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Yaakov Berger - Boruch Perlowitz 2020 The Jewish Platform
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
[clears throat]
>> Welcome back to another Thursday night
live here at the Jewish platform. I've
made many great discoveries, but by far
the greatest discovery that I've made
was finding the amazing Yakov Burger.
And tonight we have the privilege of
having Yakov Burger here on set with us
tonight. Yakov, how you doing? We are
live, right?
Yakov, you always got to do this. All
right. All right. Calm down. If you are
watching this, please call your local
law enforcement agency.
Baruch coerced me into coming and doing
this. I I I really No, we agreed upon
it. No, we didn't agree on anything. He
He hasn't fed me in days.
No, no, no, Yakov. We were supposed to
do last Thursday night, but you're not
here since then. If you can hear me,
please. Mom, don't throw all my stuff
yet. I will get out of here one day. I
promise you.
Baruch, hey, you're right here.
How's it going, Yakov? Good to see you.
Guys, let me tell you something about
Yakov. Yakov is that one that always
Every time on set and then he's acting
for me, of course now on Desperate
Measures and before that on The Skull of
a Genius, but also all these little gigs
that he does for me all the time.
Yakov always lights up, whether it's the
WhatsApp chat,
whether
it's it's on set, before set, or
whatever we're doing.
Um speaking of lighting up, what Why
isn't there a fire here?
>> Yeah, right. So, we were going to light
the hook.
Wood fire. Oh, there is no fire.
>> going to light the fire up
and then we decided it's about 70°,
we're not going to light the fire up.
>> don't want to revisit The Skull of a
Genius sitting here in I don't know how
humid or hot it was outside and sitting
here. We actually discussed this on the
on the the when interview in the
interview. We talked about how hot it
was in here, but anyways, I'm sorry. You
were You were um Exactly. For those that
For those that didn't realize, yeah.
>> Please continue pumping up my ego. It's
pretty It's pretty good. I'm done. I'm
done. Just rub Oh, you're done? I'm
done. I'm done. You You interrupted the
flow. Yeah, you go ahead.
For those that don't remember, for those
that have or haven't watched The Skull
of a Genius, this is where we filmed the
scene that's inside
the the bedroom in the hotel in in the
end.
in the end
>> in the end in the Oh, in the end. in the
in that scene. Oh, in the end. Yeah.
So, how did I discover Yakov Burger?
Yakov is a professional
voice-over artist,
narrator. What else do we call that?
A voice actor, perhaps. Voice actor?
A voice-over, you said that already. Uh
this is not multiple choice.
>> Voice under?
Right. Voice Voice under
If Actually, it's interesting because uh
it's not really voice under, but if I'm
not in studio, I will actually go under
my bed and do recordings because it's
the sound is much more muffled than
under there. I mean to say that it's,
you know, the carpet is absorbed. You're
about, you know, 6 in
from the bottom of the bed to the floor.
So, it's It's It's a It It really
absorbs the sound very well. So, it's
So, wait a minute. You mean to say when
we hear your
whatever it is you're recording
>> under the bed. the Chofetz Chaim
Heritage Foundation, you're under your
bed.
>> the bed, yes. Does it ever happen that
your wife comes out and like starts
vacuuming under the bed while you're
doing the recording?
>> I'm the one that vacuums in the house.
Okay. So,
make a quick story short, I needed a
borsa. I needed an actor for
The Skull of a Genius and I was I was
desperately trying to find somebody and
suddenly I dis- I I was going through
somebody's status, Moishe Schindler.
Great Great Great Moishe Schindler.
Great Moishe Schindler, Greatment Media.
I was go- I was looking at his status
and I see this guy.
Yakov Burger was just doing his
He was doing his voice-over, but you
weren't just talking doing a voice-over.
You were acting it out. So, if I may
interject, this is with that when I tell
people that the hashgacha of how we
actually met. So, we're not going to go
into the entire the the the long version
that I tell people the hashgacha of how
I got to meet
Baruch Goldberg, who hired me for Reb
Carlebach to do the voice-over,
and then you got to me, but And then you
got me connected to Baruch Goldberg.
>> Baruch Goldberg, Bunny Album and
everything, right? I'm doing another job
for him on Sunday.
>> hashgacha is amazing. And just how
everything how everything And
I got Okay, once we're discussing it,
just because of the sake of
It's really kind of here, just the
hashgacha of how it
how everything evolved. Uh Baruch
Goldberg had called me um Okay,
incidentally, I've been doing
voice-overs for 20 years. Not trying to
pump myself or anything, but just, you
know, I've been doing it for about 20
years, Baruch Hashem. Thank you, Hashem.
We're going to get into that in a
second. We're going to get how you got
into it.
>> Yes, I sure did. Um the um it was on a
12:00 on a Friday afternoon, and Baruch
Goldberg, who was an alumnus of Reb
Schechter's Yeshiva, he called me
up all desperate and said, "Hi, I
>> Desperate Measures. Desperate, of
course. Every Everything's Even that or
The Skull of a Genius. You hear these
references throughout everything. I'm
supposed to be looking over there,
right? Well, you can look at any of the
cameras that you want. No, no, no,
that's Oh, not that one. I'm sorry.
