Ok, here's the post I've got so far. I'll edit this as we go. I'd definitely like feedback on how effective it is so I can correct it if necessary.
----
So apparently I'm lazier than I thought, since I didn't audition for any of the projects I was interested in trying out for. But school's over now, so any divisions of my attention shall be related to projects. Yay! (Pay no attention to the noobishness of these sentences.). I tried this one before, and did a terrible job doing so. With experience at my back I shall make another attempt.
Planet Seva is a book I wrote back in 2003 (It got published, but don't think that says anything about the quality.). Technically it's science fiction, but (for the first book anyway) that doesn't make it anywhere close to starwars-like...
Synopsis: There's a war in the making on our lovely planet. Naturally there are different opinions on the move to war: those for it, those against it, and those who don't care. And we happen upon a boy who is against it and has nothing better to do than learn about it. This boy (Royce) calls a friend of his(Uasho), who is far less wreckless, and suggests they try and stop the war. But what's this... they start to carry out their supposedly peaceful plans when they run into a man claiming to be from another galaxy. Not just another galaxy: a Utopian galaxy. So being the peace-loving people our young friends are, they decide to take a trip. And a great many wonderful and terrible things happen on their adventure, but you could have guessed that by now?
The script has been divided into fifteen parts, so I'm hoping that the cast will be willing to stay on for the entire project. But in most cases I am flexable. It's important that we have fun with it!
And we come to the format details and such for auditions:
wav or mp3 are ok. I prefer wav simply because I have a less-than-nice mp3 program (It likes to cut files in half when changing formats), but whatever works for you, so long as I can get the finished project mixed right. PCM format wavs of around 22500kHz would probably be most convenient for me, but I'll work with what you give me.
.
Please put these files in a .zip file. You'll also want to include a text document with information (The name you want to go by, e-mail/im/whatever contact information, and any notes that you feel are necessary).
The audition files should include your name and the name of the character(sZ) you're auditioning for in the title. For example, myname_character.mp3, or Johnsmith_bob_jo_and_jim.wav.
These should be sent to
games@p
lanetseva.com. (Without the bold and italics, of course.)
Now we finally come to the character list! I'm going to go ahead and list all of the characters (unless by some weird and unlikely chance I forgot someone) for all parts, and we'll pace the deadlines on auds and actual recordings as is necessary.
I'm going to divide these by gender (Of the characters, not necessarily the VAs).
--- Males ---
Royce
age: 14
Appearance: Not defined in the book. That wasn't intentional, but I like the literary analysis opportunities, so we shall leave it at that.
Bio: The quiet contemplative type. He's troubled by all that is wrong in the world and is ready to do something about it. And he's kinda booksmart (well, that's what he thinks.
), and sometimes has humility issues... but he tends to come out making the heroic-ish decisions in the end.
Voice: Assuming that I can convince myself that my acting is good enough, I might voice him. But since one of you can probably do better...
He's a teenaged male, a rather medium-ish voice (not too adult ish, but not to young-sounding). And there are a couple moments where he uses a fake deep voice, but not for very long.
Lines:
1(casual): Identification? (small laugh) Don't have any. It's part of being a minor.
2(Fake deep voice, friendly-talking-on-the-phone voice): Hello, is there someone there by the name of Uasho? (Oo-ah-sho).
3(in a "come on, don't be so weak" voice): Make an effort.
4(Serious, urgent): We're going too slowly. They'll catch us. We have to speed up.
5(Almost annoying, "...really?" type voice): It's a world with none of this... mass evil that lies on Earth?
6(Angry, threatening, eyes-narrowing): Call him that again.
Uasho
Age: 14
Appearance: Not described in the book. Go figure.
Bio: Oh, he certainly has a grasp on right and wrong. Though he prefers video games and anime to risking his life against impossible odds. But he's got heart where it counts. Once you get past the short temper.
Voice:
He's a teenaged male... anything that falls in there works, just so long as it isn't amazingly deep or high. And he might switch to a fake British accent when irritated, but that's not necessary.
