Jack Elliott

Radio/TV commercial work is my specialty. I have voiced spots for everyone from McDonalds and Sears to numerous auto dealerships, and Circle K.

 Training

My start came while working in radio as a drive time broadcaster. I've been a morning radio guy for 40 years. I always see notes on audition invites stating "Don't want a Radio guy". Nearly EVERY voice over artist got their start in radio. So that always slays me. Plus if I pass on an audition when I see such a statement, I'll often go back and hear the guy they chose and he sounds just like every radio guy I have ever worked with.

To my advantage, I have always been told, "You don't sound like a Radio guy." Most radio broadcasters are assigned a "production duty". Each day they come to work and before (or after) getting off the air they have commercials to record for radio station advertisers. These clients are not working thru an ad agency but are buying advertising directly thru the station. They need a commercial to put on the air.

That's where the radio broadcaster comes in. For six years (during a stint at one station) I was also the production director which meant I was in charge of every commercial to be aired on the station. Sorry for the long story, but over time I began getting calls from ad agencies requesting I voice their commercials. From then on my amount of VO work became extensive. I became the voice of the NBC TV station in Oklahoma City. I narrated weekly TV shows for multiple thirty minute programs, several on a national level. I began doing on-camera work for several car dealerships in addition to the voice over pitch for the dealers. I recently voiced KFC for the Jamaican market and Circle K for Guam. So my training has been thru taking direction from top producers in Dallas and Oklahoma City. Almost like on the job training.

 Experience

I have voiced radio spots nationally for Glamour Shots and Black Eyed Pea Restaurants and regionally for Sears and McDonalds and Homeland/Safeway Grocery Stores. The amount of work I have done is extensive. I have also done hundreds of on-camera TV spots and auto dealer infomercials. For over 20 years I narrated all of the Feed the Children appeals programs, which aired on 92 TV stations in the U.S. Plus doing a morning drive radio show for over 35 years has given me the challenge of reading 'live' radio commercial scripts. And if you don't "sell" on those, it affects the entire station as the client drops it's advertising schedule. I love what I do and I love taking direction.

 Specials

I don't sing or compose music, but I am an excellent commercial copy writer and I can do multi-track production. Send me a music bed or jingle and I can mix my voice over with the music bed. I can edit too.