When you are serving as someone's personal coach, Alec, do you work with the existing director?

Yes, I'm happy to work with a director, and I do it with the utmost regard for that position and Ted Turner's famous advice, "lead, follow or get out of the way." My job as coach is to help people present themselves most effectively according to the director's vision. I strive to free his or her time to deal with the big picture.

I've never heard of a production company offering their own characters. Are you an ad agency?

We work closely with ad agencies, but we are not one ourselves — we rarely buy commercial time. We pride ourselves on partnering seamlessly to enhance your media project. If you don't have a relationship with an ad agency, we will work with a media buyer who is well-suited to place your campaign on the air. As for our characters, they are perfect for those times when an ad agency or our client needs a secret weapon.

What's with the performers on your web site? Are you a talent agent?

No, when I'm providing talent, I function as a producer and/or casting director — you pay me; I hire the talent. That way, to whatever extent you want, they're my problem and not yours. And by the way, all of us have worked together before. So if you're looking for a team, comedy or otherwise, you've come to the right place. Think of Pagrovia as a one-stop talent shop.

Alec, I hear you were a professional actor and voice-over artist for many years in L.A., and even a newscaster. With all that experience, you must be a union member, right?

Yes, I'm a member of Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA, and always available for union jobs. And there are four situations in which a union member may do non-union work:

1. if the performer is also a bona fide producer of the non-union project;
2. if the project is in an arena where the union has not organized or is not functioning;
3. if the job is in a right-to-work state;
4. if the performer has replaced his full union membership with "financial core status." Don't ask.

 

Since you've got your own recording studio, why does some of your talent record elsewhere? And will you record at our place?

Not all our talent is in the same city, and in this age of high-speed communications, it just means you have more choices. To record our talent in L.A., I will book Voicetrax West or Jim Rayton at Ascot Recording Studio. In Monterey, if you need something bigger than my booth, or to record live music, I recommend Richard Bryant at Duplication Connection Studio.

Or... We will be glad to work with the studio and engineer of your choice. Love those field trips! But if you can, you might want to give my home studio a try — it's free of charge when you book one or more of Pagrovia's Monterey-based people on the same project, for performing (Featured Performers), or directing and producing (me).

I need to know more about Pagrovia Media. What should I do?

Contact us directly.