1(Cheerily, greetingly): Ah, hey, wazup?
2(Surprised, kind of "Oh boy..." in a not-happy way): Dude! You aren't really going through with this?
3(Exasperated, almost yelling): This place is boring!
4(Angry, shouting): SHUT UP!
5(Uneasy, surprised): I think you should look at this...
Elitper
Age: mid/upper twenties, possibly early thirties.
Appearance:
The part of the book with his description can be found here. I think.Bio: Elitper is a valiant pilot of the Yrekcom Starfleet, with that whole romanticist getting-the-job-done-but-doing-what's-right atitude. And we were reading Romeo and Juliet about the time I did his most dramatic lines, so... yeah.
Voice: "Somewhat snake-like [...] but [...] rough and strong rather than weak and windy." [PS Chapter II].
Kind of rough and snake-like, but still human. (I've got halfway decent recordings of my own, but they're not worth linking). The best example I can think of (which is less than easy to find) is the first appearance of the Gangrene gang in the Power Puff Girls, when Snake says "yes" for the first time. Not an alarmingly deep voice, but not alien high, either. (Almost like a higher version of dub Vegeta from season 4+ of DBZ, but a very different way of talking). He generally sounds polite and such, though he has his angry scene...
1(Greetingly): Hello there. Didn't mean to startle you, but otherwise the order would have crumbled.
2(sollemnly): An endless supply of devastation lies in this land.
3(angry, would say "snapped" or "spat"): I was on a mission, Chalkion. You have no reason to stop me.
4(Calm, kind of dramatic): Yes, we are.
5(Commandingly, urgent): Get down!
Terrif Chalkion
Age: Mid/upper twenties, maybe early thirties.
Appearance: <to be quoted>
Bio: We wonder some times about his life outside of duty... a member of the Sevan Starfleet and the galactic police, Chalkion likes to uphold regulations, protect lives, and for some reason has issues with Elitper. Though he's pretty good with authority, there are times when regulations get in the way of their purpose, and then he starts choosing...
Voice: Don't have the actor's name off hand, but he did Kaioshin/Supreme Kai (Funi DBZ), Dr. Tucker (Human form, dub FMA), and some other parts all over the place; not the same voice, but somewhat similar. Maybe DBZ dub Android17 is a better example...
Chalkion's tone is somewhat monotonous, but the better word is "generally lacking emotion". After all, there are a few times where he is a lot more loose, and of course he gets an angry scene...
1(Kind of monotonous, a small bit of tauntingness): So Elitper, what are you doing so far from home?
2(Command, kind of harsh, quieter "I'm very serious" voice): You will stay put. Is that understood?
3(Yelling, angry): I WILL NOT BE HELD HOSTAGE ON MY OWN SHIP!
4(Kind of cheerful): You don't seem to have needed it.
Pokisimo
age: 11 (Though he looks at least four years younger)
Appearance: very light skin (For reasons I hope the can be perceived from the story), a head of yellow feathers, pretty small facial features, and ... blue eyes? Sure... just, looks kind of fragile and stuff. For now.
Bio: An anomaly on Seva, Pokie is an orphan with an interesting enunciation-to-knowledge ratio (He talks pretty well considering some of the things he doesn't seem to know). And somehow he's been in a virtual reality game for a while. And considering what happens there, no wonder he seems so timid at first glance. And yet, he's glad to see new things and... such. Oh, and isn't too fond of large groups of people...
Voice: Sounds very young, but speaks pretty well (Audi-subbed, you might say). Innocent, but not babyish; cute, but still quite realistic.
1(Afraid, trying to be commanding): You're one of those bad people. Go away.
2(Innocent questioning; in reply to a question): What are those?
3(Shouting, almost angry sounding): I'm not hungry!
4(Urgent, terrified): We have to get out of here!
5: Where is he going?
V.C. Arboc
Age: unknown, but probably at least 30, since he has such a high rank.
