Voice actors wanted for demo!

[Slunker]

Hello, all!

 

I'm creating a SP map series called "Tainted Glory". I'm working on a demo-version of sorts for the first map, so that I can get some very good staff members to help me out. If all goes well, the Tainted Glory saga may become one of the most creative, and certainly one of the best-made SP mods created. Cut scenes are, of course, a big part of this, and I think that having real voice sounds in a cut scene is important. So! If you have any voice talents whatever, why not try out? It doesn't take much time, and if the mod does well, you'll have something to show off to your friends!

 

If you have any questions that aren't answered in the following, such as explanation of the lines I'm asking you to read, the characters, the emotions involved, etc. email me at slunk731@yahoo.com. Send your try-out sound files to slunk731@yahoo.com as well. My AIM is slinky730.

 

Now, here are a few points to remember, if you're going to be a voice talent for ANY game:

 

General Voice Acting Tips:

--------------------------

1. Speak slowly! For some reason, when people are speaking into a microphone, time passes slower for them than normal. *grins* You're never speaking NEARLY as slowly as you think you are.

 

2. Speak clearly! Concentrate on pronouncing every syllable. Speaking slowly is a major part of speaking clearly, but not the only part.

 

3. Don't be a dork. People have the tendency to do cheesy voices when they're voice acting. Don't! Most of the time, the voice you're looking for is somewhat close to your real voice. Subtlety is the key to finding the right voice.

 

4. Be super-real. One of the phrases used in any kind of media is "more real than real". This means that sometimes, what's true in real life isn't what your audience is most willing to except. For instance, did you ever see the X-Files movie? They had a shot of Dallas in that movie. They had the skyline sitting in a total wasteland. I live outside of Dallas, and it looks nothing like that! We have tons of grass and trees here. What they did was, they took the skyline of the city from a picture, cut it away from its environment. Then, they used some Photoshop trick to make the skyline thinner, so that Dallas looked more clustered, and close together. After that, they set it on top of a scene shot in Utah. Because audiences were more willing to believe that Dallas looked like that than how it really looks. Therefore, if I ask for a teenager's voice, and you're a teenager, you might have a deep voice like most teenagers, but I want a slightly higher voice, so that I know that you're playing a teenager.

 

5. Accents are dangerous. You're ALWAYS on shaky ground with accents. Don't attempt them unless you can do them flawlessly. This is because while accents can add flavor to a part- especially when used subtley- there's nothing worse for a voice actor than a cheesy accent. Not only that, actors who could be doing a fine job without an accent can be totally overlooked because of them! If you feel the need (for an Imperial Officer or some such) to use an accent, try using a "pseudo-British" accent, if you can't do an English/British/whatever accent properly. That's what the Imperial Officers in the game use. Notice that if you think about the way the Officers sounded, they weren't actually accents. They just talked in a very haughty and contempuous way. While you may not come out sounding exactly like the Officer you wanted to, if you tune the emotion in your voice just right, you'll come out sounding like a fine Imperial.

 

 

The Roles

----------

 

For now, all I need are these parts:

 

General Teenager- the main character's, Clint DawnWing's, friends from a short cinematic before the level. We're looking at 14-16 age, about. They have few lines. If you would like to try for this part, send me this line, recorded in the correct voice, in MP3 or .wav format:

 

"Tag! You're it!"

Being able to make yourself laugh realistically is helpful for this part, so after saying, "You're it!", laugh. Or, say the whole line as if you're laughing while speaking.

 

Clint DawnWing- He's a teenager, but should act slightly older than his friends, as he has "what it takes" to be our story's hero. He has a more determined voice, possibly older voice, even, but his age should still be apparent. 16-17 age. This part will take more work, but should be a LOT of fun to play, as he's a very dynamic character. If you would like to try out for this part, send me this line, recorded in MP3 or .wav format:

 

"It looks like the rubble's been cleared away! Maybe I can find another way out..."

