The real reason I wanted to be a VA

[GrantM]

I'm a little nervous writing this up incase anyone from the 2 companies I'll be mentioned happens to go on this forum.

First of all I've had an interest in voice acting for years now, but it's only until recently I decided to try it.

But it's why I originally wanted to do which I am not happy about, you see the reason this came about was because I discovered several months ago that some VAs for ADV Films and Funimation were roughly or exactly my age (in fact I know of one ADV VA who was born the same year I was)

Now at first I didn't think much of it, but I eventually let it bother me so much it started affecting my liking of anime, in fact (and you will notice this if you read my blog) I turned into a whiny, obsessive fanboy. In fact it got to a point where someone commented on my blog that the only reasons for wanting to be a VA were "improper and horribly skewed" and all I wanted was attention.

But now I know better and have tried to not let something like that bother me anymore, I hope that joining the VAA might help me achieve my desire of working for these 2 companies, I just hope I still have a chance however since I'm concerned anyone from ADV and Funimation who reads my blog might get a negative opinion of me.

I hope I've not left a bad impression of me, but you have to relise I have a habit of letting little and often pointless things bother me, maybe it's the fact I have Asperger Syndrome or something else, I don't really know

[Lucien]

There's some things that you're going to have to deal with if you truly want to make this career work for you. First and foremost, you're obviously going to have to move here if you want to work for ADV and/or FUNI. Next off, I see that you hail from Glasgow Scottland. Do you have a thick Scottish accent, or are you able to do a good mid-American accent? You will not be hired for American dubbed anime if you do not sound American; pure and simple. Maybe Kitsune can help you with that.
I took time to look up Aspergers, and see that in addition to the 'sympton' of having a very focused interest (which doesn't matter at all in this case), certain speech skills, as far as motor functions (loss of articulation, awkward repition of inflections, etc) are also prominant. If this is the case for you, you should also consult speech therapy. You have to be able to speak clearly and fluidly to be able to have any sort of chance in this line of work.
Now, I've also taken the time to read your blog, and I would like to be abundantly straight forward about one thing; If you are not doing this because it is the thing which you love most in all the world and you are willing to sacrifice money and stability for it, you will not succeed. You cannot do it for the 'fame' (what fame? This is voice acting), and you can not do it for the money (especially if you're doing anime); if you want money, there are many other high(er) paying jobs which are much more stable than voice-overs. You should expect to be paid squat when you first start out.
Signing up on the VAA was a good first step. I'll be anticipating seeing how you progress as time goes on. Learn from the other members here, and be respectful.
L. out.

[GrantM]

Now, I've also taken the time to read your blog, and I would like to be abundantly straight forward about one thing; If you are not doing this because it is the thing which you love most in all the world and you are willing to sacrifice money and stability for it, you will not succeed. You cannot do it for the 'fame' (what fame? This is voice acting), and you can not do it for the money (especially if you're doing anime); if you want money, there are many other high(er) paying jobs which are much more stable than voice-overs. You should expect to be paid squat when you first start out.
Signing up on the VAA was a good first step. I'll be anticipating seeing how you progress as time goes on. Learn from the other members here, and be respectful.
L. out.

I've known about that for several months now

[Iscabibble]

I've always winced whenever someone has declaired that they will only be happy if they do work for one particular studio.

I think that VA work is wonderful no matter who you do it for. I have as much fun recording for a flash film by a first-time artist as I do recording in an actual sound booth in a real studio.

Wanting to be in a niche is never a good thing, especially anime. So many people want to do anime that it's a tough field.

Would you be happy doing any kind of voice work or will only ADV/Funimation do?

[Lucien]

I've known about that for several months now

That's a problem then, cause I don't see it reflected in your entires.

[GrantM]

I've always winced whenever someone has declaired that they will only be happy if they do work for one particular studio.

I think that VA work is wonderful no matter who you do it for. I have as much fun recording for a flash film by a first-time artist as I do recording in an actual sound booth in a real studio.

Wanting to be in a niche is never a good thing, especially anime. So many people want to do anime that it's a tough field.

Would you be happy doing any kind of voice work or will only ADV/Funimation do?