Appearance: kind of hard in the face, you might say; probably smiles less than Chalkion. Amber eyes (not alarmingly huge or anything), and red (blood red?) scales where scalp hair/eyebrows should be.
Bio: Arboc (Not based in any way on Pokemon; I didn't know there was such a pokemon until well after finishing the book) is a high ranking officer in the Yrekcom military. A very serious man, Arboc... respects the chain of command? And duties of his job? And is willing to do what must be done for his cause? And he isn't that bad a strategist/leader.
Voice: Mid/mid to mid/low male. Serious, not really emotional, but very different tone from Chalkion. It might be within reason to say he needs to have a kind of cool voice, but otherwise... just something befitting someone of his status. Note that while he's rather cold, he sounds a lot less inhuman than Chalkion on an emotionless moment.
1(Suspiciously): And how would you know of the situation?
2: Do you have anything sharp?
3(with noticeable authority to his voice): I am the acting commander of the Yrekcom starfleet.
Nabsuh
Age: 28
Appearance: Uh. Kind-looking guy? with black feathers where hair/eyebrows are expected?
Bio: Namow's husband, a somewhat average guy that is interested in Earth and trusting of the Esrevni government and security and stuff.
Voice: Not amazingly specific. English isn't his first language, but he speaks it during most of his "screen time", so the way he talks sort of reflects this (though I don't see a specific accent; kind of the an-accent voice...).
(Ok, so it's hard to come up with audition lines for him...)
1: It has been taken care of.
Llams
Age: 7
Appearance: wild black feathers, likes to wear orange, and... such. (Just to be clear, the feathers only appear where hair is on we earth people).
::: Adventurous Sevan boy. Who isn't necessarily as smart as he seems sometimes...
Voice: Somewhat shrill--I'm thinking something between Goten (Japanese version of DBZ) and Rini (Dub SM season 3 and beyond and such). So, I guess just something young-sounding. Well-trained in speaking English (Sounds like the "accent-free" American?).
1: So what was it?
2: I want to talk to him.
3(Sad, almost crying): Why do people do things like that?
4: Oh. That's ok.
Yeson Poc
Age: ... Adult? Anywhere from 20 to 40.
Appearance: ...
Bio: An Esrevni Intelligence Agency officer. Yeson is very strict about following his orders and is unlikely to hesitate when it comes to taking care of business.
Voice: I'm thinking kind of rough, probably not deep (More in the middle range). Tends to be rather commanding and sharp with his words.
1(Demanding, half-shout): Where is the pilot of this vessel?
2: No one may leave until we have completed our investigation.
Dinhcara
Age: ?
Appearance: Umm. *looks for something to quote*.
Bio: So far we know that he likes commerce and construction.
Voice: Low. Makes me think of Christopher Lee or Ian McKelly. More specs in lines...
1(Taunting from a distance): What's wrong, Ylf?
2: It has all turned out for the better.
3: And what are you trying so hard to hide from me?
Commander Ekans
Age: Somewhere over 40, probably in the 50-80 range, but still strong.
Appearance: Gold-ish eyes, orange scalp scales, and the face of one who has been through a lot.
Bio: The commander of the Yrekcom Starfleet, Ekans has hope for the future and in all people, but knows when action necessary. He's been raised to understand that everlasting peace requires wisdom, and while he has some of that, he knows that he only has enough to lead a starfleet, not a galaxy.
voice: Probably on the deeper end, rather confident most of the time.
1(groggy, waking up): Are they here?
2(Urgent, commanding): Move!
3(kind of urgent, but not shouting): How good can you throw?
4(confident, doesn't seem to be angry): Who would arrest me?
--- Females ---
Uasho's Mother
Age: 40s/50s
Appearance: ... use your imagination.
Bio: One of those classic be-nice-and-don't-say-the-word-butt types. With a very small part.
1(Answering the phone): Hello?
2(Shouting over music and through a door): Uasho!
