Tag Archives: Luno Bordelon

Airlift Mike’s Anatomy Of A Radio Spot. That works.

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Micheal Ziants – New Orleans Voice Over Talent & Airlift Productions Studio Owner ~ 2012 promo pic

It’s kind of hard for me to get my mind around sometimes, but I recorded my very first radio commercial in late 1971 just outside Columbus, Ohio in a little town called Delaware. At WDLR radio. For, of all things – a funeral home.

Today, in 2015, just a few years later, and literally thousands of commercials later, I find myself still perfecting the craft. And at the same time marveling over the fact that while many things in the industry have changed, at the heart of the art will always be the need for attention, engagement, entertainment and imagination!

From reel-to-reel tape to mp3s, from broadcasts to podcasts, from mixing consoles to digital audio workstations – the tool kits have changed but the heart of the art remains the same.

And one of the things that I’ve relished about my now-thirty years of running Airlift Productions here in New Orleans is that many of my clients have entrusted me through the years to not only serve as the voice and producer of the commercials – but to WRITE them as well.

So, let’s play and have some fun, while at the same time, lace-up the Adidas for a jog down memory lane.

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Airlift Productions Client Legends Encore

This week I got my imagination racin’ and had quite the time writing copy, assembling bites, voicing and recording yet another radio thirty to help pack the night club known as Legends Encore here in the bosom of suburbia outside New Orleans.

Opening with all the intensity of a movie trailer, “Wine, Women & Song-2015 style” opens with battle axes on shields, horse whinnies, and sword play … and closes with Billy Crystal from “The Princess Bride” shouting “Have fun storming the castle!” The last thought? The night club’s name.

*** Airlift Mike’s Legends Encore Radio :30 ** July 2015 ***

Attention + Engagement +  Entertainment + Imagination = Memorable Radio.

See, while everyone else is trying to cram way too much information, and laundry lists of prices, items, phone numbers, addresses, yada, yada, yada …. Airlift Productions captures attention, has some fun, entertains, and delivers.

For client after client. Year after year.

Now, as to the ‘jog down memory lane’ part of the blog, just a couple quickie faves from the ’90s that I still get comments about….

ArchieManningCloseUpAirliftProductionsNOLAI loved working with Archie Manning. Yes, Peyton & Eli’s pop was a client of mine for a couple years as he and his partner Steve Smith,  a body builder from Mississippi, were co-owners of Archie Manning’s Gold’s Gym on Veterans Boulevard, and I wrote, voiced and produced all their radio ads for them.

I’ll never forget Archie rolling his eyes when I came up with this one: I’d be Santa Claus and he’d be the perennial kid  sitting on my knee during December in the mall telling me what he wanted for Christmas! Really.

We produced this radio spot together – old school, on reel-to-reel tape, no digital edits, in real time – at the Airlift Productions on Iberville Street location in 1992.

*** Airlift Mike with Archie Manning, “Gold’s Gym”, 1992 ***

ArchiePeytonEliManningAirliftProductionsNOLAGee, and the Saints wouldn’t even smell a Super Bowl until a couple decades + later.

Although his boys sure have seen their fair share, huh?

 

Yes, radio spots, in order to be effective, must prove WORTHY of the imagination of the listener. And show RESPECT for the time that they’re investing to listen.

OK, just one more.

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Cajun Comic & New Orleans Voice Talent LUNO BORDELON plies his trade at Airlift Productions ~ along with some help from his pal T-Claude

One of my favorite people on planet Earth is this wacky Cajun from Lafayette, LA named Luno Bordelon. In fact, just this past Tuesday night, while in NOLA on business, he spent the night with us here in Metairie.

Well,  Luno and I were tasked with building the crowds at a local Mexican restaurant named “Jalapenos”, and I came up with the idea that this was “the Mexican restaurant that even a Cajun could love”. 

So, I played intrepid man-on-the-scene reporter and Luno was, well, Luno!  Check out the Lu-nacy here….

*** Airlift Mike & Luno Bordelon for “Jalapenos”  ***

Wow! And after all these years, 1971-2015, this is still FUN!

As a guy who fell in love with theater and the human voice as a kid, then a mad love affair with the radio and tape recorders – it’s still today almost as if people are paying me to play with my train set.

Yes, when it comes to advertising,  audio – and well-constructed radio ads – will always drive the emotional train. Allow me to be your engineer. All aboard! 🙂

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Airlift Productions, New Orleans

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Millie with husband Rene’

“I have worked with Michael on a free lance basis for years. I continue to be amazed at his technical genius and amazing voice. His ability to make the average sound spectacular never ceases to amaze me! I have worked with Mike on a variety of      projects, and he gets it done right the first time, every time! It is ‘one stop shopping’ for first rate results!”

*** Millie Stouse Fuselier, New Orleans Queen of VoiceOver ***

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Airlift Productions ~ Audio Alchemy from NOLA since 1984!

Airlift Productions “Cajun-izes” Houston Radio

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Cajun VoiceOver Talent LUNO BORDELON reels-in the Big One while taking some time off in Hawaii (but would a Real Cajun be caught dead in these shorts? LOL, LMFAO, WTH? OK, well, … maybe in camo )

Truth be known, it’s a bit hard to put a price tag on my abiding, enduring friendship and decades-long love affair with this crazy Cajun Luno Bordelon!

