FF8 All British cast RP clip!

[Darth Mongoose]

It's finally done! I've been planning this one for ages, and the result is better than I had hoped for. The cast were excellent and I'd like to thank everybody who participated. As Quistis, I'm probably the weakest member of the cast, I just don't have the right kind of voice for her, I wasn't my first choice for that character. This was originally an experimental dub to see if I could pull off an All british FF8 as a protest against the way people cast everybody as American and Quistis as English making no logical sense.
This is my very first RP that I've made by myself, so be nice! Well, critiscism is welcome, tell me what you think but don't be too brutal ^_^'

Download here:
http://home.graffiti.net/darth_mongoose/FFVIII_British_Galbadia.zip

[Fiona C]

Eep, what a slow download. 1 hour and 3min for that size.... :E

I'll comment later once this thing downloads.

[jesta_ariadne]

Wheeeee!!!!! You did it! (Hmm, it didn't take that long to download for me... but, then, well... *huggles shiny new broadband*) I was wondering what had happened to this... and kind of worried about hearing me as Rinoa... well, let's seeeee....

Selphie - Whee, go Fi-chan! Ah what can I say? Your voice is so cute and so Selphie :) The monologue was veery good, nicely hyper without being too fast.

Rinoa - Agh, me last year. I was trying to go for an untraditionally non-squeaky Rinoa to try to make her more real and likeable, at least to me; I wonder what other people will think of this! All that 'emotional'shakiness started to get on my nerves a bit. Definitely too quiet sometimes ^^;;

Zell - Ohh, this voice REMINDS me of someone but I can't for the life of me think who..... argh. Anyway, yes, I REALLY liked Tim as Zell... nice 'struggling with emotions' bit there (though this scene didn't let Zell's usual loud crazy side out - I'd like to hear that too....... another RP, maybe? ^^) A little fuzzing, but I only heard when I was listening again louder on headphones, so no biggie.

Squall - Aw, soo moody and confusled Squall... (Kind of a shame he's not around the forums, eh?)

Quistis - Your voice is normally all cute and cheery, but here you did calm/awkward/serious; really conveyed the gravity of the news. Specially liked "I'm sorry, I uh guess that wasn't much consolation..." - sounded tres Quistis-y.

Mixing - aye, nice! The music was well-chosen for the moods (Selphie with chocobo!), though it was a bit loud compared to the voices at times. This may sound a bit odd, but I really liked the *pauses* between lines (like before "How long are they gonna make us wait"); it's a very tense and quite slow-paced scene, and the timing was great for the atmosphere.

...Whoa, that was a longer comment than I expected to make! So. Big congrats on your first RP!! This should start to prove the point to those people who think a British FF cast would be just "weird"..... Long live Accent Productions!

[Sukisho]

The voices and mixing in this were nice though the music does get a little too loud in places which made it hard hear some of the voices.

[Darth Mongoose]

Yeah, I thought the music was a bit loud. For some reason Jesta, your lines were really quiet. I had to boost the volume by 300% to get them to reasonable volume. The pauses work pretty well, I wanted the scene to have a natural, awkward feel. I guess in this respect the fact that I was a bit hoarse works pretty well as it makes Quis sound like she's tired out. Squall being played by my little bro (dunno if you can tell) is kind of cool because Squall and Quistis do have a sort of big sis little bro relationship.
But I did love you as Rinoa, Jesta, you sound just how Rinoa sounds in my head, strong, but a little hesitant and not overly soppy. I had a feeling you could pull it off, that's why you were my very first choice for the part! ^_^
I was going to be Selphie (I have a clip of that intro done with me as Selphie before I cast Anime Angel and later Fi-chan). But I really like Fi's Selphie, she doesn't over hype her, in fact, I don't think she's even pitched her voice up. Selphie being Scottish while we're all English works well 'cause she's an exchange student.

[Fiona C]

No. I always stay away from using the pitch controls. Though, initially, I actually thought I was too loud. XD

In general... mixing was fine. Could have done with some SFX, Quistis' footsteps on the floor. Also, music was a bit loud at some parts.

Now, I've never actually played FF 8, so... I don't really know how people are supposed to sound. I'm kind of limited where my CC is concerned.

Rinoa -- Jesta, I LOVE you as Rinoa. <3 Albeit, at times, you were slightly muffled.
Zell -- A little bit of fuzz, but nice.
Squall -- Good stuff. I wouldn't mind seeing you around the forums. Nice voice.
Quistis -- I adore you. You know that, right? *grin* I liked your version of her. ^^
Selphie -- A bit loud at the start. Had to turn down the volume at first. Evened out, though. Just watch your volume. :)

~Fif

[jesta_ariadne]

300%?? *falls* ...Righty, I won't be noise-reducing THAT way again! (I'm pretty sure that was on my old mic that's now deceased soo hopefully things are different now!)

w00t, the way you've thought through this and/or the way the cast fell into place really works... what with the brother/sister Squall/Quistis and the placing of different accents :)

[Runai]

I'd quite like to listen to this, but the link downloads a dead zip file. It says nothing's archived or something...

[Darth Mongoose]

That's the good thing about FF8. In some ways having voiced characters in the later games is nice, but in others it sorta stops you from being able to put as much of your own spin on a character.

The accent choice was in some ways intentional and in others not. It has worked out pretty well though. I chose a clip tht had everybody except Irvine in it, because there's no way you could make Irvine English, he's clearly supposed to talk like a cowboy. I tend to imagine that Galbadians have American accents, so the Rinoa in my head is originally American but because she ran away from home to live in Timber and hates Galbadia has picked up and speaks with another accent (Another reason to choose Jesta, half English, half American) Deling has a more standard northern states American accent, and Galbadia Garden would be southern like Irvine. Trabia as Scotland, well, it's up in the north, isolated and bloomin' freezing and full of crazy fun people, makes sense right?

Hehe, er...yeah, when I start thinking about things I tend to get carried away. Especially with small logical details and stuff.

Bad link? Hmmmm, I'll have to sort it out later today, no time now.

[Fiona C]

See, I thought the FFVIII had VAs, also. *LOL* Boy, was I mistaken. :P

Mongoose -- Irvine? Cowboy? *blink* Funny. I always imagined him accent neutral, though I thought there was a chance of being able to anglicise him a bit.

[Lilium]

*chibifies and blinks at you all*

All of the VAs were Brits, and those are natural accents?

Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewl.

[Timmi J]

heh heh you finally got round to it, nicely done guys.
Yeah that damn fuzz... I cant get rid of it >.< (any advise on that?)
other than that, I'm up for showing the zany side of Zell, if the others are too ^^

[Darth Mongoose]

Well, with you here Tim, that means we have the whole cast on this thread (except Squall, who is downstairs in my house) which makes finding you all a lot easier! Wanna do another RP like this one guys? We could do a scene later with Irvine, Edea or Seifer or somebody. I can probably feel happy enough casting Irvy as American, it won't be 'All British' anymore but it'll still be 'Accent Productions'. The rest of you I wouldn't recast for the world. If there's some other brit girls here I could try to recast Quistis because I suck as her.

Hmmm, perhaps we could make a little series of clips, all of them linked together by Selphie's webpage diary clips (it worked really well as an intro in this one didn't it) what do you think?

[Broken Angel Tima]

As a British VA who does only American accents to please the masses, I loved this! I thought it was really very cutely done at the beginning, and the rest was wonderful.

[Timmi J]

I'm good for whatever (going away in a week for 2 weeks though) but yeah, send me the lines and I'll record em. Heh I got 12 weeks before University so plenty of free time, and I havent done VA in a few months or so.

[Jenna]

I liked Jesta's Rinoa and Fiona's Selphie was good also, (though it sounded a tad americanised to me). Zell and Squall's voices were good, but a little too similar and didn't quite seem to fit the character for me.

I think it is good that you tried to do something different with the voices, but much as I hate to admit it, certain accents do suit some characters better than others. British accents can be quite harsh on the ears and for some reason it is much harder for non Brits to immitate successfully than it is for British people to immitate American accents. (that could be because we get all your American TV shows over here!)

If you are going for an all British line up, you need people capable of doing other British dialects rather than the stereotypical posh accent... mix it up a little. Zell for instance, is a character I feel would suit a dialect of some sort. I don't know, South London or something slightly comic ... and Squall needs a more softer sounding neutral accent really, as that seems to match his personality. Hence why he is usually played with a soft American/Canadian accent.

I think the FF8 radioplays that have been previously released, even the crap ones, kind of set the standard for what the characters are supposed to sound like.... I don't always agree with these portrayals though. Selphie and Rinoa's voices in particular usually annoy me as they are often too high and irritating.

I think the British accent works well for Quistis because it gives her an air of authority. From early on in the game we see she is a serious, deep thinking more mature character. Anyone who plays Quistis with a fly high american accent needs to be shot!

I thought most of the VA's that did the FF8 answering machine omake that was around a few years ago, were damn good and very close to how I imagined the characters to sound (ahem myself excluded)

Good luck with the next project anyway, it is always nice to hear different takes on the game, and I have not heard this particular scene VA'd before.

[Merr]

You mean this one?
http://wingheart.rinoa.nu/whp/whp_ff8_phone.mp3

The only voice in there that doesn't fit is Mao/Sheila/Rinoa/Sherazard/Whatever name she's given herself now's version of Rinoa. It's just too kiddy sounding.

[Darth Mongoose]

That is an excellent RP.
I'd never thought of doing Raijin with a Lancashire accent before! It works really well! (hehe, "Ello, I'm Rajin and I'm a relative of Fred Dibnah ya know.") Rinoa was a little kiddy sounding and that Selphie was too squeaky and hyper. People make those two too squeaky all the time.

The thing with this All British RP was that it's an experiment. Yes, I could have looked longer and used proper auditions to find voices that sounded how people expect the characters to sound. But then Tim would never have been cast as Zell, I certainly wouldn't have used my little bro as Squall (as he's not really an AVA) and if I'd had Jesta and Fi, it would have been them putting on their Americn Accents. Seems a shame that somebody with as good a voice as Jesta or Timmy should have to put on a different accent just to get parts. Bits of it worked, bit of it didn't, that's the whole point of an experiment. The best outcomes were finding the only Rinoa voice I've ever actually liked and making an RP that sounds how I imagine FF8 rather than how we're apparently expected to imagine it. I don't care if this isn't how most people imagine them, this is how I imagine them, it's my interpretation. Besides, if we just keep on doing stuff the same way, nothing will improve. Sometimes you need to take a chance and do an experiment even if it might go wrong.

[Jenna]

LOL Yeah Raijin was spot on.
I quite liked Selphie in the wing heart thing, but perhaps more for the line delivery than the voice, I think she got the personality of Selphie right! I loved Wedge and Laguna.

Squall was played by your little brother?

I don't think it is always true that you "have to put on a different accent just to get parts" but I suppose that is what being a VA is about...Being able to adapt your voice to suit the face or persona of a character. If we all just used our natural voices, it would be dull as hell. It is all about the range these days.

[Darth Mongoose]

It can be all about range with everybody else. But with me, and with Accent Productions, it is not. I'm ME, not everybody, and I'm doing this MY way. If I say that I cast in a logical way, using natural sounding voices rather than squeaky, goofy, cartooney ones in my RP's, that's what I do. I don't follow what's popular or in fashion, what everybody does 'these days' doesn't bother me. I'm not just making a Radio Play, I'm making a point. Who cares if nobody wants to listen 'cause it's 'not American' or it's 'wierd' or 'boring', it's not like I'm making money if I do well, or losing it if I fail. I win either way, 'cause I'm having fun! And the rest of the cast, even my grumpy little bro are too!
Hey, guess that makes us kinda like the Garden Festival commitee! BOOYAKA!
*Jumps around and checks boots for no aparent reason other than Selphie 0wnz everything else in the entire universe! Yeah!*

Alright guys, my little bro (who's 11 inches taller than me ^_^ not so little.) is willing to do another RP! (I think he really enjoyed it, he just doesn't want to admit it ^_^ He's cute sometimes.) So I'll find a scene, and cast any additional voices. I might just stay as Quistis for continuity's sake, I'll just work on her a bit (I'm actually kind of enjoying being her too). It's going to be a lot more organised this time, I promise.
*Runs off to look for a scene*

[Fiona C]

Yeah. Accidentally americanized. Force of habit. *Nod* Sorry about that ^^;;

I've been playing FFX of recent... It made me wonder if we could try something similar to this with an FFX radioplay? Like, since Zanarkand is in the north, we could have a Scottish Tidus, and some kind of english Yuna and stuff. :D ^^ That might be fun to see, also. :D

[Jenna]

Yuna can have a country accent! LOL

[Merr]

Why noy just make it Final Fantasy X around the world? Tidus can be a west coast surfer, Yuna can be English, Lulu can be French, Auron can be Japanese, Wakka Jamaican, and Kimahri from some developing country.

Let the horrible stereotypes ensue!

[Katie]

...it is much harder for non Brits to immitate successfully than it is for British people to immitate American accents. (that could be because we get all your American TV shows over here!)

Very rarely have I ever heard Brits with convincing American accents. Catherine Zeta-Jones has a pretty good one, but her English accent slips in every once in a while. Hugh Jackman (though not British) is also very good at masking his accent. And Mel Gibson... well, his just totally dissapeared (also not British, but you know what I mean). But, then again, when I hear Americans using British accents, I seriously could not tell you if they were good or not, because I'm not British. So an American accent that sounds convincing to you probably won't sound convincing to an American.

Ok, back on topic. I'm going to listen to the RP now. :)

[Liana]

I agree with Chibikat :) I find it really, really obvious whenever I British person is doing an American accent. They get TOO flat with it. And then I mostly have no clue whenever an American is playing a British person. It probably has more to do with how "sensitive" you are to that certain accent.

Anyway, I LOVED this RP. I think everyone was wonderfully cast, and it was very well acted. I'm at my dad's house right now and can't relisten to it for further comments, but uh . . . I remember it was good.

And I completely with what everyone's saying in this thread. First off, I've imagined Squall as British, ever since my friend brought up the idea. We pretty much said the same stuff Darth Mongoose said below, with different characters from different regions having different accents. Though I think Irvine ended up being Australian for whatever strange reason XD Mostly because we HATE southern Irvines.

But yeah. And I'm just as sick of the whole "You must voice this character high pitched! Even though she's never spoken before and no one knows what she's supposed to sound like anyway!" Like, I have ALWAYS wanted to voice Rinoa, but I refuse to pitch her higher than what is pretty much my normal speaking voice, because I've always imagined her with a lower voice like that. She always seemed to headstrong and bratty to be properly voiced like a little kid. But every Rinoa audition I see asks for a high voice. It doesn't make any sense to me :/ Which I suppose isn't NEARLY as annoying as having to mask my own accent, but it's still frustrating nonetheless.

So YAY for this RP doing what's not always done and expanding horizons!

[Darth Mongoose]

Well, the next RP I have a script for. I need an Irvine, as soon as I've arranged the script into proper order I'll start casting. Whoever wants to do Irvine can do it, regardless of what accent they want to give him (preferably your natural accent as that's what everybody else is using). Once again Fi, you have a biiiig loooong monologue! It's one of my very favourite Selphie diary entries, the one where she says 'I think Rinoa and I are a lot alike. We just march to a different beat.'
The scene is in the Ragnarock and it's a good one! Zell gets to be hyper, Squall gets to say '...Whatever' (the last scene had no 'Whatever' in it!).

FFX is trickier because the characters are already voiced. People expect them to sound a certain way, so I could do a high pitched Yorkshire Rikku who sounds like Jane Horrocks (I can actually do the best impression of Jane Horrocks you will probably ever hear, especially her 'Babs' voice from Chicken Run, I'll have to make a demo sometime.), but I think people would say 'what the-!? That sounds nothing like Rikku!'

I can't do a very good American accent. As soon as I get agitated, excited or pronounce a hard 'A' sound it becomes instantly obvious where I'm from. Sometimes if I get it just right I can do a rather good impression of Skuld from 'Oh My Goddess!' though. But I can only do American copying another person. Making it up as I go I sound wierd.

[ClymAngus]

It was interesting to see (or hear) the range in mic quality of the different cast members. I'm sorry to say that for one or two it was holding back an otherwise excellent performance.

Good mixing as ever D.M.G.

[Fiona C]

Well, the next RP I have a script for. I need an Irvine, as soon as I've arranged the script into proper order I'll start casting. Whoever wants to do Irvine can do it, regardless of what accent they want to give him (preferably your natural accent as that's what everybody else is using).

I was talking to my mum about this a few nights back. I noted that you know, he had the whole cowboy hat thing going on. She suggested perhaps a Devonshire country type accent. :P

I can't wait to get the next script. :D I'm really excited to get to do another RP ^^ *hug*.

[Jenna]

Oh please no, not west country accents. They are nearly always voted most irritating accent in the UK and make the person speaking sound really un intelligent.

[Darth Mongoose]

I think scouse is considerably more annoying. And some Jeordies are infuritating, two words: Byker Grove. And don't get me started on Cockney and Brummie! I think west country is quite an endearing kind of accent. Hagrid from the Harry Potter movies sounds great with that kind of accent (I'd always imagine him Scottish before the films). People say Cumbrian makes you sound like a farm yacker and unintellegent and stuff, but do I sound thick to you?

[jesta_ariadne]

...As long as Irvy sounds as adorable and sexy and wonderful as he should...

*bangs head on desk* *snaps out of it*

O-K, that was scarily fangirlish of me... Anyway, yey for a new installment!

[Katie]

Haha! I thought the Australian accent was a good idea. XDDD Irvine from Down Undah! But that would kinda screw up the All-British cast deal, wouldn't it?

[ClymAngus]

Not really, not if you called it all British and some convicts radio play.

[Jenna]

I can definately see Irvy as an aussie. Hell yeah. More than I see him as an american in fact.

[jesta_ariadne]

Ooh. Nice idea! (Thanks, Liana!)

Now, uh, does anyone know any Australian VAers around here...?

[Jenna]

Aww too bad Johnny isn't VAing anymore. He does a great aussie accent and is originally from Britain.

[Darth Mongoose]

Doesn't need to be all brit for the next installment. Irvy can be whatever. I think he's a bit annoying for the most part (he doesn't deserve Selphie!).
I might cast him as a 'whatever you think he should sound like'.

[Margo]

That's pretty cool that you got a whole British cast ^^

Fiona C. - Hm...at the beginning, you didn't really have much of a British accent, but later on, it got better. Good job ^^

Jesta Ariadne - Great British accent ^^ Your voice was a tiny bit lower than I imagined it in the game, but it was still very good.

Tim D. - Cool Zell. Not quite as, hmm...what's the word @_@ Err...energetic? I'll just use that @_@ Not quite as energetic as I imagined Zell to be, but overall, it was good ^_^

Twist - You've got a great voice ^^ Too bad you aren't taking a big interest in voice acting...

Darth Mongoose - Cool Quistis ^^ Just a tiny tiny bit lower than the Quistis I had in mind, but it was great anyway ^^ I like your accent, it's cool.

Good job on the whole production, DMongoose. I thought it was cute ^_^

[ihatecomputers]

what a shame. i loved this i really did, but where was the welsh accent? scottish? northern irish? we're all British too ya know?! but it was refreshing to hear this instead of american american and yes more american!

[Fiona C]

what a shame. i loved this i really did, but where was the welsh accent? scottish? northern irish? we're all British too ya know?! but it was refreshing to hear this instead of american american and yes more american!

Excuse me. I'm Scottish. I played Selphie in this.

I think I accidentally americanised -- sorry about that, btw -- but I'm honestly used to having to do that. My apologies if my REAL accent wasn't up to scratch. >.>;;

[ihatecomputers]

ahh fair enough i see now. (feels a bit better) good work playing selphie btw.