Namow
Age: 28
Appearance: kind of Asian-looking (and a Sevan at that), with an interesting feather style... O.O. Black feathers.
::: Namow is a caring-and-easily-urgent-but-rather-understanding woman in the land of Nohin (which is on Seva). I'm sure I have a better profile somewhere... from years ago or something...
Voice: Hm, I guess it isn't too specific. Distinctly different from say, Chichi (DBZ) or Uasho's mother; perhaps a distinct-but-mild accent of some kind (Something Japanese comes to mind, but whatever works...).
1(Concerned): What happened?
2(Urgent): Get away from here!
3: What is it like on Earth?
Vacationer
Age: Eh, adult, probably over 30.
Appearance: I don't remember, sorry.
Bio: An average civilian living on Seva. She probably leads a happy life and tries to do a good deal of work for... something.
Voice: Nothing too specific. Just needs to sound natural.
1: We're going on vacation.
2: The same thing happened to the south.
Commander Chensi
Age: I don't remember. Considering her rank, I'm going with at least 30, but seeing as she's in super good shape and such...
Appearance: Doporhtran; looks rather human, other than the more defined facial features, the slightly buggish (in texture and coloration, but not contours) eyes, and of course the chitin thing; scalp/eyebrows are dark red chitin, and antennae are red, but tend to be out of the way (lying back).
Bio: Commander of the Doporhtran Starfleet, Chensi is pretty respectful of everyone, but when push comes to shove, she's both willing and capable of taking care of business. And if that doesn't work, she's good at not giving up and coming up with alternative courses of action? Doesn't seem amazingly emotional, but that's more of a physical thing with Doporhtrans in general then an actual lack of feeling.
Voice: Think of the female droid with the accent in The Phantom Menace, but not restrictively; powerful, sharp, sort of an interesting accent that I can't quite name... to the point with her words, and doesn't hold out sylables too long. Sounds a little strained vocally, but not overly so.
1(Issuing command): You are in an unauthorized area.
2(Surprised): C--Commander Ekans! (Eh-`cans).
3(Authority, as though is talking to an enemy): This is your last warning!
Ylf
Age: Unknown, though if you look at her you'd guess twenties.
Appearance: <To be quoted>
Bio: Not much is known about her, other than she is crafty, capable, independent, and does what must be done.
Voice: I've got someone in mind, and while she might not be the perfect pick (Hard to tell at this point), some of her clips work well enough that I've come to think of that as Ylf's voice...
Typically with an air of power, probably an accent(I'm thinking either English, Austrailian or NZ-like), confident in most cases, could easily become a sneer (But usually doesn't).
1(Almost-but-not-quite-mocking): Poor aim snake-man.
2: Vigilance is a skill well used.
3: Please remove yourself from my path. Every second is precious in this situation.
4(Serious, but not commanding-ish): Yes. Now get out of here.
5(Possibly angered): Where is he?
--- Either. Most of these are only a couple lines, but some are more (And since they're here, most are important!)---
Reporter
Age: Oh, adult.
Appearance: Just pick a random reporter or anchorperson...
Bio: Journalism, anyone?
Voice: Needs to sound like an authentic reporter/anchor person from a respectable news network. I usually think of it as a woman, but whatever works.
1: Military sources say that ground forces are positioned near the border.
2: Opposition to the movement has made itself known.
Cashier
Age: Probably late teens/early twenties.
Appearance: Probably looks college-aged, but whatever works.
Bio: Um. Works at something that bears a striking resemblance to Radio Shack?
Voice: Just needs to sound like a cashier that is trying to be polite... ranges and such aren't too important, just don't give something unrealistic (Mid for either gender is fine).
1: That'll be twenty-five fifty-six.
2(Suppressing a sigh): Sorry about that.
BusDriver
Age: Who knows... anywhere from twenty to eighty...
Appearance: Undefined.
Bio: A relatively friendly southern bus driver.
Voice: I was thinking a U.S. Southern accent, but otherwise, anything works. Tends to talk loudly?
