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andtheyreoff
09-14-2013, 10:20 PM
Hi everyone-

Over the last few months, I've made a bunch of race calling demos and posted them on youtube- both thoroughbred and harness.

Anyway, here they are; just wanted to know what you guys thought. All opinions welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcoDHFPJl580SRrUP2Eejch884ihgIpS_&action_edit=1

Phantombridgejumpe
09-14-2013, 10:28 PM
Might be because I'm on a phone - said I could not edit the playlist.

Stillriledup
09-14-2013, 11:00 PM
I listened to the 3.28 race from Aqu.

You're pretty good, the only question i have is when you say "third" and "fourth" is sounds like you have some sort of accent and its hard to hear what you're saying sometimes.

Stillriledup
09-14-2013, 11:01 PM
Might be because I'm on a phone - said I could not edit the playlist.

You can't edit the playlist, but you can listen to the videos. I got the same message too, just click on a racelink and you can see/hear the video.

v j stauffer
09-15-2013, 05:55 AM
Hi everyone-

Over the last few months, I've made a bunch of race calling demos and posted them on youtube- both thoroughbred and harness.

Anyway, here they are; just wanted to know what you guys thought. All opinions welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcoDHFPJl580SRrUP2Eejch884ihgIpS_&action_edit=1

I assume these races are being called off the television?

andtheyreoff
09-15-2013, 09:01 AM
I assume these races are being called off the television?

Yes.

Phantombridgejumpe
09-15-2013, 09:49 AM
Both tracks I've done it at let me sit in the stands with a recorder and binocs etc with no issues. It is a much different feel, in some ways easier in other ways much harder.

Call the respective PR departments ahead of time, and good luck.

craigbraddick
09-15-2013, 10:09 AM
I think you have the nuts and bolts of the race call in place.

Speechwise (and remember I am a foreigner with an accent) to my ears it sounds like you could work on producing a harder "R" sound. Practice rolling your R's and then scale back so it just comes out as a single hard "R."

Is that your normal voice or an announcing voice?

Also keep in mind every race is like a play. There are protagonists, antagonists, the start of the race is like the inciting incident, the plot is the middle of the race and the end is its resolution.

Next step is to go to the track and practice!

Craig.

mountainman
09-15-2013, 10:13 AM
I assume these races are being called off the television?

When announcers repeatedly pick up much too late on wide-closing winners, I strongly suspect they are calling from a monitor. Any thoughts on the propriety of this?

devilsbag
09-15-2013, 11:31 AM
I assume these races are being called off the television?

When I hear "a gap of five to Rabbit Ears, followed by Mute and finally Sony," I typically suspect the call is made from a television.

Pensacola Pete
09-15-2013, 12:44 PM
Hi everyone-

Anyway, here they are; just wanted to know what you guys thought. All opinions welcome.


Learn to speak more from the diaphragm and less from the nose.

You need to control your tempo; when things start happening, you start talking faster, and words run together.

Lose the "uh"'s.

The two announcers that I would recommend listening to for an idea of how to announce the flow of the race are Peter Berry and Keith Jones. Don't try to mimic them; just watch the race and listen to how they handle events.

TheEdge07
09-15-2013, 05:27 PM
I listened to the 3.28 race from Aqu.

You're pretty good, the only question i have is when you say "third" and "fourth" is sounds like you have some sort of accent and its hard to hear what you're saying sometimes.

Would you hire him for SRU?

thespaah
09-15-2013, 11:32 PM
Couple of things. SLOW DOWN!..Remember, you are painting a word picture.
Don't get caught up in the action. You are speaking to your audience. As they turn for home it's ok to go up a couple of octaves. But keep the same speech pace.
Next..Harden your "R"'s....
Try coming from your diaphragm. There are exercises you can do in order to strengthen your voice to the point where calling can be done with less effort.
You do a good job with having the horses identified. I heard little if any hesitation as though you've had to search for the name of a horse. Good stuff.
Keep working at it. Good luck!
I view race calling as a job for very few people. The tough part is memorizing each horse then being able to say the names without missing a beat.
Then 25 minutes later do it all over again having forced yourself to forget the last event.

v j stauffer
09-16-2013, 05:55 AM
Yes.

