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Old 03-05-2008, 06:16 PM   #4 (permalink)
connieterwilliger
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: San Diego - serving the world
Posts: 61
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If a script makes me uncomfortable, I will refuse to do it. Now, if it was in a market outside my market and I was able to use a different "voice," I think I'd have a hard time turning down big money...it would depend on the script.

With the political stuff, I usually let the client know that if the campaign starts heading into total mud slinging, I will probably reach a point where I'll have to say no.

I got blindsided once many years ago - had just been to a studio the day before to do an auto spot and got a call from my agent asking if I could quickly get over to that studio to record - quickly in like a half an hour. I was able to - didn't even ask her what the job was - just jumped in the car and headed over. I was met in the parking lot by the producer who actually thrust the script at me through the car window. I scanned it and froze - it was a vitriolic as for the mayoral campaign - I hadn't made up my mind - but it was simply a horrible spot. So I told him no and then raced up the steps to call my agent (pre cell phones). I got the usual "you'll never work in this town again" speach.

As I was leaving the parking lot, the engineer was just pulling in (it was lunch time) and asked me where I was going. I told him that I just couldn't do the spot and he said, "You're the second one." THAT was the reason for the last minute call. I heard the spot the next day done by what sounded like the receptionist at the station.

Then more recently, I started doing some spots for a campaign in a small county in the south somewhere - they loved the reads and came back with another spot and then another. We discussed the issue of going "too far" in the scripts and he asked me where that line might be. I told him that it was hard to tell, but that if it was a "liar, liar, pants on fire" kind of thing that might be the line. A day later he sent me a note telling me that the next spot had THOSE EXACT WORDS in it! Well, in the context that they were used, it was actually acceptable, but we sure got a huge laugh out of that one.
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Connie Terwilliger
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www.voiceover-talent.com
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