1: Anything in that bag I should know about?
2: That's ok, I'm on a tight schedule.
2Teenagers
Ages: eh, Teenagers. So 13-18 is a good range.
Appearance: Use your imagination.
Bio: They're pretty average as far as I can tell.
Voice: Eh, just sound like typical Teens... the type that would like hanging out (At least one of them is probably into video games). Genders aren't too important, though at least one should probably be male.
1: Well guys, I've gotta get going.
2: Hey, can you give me a ride?
Pilot
Age: 20-80, probably closer to the 40-60 range, but doesn't seem oldish. Energetic, you might say?
Appearance: Fancy that most of the Earthlings don't have vivid descriptions?
Bio: Helicopter pilot that seems to enjoy his job, but can easily get frustrated with it... nothing alarmingly special, that we see, anyway.
Voice: I'm thinking something like U.S. southern accent, rather heavy, but if something better comes along, is workable. I usually think of a voice that's somewhere just below say, Dawn Nots(SP?), but a distinctly different way of speaking (most of the time. ^_^).
1: Down there, up here, can't really tell.
2(A little not-inthused): Clearance. You should know that.
There may be room for adlib, just random sounds or comments while flying (helicopter). He enjoys flying, so any such adlibs would need to convey that.
Panel
Age: n/a.
Appearance: A red square in the wall...
Bio: The voice of the panel system that provides assistance to people on Seva. Can't live without it, it would seem.
Voice: Informative, announcer-ish. I usually think of the voice of the announcer from Starwars: Masters of Teras Casi (SP again). Use your own judgment.
1: If you would like a room, remove your hand now.
2: The person you have contacted has closed the connection.
3: Please state your name.
Staffmember
- Customer assistance person, basically. Probably sound twenty-ish and friendly.
1: Can I help you?
2: If you take the hall exit, turn left.
TourGuide
Age: I don't know. Probably in the 20-60 range, closer to the younger half...?
Appearance: Your classic well-dressed and pleasant-looking PR guy for a big business.
Bio: A (artificial) PR person (Perhaps with a higher position) for a clearly antagonized business that runs a not-that-healthy power plant and does research with nukes and such. Basically a Sevan satire on the evil businessman.
Voice: Needs to sound polite and generally friendly and professional. I guess that's it?
1: Good afternoon. Can I interest you in a tour of the facility?
2Workers
- A couple of virtual people loading a train. They have a brief conversation. Again I'm not to concerned about voice type, just realistic for people doing physical labor. I guess we could think about the image of the company that the game is meant to convey (negative).
1: Just one more load.
2(Kind of pleasantly): I don't get paid enough to disagree.
Investigator
- person that tries to get information to explain Pokie's situation. I'm not going picky at all with this voice, just needs to sound like they're qualified for such an... important? job.
1:
2:
InformationWindowPerson
- Person that provides assistance at information desk of a transit station. So needs to sound friendly.
(Who is of course difficult to find audition lines for.)
1: You can reach any settlement on this side of the continent.
2:
An important thing to note is that there is a subtitles system used from time to time, which requires a few words in a language other than english (Sometimes). For now, it's probably best not to worry about it. Most instances in the script come with a little pronunciation help, and if not, then it isn't important how it's pronounced, so it shouldn't be too big a deal (and if winds up being tough, just ask). But when auditioning, I don't think you should worry about this aspect.
I had a schedule planned out, but that's already off. :LOL:. Since this is a big project and I've put up pretty much all of the necessary cast, it isn't necessary for everyone to be in by a certain time. However, I would like to get started soonish, so I'd like to at least have say, the first half of all three divisions (Male/female/unspecified) close to being casted before the end of June. But if that's not possible I'll deal with it, just let me know if anyone's remotely interested.
I'll have a page for the status of the project
here. And I'll be happy to answer any questions that aren't addressed there in this thread.
.
Here's hoping I didn't totally ruin it with the synopsis.
. Have a wonderful day!
------