Well for now I'll stick with whatever comes up at VAA, but yes I would like to work for ADV and Funimation, I don't know why I only choose those 2, but the VAs they have are quite popular around the internet and with anime fans as well. Plus they seem to have a lot of fun doing what they do and seem to get a lot of respect for what they do.

Even the Amazon.com review of Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu made a positve comment on the 2 leading VAs working on it

I like anime, and I feel this would be my chance to get involved in it, in fact I feel it's the only thing I possibly could do to get involved in it that I would be good at






I've known about that for several months now

That's a problem then, cause I don't see it reflected in your entires.

Oh.....but I'm honest here, I do know about what Lucien said

[Iscabibble]

I'm still not feeling any love for voice work in you. I'm only hearing that you want to work for the companies with the most popular VAs, and that this is the only way you can get involved with anime because you don't think you can any other way. Those are very poor reasons to voice act.

Do you honestly like VA work? It sounds like you don't have any love for it at all.

[Merr]

Grant, this is the same problem you were having on other boards, it seems like you only want to voice act because you want to be popular and work for ADV and Funi. I'm glad that you've taken initiative and joined the VAA, but it still doesn't feel like you're in this for the right reasons.

Ultimately, everyone on these boards is here to have fun, and that's what you should be doing to. Just relax a little and see if this is really something you want to do. Besides, you can't become a pro in one day so don't stress out over it so much; try out for a few projects and see where it takes you.

[GrantM]

try out for a few projects and see where it takes you.

That's what I'm doing right now, in fact I've tried out for 2 here, just waiting to see if I get them or not

EDIT - Actually it's 3 things I'm trying out for, the 3rd thing is done outside the VAA

[Nikki Wright]

Let's put it in simpler terms:

If you don't like what you're doing, you're not going to make it very far.

Case in point: You hate your job? You're probably not going to get a promotion, since you go to work every single day hating life, yourself and your job. You simply won't get the promotion if you don't like the job you currently have. This is so because, if you don't like it, you're not going to work very hard. Even if you're working there because all these nicely-rated/important/famous people are working there, it still won't make you enjoy it if you never had a passion for it in the first place.

The same will be said for voice over work. If you don't have a passion for it, beyond that of wanting the fame, and you don't like it very much to begin with, you're not going to make it in the world of professional voice acting. If you get the chance to audition, but hate voice acting, you're not going to sound very good and you will likely not get cast. Part of what makes a good voice actor is being able to have fun with it, because it's honestly reflected in vocal work.

Signing up at the VAA Was a good step, yes... because it will help you to test out just how much you do care for voice acting, if you do at all; if you can handle being rejected; if you can handle getting cast in roles you might want; and if you can have fun with it.

You shouldn't be doing this because it will make you popular, or because you think it will make a lot of money. To be perfectly honest, being an anime voice actor will not make you popular by any means [Anime fans are the most tight-assed people ever], and like Lucien said, you barely make any money to start out with.

The simple fact is that this is a hobby for a lot of us. Though a lot of us would like to make it as a professional, we still have fun with this, as our hobby. It helps us learn and grow so that we may hopefully get the chance at a professional role, but we have a good time with it.

Kind of beating what everyone else has said into the ground, but, yeah.

[GrantM]

Let's put it in simpler terms:

If you don't like what you're doing, you're not going to make it very far.

Case in point: You hate your job? You're probably not going to get a promotion, since you go to work every single day hating life, yourself and your job. You simply won't get the promotion if you don't like the job you currently have. This is so because, if you don't like it, you're not going to work very hard. Even if you're working there because all these nicely-rated/important/famous people are working there, it still won't make you enjoy it if you never had a passion for it in the first place.

The same will be said for voice over work. If you don't have a passion for it, beyond that of wanting the fame, and you don't like it very much to begin with, you're not going to make it in the world of professional voice acting. If you get the chance to audition, but hate voice acting, you're not going to sound very good and you will likely not get cast. Part of what makes a good voice actor is being able to have fun with it, because it's honestly reflected in vocal work.

Signing up at the VAA Was a good step, yes... because it will help you to test out just how much you do care for voice acting, if you do at all; if you can handle being rejected; if you can handle getting cast in roles you might want; and if you can have fun with it.

