A Conversation with God

This still shot of me was taken during filming of the 2010 season promo for Bone Collector on the Outdoor Channel. In the promo, I played a homeless man who is taught to fend for himself with a bow and arrow. During a lull in the filming, however--in a few moments that seemed surreally suspended in time--I had an encounter with an actual homeless person that is indelibly etched in my memory.

The director and crew were across the street, discussing the next scene with the three principals of Bone Collector who were in a large, black truck with tinted windows. They were obscured by the truck and, because we were mostly using natural light, there wasn't a lot of production equipment in view.

From where I was sitting by myself on an overturned milk crate, next to my stereotypical shopping cart prop, waiting for the shooting to resume, I watched the old, bedraggled man come around the corner and make his way along the sidewalk toward me, pushing a two-wheeled cart loaded with all his belongings. I confess my discomfort that he would ask me for money or engage me in conversation. Instead, he walked past me without speaking.

Then, as he was crossing the street, he turned back and asked, "Are you hungry? I have some food that you can have." I told him that I was fine, but he persisted, "It's okay. If you're hungry, I'll feed you." Again, I told him that I would be okay. He reluctantly said, "Well, if you're sure," and started to walk away. Then, turning back again, he called out, "You need to get out of this town. They don't give a damn about homeless people here." With that said, he turned away, walked off down the street and disappeared around a corner. A moment later, the director emerged from behind the truck, the crew reappeared and shooting resumed as if nothing had happened. 

What does that say? Here was the outcast, untouchable, unseen man possessing almost none of the things with which our society measures itself, yet he was prepared to share his modest food supply with me while unknowingly admonishing me for my own lack of mindfulness.
 
It was a conversation with God that I will never forget. It altered my perceptions and my life’s path.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”

                                                                              ~ Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

Sports-Related Voice Demo

JohnDrew Sports/Outdoor Adventure Demo by John Drew

The Bone Collector - Promo for The Outdoor Channel

From its first week, Michael Waddell's Bone Collector was, I believe, the number one program on the Outdoor Channel. For the voice over, Steve Finch of Surf & Turf Entertainment, the originators of Bone Collector, wanted a dark, quietly intense, "movie trailer" delivery. He specifically didn't want the voice I do for several other Outdoor Channel programs and outdoor equipment makers' commercials. I did one read-through, recorded it with no EQ or signal processing and sent the file to Steve. What you hear on this track is what I uploaded to Steve.

This version of the promo was an early draft with a couple of mistakes that were later corrected before it played to a closed audience of Outdoor Channel executives.

Flat-Out Feeder Challenge Commercial for the Outdoor Channel (click here for a hi res link)

In early 2009, I had the pleasure of working again with the production team of Steve Finch and Marc Womack of Surf & Turf Entertainment. Steve and Marc are responsible for the top three programs currently on the Outdoor Channel. In the Flat-Out Feeder Challenge commercial, my role as a "thrill of victory, agony of defeat" sportscaster juxtaposed with Bone Collector co-host Travis T-Bone Turner's down home humor made for great fun. I've been the voice of Bone Collector -- http://www.michaelwaddell.com -- since its inception, along with two other Michael Waddell Outdoor Channel shows, but I'd never had the pleasure of working with T-Bone. He's the kind of guy who makes a long day go more quickly with his humor and generosity.

I promise that, in real life, I'm not that guy in the $19 polyester blazer... although it's still hanging in my closet.