Okay, it's my camera. That's your
camera. I'm not going to take your
camera.
Um
So, I I was It was a Friday afternoon. I
was literally on the way out of the
office, but I heard that he was very,
very upset and he needed help with
something. He told me that they were
having the net the following night,
Motzei Shabbos, they were having an
event for Reb Schechter's
Yeshiva. They were going to have They
were having a PowerPoint presentation,
and the fellow that was in charge of it,
he backed out, and they decided to reach
out to Baruch, and he had never done
anything like this before.
He asked me that he needed help with
voice-overs, and he provided me not with
an actual narration, but the script that
he provided me with were the slides that
were going to be presented at this
PowerPoint presentation again the
following the following night, Motzei
Shabbos.
I told him, "Baruch," I said, "Don't
worry about it." I said, "We'll get
through this." I actually stayed an
extra hour in the office. I worked it
through with him, and it was uh it was a
big success. And Baruch and I hit off uh
very uh very well, Baruch Hashem.
Fast-forward a few years later, Baruch
Goldberg hires me to do a voice-over for
Reb Carlebach Shlita for his
Yeshiva.
So, and this is where This is where we
get to what Baruch was talking about.
And this to me was the most
mind-boggling part of it all, because,
you know, my character Borsa was the
>> [laughter]
>> That was Borsa, right? So, so here I am,
and it was like a 15-second or a half a
minute a half a minute clip that Moishe
Schindler um
Baruch Goldberg hi- hired me for Reb
Carlebach,
Moishe Schindler was in charge of the
the Yakov production and so on.
So, Moishe Schindler, so he he posted
this, you know, this half a minute clip
of me doing a voice-over about Reb
Carlebach
really, really needs your help. His
Yeshiva Tiferes And the other Yeshiva,
they need your help. And And Baruch is
looking at this, and he's like, "You
know what? That would make a perfect
Borsa." And I told him that my Spanish
was like
>> I was like, you know, "Please, Reb Chaim
Kanievsky's son, [clears throat]
Maran Sar HaTorah, he really needs your
help." And from there, Borsa.
And And from all the films that I've
made, I'm sorry,
but Borsa is definitely the most evil
character
in all of them.
I'm saying in The Edge, we had the mafia
guys, right? The terrorist in Desperate
Measures. If you don't watch it yet, I
don't want to any spoiler alerts.
>> the bad guy in 180?
>> [snorts]
>> I know there was a They were the
terrorist so I don't know.
>> 180, the terrorist so I don't know. But
nobody yet had wanted to cut off the
head
of a 13-year-old kid
to sacrifice it. So, that was our
Borsa.
So, you are a voice-over actor. Now, I
know people they leave kollel,
they say, "I'm going to go into real
estate. I'm going to go into kollel
again."
Many different things. I I've never even
heard the concept of a voice-over actor.
I mean, in the film world.
How did you decide to go into voice-over
acting, and how did you actually get
there? That's a good question.
Uh so, the truth is that it's more of my
second job, my hobby, if you will, which
I really, really enjoy a lot. I met a
lot of great people over the past many
years. Um my my main job is in
>> from the great people. You said that,
not me. Yeah, of course. Baruch, come
on. There's nobody like Baruch. There's
nobody like Baruch, and I mean that in a
positive way. Oh.
Even though he hasn't fed me in a few
days, I am the ale, you know, see
earlier. Um
so, I do work full-time for a tzaddakah
organization. Uh the Sephardic Food
Fund. I've been there also for about 20
years.
Um so, what happened? So, I used to do
kiruv work for Project Gesher Lakewood
Links.
And or Lakewood Links Project Gesher.
I have no idea what Uh not necessarily
in that order. And the kiruv
organization. Lakewood, we do have that
in Lakewood. Um
So, one day, the Chofetz Chaim Heritage
Foundation called up the office, and
they asked They spoke with one of the
secretaries. Uh actually, her name was
Mrs. Ora Nasava. Give a lot of credit to
her, because this is what really
propelled me to my voice-over career.
And they asked
if there's anyone that could do the
intros for their Chazak hotline. Meaning
to say, they had these 5-minute snippets
every day that would play of various
rabbonim, rebbetzins, and so on. So, she
threw my name out and I got in contact
or Columbus Community Relations got in
contact with me and that was the
beginning of it all, which was basically
it went something like to this extent.
Today's sheer is given by Rabbi or
Rebbetzin so on and so forth. In the
previous sheer we discussed this and
this topic and so I mean obviously I'm
mixing up the words it's been a while
since I've seen the script. And that's
that's where it really started. But that
wasn't it wasn't in a full How old were
you at the time? Were you married? Were
you single? Or 20 years ago?
>> married. Yeah, yeah, I was married. I
was married already. It was just after
we were to have our first child in in
2000.
Uh 2000 it was about 2000 2001 I think
when I started doing it. Forget the
exact
>> 20 He's 21 years old now.
Are you you're not trying to date me
here. I don't need No, no, no, no, no.
But but but he just big movie just went
to strong this
Um yeah, let's say about 20 21 years.
Um
So, I saw that I had a knack
to do this.
Um again, this was I already you know I
yeah, I wasn't working at that
organization. I mean again it's 20 years
ago things happen somebody just happens
to them. I got greyer.