You shouldn't be doing this because it will make you popular, or because you think it will make a lot of money. To be perfectly honest, being an anime voice actor will not make you popular by any means [Anime fans are the most tight-assed people ever], and like Lucien said, you barely make any money to start out with.

The simple fact is that this is a hobby for a lot of us. Though a lot of us would like to make it as a professional, we still have fun with this, as our hobby. It helps us learn and grow so that we may hopefully get the chance at a professional role, but we have a good time with it.

Kind of beating what everyone else has said into the ground, but, yeah.

I've always intended being a VA as a side thing, and to be honest I never relised anime fans were tight assed

[Lucien]

Are you kidding me man? Never have I seen such outrage when material has been adapted for American audiences. It's like re-writing the Bible for some of these guys. English voice actors for anime get so much shit because of their involvement from die-hard anime fans, or 'subbers.' Yes, many people Idolize them, but just as many others scorn them as well.
As per the 'part time' thing, I would just like to say; there is no such thing as a prominant 'part time' voice actor. The rewards are based on what you put in, and if you do this part time, you will get work part of the time. Maybe walla or bit parts every month or so. This is a career just like any other, and you have to work to earn your keep.

[GrantM]

Are you kidding me man? Never have I seen such outrage when material has been adapted for American audiences. It's like re-wriing the Bible for some of these guys. English voice actors for anime get so much shit because of their involvement from die-hard anime fans, or 'subbers.' Yes, many people Idolize them, but just as many others scorn them as well.


I don't think I ever encountered that while on the AoD forums to be honest



As per the 'part time' thing, I would just like to say; there is no such thing as a prominant 'part time' voice actor. The rewards are based on what you put in, and if you do this part time, you will get work part of the time. Maybe walla or bit parts every month or so. This is a career just like any other, and you have to work to earn your keep.


I see

I just wish it was possible for someone to do an anime dubbing role outside of a studio, that way I would not have to move from Glasgow to Texas

[Lucien]

I just wish it was possible for someone to do an anime dubbing role outside of a studio, that way I would not have to move from Glasgow to Texas

Reality is you have to move to where the work is. Even voice actors who live in America have to move to cities which have work. Some are able to do work from their homes to studios accross the Country using ISDN lines, but these people have already build up a repour of experience and trust among clients, and still have to drive to sessions for other gigs. For dubbing, you have to go to a studio which has the visual and ADR setup; there's no other way.

[GrantM]

I just wish it was possible for someone to do an anime dubbing role outside of a studio, that way I would not have to move from Glasgow to Texas

Reality is you have to move to where the work is. Even voice actors who live in America have to move to cities which have work. Some are able to do work from their homes to studios accross the Country using ISDN lines, but these people have already build up a repour of experience and trust among clients, and still have to drive to sessions for other gigs.

Well I would not mind moving to Texas, to be honest I'd rather live in America than Scotland, but I've still got college to go to, obviously that's more important right now, although I still can do things here that might help me get better at this sort of thing

[Matt Alan]

As per the 'part time' thing, I would just like to say; there is no such thing as a prominant 'part time' voice actor. The rewards are based on what you put in, and if you do this part time, you will get work part of the time. Maybe walla or bit parts every month or so. This is a career just like any other, and you have to work to earn your keep.


I see

I just wish it was possible for someone to do an anime dubbing role outside of a studio, that way I would not have to move from Glasgow to Texas

>D I can sum this up much easier than everyone else.

"You're screwed."

[Fiona C]

As per the 'part time' thing, I would just like to say; there is no such thing as a prominant 'part time' voice actor. The rewards are based on what you put in, and if you do this part time, you will get work part of the time. Maybe walla or bit parts every month or so. This is a career just like any other, and you have to work to earn your keep.


I see

I just wish it was possible for someone to do an anime dubbing role outside of a studio, that way I would not have to move from Glasgow to Texas

>D I can sum this up much easier than everyone else.

"You're screwed."

Well, not COMPLETELY.

