I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to work on more than 60 projects and events, ranging from simple telephone auto-attendant greetings to 50-page reads for multi-category industry award galas, for clients across Canada and the United States.
Each client and project is unique, but every job is fun and challenging in its own way. From the names of projects or people, to some very scientific or technical terminology, each project strengthens my skills and keeps me on my toes.
With many clients and projects returning year after year, I can develop a greater understanding of their business, their specific event needs, and even provide additional value within their project.
Videos from some recent projects are included here, and a projects listing (arranged by client) is below.
Alberta Municipalities Annual Convention
Type: Announcements (VOG), awards packages, video narration
Location: Calgary/Edmonton/Red Deer, AB
Years: 2015-21
The Alberta Municipalities Annual Convention attracts more than 1000 municipal government leaders from across Alberta to discuss policy priorities and resolutions, network with provincial and federal government representatives, hear from speakers on a variety of topics, and visit with suppliers and providers of goods and services. The convention is held in larger communities across Alberta, including Edmonton, Calgary, and Red Deer.
Arts Commons VR Tours
Type: Virtual reality (VR) tour narration
Location: Calgary, AB
Year: 2015
Arts Commons is a values-driven arts organization located in the heart of Calgary, Alberta. It is Canada’s 3rd largest performing arts facility, including five theatres, a world-renowned concert hall, arts education spaces, costume and set building shops, rehearsal spaces, visual arts galleries, a café, and administrative offices for some of the most ground-breaking and accomplished performing arts companies in Canada.
Arts Commons’ VR tours introduced viewers to some of the complex’s unique and innovative spaces available for rent for a variety of events. While being immersed in a virtual world, the narration provided key facts and points of interest for each space.
APEGA Summit Awards Gala
Type: Announcements (VOG), sponsor reels, introductions, award packages
Location: Edmonton, AB
Years: 2017-21
Each year, APEGA recognizes Professional Engineers and Professional Geoscientists who have made outstanding contributions to the professions or to the community. Up to 11 awards are presented each year, chosen from nominations sent in by fellow members, colleagues, students, and the public.
The award packages for this event are video-based with narration providing highlights of the reasons why individuals and/or groups are deserving recipients of the respective awards.
This project often involves technical terminology and individual names from a variety of cultural and language backgrounds.
Virtual Convocation & 50th Anniversary Celebration
Type: Video narration, virtual reality (VR) tour, virtual event announcing
Location: Edmonton, AB
Year: 2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Athabasca University had to re-invent their convocation and 50th anniversary events for 2020. Traditionally a multi-day event held at the university’s home campus, the 2020 event went almost entirely virtual, with videos from each faculty’s head and a narrated video parade of graduates.
The procession of graduates involved reading almost 2000 names, degrees and awards, and personal greetings for students from every faculty at the institution. The read was divided up among three narrators, each recording remotely and independently.
The University’s 50th Anniversary celebrations would have attracted thousands of folks to the home campus in Athabasca, Alberta, but the pandemic led to the creation of a virtual visit to the facilities for folks all around the world.
Awards of Excellence Gala
Type: Announcements (VOG), nominee & winner packages, introductions & stage throws
Location: Edmonton, AB
Year: 2019-22
Each year, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) – Edmonton Region honours the best of the best with the Awards of Excellence in Housing. Each year’s event presents 70+ awards to winners from across the industry.
This project is regularly the largest read I do in any given year, being comprised of 50+ pages of text, including announcements, award nominees and winners, sponsor recognition, and introductions and emcee throws.
In 2019, the event was themed ‘Springtime in Paris’, and the organizers wanted to bring some French elements into the voice-over. I offered to ramp up the French in a big way and provided bilingual welcome and wrap-up announcements for the client.
Fashion with Compassion
Type: Announcements (VOG), introductions, sponsor reels
Location: Edmonton, AB
Year: 2017
Syncrude presents Fashion with Compassion, in support of Compassion House Foundation, is Edmonton’s largest fashion show. The Foundation operates Sorrentino’s Compassion House — a haven for women undergoing cancer treatment in Edmonton.