 

Stormtrooper- You know how these guys sound. Don't worry about the fact that you don't sound like you're wearing a helmet, etc. I'll apply the sound filters necessary to the final sound files. Obviously, I'll choose a couple of these- but you'll still have your share of work, since you're playing so many NPC's a piece. I think this one's self-explanatory. If you have further questions, email me. Here's the line to send me:

 

"Control, this is Watch 7. I'm reading a disturbance at Derelict Entry B, over."

 

Imperial- Once again, remember what I said about accents. There are lots of different kinds of Imperials, the main kind used in this level being your basic officer. They have a smaller part here than the stormtrooper, but it's my opinion that playing the Imperial takes more talent. The officer doesn't have to sound exactly like it does in the game, as a matter of fact, I think that more varied voices give a feel of personality among officers that simply isn't as necessary with stormtroopers. However, I should be able to know EXACTLY what it is when I hear it. Try and capture cold hate in voice form. That should be enough.

 

This is your line to put in mp3 or .wav format:

"You let him escape. For your failure, you will be the one to take the blame when I tell the admiral that we are evacuating. He will not be pleased."

 

There will be other, higher-up Imperial officers that will appear in the future. These will have more specific parts- actual names and all! However, I can't tell you how they'll be, but if you'd like to try out, simply say the Officer line in other voices. Just make sure you keep track of which voice is which, so that if I come back and decide to use one of them, you'll know which one I'm talking about.

 

This is all I can think of for now, but if you can't do any of the above voices, but would like to be considered for later parts, simply send me an email containing mp3 or .wav files of the various voices you can do. Tell me in your email what sort of character each file is supposed to be. (Generic terms like "old man", "jedi knight", etc. If you are especially good at impersonating an EU character, send those too, but only if the resemblance is phenominal. I purposely placed the timeline far enough down the line to avoid the need for EU characters, but when I know all my options, I may change my mind.)

 

If you aren't doing a teenager/Clint/stormtrooper/imperial tryout, please use this line:

"I enjoy cheese and zebras. They are tasty."

Keep in mind that even though it's a funny line, if you're doing a serious sort of character, you should find a way to make it sound serious.

 

Thanks in advance to all who try out! Once again, my email is slunk731@yahoo.com, and my AIM is slinky730!

 

-Slinky

[Takeoffyouhoser]

just a question.... how are you going to ' filter' a stormtroopers voice?

[Slunker]

Some sound-editing programs give you the option of adding effects to your sound (the basic sound recorder program that comes with windows allows you echo, and a few others...) With the right combination of effects, you can get a helmet-like or radio-like sound going on, although it's mostly trial and error. I've got an interesting group of sounds, although the program I'm using has an expire period, and isn't QUITE what I wanted, I'm confident of being able to get another if it poses serious problems.

 

-Slunker

[Takeoffyouhoser]

thats pretty cool... I have something up my sleeve to get the Stormtrooper voice sound done, but, its all top secret...lol ....Its called Radio Shack... I think you can make the voice thing for around 20 bucks.....

 

I am going to have only normal stormtrooper in-game stuff, but , in the beginning scene I need new stuff.... I am also thinking of having Loudspeaker messages like in Wolfenstein....

[Slunker]

Well, see, I'm going to have stormtroopers talking in cut scenes, so I gotta have stormtroopers... I'm thinking I can find at least one or two people out there who can do decent st voices... dunno. GUess we'll find out!

 

-Slunker

[Takeoffyouhoser]

since my map will never be completed....you can use my real idea.....

 

There is a website I found I believe on one of the other Jedi-KNight sites that shows a bunch of guys who make their own stormtrooper costumes and go to conventions and star wars related stuff.....It even shows you how to make what they did..

Maybe if you write to them, and if they have a microphone.....you might get it done really well!!!!

i'll try and find the site for you if you don't find it first!!

[Slunker]

Well, I would... if they mailed me some, or I made some myself... and then, if I mailed one to every person I planned to make a stormtrooper... it doesn't sound real likely to me...

 

Unless they have software.

 

-Slunker