireland for work to be used in the UK, the Middle East & Southeast Asia… only to finish-off the session with tracks to be used in an airline at 35,000 feet – all done, tagged & bagged in 80 minutes?!?

To take a trip figuratively – and literally (as the millennial is often wont to say) – AROUND THE WORLD via the Airlift Productions trusty and razor-sharp phone-patch was exhilarating, technically challenging… and a riot!

Next time we’ll make provisions for an in-flight meal, brother Toby.

In the meantime, safe travels, pal – and many thanks for the ride.

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“I have been in the media industry in the New Orleans area for over 36 years, working in radio, television, and print. During this time, I have had the pleasure of working with many talented individuals. From a production perspective, I have encountered many talents. Beyond any doubt, the most talented person I have done business with is Michael Ziants.

Mike is the quintessential professional–serious about his craft and determined to produce the best work possible for each of his clients. His voice work is superb, his music library is impressive, his studio is outstanding, the final product is always appreciated.

In all future endeavors, when it comes to producing work for radio, television, or the internet, my first call will be to Michael Ziants.”

—KEN TRAHAN – Owner/CEO CrescentCitySports.com & General Manager/Chairman of the Board of the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame Museum, Inc.

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