Got new new new new set of new new
jacket new pair of pants.
So many things have happened in the past
20 years.
Um but at any rate um where was I? Um a
lot of ums here.
>> You're talking about the guest show.
>> no so right now yeah no but put it
moving right along. So, I saw that I had
a knack for doing voiceovers. This is
before I actually took lessons for it.
So, I actually spoke to my rosh yeshiva
I learned the riverdale by river
moskowitz shlita
and I told him about this interesting
idea I had about doing voiceovers and he
gave me his blessings and I I went to
Manhattan I went to a studio that taught
for for radio commercial
and
I took and I went there for the for the
initial consult. They saw that I have
what it takes and you know there are
different packages. So, it was like I
think it was eight lessons or 12 lessons
and obviously in this in in the
voiceover industry there's there with
any industry you're always learning.
You're always learning in any industry.
Um and there's so much more that I that
you can learn and you I could have gone
back to schooling for this and so on.
Eight to 12 lessons later it was enough
for me to make my first demo.
So, the demo is the most important thing
in the voiceover industry. That's what
really sells your product. And we had
the demo there was like six or seven
different styles of of advertisements if
you will and I sent it out to like 10
people
and the first
>> no WhatsApp in those days.
>> No, no, no, no, nothing, nothing. And no
no no cellphones in those days.
They didn't even have sliced bread.
That's how far back
>> [laughter]
>> No, so they they
>> So, this was in 18 what? This was in 18
18 18
I don't know whatever. Um
the the the the person the first person
that picked it up was Chaim Rosen. I
sent it out to I I looked up one of the
Lakewood pages or telephone books
whatever and the I sent it out to people
that were involved in you know making
videos weddings videographers and Chaim
Rosen at the time of Chaim video he was
the first person to pick it up and he
called me called me about it. And
interestingly enough the first real
voiceover gig that I did
one of the first ones but it was a major
one for me was for Bonei Olam. Chaim
Rosen was at that time producing at that
time going back 20 years so you know
>> I I didn't Bonei Olam was in existence
20 years ago. Right, so Bonei Olam has
been in existence for about 21
21 plus years.
They're they started off in Brooklyn.
They about 20 years ago again that time
well that's that time frame is when they
started the Lakewood chapter.
And Chaim Rosen had produced a his first
Bonei Olam video
was shown at Chateau Grand.
Oholei Olam Shalom. Oholei Olam Shalom I
don't know if you remember that is. I
don't even know.
You know where Chateau
where Evergreen is now?
>> Chateau Park, right? Evergreen, right?
All the stores there now that used to be
a Chateau Grand was a big catering hall.
And Bonei Olam had their first Lakewood
dinner in Chateau Grand. I believe
that's the name of the name of the
place. And Chaim Rosen showed showcased
an amazing video on Bonei Olam at the
Rabbi Leib Hill the great great
Rabbi Hill. He was the he narrated that
first video.
Then a couple years after a couple years
after that that's where Chaim Rosen had
picked me up
um to do the voiceover when we had the
next Bonei Olam um dinner
and
yeah I mean that the rest is history
really. That really was what propelled
me to my career. Interestingly I was
actually interviewed by by someone on
who has a very well known LinkedIn
a member
a Miss Malya Feigelson
and we were talking about this and it
was it was interesting point that she
helped me bring out is that that we
didn't have children right away as well.
We actually have six beautiful children
and it was at the same time
that you know I my it was very
interesting that you know I
I was I began to I had begun to get
involved with Bonei Olam
volunteering to help them out and at the
same time I got involved in the
voiceover industry and the first
voiceover industry I did was for Bonei
Olam. So, a lot of things I think were
falling into place together and
that's really that's where it started.
And Bonei Olam Shalom you know I've done
many many various institutions. I'm also
like like
>> [clears throat]
>> I'm that guy that's either known as wow
what a voiceover or Here we go again.
How many times a week does that guy
disturb my supper?
So, I
great story anecdote. So, I walked into
the walked into my house one day after
one [snorts] evening after a long day at
the office and the phone rang and I
picked up the phone and I hear hi I'm
calling on behalf of and I slammed the
phone down. I'm like I don't even listen
to any of this. And I and I stopped a
second and I said I I just hung up on
myself.
I was like How many people get to hang
up on themselves?
>> It's amazing. It's like it's great. What
a freelancer I am. So good about it
though.
>> [laughter]
>> But yeah, so that's that's you know that
Bonei Olam And then recently
Okay, you've done some small acting gigs
before I discovered you. Right. And now
Bonei Olam Shalom I'm saying
Well the You're on some really big
you're on my my two big films which were
bestsellers. Bonei Olam Shalom Yes.
There's Lakewood and Hollywood. And I'll
settle for Lakewood. I'll settle for
Lakewood. And
what about Hollywood?
That's not a thing.
>> your next question?
>> [laughter]
>> That's I just I just incidentally just
to mention what you what you said
earlier. So, I was in two Chofetz Chaim
Heritage Foundation made for Tishrei
videos.
I was in a Chaverim video. Um
and then obviously I was in two of your
amazing videos. I'm also you're on a I I
hired you for two live streams that I
did.