Calling races off the television is a complete waste of time. In fact it's counterproductive IMO.

You will learn nothing and develop bad habits. You must visit the racetrack. Bring binoculars and a tape recorder, secure a decent vantage point and call as many races " live " as you can.

v j stauffer
09-16-2013, 05:57 AM
When announcers repeatedly pick up much too late on wide-closing winners, I strongly suspect they are calling from a monitor. Any thoughts on the propriety of this?

100% percent correct. The "off the monitor" guys are very easy to pick out.

craigbraddick
09-16-2013, 07:57 AM
Andtheyreoff:

If you are in Ohio, we have room at TDN for you to come and practice.

Craig

thespaah
09-16-2013, 11:54 PM
100% percent correct. The "off the monitor" guys are very easy to pick out.
Is it not true that not only do race callers have to be sharp on identifying horses through the field but also perfect their use of binoculars?
It would seem to me that learning to handle binoculars would be important in that the device has to become 'part' of the caller's technique.
Does that make sense?

v j stauffer
09-17-2013, 05:54 AM
Is it not true that not only do race callers have to be sharp on identifying horses through the field but also perfect their use of binoculars?
It would seem to me that learning to handle binoculars would be important in that the device has to become 'part' of the caller's technique.
Does that make sense?

Perfect sense. Powerful binoculars can be jumpy. Becoming comfortable while looking through them and speaking takes practice. When I started I would get so nervous they would fog up.

Many announcers put their glasses on a swivel stand to avoid the image bouncing around too much.

Yet another reason why practicing by looking at the TV will never get you anywhere.

jballscalls
09-17-2013, 10:39 AM
Perfect sense. Powerful binoculars can be jumpy. Becoming comfortable while looking through them and speaking takes practice. When I started I would get so nervous they would fog up.

Many announcers put their glasses on a swivel stand to avoid the image bouncing around too much.

Yet another reason why practicing by looking at the TV will never get you anywhere.

I've always used a tripod, because of nerves. My hands shake (I'm a nervous sort in general), but with the tripod I have, makes it perfectly still.

I can't agree with Vic's comments any more about not working off the TV. I had to call off the TV recently (it was 95 and the AC broke in the press box) so I called from downstairs and while you can certainly get through a call, you are at the whim of the cameraman who might not be steady or might pan out too far for you to see the colors.

Most tracks if you're polite and respectful will find a place for you to practice. Emerald Downs let me use one of their suites to practice if they were empty, and Portland Meadows literally let me stand out on the roof. Eventually practicing out there everyday paid off not just in practice. The guy at Portland was sick one day, they asked me to fill in, I did, made an audition tape, and got hired at River Downs a few weeks later. Then when the Portland guy left after that season, they knew me from practicing there all the time, and offered me that job. Haven't had to work a real job in 8 years now :)

Best of luck Andtheyreoff in your pursuits!

v j stauffer
09-17-2013, 02:10 PM
I've always used a tripod, because of nerves. My hands shake (I'm a nervous sort in general), but with the tripod I have, makes it perfectly still.

I can't agree with Vic's comments any more about not working off the TV. I had to call off the TV recently (it was 95 and the AC broke in the press box) so I called from downstairs and while you can certainly get through a call, you are at the whim of the cameraman who might not be steady or might pan out too far for you to see the colors.

Most tracks if you're polite and respectful will find a place for you to practice. Emerald Downs let me use one of their suites to practice if they were empty, and Portland Meadows literally let me stand out on the roof. Eventually practicing out there everyday paid off not just in practice. The guy at Portland was sick one day, they asked me to fill in, I did, made an audition tape, and got hired at River Downs a few weeks later. Then when the Portland guy left after that season, they knew me from practicing there all the time, and offered me that job. Haven't had to work a real job in 8 years now :)

Best of luck Andtheyreoff in your pursuits!

