William Shatner’s 80th Birthday is next Tuesday, which is also the third annual "Talk Like William Shatner Day". TrekMovie has partnered up with WilliamShatner.com and ThinkGeek to hold a special contest where you can win prizes by submitting a video talking like Shatner. More details below. [DEADLINE EXTENDED + Maurice LaMarche joins judges panel]
Talk Like William Shatner Video Contest
William Shatner is of course the king of all media (sorry, Howard Stern). What better way to honor the man, but to try to be more like him? So TrekMovie thought we would celebrate Shatner’s 80th birthday (and the 3rd Annual Talk Like William Shatner Day) with a special contest where you submit your own videos – talking like William Shatner.
The rules are simple:
- Create a new video showing off you (or a group of you) talking like William Shatner
- Videos should be no longer than 3 minutes
- 1 Submission per person (or group)
- Submit video to YouTube (or any video service that allows embedding)
- Videos should be family friendly (no profanity, no adult content, etc)
- Submissions should be made by
5:00 PM MondayMarch 21st [Deadline extended to Midnight Pacific Time] - Contest open to all countries
As for your subject matter, that is entirely up to you. You just wish him a happy birthday, or recreate something from Shatner’s vast repertoire, imagine Shatner in some other context, or create your own scene/dramatic reading – all that matters is you talk like William Shatner. Videos will be judged both on creativity as well as their Shatner-ness.
Once you upload your video, send a link to tips@trekmovie.com with the subject "Talk Like William Shatner Day Video Contest Submission".
The videos will be judged by a panel of experts including TrekMovie’s Shatnerologist John Tenuto, Free Enterprise director Robert Meyer Burnett and WilliamShatner.com/Shatner Project Producer Paul Camuso. [UPDATE: Talk Like William Shatner Day founder and famed voice artist Maurice LaMarche will also be joining the panel of judges] Winners will be announced on March 22, 2011 and shown here at TrekMovie.com.
The Grand Prize Winner will receive:
- Command Gold Star Trek Robe (courtesy of ThinkGeek)
- Signed DVD of "Mind Meld" (courtesy of WilliamShatner.com)
- Rare Free Enterprise One Sheet Poster (courtesy of Robert Meyer Burnett)
There will also be some runner awards with additional prizes.
Grand Prize collection if you win Talk Like William Shatner Video Contest
Tips on Talking like Shatner
International Talk Like William Shatner Day was the brain-child of renowned voice actor Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain, Harvey Birdman, Futurama, etc). He introduced the idea in 2009 with a video talking about how to do Shatner. And last year he teamed up with famous impressionist Kevin Pollack for another video. Check those out below to pick up tips.
Ouch. Three days preparation time is not enough for me. Good luck to others.
well there are four days to submit, and why would it take longer than that?
Pollack’s kills me.
It is such….. a pleasure…………to hear………..U …..speak of of the Shat……………in such a way..
I definitely … want to see the winning video ! :-) :-)
Pollack. Hilarious.
I’d love to see someone even come close to Pollack’s impersonation.
WOw….WILL-iam SHAT-ner is…going…tobe…EIGHTy YEARSOLD. HOW…timeflies!
I fail at talking like the Shat.
Anyways, Happy Birthday, Bill!
No……………………Beach……………To walk on…………………
Price…LESS!
Khann!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. For i Am the Shat And i will be In Command of The Enterprise once Again.
I yAM KeeROCK!
Talk like Shatner……
But is that as Cpt Kirk or TJ Hooker or Denny Crane???
Risk… is our business!
I’m… definitely…… going to try this.
This… will…be a lot of fun.
Happy birthday for Tues, Bill.
Cracks me up.
Tuesday is also the day when the Enterprise B finally gets its medical staff, photon torpedoes and tractor beam.
17
“Don’t tell me …. Tuesday.”
A line I loved in Generations.
U taking part?
I’m in – already posted my vid (and two others) and entered. While my Shtaner pales in comparison to the great Kevin Pollack and Maurice LaMarche (I was very tempted to speak about “a farm in Linconshire, where Mrs. Buckley lives – Peas grow there” but a man’s got to know his limitations),
I love The Shat and the opportunity to post a video celebrating International Talk Like William Shatner Day… well, I can’t pass it up. Hopefully if I win they’ll dig up the fantastic interview Kayla did of me at Vegas Trek Con 2010 and finally post it (hint, hint).
2.
Anthony,
My mistake. I’m in Asia and I forgot the time difference. Why would I need longer than four days? Partly because I just returned from a two day road trip, and partly because the concept I have in mind would take at least a week.
Still, best of luck to the others.
Great idea; Pollack is very good and I must add that Maurice LeMarche could compete well in a Gene Roddenberry look-a-like contest.
Duane, give it a shot, you have two more days
I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I do a damn good Shatner (and a bunch of other voices, and then they follow the compliments up with “why don’t you do voices for animation?”), but I’ve never been able to perform on command (never tried camera before).
No courage to try this contest. :(
Emailed my entry.
This…. WILL… be….absoultelyawesome.
Denny Crane.
23.
“Risk……risk is our business!”
CG The Shat into the next movie with Pollack doing Kirk’s voice.
Just submitted my entry. Did a take on the “risk is our business” speech (from memory since I was 14).
I don’t think I’ll win, but it was darn fun. Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTewfJuhSxY
Crap – Maurice LaMarche will be judging, too? My VO idol? The man who knows thath there’s a farm, in Lincoshire, where Mrs. Buckley lives (peas grow there)? I’m not worthy… But being in Sydney and 14 hours ahead I have no time to redo my entry. Oh well.
#28 Absolutely love it. I didn’t realise how unique William Shatner/Kirk’s way of talking was/is until you hear someone else do it and do it so well. I was very young when I first saw and heard “my (Shatner) captain” and I loved the way he looked and sounded. I never thought there was anything strange about his delivery at all. He was simply Captain James T Kirk, who felt the need to emphasise certain (necessary) points as only James Kirk could.
Original and wonderful is our Shatner/Kirk!!!
It is 22 March, 7.22am (NZ time), so I can now wish you, William Shatner, a VERY happy 80th birthday. I hope you have a wonderful time doing what you want and enjoying it all with your family and friends. Send us some pics, Bill!
@28:
LOVE IT! That was freaking awesome! One of the best I’ve seen, definitely!
Ugh, I try to talk like Shatner and it sounds like I’m having a seizure. No matter–tomorrow I’m going to talk like that all day, even if people think I’m mentally challenged because of it.
This video is not me, I just thought I should put the link here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmHCJ1-z9s0
I almost died laughing.
#28
That was really good! Love the “risk is our business” speech. I was saying it along with you. It was darn fun to watch.
26.
I tried. I failed. I can’t perform in front of the webcam. With friends trying to make them laugh, no problem. To get my 15 minutes of internet fame… forget about it.
Not sure what that says about me (he says as he prepares to teach a small class tomorrow), but either way, a very happy 80th to the man, the myth, the legend of William Shatner.
http://rabittooth.com/needsmoreshatner2.jpg
I shall continue my geekdom with my KHAAANN license plate, my Captain Kirk Fight Song (aka “2nd Kroykah” music) ringtone, and my Star Trek bosun’s whistle voicemail alert tone, but no International Talk Like William Shatner Day video…
Happy 80th birthday to a man who has entertained me for years, Thanks Mr. Shatner
Any word on winner yet? or did I miss it? Not sure if I’ll win but I love Voice acting, and grated I went for the “creative and unique” angle over sound just like shatner, I just did it “shatner-ess” figured over dramatize it for comical purposes :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLZimaznDfk