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Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:18 pm
by GetRightRobot
Seibertron's own Delicon was on hand for the Botcon 2012 Voice Actors Panels with Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones. Recognized for their roles in Transformers Generation 1 as Bumblebee (Dan) and Blaster (Bluster).

Delicon worked diligently to record the fast paced Q & A and has provided some highlights from the panel:

Delicon wrote:This was Buster Jones' first Botcon and Dan Gilvezan's second. Buster entered in a tuxedo while Dan was dressed casually, which Dan joked aout. Buster Jones obtained his first Transformer the night before. Neither had any idea how big the franchise would become. Dan joked; had he known, he would saved EVERYTHING (including scripts, photos andthumbprints)


Dan Gilvezan stated his favorite episode from Transformers Generation 1 was Transport to Oblivion due to his extensive involvement in it. Dan talked about rewatching the episodes on DVD and how excellent the Shout Factory! Matrix set was. He talked about how enduring the franchise was and how mainstream it had become. Mr. Gilvezan admitted to auditioning for the role of Bumblebee in the new movies, but admits his voice may have bee too friendly for the live action version.

Dan admired the Bumblebee hats in the crowd. He said the most unique gift he received was from a woman named Stephanie yesterday - a needlepoint Bumblebee


Buster Jones spoke about life as a musician. Playing drums and the saxophone. He said that Scatman Crothers (Jazz) wouldn't talk to him for a 3 year period "back in the day" due to being competitive about music and seeing Buster as an upstart. Buster eventually saw him play one night and they eventually became friends. Dan said that Scatman's ukulele playing was a highlight of the recording sessions. Both talked about how competitive voiceover work was, that you might get 1-2 roles of 100. Buster said even agents are constantly getting in and out of the business and that he has had many agents.

Buster Jones shared with the crowd that he was present to hear Wally Burr and Orson Welles clashing during the recordings for the 1986 movie. He said it got ugly between them and Dan mentioned; when new people dealt with Wally, it was like lambs being lead to the slaughter. Buster said that Wally had an amazing voice for a director. Dan said he would have liked a bigger role in the 86 movie and that he recorded all his lines in only 20 minutes.

Mr. Gilvezan admitted he wished Bee's alt mode was still a Volkswagen. He also thought a Mini-Cooper would be the next closest thing. Dan introduced his "beautiful wife Joselle" who brought up his book and joked that "this is what celebrity gets you". He also mentioned recent work such as some regional commercials and the Spiderman Shattered Dimensions video game. He talked about past work on Spiderman and his Amazing Friends, G.I. Joe, Dino Riders, Spiral Zone and Sectaurs. Dan referred to Frank Welker as "the premier voice actor of our time." He said he'd love to work with Frank Welker and Peter Cullen again. Either on Transformers Prime or if Hasbro produced a reunion special with the surviving voice actors. Which received a massive response from the crowd.



To learn more about the diverse career of Dan Gilvezan click here.
To learn more about the mulit-talented Buster Jones, click here.

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:38 am
by DMSL
It's about time Bee got his voice back in TF Prime.

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:14 am
by gothsaurus
Amen to that. You get so much more characterization and emotional connection out of a real actor voice, and Dan is very engrained in our memories of the franchise.

Like so much of the Bay movies, you can tell they're just pulling from a hodgepodge of other movie sources, and I can hear someone at the big corporate table saying, "Wouldn't it be great if Bumblebee were R2D2? Kids would love that!"

Groan.

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 7:58 am
by vectorA3
GetRight - thank you very much for posting. Esp., for those who couldn't attend. I'm hoping meet Mr. Gilvezan Saturday (free comic book day) at a local comic shop. Hopefully he can sign a sketch card I had made. I'll buy his book if he has it there too probably. Buster sounds like a cool cat too. It'd be nice to meet him too. Really enjoyed the article, thanks again!!

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 8:07 am
by gothsaurus
These two were both really kind. I had a great chat with Buster Jones in the lobby about jazz music. (He said his top favorites were Coltrane and Miles Davis.) Both very down to earth and wonderful people. Really glad they came out for the convention.

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 5:05 am
by vectorA3
Hey, quick question -- during the panel or anywhere else did they do any character voices?? What did they say??!

thx in advance

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 8:15 am
by gothsaurus
Hey. Yeah, Dan did a couple times... just quick, short stuff in passing, as I recall. Buster barely remembered doing any of this stuff. Was actually confusing the character with Doc from GI Joe most of the time. (ha) BUT during the reading, he must have brushed up. Sounded pretty spot on to the G1 Blaster later in the weekend.

I wish I could remember what Dan said for ya!

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:55 am
by Delicon
gothsaurus wrote:Hey. Yeah, Dan did a couple times... just quick, short stuff in passing, as I recall. Buster barely remembered doing any of this stuff. Was actually confusing the character with Doc from GI Joe most of the time. (ha) BUT during the reading, he must have brushed up. Sounded pretty spot on to the G1 Blaster later in the weekend.

I wish I could remember what Dan said for ya!


I do remember Dan pretending he was Bumblebee at a drive-through and ordering an Energon burger and fries. I also he think screamed "Optimus Prime!!!" in BB voice. I think there was another quick quote or 2 thrown in, but that's what comes to mind.

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 12:26 pm
by Bullycon
Poor Buster remembered next to nothing about his work on Transformers, but the tidbit about Orson Welles was cool.

Fan: What was the weirdest gift you ever received from a fan?
Dan: Chlamydia. [Literally hides under the table.]

Fan: Can you both pretend to order from a drive-out in your character's voices?
Buster: What'd she ask?
Dan: She wants us to order from a drive-thru as our characters from the show.
Buster: Why?

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 12:29 pm
by gothsaurus
I'm pretty sure it was Dan that made the joke before hiding under the table. His wife gave him a thumbs down before he hid under the table. He was clearly in trouble.

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:24 pm
by Bullycon
gothsaurus wrote:I'm pretty sure it was Dan that made the joke before hiding under the table. His wife gave him a thumbs down before he hid under the table. He was clearly in trouble.

D'oh! I thought it was Dan at first, but I was only half paying attention and someone else said it was Buster. Figured I heard the wrong voice in my head. Guess not. I'll go back and edit.

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:30 pm
by gothsaurus
Yeah, I was right behind his wife. :-D

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:31 pm
by Delicon
To be fair, it seems like Buster hadn't really talked to many of his fellow G1 actors recently so that may be part of why he was rusty. Apparently this was his first contact with Dan since the show ended. Transformers is our life, but it was a job for those guys, a job that ended for most decades ago.

I do give credit to some of those Sunbow actors, such as Dan, Gregg Berger and Paul Eiding who seem to "get it" when it comes to how much the fanbase loves Transformers and how they've brought themselves back into the center of the TF universe as a result. Paul Eiding even wishes me happy birthday on Facebook every year (and I'm not alone)

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 8:01 am
by Counterpunch
I wish people would stop asking voice actors to do that stupid drive-thru routine.

It's insulting to the VAs and makes us look like a bunch of asses. Clearly, none of them were into it this year. It's time that "Tradition" was put to bed.

Re: Botcon 2012: Voice Actor Panel Dan Gilvezan and Buster Jones

PostPosted: Wed May 09, 2012 2:36 am
by vectorA3
Thanks for all the responses. Enjoyable read! (except for CP...... j/k!!)

BB got chylmydia?!? wth??! :)