by Ruth L. Ratny Burbank - One day while working at Leo Burnett, her first
job out of school, 22-year old Cathy Zukoski took a phone
call that was pure serendipity. Zukoski, now known
internationally as one half of the Kalmenson & Kalmenson
voice casting team, headed the agency's talent payment
department. The caller, in Los Angeles, said her company could really
use someone with Zukoski's smarts who understood complex
talent payments and would she like to interview for a job in
California. Without thinking too much about it, Zukoski
caught a plane and within weeks was ensconced at the big and
prestigious Abrams Rubaloff talent agency, leaving the South
Side far behind. It was at Abrams Rubaloff in 1981 that Cathy met Harvey
Kalmenson, whom she married in September 1992. A year later
almost to the day the couple launched their own voice
casting business, firmly founded on the sterling credits and
experience each possesses. Between them, she says, "We have
a combined total of 47 years in the business." Harvey had a head start on Cathy, however. A native of
Brooklyn who's lived in L.A. since he was 12, Harvey's
career began in the theatre; he worked for John Houseman and
later interned for Alfred Hitchcock. He took time out to go
into the investment business but returned to show business
when Abrams Rubaloff needed someone with a theatrical
background to direct auditions. He "survived" directing that
great director Orson Welles when the Welles voice became a
familiar basso on commercials late in his life. At K&K, "Harvey makes magic as director of
auditions," says his proud wife, "and many of our auditions
go right to air," as did recent tracks for Nestle/McCann and
Levi's/FCB. Their broadcast quality DAT recording studios
are located in Burbank, just down the street from NBC. Their
business office is in Encino. Working for K&K is a full-time staff of nine,
augmented by four part-time freelance directors and
engineers. Their seven-day-a-week acting classes are held in
the Burbank Studios. K&K is one of 11 voice casting companies in L.A. Or
as Cathy puts it, "there's us and the rest of them." Judging
from their 300 national and international clients, that
could well be true. K&K thus far this year has cast more than 600 jobs.
Of these, 75% were voiceovers for commercials for ad agency
broadcast producers. She calls her company "an extension of
the agency and its creative team. We represent the buyer, so
we're always scanning, evaluating and presenting." The other 25% of their business is non-commercial-voices
for theatricals, such as animated shows, video, Web sites,
toys, books on tape and CD-ROMS. K&K charges by the hour. "Theatrical and
non-commercial costs more," she says, "because they take
more time." Facilitating their efforts is a formidable database of
9,000 voices that can be called up in any variable
requested. "We find by gender, age, ethnicity, language. Or
by type: mom, dad, intelligent businessman, wise guys; and
by prototype, such as a John Corbett or Denis Leary. "Drop
in the name and boom, the actors' records come up," she
says. The database recently proved its mettle when K&K had
to find actors who spoke Brazilian Portuguese, and not
Portuguese in the European style, for a Nokia cell phone
spot to air in Brazil. Cathy believes her "number one thrust" is actualizing the
buyer's voice specs. "I am one of those persons who
recognizes voices. I am very voice aware and pretty darn
good at slotting and applying for future needs." To assure satisfying future needs, like most
conscientious casting directors and talent agents, the
Kalmensons regularly scour local theatres, comedy clubs,
children's showcases and their own acting classes "so
producers can count on us for fresh and appropriate voices,"
she states. Cathy's Chicago roots are maintained through K&K's
many Chicago agency clients; the Budweiser frogs and the Pep
Boys voices, both DDB Needham and Grant/Jacoby; Bender,
Browning, Dolby & Sanderson; McConnaughy; DraftDirect
Worldwide; and, of course, Leo Burnett.
9,000 voices clamoring to be heard
The Kalmensons use their database
to serve over 300 clients
Cathy and Harvey Kalmenson are a
successful husband-and-wife-team with a total of 47 years in
the business. (They went to San Antonio to see the Bulls
play knowing they could get a better seat
there.)
(818) 377-3600