Syncrude presents Fashion with Compassion hosts two glitzy events of high fashion with Edmonton’s luxury retailers. Guests enjoy a decadent meal and flowing bubbly, while watching some of the seasons’ greatest pieces on the runway. The highlight of this event is the special models walk. Previous guests of Sorrentino’s Compassion House, along with other fellow survivors, take to the stage to represent courage and survival from one of the biggest health threats to women in Canada — cancer.
This project consisted primarily of audience announcements, introductions of on-site emcees and dignitaries, and sponsor recognition.
CEA Showcase Awards Gala
Type: Announcements (VOG), nominee & winners packages
Location: Edmonton, AB / Calgary, AB
Years: 2016-22
For more than 20 years, Consulting Engineers of Alberta has recognized excellence in consulting engineering in Alberta and throughout the world at the CEA Showcase Awards Gala. Project awards are given for Excellence and Merit in thirteen categories. This annual black tie/formal event is attended by over 500 industry leaders and distinguished guests which have included the Premier of Alberta, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta and numerous other officials from all levels of government throughout the province.
The reads for this event involve technical terminology and challenging project names for both the nominee identification and the winner videos. Having a working knowledge of Alberta geography and industry participants assists me in efficiently and accurately producing the voice-over components for the production crew.
View a portion of the 2019 Awards (including a winner video) here, and check out the main event site here.
DMC Contracting
Type: Advertisement (radio), web video, social media
Location: Abbotsford, BC
Years: 2020
It started with DMC Contracting finishing our home’s basement, and it turned into a great working relationship!
I’ve recorded voiceovers for DMC Contracting’s advertisements on local and regional radio stations in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. The tracks are also repurposed for use in web videos, social media, and on-site video displays at trade and consumer shows.
Scroll to the top of this page for a listen, and visit their website at dmccontracting.ca
DCA Annual Convention
Type: Announcements (VOG), sponsor reels, video narration, board introductions
Location: Dallas, TX
Years: 2015-22
The DCA Annual Convention is a multi-component, multi-day event held by the association each year in a holiday- or resort destination. Past events have been held in Hawai’i, Florida, California, the Bahamas, and Mexico.
This project entails extensive sponsor recognition reads for each component, and also includes reads of executives and boards that are spliced together on-site by the production crew as the elections are held with the members.
Due to this client being an American organization, pronunciation of company names and certain other word differs from everyday Canadian English, so I’ve created a ‘guide’ for myself as I review the script and research audio examples from the web and social media.
You’re Welcome Edmonton Awards
Type: Announcements (VOG), sponsor reels, nominee & winner packages
Location: Edmonton, AB
Year: 2015
Edmonton Tourism developed the You’re Welcome Edmonton awards to recognize excellence in front-line service in the local hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants, attractions, and service providers.
This project was particularly fun to do as it focused on awarding many employees who don’t normally get significant public recognition for their critical roles in the hospitality and tourism trade, including housekeepers, servers, information agents, and guides.
Due to the nature of the industry and its workforce, many components of this read involved names from other cultures and countries, requiring a keen ear and close collaboration with the client’s team.
Telephone auto-attendant greetings
Type: Telephone auto-attendant
Location: Edmonton, AB
Year: 2016
FMAV had recently rebranded as part of a national merger and there was an opportunity to refresh the telephone greetings for the company’s Edmonton office.
A straight-forward read, this work was done directly into the local telephone system, without any need for recording or editing.
GO WEST™
Type: Announcements (VOG), sponsor reels, introductions & emcee throws
Location: Edmonton, AB
Years: 2018-19
GO WEST™ is an annual event that focuses on education, innovation and networking, and brings together global industry thought-leaders who present the latest trends and ideas to enhance attendees’ knowledge and network. Event professionals attending have access to keynote sessions, experiential workshops, industry suppliers and resources, opportunities to connect with colleagues and to launch new friendships, and much more.
The 2019 event saw more than 530 attendees, most from the meetings and events industry.
This dynamic event required a high-energy read to keep the program moving and keep attendees engaged.
Telephone auto-attendant
Type: Telephone auto-attendant greetings, navigation menus, product promotion loops
Location: Edmonton, AB
Years: 2011-17
When GO Productivity / Productivity Alberta was spun-out from the Government of Alberta, establishing a new head office in Edmonton was required, and one of the tasks involved was setting up an office telephone system and the associated greetings and navigation menus. I was leading the set-up of the telephone system, so it made sense to tackle the messages and greetings, too.