You ever considered doing work for the BBC to get in experience? ^^

~Fif

[TamTu]

I just wish it was possible for someone to do an anime dubbing role outside of a studio, that way I would not have to move from Glasgow to Texas

There is the possibility of ISDN recording. But even so, there's the whole time-zones thing and if it's merely something you want to do as just a part-time thing? Then just quit now and find something you're really passionate about.


Well I would not mind moving to Texas, to be honest I'd rather live in America than Scotland, but I've still got college to go to, obviously that's more important right now, although I still can do things here that might help me get better at this sort of thing

How much longer will you be in college? Because your interest for voice acting might have gone down by the time you finish.

Honestly, if you want to be a pro at ADV or Funi, it's gonna take a damn lot more effort than from what I'm noticing :3

Voice acting should never be considered "part-time" work. If anything, if you're not that much of a popular VA (expecting to be a hit right away? Dream on.) you're more likely to be waiting for VO jobs while working a second job to actually make a living of.


You ever considered doing work for the BBC to get in experience? ^^

~Fif

But...what about college!? And...it's NOT ADV OR FUNI!

[GrantM]

How much longer will you be in college? Because your interest for voice acting might have gone down by the time you finish.


About 1-2 years, and I do not think my interest will have gone down by then

[Lucien]

but I've still got college to go to, obviously that's more important right now, although I still can do things here that might help me get better at this sort of thing

Actually that's not entirely obvious to me; you don't need a degree or college education to do voice-acting. Though for you I -would- suggest doing college, if only to help you figure out what your true priorities and interests are.

[Azure]

I've been looking into UK voice acting and we're not entirely in a bad position although anime is not dubbed here ( though this may change people in the industry have hinted to me it's only a matter of time). Glasgow like London is a media hub, you may not be able to do much animation but there's radio, tv CD roms etc
You might also want to look for Glasgow voice agencies and studios, I nearly fell off my seat the other day when I found this in the UK:
http://www.sideuk.com/into.html
They did work for Dragon Quest VIII and Fable!
I can't figure out if they directly work with talent though so i haven't e-mailed.( not that I have a demo to send them ^^,,)

[Iscabibble]

How much longer will you be in college? Because your interest for voice acting might have gone down by the time you finish.


About 1-2 years, and I do not think my interest will have gone down by then

If anything, you should worry about getting your interest up.

After reading your blog, and your responses here, I honestly don't think you've given this a whole lot of thought.

[Cefaclor]

Well come on guys, kinda harsh eh! There is no sure way of knowing who will make it and who will not!! You could be the least likely person to make it and just get decent exposure, have the right contacts and make it. Maybe he'll travel and get involved. I mean, maybe working for these 2 companies are his goals. Life accomplishments. Something that just has to be done. And they can be, if you have the voice. If you work hard on your range. If you're willing to waste your time.

Anything is doable! All you need is motivation, drive,perseverence and hard work. But if you'd have interest in it, it'd be worth your while, if not... I doubt you'll extract any kind of joy during the process. At the end, you will wish you used your time to pursue the career you really wanted. Time is unlike money, it is nonrefundable. Use it well.

[Lila]

Anything is doable! All you need is motivation, drive,perseverence and hard work.

I agree!
If you haven't already researched the Studios to find out what their audition or submission requirements are.
You should look into that! If you get around to sending them a demo you can do follow up phonecalls to see if they might be interested in your work. But if you are serious about wanting to do voice acting you will have to Move to where the studios are.
It's a competitive field and you will have to make yourself your stand out above the others.

I think every actor who does well in any field may gain fame and of course a good pay check. I think it's normal to think about it.
I don't think there is anything wrong with one day wanting to be recognized for your work.

As for North American accent if you can pull it off in various voices it will serve you well. But Animation Character Voices aren't just resticted to North American accent voices. There are several kinds of accents that will be considered for Characters by casting Directors etc.
So if you're really ambitious about wanting to go through with this type of career.
Find out everything you need in order to get to the place you want to work at someday and just keep working towards that goal :D

[Yami no Kitsune]

OK, since you're adamant about working for ADV and FUNi, this is your task list.