I called an entire opening day card at Gulfstream looking at the TV. They installed the wrong kind of glass for the booth when the track was rebuilt. It can be done. An experienced race caller can muddle through if forced to.

However, for Andtheyreoff, if he wants to lay the proper foundation and learn the craft from the bottom up. Practicing at a live venue is by far the best way to go. I don't know of one announcer that didn't follow that path.

brivolta
09-17-2013, 03:23 PM
Not much to add to the conversation other than I respect the hell out of race callers. How you can do that every 25 minutes and remember silks/names, etc blows my mind. And it's not like you can glance down at the program easily with the binoculars.

Peter G at Hawthorne had my son and I up to his booth one day and I was absolutely amazed at what he (and the rest of you) do.

Pensacola Pete
09-17-2013, 04:03 PM
I called some of the fairs circuit in Illinois for about 8 years. That's an easy gig: 3-5 standardbreds in a race, and they rarely change position. Larry Lederman could run down all of the baseball scores during the race and not miss a thing.

I also did a few weeks of greyhounds at the Wisconsin tracks when one of the announcers had to take a brief leave. Whole different game there, but not too hard then, because all they wanted was numbers, no names, and the dogs wear the same color cloth per number every race.

Then I had a chance to call ONE 10-horse thoroughbred race, when the announcer called in and said that he couldn't get there until the second race. The track manager knew I called harness races, and he asked me to do the first race. I had two full hours to learn the names, colors, silks, etc., and that's all I did for the full hour. I actually did pretty well. Then the manager asked me if I could stand by for the second race, in case the announcer didn't show. I started to work on that 11-horse field. Nuh uh. I couldn't keep everything straight. The first race wasn't cleared from my mind yet. Fortunately, the announcer showed up with about three minutes to go. He looked at the program, at the track, and called the race perfectly. With only three minutes to study it!

Later that afternoon, the manager came up to me and said that the track announcer might have to take a week off for personal reasons, and would I like to fill in for him when he was gone?

I said: "Sure. As long as you run your races two hours apart."

They ended up flying in an announcer on vacation from a winter track, and I never considered doing thoroughbreds again. It takes a special mind to be able to fill it with 12+ horses and all the details, empty it all out, and fill again at 20-30 minute intervals. They earn every dime they get.

thespaah
09-17-2013, 05:28 PM
I called an entire opening day card at Gulfstream looking at the TV. They installed the wrong kind of glass for the booth when the track was rebuilt. It can be done. An experienced race caller can muddle through if forced to.

However, for Andtheyreoff, if he wants to lay the proper foundation and learn the craft from the bottom up. Practicing at a live venue is by far the best way to go. I don't know of one announcer that didn't follow that path.
Many many years ago I had been interested in doing sports play by play. The tape recorder at the venue was the way to go.
Another piece of advice I can give the OP is make efforts to talk to people in the trade he pursues. Pick their brains.
Both you and jballscalls have been nice enough to give the OP advice here.

v j stauffer
09-17-2013, 05:46 PM
I called some of the fairs circuit in Illinois for about 8 years. That's an easy gig: 3-5 standardbreds in a race, and they rarely change position. Larry Lederman could run down all of the baseball scores during the race and not miss a thing.

I also did a few weeks of greyhounds at the Wisconsin tracks when one of the announcers had to take a brief leave. Whole different game there, but not too hard then, because all they wanted was numbers, no names, and the dogs wear the same color cloth per number every race.

Then I had a chance to call ONE 10-horse thoroughbred race, when the announcer called in and said that he couldn't get there until the second race. The track manager knew I called harness races, and he asked me to do the first race. I had two full hours to learn the names, colors, silks, etc., and that's all I did for the full hour. I actually did pretty well. Then the manager asked me if I could stand by for the second race, in case the announcer didn't show. I started to work on that 11-horse field. Nuh uh. I couldn't keep everything straight. The first race wasn't cleared from my mind yet. Fortunately, the announcer showed up with about three minutes to go. He looked at the program, at the track, and called the race perfectly. With only three minutes to study it!