Um at BPJCC
>> for the Chassidic we did it together
with Chaim Reich right and then Zami
uh [snorts] Zami Begun and Chaim
Freundlich who was his brother. And then
we did for the Chassidic thing with Ari
Abramowitz.
You were hired for the home show thing
and for the game show for RCCS last
year.
And we have your clips on on going
around on social media all the time
whether pro-masks or anti-masks
anti-masks
I'm pro I'm pro-life. I'm pro
Whatever whatever floats your boat.
>> [clears throat]
>> Um you're wilding so that now how about
we cut for a quick commercial break
break and we'll be right back
with more Yakov Burger. Ha dark cheese.
Don't mix it with ha dark chocolate.
>> we we have we have
our own commercial that we're going Oh,
we do? Yeah, yeah, okay. So, sit down.
We'll be right back with more Yakov
Burger.
>> [music]
[music]
>> Welcome back.
Now, Yakov you've been doing this for 20
years or something like that, right?
>> Something like that. Shoo.
Can't imagine. You have no idea. So,
was there anything any like really big
event that you've done not not I don't
know event or or campaign you were part
of or something that you felt that
really resonated with you and something
that really touched your heart?
Any big people that you've met? Let let
me hear I'm saying you get to meet a lot
of real kosher people.
Um stars really big campaigns. Tell me
that industry were there any any
incident that sticks out? No.
Nothing.
>> [laughter]
>> This was supposed to be the home run
segment.
Oh, man. I mean, baruch Hashem. I mean,
I really I I really thank you Hashem for
allowing me to be involved in this
industry because Wait a minute. My my
heart skipped a beat because like this
was supposed to be
Um next question, your honor.
>> [laughter]
>> No. Okay. Um no further questions.
Um I'm like you know you know I'm a run
of the mill kind of shidduch. Yes, no,
boo hoo, boo hoo.
That's it. Finished.
Um
speaking of Rephael, to me you you
talking about meeting personalities?
I I you know baruch Hashem I I I've been
like I said I've been doing a lot of
work.
But uh I got to meet Reb
Kanievsky, you know. I did That was a
major That was a real major fundraiser.
Uh that was 2 years ago.
Um
you know,
I I can't really pinpoint one particular
thing cuz I've baruch Hashem I've done a
lot of work, you know. What was
this past year with the whole with with
COVID and whatnot. So, everything was so
much I mean,
there was so much virtual platform
virtual stuff going on.
And my baruch Hashem my younger brother
David, so he basically helped me up the
ante and through my LinkedIn account I
used to post on my LinkedIn account that
I worked for this stock organization,
but it didn't really garner much
attention. [snorts]
When we switched it up that my first job
would be voiceover, all of a sudden it
started taking off. Now, mind you, I
don't connect with 30,000, 40,000, 50 I
I don't have that many connections.
>> Yeah, like 200, 300,000. No. No. That
I'm all right now. But but the the the
few thousand connections that I have on
LinkedIn was something that really
helped me meet so many people within the
industry this past year.
Um I don't want to name any too many
people cuz I don't want to take away any
like No, no. We knew each other.
>> Right. We knew each other before
LinkedIn existed.
>> You just got on LinkedIn actually. You
just needed to get
>> I just I just Yeah. You just wanted cuz
you wanted to advertise us for measures.
>> Right. Um but people like
I don't really like I don't want to miss
out on anybody, but
uh Yoel Trigger, you know, from Yali.
>> Yali. Um and my Moishe Shingle scheme
uh Moishe Neuhaus
doing great stuff with Oldaf.
>> Yeah, with Oldaf. Oldaf.
There you go. Oldaf. That That was a
great
>> Oh, right. You had You did a Oldaf
commercial. Moishe Shindler, that was a
funny one. That was a cute one.
Um
How about we just
>> Moishe Mandelbaum is just
>> I think we should just play that that
that Oldaf before he back.
>> Yeah, we we have that over here.
>> Yeah, that'll be a great addition.
>> Um so that Moishe can put it on. Moishe,
could you get the Oldaf commercial with
Yaakov Burger falling down? Let's get it
on over here.
So, that was I'm assuming that was Oldaf
on green screen.
But it's cute. It's very cute.
>> Who said? I don't know. They provided me
with towels actually.
on green screen. I you should also make
that it was
such an amazing video that he did that I
had to I it it was like you know it was
on green screen and now I had that you
know I was in that position and I fell
back, but I had to keep on looking at it
over and over again like I couldn't
figure out how they did it where it
really looked like I was falling off of
it.
Oh, you weren't You weren't on a chair.
>> flat. I was sitting No, I was sitting on
the floor. I just had my feet crossed
together like I'm in like a yoga
position.
>> I can't do that anymore. Right. Well, I
don't know. Yeah.
>> used to have I got it.
And I mean a yoga position and and I I
like holding on to the safer and just
like holding my feet together and just
fell back. But how you created that
cuz it was really you know. You know,
the truth is talking about voiceovers,
so there are many different styles of
voiceovers. I remember my demo there was
this um
It's raining on Monday. It's snowing on
Tuesday. I got to get away. Whatever
whatever vacations, you know. And
then there's the the Jewish
philanthropic fund, meeting your
everyday charity needs.