1. Work on your acting skills
2. Minimise your accent
3. Put together a demo reel
4. Get a visa for a long stay in the US
5. Fly to Houston, Texas
6. Find a place to live while you try to get voice work
7. Apply for a work permit
8. Send your demo reel to ADV and FUNi
9. Get a job to fund your stay while you wait for voice work
10. If you're rejected, rework your demo reel and send again (repeat this as many times as necessary)
11. Attend as many open auditions as you can (ADV have one monthly)
12. Attend all call-back auditions, etc.
13. If you get work, you might consider applying for citizenship to continue voice work.

This is an over-simplified version of what you have to do, since its a LOT harder and often dis-heartening. You will get many knock-backs before you even get called for an audition, and even when you go for an audition you might not get cast. You can only do this if you really love voice work, with all your heart. Just doing the voice work, not the fame or recognition.

[Lucien]

Only thing I'd quibble about would be #8; as I understand it neither of these companies accept demos. They cast soley on based on auditions. So should the time come when you feel you're ready to move out to the big U.S. of A., put yourself on their audition roaster (I believe it can take anywhere from 6 months to a year to get an audition). Having a demo can not hurt you though, and I'm sure many other agencies (advertising in particular) would like a demo.

[Batgirl]

Well actually I think Funi sorta does if you go on their website to be put on the audition list, they ask for an "Example of your work" or something like that. So you might want a demo for that. But yeah the Demo isn't an Excessively important part of working for ADV or Funi.

The rest...

Anything I could say at this point, seems like overkill.

[Fernie]

You want to be a voice actor, huh? Welcome to the club. I have a feeling a large percentage of the guys and gals who frequent this place have the same goal in mind, and there are many more out there. And while we can be your friends (and this is a pretty friendly place) you also have to remember that if you actually decide to go through with it and you put everything you got into your dream, you're going to be stacked up against others who want it just as badly as you do. It isn't anywhere near enough to just post on a blog and hope anybody with any sort of actual power over the casting decisions will just randomly decide that you would be perfect for the lead role of another anime series. You need to both talk the talk and walk the walk.
You need to ask yourself, what have you been doing trying to prepare yourself for such a career? Granted, joining the VAA is one step, but it's just a small one. Have you done any actual acting? That might be a good place to start out. Heck, you're in college, right? Why not join some sort of theater club or audition for whatever sort of performance that is being held in your town? You need to learn how to act if you have any intention of becoming an actor. You need to prove to yourself and others that this is what you really want to do and not some sort of chase for fame, because if you want to become famous there are a bunch of easier ways to do it. If anything, using voice acting (in anime no less) as a way to put yourself into the limelight is, quite frankly, silly as aside from a dozen or so fans (Which I'm probably one of), nobody is going to know your name and will either not care or will flip over to the Japanese track as they will outright dismiss anything that "Taints the director's original vision".
Heh, sorry for the rant, but the point I'm trying to make is that you can't just say you want to become a voice actor and have it happen. You need to do it. You need to work on your craft and make yourself appealing to casting directors and it'll only happen through hard work and a little luck, not posting on a journal hoping someone will feel pity for you.

I really don't mean to be harsh. Please stay, hang around and become one of us. And show a bit of patience, it's going to take a while. :)

[GrantM]

I've just had an idea, forget ADV and Funimation, concentrate here for now

[Fiona C]

I've just had an idea, forget ADV and Funimation, concentrate here for now

BBC~~~~~!

[TamTu]

Well, Okay. BBC. I've listened to the Spider-man audio drama by the BBC and was sooooo incredibly impressed.

I'd choose BBC over ADV/Funi anytime >D...

....well. Considering where I am right now, location-wise 8D;

[ClymAngus]

There is a lot to be said for single mindedness. That you do appear to have no shortage of. What concerns me is that your have yet to work on plan B.

Scenario for you;
You move to America. You hone your acting skills to the peak of what they can be, you go to both these companies the interviews come and go, they take your CV and put it on file then silence. Now what? Wait? For how long? (don't give me, "as long as it takes", that isn't an answer). Worse, what if they flatly refuse?

In your single mindedness I'm worred you may be setting yourself up for a fall of psychologically damaging propotions. It's all well and good having a Dick Whittington attitude to this, but at least spend some time thinking about plan B?