After all, we’ve been witness-to and IN each other’s weddings … and have watched each other’s kids grow… and grow...

Through the Airlift Productions Recording Studios and Luno’s wild, inventive and contagiously engaging VoiceOvers we’ve recorded for the TV and radio, we’ve sold more products & services together than you can shake a big fish at!

And this is since years before anyone ever heard of a ‘Duck Dynasty’. 

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Long-time running’ partners Luno & Airlift Mike – hiding out in a Breaux Bridge, LA cabin (as part of the Cajun-Confidential witness protection program back in the day)

 

 

Most recently, Luno & I shouldered the awesome responsibility of “Cajun-izing” unsuspecting Houstonians.  Imagine the alarm clock radio popping-off at a bleary-eyed 6:30 am to this —-

~ Cajun VoiceOver Talent LUNO BORDELON charms Houston via Airlift Productions, on behalf of Brooks & his krewe at BB’s Cafe, “the Home of Tex-Orleans cooking” on this :60 radio spot ~

BB’s Cafe Proprietor Brooks Bassler gave us main copy points – you know, stuff that just HAD to be in the spots –  but otherwise, just turned us loose to have some creative & off-the-wall Cajun fun!

Pooyie, cher!  Crank it up!

~BB’s Cafe, Houston Radio :30s from Cajun V/O Talent LUNO BORDELON & Airlift Productions~

I know, I know, no one should be having this much fun at work, now should they?  Well, shame on us.  For true.

You see, having FUN and capturing it through the microphone – creating memorable & effective audio campaigns via sound waves – is what has helped Airlift Productions to survive and thrive across not one, not two… but now three decades!

But, cher, the Airlift Studios are but the tracks that deliver & carry the goods. It’s talent that drives the train.  And my pal Luno Bordelon’s got it in spades!

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~ Cajun Comic & VoiceOver Talent LUNO BORDELON Records At Airlift Productions – for YEARS! ~

Why not let Luno & me “bait the hook” for your next project?! Radio, TV, Web-audio, point-of-sale displays, talking toys …. use your imagination!  Because you know WE will!!

Book Studio Time with Luno & Airlift Mike now at Airlift PROductions!

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“For voice over actors, the demo serves as a calling card and is unquestionably the most important tool in the pursuit of voice over work. Mike Ziants and Airlift PROductions produced my first VO demo and within weeks I landed my first job in the industry. Airlift’s state-of-the-art recording studio combined with Mike’s wisdom and expertise provided me with an excellent demo as well as the confidence needed to achieve success!” — Founder of 80s Punk Rock Band ‘The Weirdos’ & VO Actor JOHN DENNEY  

Airlift PROductions Recording Studio ~  Audio Alchemy from NEW Orleans since 1984 

Pooyie! It’s a Cajun Airlift – To Houston!

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Cajun Comic & New Orleans Voice Talent LUNO BORDELON plies his trade at Airlift Productions ~ along with some help from his pal Tee-Claude

 

Well, I don’t know exactly how you spent your weekend, but the S.O.S. had come in from Brooks & Company at BB’s Cafe in Houston for some HELP on their phone system – STAT!

Apparently, BB’s business is so booming that management thought keeping their Cajun-dish-craving patrons entertained while on-hold needed some attention, Airlift style –  so the call went out to Cajun Comic Voice Talent Stud-like-dude LUNO BORDELON!

The main problem I had was tracking Luno down – I mean, this Cajun gets around … Italy, Canada, Bar Harbor, Maine … even deep sea fishing in Hawaii!

 While some faux-Cajuns talk the talk – Luno ‘chalks it’, walks it, talks it, hunts it, shoots it, fishes it, and then cooks it up over an open fire!  True-Dat.

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Cajun VoiceOver Artist LUNO BORDELON deep sea fishing – in Hawaii, no less. Pity ‘da poor fish, huh?

 

So, as soon as I could get Luno back on New Orleans terra firma, cher, we got to work.  Make it fun! Make it sing!  Let the BB’s Cajun Cafe crowd know that they’re in for some authentic, off-the-chain damn good Cajun food ~ with a Texas touch! 

After all, so many business on-hold phone messages are so dry … so boring … so (yawn) ho-hum.  Enter Airlift Mike at the controls, punching the buttons ~ as Luno pushes YOURS!

Listen to Luno charming the masses in Houston.  The boy gives good phone.

Pooyie! NOW Houston understands what it’s IN for when they hit the door at BB’s Cafe!  The Real Deal. Authentic. Genuine. No off-the-rack dishes here.  Load-up the wagon, bring the kids.

(In soft disclaimer voice…) ‘No animals were harmed in the making of this phone message.’  🙂

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Long-time runnin’ partners Luno & Airlift Mike – hiding out in a Breaux Bridge, LA cabin (as part of the Cajun-Confidential witness protection program back in the day)

 

Why not tune-up YOUR business phone system today at Airlift Productions Recording Studio, New Orleans