Later that afternoon, the manager came up to me and said that the track announcer might have to take a week off for personal reasons, and would I like to fill in for him when he was gone?

I said: "Sure. As long as you run your races two hours apart."

They ended up flying in an announcer on vacation from a winter track, and I never considered doing thoroughbreds again. It takes a special mind to be able to fill it with 12+ horses and all the details, empty it all out, and fill again at 20-30 minute intervals. They earn every dime they get.

I once had a Dr. tell me since we employ a hyper acute short term memory. Our recollections of past prior events would be adversely affected. Boy did he nail that one. I am TERRIBLE with names and faces. Also doesn't go too well when the Mrs. waxes poetic about when we were dating or our wedding day or even dinner with the neighbors two weeks ago. Calls for some FFF " fast fact fudging".

One benefit is I can watch a movie for the "first time" every couple years. :)

thespaah
09-17-2013, 06:11 PM
I once had a Dr. tell me since we employ a hyper acute short term memory. Our recollections of past prior events would be adversely affected. Boy did he nail that one. I am TERRIBLE with names and faces. Also doesn't go too well when the Mrs. waxes poetic about when we were dating or our wedding day or even dinner with the neighbors two weeks ago. Calls for some FFF " fast fact fudging".

One benefit is I can watch a movie for the "first time" every couple years. :)
So I would imagine one of your most frequently used phrases is " I have no idea what you're talking bout"?
Or to be nice.."could you refresh my memory?"
BTW, what's your name?

Bettowin
09-17-2013, 06:24 PM
Pretty good in calling the race and keeping the horses straight. The voice is a bit different and sounds similar to the character Barry Kripke on the Big Bang Theory.

v j stauffer
09-17-2013, 10:46 PM
So I would imagine one of your most frequently used phrases is " I have no idea what you're talking bout"?
Or to be nice.."could you refresh my memory?"
BTW, what's your name?

I tend to lean towards the total insurance policy of. " Of course honey, I remember it well, you're 100 % right"

thespaah
09-17-2013, 10:54 PM
I tend to lean towards the total insurance policy of. " Of course honey, I remember it well, you're 100 % right"
:lol:

appistappis
09-17-2013, 11:03 PM
you're already better than the ft erie guy..

v j stauffer
09-18-2013, 07:29 AM
............in this game made me think of and old and terrific friend. RIP

7:05 pm San Diego (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/SD/san-diego-padres/san-diego-padres) Pittsburgh (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/PIT/pittsburgh-pirates/pittsburgh-pirates) SD: Ross (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/1655631/tyson-ross) (3-8, 3.29)
PIT: Morton (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/1390876/charlie-morton) (7-4, 3.54)

therussmeister
09-18-2013, 12:31 PM
Pretty good in calling the race and keeping the horses straight. The voice is a bit different and sounds similar to the character Barry Kripke on the Big Bang Theory.
I was going to say the same thing, and suspect it might be his biggest stumbling block.

thespaah
09-18-2013, 06:51 PM
............in this game made me think of and old and terrific friend. RIP

7:05 pm San Diego (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/SD/san-diego-padres/san-diego-padres) Pittsburgh (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/PIT/pittsburgh-pirates/pittsburgh-pirates) SD: Ross (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/1655631/tyson-ross) (3-8, 3.29)
PIT: Morton (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/1390876/charlie-morton) (7-4, 3.54)

I had no idea Mr Morton had passed.
He was one of my favorites.

Just a Fan
09-19-2013, 10:29 PM
When announcers repeatedly pick up much too late on wide-closing winners, I strongly suspect they are calling from a monitor. Any thoughts on the propriety of this?


I thought of this post when I watched Lone Star race 7 tonight (9/19). The weather was really bad, John Lies was calling the race OK until the camera inexplicably stopped following the horses inside the 1/16 pole. Lies is usually as smooth as they come, but he sounded like he got a bit discombobulated at the same time that the track feed stopped following the field. Maybe the window got fogged up or covered with rain.