The telephone auto-attendant involved a master greeting and multi-part navigation. I took the initiative to use the master greeting as an opportunity to promote a program or service being offered by the company.
Content for the system was recorded live into the system and updates were performed frequently to reflect adjusted operating hours, promotional priorities, and staffing changes.
Alberta Provincial Immigration Hotline
Type: Telephone auto-attendant greetings and menus
Location: Edmonton, AB / Calgary, AB
Year: 2010-11
The Government of Alberta established a telephone hotline for the Alberta Provincial Immigration program and required a telephone auto-attendant message to be set up.
The outgoing message communicated operating hours, holiday information, and contact options to businesses and individuals seeking information on the Province’s immigration programs.
In real estate, presentation and professionalism matter. Pictures might be worth a thousand words, but a narrated video? That’s worth its weight in gold when presenting a property to prospective buyers!
Jeff needed a voice for a property tour video of a unique Winnipeg condo, and I stepped in to write, edit, and record the narration to the already produced video. In fact, the narration of the video was repurposed for the description on the Realtor.ca information website.
The turnaround on this project was less than 48 hours, with no pickups required.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive on this video.
Alberta Business Hall of Fame
Type: Announcements (VOG), sponsor reels, video narration
Location: Edmonton, AB
Years: 2016-19
The Alberta Business Hall of Fame celebrates the accomplishments of Northern Alberta’s most distinguished and emerging business leaders.
The heart of this project is narration of feature videos that bridges interviews with the subject and their nominators and peers, sharing the stories of these deserving business leaders.
Mad Hatter’s Gala
Type: Announcements (VOG), welcome video
Location: Edmonton, AB
Years: 2015-17
Over more than 30 years, the Mad Hatter’s Gala has become the largest fundraising event for MacEwan University. The Gala features a different irreverent theme each year, with 2017’s being ‘Goodbye Kansas, Hello Emerald City.’
This read included some rather ‘edgy’ program announcements that provided the required information but did so in a fun and engaging manner. In addition, there was a ‘Wizard of Oz’ welcome video that paired my distorted voice with a CGI animated giant head on a flaming background.
PLCAC Annual Convention
Type: Announcements (VOG), sponsor reels, video narration
Location: Oakville, ON
Years: 2016-22
The Pipe Line Contractors Association of Canada (PLCAC) was founded in Edmonton in 1954, following the construction of the original TransMountain pipeline. The Association was formed to represent Canadian contractors in labour relations matters and to develop a Canadian-based workforce with the specialized technical, trade and craft skills required for pipeline construction and maintenance.
The PLCAC Annual Convention brings together the association’s membership, staff, and associates for networking, learning, and professional development.
The reads for this project are typically focused on audience announcements and sponsor recognition loops for use at the convention venue, and are often quick-turnaround reads.
Travel Alberta Alto Awards
Type: Announcements (VOG), video narration, nominee & winner packages
Location: Calgary, AB
Years: 2015-16, 2018-19
The Alberta Tourism (Alto) Awards is the only program of its kind in Alberta, annually recognizing individuals and organizations that are committed to enriching the province’s tourism industry. The awards are handed out each year at the Travel Alberta Conference.
This project’s reads are primarily narration providing details winners of individual awards, including project information, nomination outlines, and details on a winning project’s distinguishing features.
Faculty of Nursing Centennial Celebration
Type: Video narration, virtual reality (VR) tour
Location: Edmonton, AB
Year: 2017
In 2017, the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Nursing celebrated their 100th anniversary since establishment. As part of this celebration, the Faculty wanted to provide a virtual reality tour of their modern teaching and research facilities to current & future students, alumni, dignitaries, and the general public.
This read involved a virtual walking tour around the Nursing Simulation Centre, highlighting key features of the environment and outlining what activities might take place. My read was later combined with that of a faculty staff member to provide a male/female balance and create a more dynamic tour environment for the viewer.
Get started today
If you’re interested in using voice-over for your project or event, please contact me today for a chat. I look forward to hearing from you.