We are Dream Out Loud Media, a boutique production company with a small studio in Charlotte. Our goal is to bring big production values to small businesses, non-profits, artists and musicians. With our partners at Life Now Video, we also create plaintiff documentaries to help people who have been grievously injured and families who have lost loved ones. Check us out at www.dreamoutloudmedia.com. We’d love to help tell your story!
DREAM OUT LOUD BIOS
JON ECKLUND
Jon Ecklund is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama’s MFA acting program. During his over 20 years of working as an actor in on-camera and VO commercials he developed an interest in the many other disciplines that go into commercial production. While living and working as an actor in Los Angeles, he took the opportunity to learn more about production with some of the best in the business. After working for the BMW 8-film series, “The Hire” (with such directors as Ang Lee, John Frankenheimer, and Tony Scott), he became a commercial casting session director for Ross Lacy Casting and Spot Casting at the very busy 200 South facility. He trained as an editor and sound mixer while working for various companies around LA, and soon began producing his own productions. Upon returning to New York, he continued to act in commercials, while founding Dream Out Loud Media. Favorite acting credits include Burn Notice, The Shield, Law and Order CI, numerous productions at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and manhattantheatresource, as well as a series of VW commercials directed by Errol Morris.
FIONA JONES
Fiona Jones is a nationally recognized voice talent with over two decades of experience recording hundreds of commercials, industrials, promos, animation projects and video games in New York, London and Toronto. She was the first woman to do promos for the NFL and trailers for BMW Films. Fiona has the honor of being heard alongside Glenn Close at George Washington’s estate and was the familiar voice of the Hertz Courtesy Shuttle at airports across North America for more than a decade. She has served as the voice of Audi, Allstate, Herbal Essences, Vanguard and many more. In New York, she helped to found Manhattan Theatre Source, a non-profit arts service and producing organization operating a theatre in the West Village for 12 seasons. While at The Source, Fiona founded EstroGenius, an award-winning, annual celebration of female voices, which will have its 16th season this year. She was also a producing partner on the Tony-nominated Broadway production of Radio Golf. She has a BFA Magna Cum Laude from The University of Texas at Austin and an MFA from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Where are you from? Jon grew up in Kansas and Texas. Fiona grew up in New Jersey, Italy, England, Norway, Japan and Texas. We became friends and colleagues at UT Austin in the late 80’s. We reconnected in New York doing a play together in 2007 and fell in love. In 2010, we were married on The Bateaux New York on the Hudson River, surrounded by friends and family.
Where do you currently reside? We live now in southeast Charlotte.
How long have you been in the Carolinas? We’ve been in Charlotte a little over a year, after 20 years in New York City. We moved here for a change of pace, a lower cost of living and the opportunity to build our own production studio with a voiceover booth, teleprompter, green screen and special effects capabilities.
Family stats: It’s the two of us, plus our cats Charley and Comet, a rescued mother and son.
What are your hobbies? We love to travel, cook, eat delicious food, drink lovely wine, see well-made films, walk and bike ride.
What are you passionate about? As a small, creative business ourselves, we love helping other small businesses, artists and non-profits tell their stories. Since we came to Charlotte, our favorite projects include music videos for local bands: Heart of a Ghost and Jason Herring & the Mystery Plan, as well as promos for The Produce Box: a company that delivers fresh, local produce and artisan goods right to your front door. We also really enjoy filming and recording actors for on-camera and voiceover auditions. It’s been a fantastic way to meet the lovely and talented locals!
What do you love about the Carolinas? It’s a beautiful state filled with nice people! We have a wonderful community of friends and creative colleagues here.
Where do you vacation? Starting our business over in a new place, we haven’t been able to vacation much lately but favorite destinations include Amsterdam, Venice, Santorini and Ephesus.
What are your proudest accomplishments? Being able to support ourselves and help others by doing what we love.
Favorite spot in the Carolinas to visit? So far, we’ve really enjoyed the charm and beauty of Asheville and Charleston.
If money wasn't an issue, what would you do with your time each day? Travel, travel, travel some more, write and shoot a feature film.