That style So, what I'm trying to bring
out is that in voiceovers there are so
many different styles obviously. You
can't just be that you know very can't
be very
linear. Not linear that's the right
word. Uh or or monotone or just you know
This is my voice and everybody No,
that's better than my voice. No, the
voice is the voice. There are different
there are different types of voices, but
in terms of style there is more There
are happier ones. There are more sad.
There is more uh Then there's the BMW 5
Series, the ultimate driving machine.
That was something I did for my demo as
well. But because most of my work has
been for the firm world, there's a
typical style that you do. Working with
people like Moishe Shindler gave me the
opportunity to Oldaf, you know, Oldaf or
he we also did something for I forgot
what the name of the the one of the
famous companies that sell sukkahs. So,
we did something together. The twins of
France were on there and I did also this
quirky type of the voiceover. So, that
like That's the stuff that I I mean I
enjoy all of them. I enjoy working for
the stock organizations and it's and
it's you know in and of itself it's a
mighty good thing cuz if I'm able to
inspire people like the Bnei Akiva video
that we were part of Bnei Akiva that
video event but the Bnei Bnei Akiva
live
>> live event. Where you did the you were
voiceover of the Megillah reading.
That's right, which Very big voiceover.
And by the way, and I'm still able to do
that one pasuk for Megillah reading.
Aha.
Something like that. That's it. That's
all I know. That's the extent of my
Megillah reading. But I'm I'm available
for the next few years. I'm It's not I'm
not booked. I'm available. It's not even
the full pasuk.
The pasuk continues to say
>> Right. Right. Right. Right.
>> So, just the half pasuk. Right. Just
Achashverosh till Haman.
Okay, but then um
you know,
you know, we we did this video for Bnei
Akiva and again because I was personally
involved with Bnei Akiva helping them
out and having gone through that
experience, so there was a half minute
clip in which I shared a certain
experience in it and it was very
impactful. I think it actually brought
in a lot of money for that organization.
That was on this on this Bnei Akiva
thing.
>> Yeah, for breaking the silence. Your
video that you put out.
>> interviewed me and it's interesting
because of all the you know Well, a
voiceover a voice actor, that's really
what it is cuz you might think who?
You're you're not necessarily you know,
I was interesting I was taught that that
that
let's say you're a vegetarian.
Or you're or you or you only eat dairy
and you're trying to do a commercial for
a meat product.
So, how do you get yourself into the
mindset of advertising a delicious
hamburger if you know that you know you
don't eat you're a vegan you don't eat
that. So, in your mind you're supposed
to think of something that is really
delicious that you like, anything. I
don't know, a veggie burger, let's say.
Or a tofu burger. But something that you
really enjoy and then once you get into
that mindset then you can sell that
product like that you know delicious
something because you're thinking Well,
that's what acting really is.
So, you know, in most of the things that
you do you you put yourself into that
situation even if you're not really
there per se. I mean, you have to be
there cuz you're selling the product to
an audience that you know they they
primarily just hear you.
Uh they don't see you. But this this
this is a real interview. It wasn't just
a voiceover for Bnei Akiva. Right. It
was an actual
>> It was an actual yeah. It was personal
to me and so on. But anyway,
yeah, so.
Perfect. Now
>> Carry on. Now now that we got to place
that you're not just a voiceover actor,
baruch Hashem you do many um
I don't know if you're a comedian yet.
Would you Would you go into that field?
Of bakhanus.
What What What is a comedian called?
Would you go into
What's a comedian called? Like the field
of a comedian. What do you call it?
Would you Would you go into comedy I
guess, right? Right. Usually that's what
comedian comes to the word comedy, so
that's probably what it is. I I thought
that it was doctors that do comedy.
I thought.
It depends if your name is Nimitzky or
not.
Oh, no. I'm sorry. We don't Oh, we do.
We have dark humor. That's right.
>> Are you from Latvia? Of course I'm from
Latvia.
Well, what's the question? Are you
trying to insult me?
>> and you came here to live the American
dream. Ah, to live the American dream
and earn big bucks no less.
Of course. The um
the Uh for those that didn't realize
that was those were some of Yaakov's
lines, right? In Despicable Me. That was
my persona. I'm really not a bad guy.
I'm really not a bad guy, right? You
have a very difficult time.
>> Don't ask my wife and children if that's
true, but I'm really not a bad guy.
Um um so now so
by me it's more of a spur of the moment
type of thing. I mean, I could be just
walking around like an inspiration. Like
even though in the voiceover industry
it's not necessarily about animation and
doing different voices, it's just taking
your natural voice and using different
expressions like I mentioned earlier
whether it's happy, whether it's sad,
whether it's
pensive or thoughtful, you know, that's
that's just using the natural voice. But
then there are also you can go into
different type of characters.
Um and a lot of times if a character
comes to my mind, I'll I'll I'll you
know just you know hit the recorder on
my phone and just put it on there so I
shouldn't forget that.
>> And that's precisely why the Desperate
Measures Skull of a Genius way out
production WhatsApp chat
is riddled with voice notes and videos
of And
and it take and and really all the crazy
stuff that we posted on that chat
a lot of it was just like spur of the
moment stuff. You know, I was just in
Dallas for for for a Pesach with my
family. And I I bought a cowboy hat and
like it's very interesting that you know
you you and and I I I my understanding
is that with actors and and and in the
world of acting it's almost like when
you put that costume on it you you can
actually fall into character. You know,
I you know, I sent a whole bunch of
clips of me that I put that cowboy hat
on and it's like you or I see that like
only you can prevent forest fires. And I
really think that that you know the
clothing really does something when you
do that.
And actually so that cuz you know Yosef
Guttman who you know we Yosef is the
main character in Desperate Measures. So
and he did a phenomenal job phenomenal
job.
And
he actually corrected me when I when I
put the cowboy hat the first time I sent
that a video. So I didn't have that real
southern twang. He actually told me how
to correct
he got to have that a twang the twang
you know and then so you which word do
you put the twang in and which you know
but
no but it's a lot of fun and you know
what
listen you know
one of the things that's very important
and you know, I know we're segwaying
segwaying from one topic to the next.
We need to have a lot of simcha in our
life.
It is one thing that this past year
taught us is that we don't have enough
simcha. Cuz I can you you I I rest
assured that if we would have had more
simcha in our lives a lot of the anxiety
and depression that we suffered through
would not have happened. That was one of
not not not I don't mean to get too
political here that's not the point of
this conversation. We have to do
understand so when you focus so much on
the news it's all about negativity
negativity negativity negativity. One of
the great things that I loved about
acting on the Skull of a Genius acting
on Desperate Measures and me together
with people you know, I've been in
office the whole day but I'm getting
this force of helping out people do
tzedakah. But you know that we take this
break and we're acting and we're and I'm
meeting new with I'm meeting new people
and you know, we became like a whole
family and and new friends and new
family. It was such a breath of fresh
air and you know, obviously we have to
be serious here on set you can't you
know, you can't funk around half the
time cuz you got to get things done.
>> Half the time we we end up funkening if
that's a word.
>> By the way Desperate Measures when the
when when the CD when the DVD comes out
it's going to be a double DVD you're
going to have 3 hours of bloopers and
like an hour and a half of the real
thing you know, it's just that that's
just the way it goes there there's a
camaraderie and there was humor and
everything.
>> a lot of fun. It was so good to go
through the years and do
>> think that the best part I'm actually
going to put that clip on right now was
when you accidentally poked yourself
with the needle just to show that the
bloopers. We're going to kind of mushy
could you get that blooper on for a
second?
And it's
takes time together we don't have that
much people but we can work Okay I I got
I got
I got my finger in the didn't put it up.
That was beautiful though. I thought
that's part of it.
Back over here.
So your finger's okay right? I'm saying.
Yeah I think so. Yeah okay.
You know what I said ouch.
Ouch is a good word.
Um I I actually think what's funny I
don't know if you remember this when
during the shooting scene which was a
very technical scene. It was this a once
it was a it was a it was only a one one
time shot. You had to throw the rock or
something.
>> Right I threw this big rock at the same
time. It's like so what happened was we
we we we did that take not the throwing
just the falling down
all together me my assistant Sam and
Yanky falling down to the ground. So at
one point we kept on doing it so many
times it was 12:31 too I think it was I
think it was still in the
I think we were still in the studio.
We're still we're still filming. It's
3:00 in the morning.
I was so nervous because I had to I I
had this metal thingy in my hand and I
had to throw it at the mirror and
I'm an okay baseball player but far from
a perfect pitcher.
>> you miss it and hit the wall
>> I I hit Yosef in the head. Yosef was
standing right here. It wasn't so bad.
I'm just kidding Yosef if you're
watching this. The truth is we could
have filmed it again from the other
side. Get Yosef even if he had like a
big black and blue mark on this side you
could have just filmed it the other way.
But I The first time the mirror didn't
even crack and the second time and the
third time and the fourth time and the
fifth time.
And the second time Oh that's right
that's right that's Yeah Baruch Hashem
that that was just a very complicating
scene
but you were saying you rule Yeah so you
know
we were only like in we were at giddy
hour late hour another late hour right
one of those Baruch Like like what what
what's early hour? The late late late
late night show with Baruch Perlowitz.
You know.
So that seems to be the the
the the story of Baruch's life. Um not
just kidding.
Um I'm actually not kidding.
The um so we we we fell down on the
floor and then then it's like I just I
had it then like it was a serious scene
we're really filming and then it's like
I picked up my glasses and I like I had
them hanging out like over there
like cuz we you know I fell like cuz the
bullet shot and then and then Yosef
looks at me and he just like lost it.
>> [laughter]
>> I said come on like you know that was
such a great scene and you know but you
know Baruch Hashem
Baruch Hashem
it's been a really great great ride and
with the help of Baruch Hashem we're
going to go we're going to do this many
many more times we're going to bring
excitement and joy and kosher
entertainment to you that are across the
world. Even though you can have the
occasional
I'm not allowed to do this.
I'm not sure if you're going to have
that on the okay whatever. Moving right
along.
Yeah okay. And let me ask you I I want
to say I want to I want to I want to I
want to emphasize this point.
In the world that we live in today
in the world that we live in today there
is listen I don't tell you what goes on
there. I mean there's plenty plenty of
entertainment plenty of stuff that
you know, kids adults get their hands
on.
And I felt one of the most important
things about producing films and I know
you agree with it we've discussed this
before.
And a quick
films of high caliber of high quality
for the from world is that like why do
the kids especially call them like
especially when kids are off midway
through vacation summer break whatever
it is let's provide solid good kosher
entertainment. So they can say you know,
why not to watch the guy just stuff out
there let's watch this great you know,
Jewish kosher solid entertainment.
And that's really where we're at.
>> And and I'll tell you like this
although disclaimer everything that I do
meaning in the world of entertainment
I'm a Rabbi Yossi but everything that I
do in the world of entertainment is for
entertainment purposes only okay.
That being said I really try to make it
extremely inspirational. I was inspired
throughout the story right to make this
film Desperate Measures because of the
teams that I work with every single day
and I really got back from a Rabbi in a
big Yeshiva that that works also with
teenagers
that the bachrum over there were super
mispalel and I like to keep things
quiet. There were a few Yeshivas that I
actually sent the film to
to show it for the entire Yeshiva pro
bono I didn't charge them for it because
I felt that would inspire them and
although I do it for entertainment
purposes only
I just want it to be something silly
which which I believe is also okay. I I
don't think that there's anything wrong
with with pure entertainment purposes
but I try to keep it inspirational. I
try to do it You want the audience to
walk away with something I feel like
really you know
I mean I you know just again this is not
a a Desperate Measures interview per se
but but then you know, spoiler alert
spoiler alert just I have to say
>> No maybe we shouldn't do a spoiler
alert. Really? Let's not do a spoiler
the the film didn't even crack. Right is
that tiny little thing?
>> All right all right all right tiny
little thing. Without getting to the I
don't think people are going to have
unless you actually saw the movie. When
Yanky
you know, runs out of said person's
house
and you know, his yarmulke had fallen
off
and then he puts it on again.
I can't tell you how many people have
told me that the clapping
>> all over.
And we filmed that
>> that because what the point of that was
that he's having such a hard time
and if you know what he took upon
himself that he wants to keep the
yarmulke on and he goes back and he says
you know what I'm not going to let my
miserable day affect the commitment that
I made
to come back to Hashem. And and that was
a very hot scene. We filmed the yarmulke
falling off
and then for a few seconds we focus on
the close up of the yarmulke
>> Right where Yanky Yes yes yes and at
that point everybody's kind of
so it's over?
All of his commitment as father and
everything's over because he had a bad
day and you see him coming back and then
there's 3 seconds that he looks at his
yarmulke for and then he goes he picks
it back up. Right.
Right. So basically if you know you know
if not we're just tickling you a little
bit because Sukkot is not too far from
that. And if you figured it out, watch
it anyway, right? How?
Well, Sukkot.
>> Sukkot, yeah. Yeah, Sukkot. Baruch
Hashem. So now,
um
let's let's back up a little bit.
You're extremely talented with your
voices. I'm saying you can imitate
anybody. And if we wouldn't be so um
short on the clock, I'm trying to keep
the A few people have said that we
should try to keep the interviews a bit
shorter.
Um
you can imitate just about
any kind of character from
You need to call me.
>> Call me. Call me. Call me.
>> of character.
To that Sheldon good old
>> Right. Dr. Sheldon Cooper, yeah.
>> Right. So, you know what's interesting
about
>> Dr. Skolovsky. Not not No, not Dr.
Skolovsky.
>> Evil. Dr. Evil. No, I was talking about
um um um
Boris Badenov. Boris Badenov.
Dr. Skolovsky, genius.
>> Yes. Just don't jump out the window.
>> [laughter]
>> Oh. I I'm sorry. I didn't know I that
you don't appreciate dark humor. Oh,
that's that's the measures. I'm sorry.
I'm mixing up my characters. So, you
could At what age, I'm assuming it just
happened naturally that you realized
>> You you want to know something crazy?
People think that I have been like, "Oh
gosh, this guy was probably like the
last like I can't imagine how many plays
he was involved in in camps and stuff."
>> I would I would assume that. And I know
you very well.
>> Zero. See that? That's a zero right
there. Was it because in Ferris
Bueller's Day Off, they were very very
>> No, I just Not at all. I I You know, at
Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I went to Camp
Carina, Camp Carina for Rabbi
Wallerstein.
Um
but I was never involved in this type of
stuff. Uh then I went to Camp Darom for
a couple of years. Then I was in Camp
Darom, which there's definitely ain't no
plays going on in Camp Darom. It's a
learning camp. That's where I went to Ru
A Ru. I wasn't Ru A Ru, though. So I
went to learning camp.
And it it just the talent only I only
had the opportunity to do this much
later in life. I didn't even know where
the voices came from. I think just once
you started getting more into acting,
you know, years later, that's where it
started happening. So when you were a
bochur, when you were everything I was
They know I I I
>> No, I'm sure you were smacking guys. You
weren't the star in every play.
>> No, I wasn't. That's the crazy thing.
Yeah, it's pretty weird. No, and I have
I guess what's happening now was that
for years, like pent up, just waiting to
>> [snorts]
>> And like then you hear like, "Ah, the
angels are singing. He's here. He has
arrived. He has come finally, you know."
>> It is time.
>> It is time. It is time.
>> That was still, by the way, that was
still an epic scene.
>> yeah. The it is time scene was in
Skolovsky, genius.
>> Baruch Hashem. You know, by the way,
just about it in terms of there are two
different things. There's There's I
can't even do a solid uh uh imitation of
Donald Trump. Meaning, I can hear Baruch
Hashem because I enjoy music and have a
knack and have an ear for it. So you
have to listen to them in order to be
able to imitate them. So unless I'm
really tuned into it, I can't really do
it off the cuff. But like I said before,
character type, like Southerners. So
there's the Texas type of guy that I can
talk like that. Let's say, you know,
that's that's not any particular
individual. It's more of a character,
like um also just know just going to
back to voiceovers, where they're
they're You have to remember they're
they're different pitches, different You
can do the Southern drawl with a very
deep voice. Or you can do the Southern
drawl like Ma Ruby. I don't believe it.
He's stolen my beer. He's stolen my
beer. He's stolen my beer.
>> Right. So so you see there's So even
within the character or I'm not again
without imitating a particular person,
just a particular type of character, a
cowboy or whatever it is, there are
different ways to do it. Then you can do
it with an old cowboy also, like, you
know, I don't believe it. The
darned Indians are The darned Indians
are coming back again. Oh no, get my
shotgun. Get my shotgun.
Right. So there you see that that's like
three different styles. And it's one
>> one character.
>> Redneck Southern
>> redneck cowboy or whatever you want to
call them. Yeah, so um Baruch Hashem.
Baruch Hashem. So it was later on, once
you got into the voiceovers, that you
realized that you were actually
talented.
>> to it. Yeah, yeah. Listen, even in the
voiceover industry, my teachers told me
that there's voiceovers, but even if you
were to use different voices, you still
have to train because you still Whatever
training I took for voiceovers, that
character still has to know the right
way to do something.
Like Like again, if I were to use
example why you why why I said earlier,
there there's this famous commercial
from Smokey the Bear. Smokey the Bear
was a character that talked about
preventing forest fires. So there was
that one voice. It was a famous actor
that he he does that. Only and there's a
picture of Smokey the Bear, but his
voice is, "Only you can prevent forest
fires." But in that sentence with with
voiceovers, it's not in the monotonous
of "Only you can prevent forest fires.
Only you can prevent forest fires." So
there's a there's a flow to it.
>> There's a flow to There's a science
behind it.
>> behind it. And that you know, like for
example, it Let's say you weren't in the
room now. I'm going to turn I'm going to
turn around. I'm having a conversation
right now, right? I'm sorry, what did
you say?
No no no no no no. Just listen to me for
a moment. Now if you notice, I'm Who am
I talking to? You're talking to my
camera. Talking to the Right. So what
I'm saying is the point I'm trying to
make is that you know, you're talking to
an invisible audience. So you you have
to have a dialogue even though you're
not having a dialogue. It has to come
across like that. So there's you know,
specific training. I mean, it's it's not
rocket science, but there's a there's a
there's an interesting um lump. There's
an interesting science behind how it
works.
Different lessons, but uh yeah.
Let me ask you, Yaakov, as this
interview kind of
we're running short on our time,
is there any word of advice that you can
give to an aspiring actor or or
voiceover actor? Or just a piece of
inspiration. You've been around. You've
dealt with many great people. A word of
inspiration.
>> So if there was one thing that I would
tell your audience is that and I see
Baruch Hashem myself,
never underestimate
who you are.
Hashem has given everyone a particular
talent.
It I can't go into every single
industry. By me, Baruch Hashem, I
discovered that Hashem has has been so
good to me and he allowed me to discover
my voiceover talent, my acting talent.
But there's no such a thing as a person
that does not have any hidden talent.
And utilize it. Utilize the koachus that
Hashem gave you. You have no idea where
that will take you in life. And for
certain, always thank Hashem. Thanking
Hashem, thanking Hashem, thanking Hashem
will bring you to such heights. It will
make you feel besimcha. You will
appreciate what you have in life. And
Hashem will shower you a blessing when
he when Hashem sees that you appreciate
how much that he's done for you. But
again, tap into your inner strength
because everybody has that. Without a
fail, everybody has something out there
that can they they can grow from, they
can use to inspire others, inspire their
family, their friends, the world. And
you know, just go for it. Go for it.
Well, thank you so much, Yaakov, for
being here. Thank you everybody for
tuning in.
Yaakov, you're an inspiration to the
world. All your clips you send out, your
voice notes, the amount of tzedakah you
helped collect.
And of course the acting that you've
done.
I really appreciate you being here.
Thank you everybody for tuning in. Thank
you, Mushy Greenfield, our producer, for
all of us. Please. Please. I need
something to eat. Don't forget to call.
We have food upstairs.
>> 911.
>> [laughter]
>> Don't know how to locate me.
Baruch Hashem. Thank you, our producer,
Mushy Greenfield.
>> Baruch Hashem is great. Baruch Hashem is
amazing. All
you guys,
all you guys, all you guys. I love all
of you. And have a wonderful Shabbos,
guys.
>> Wonderful Shabbos, everybody. It's
locked up. Baruch Hashem. Rabbi Yudelow.