[GrantM]

There is a lot to be said for single mindedness. That you do appear to have no shortage of. What concerns me is that your have yet to work on plan B.

Scenario for you;
You move to America. You hone your acting skills to the peak of what they can be, you go to both these companies the interviews come and go, they take your CV and put it on file then silence. Now what? Wait? For how long? (don't give me, "as long as it takes", that isn't an answer). Worse, what if they flatly refuse?

In your single mindedness I'm worred you may be setting yourself up for a fall of psychologically damaging propotions. It's all well and good having a Dick Whittington attitude to this, but at least spend some time thinking about plan B?

Dick Whittington?

[ClymAngus]

http://london.allinfo-about.com/features/dickwhit.html

[GrantM]

http://london.allinfo-about.com/features/dickwhit.html

I see.

But now that I think of it, I think the one thing I find most unfair in all this and the one thing that really bothers me is the simple fact that what I want to do is in Texas and I'm in Scotland.

I don't want to give up hopefully working for the 2 companies, but at the same time I have to be realistic about this.

I only wish I could do something about it, but I guess that's not possible, I personally think I'd fit in well at ADV and Funimation, I mean like I said before they seem to enjoy what they do there, I can tell this because from what I read about the VA DVD audio commentaries (something I would really like to do as well) that both ADV and Funimation do, I think I would really like it there

[ClymAngus]

And I'm not saying not to go for it. Just have plan B. :)

[GrantM]

And I'm not saying not to go for it. Just have plan B. :)
That is my plan B, my plan A is to try and work in the video game industry, but what I might do there I do not know

[Seishiro17]

and what if you severly damage your vocal chords and the result is a dibilitating voice that noone will hire you for?

what your plan b should be is an acual fallback carrer something like what you're doing now. get your degree then if you feel confident enough go for a couple auditions get some critiques. then if nothing happens you have your degree.a degree usually leads to a job. a job at a big company usually allows you to transfre locale which can be a good thing (texas for example) or a bad one (...siberia?). I'm going to say this because I've seen this happen to enough of my friends sadly enough.

GET YOUR DEGREE OR YOU'RE SKREWED!!!!

that is all.

[Iscabibble]

Even if it's a "Worthless Degree", such as my beloved dream of a Theatre degree.

(Yeah, I know. That's a joke! ^_^)

[Merr]

Even if it's a "Worthless Degree", such as my beloved dream of a Theatre degree.

(Yeah, I know. That's a joke! ^_^)
It's true though, all you really need is a degree, it doesn't matter what kind.

That's why I'm a liberal arts major (most pointless degree on earth)

[TamTu]

I have 20 degrees.




Celcius. In Holland. At this moment. :D

[Lucien]

GET YOUR DEGREE OR YOU'RE SKREWED!!!!

that is all.

...And this is where I break off from the rest of the herd.

[Iscabibble]

Well, I don't think one is needed to the point of death. But I do personally, think it's good to have a back-up and a degree can help that.

But sure, people can get along fine without one too. :)

[Yoda117]

Always have a backup plan...

I know of quite a few VAs who worked for a long time in various fields (Graphic Arts, Finance, and IT) before getting their break into full time VO.

To get the $ and stability to go after that dream, you need a backup plan.

Training isn't cheap... demos aren't either, nor is it for self promotion... a lot of other incidentals that add up quickly.

The only job I ever had where I started at the top was when I was digging a hole in the backyard... I think you get the drift.

Okay, I don't want to beat this horse any further :)


BTW: you know, you can find VO work in the UK, right? Might not be anime, but it beats the alternative :)

[GrantM]

BTW: you know, you can find VO work in the UK, right? Might not be anime, but it beats the alternative :)

Well I could, but I don't know anywhere in Glasgow that does that sort of thing

[Iscabibble]

Go hunt then. =P

I thought there was nothing here where I live. Man, was I wrong. There's not a lot, but there are a few spots I need to hit up.

[GrantM]

There's one other thing that concerns me, did I decide to be a VA too late?

Earlier in this thread I said I know of an ADV VA who was born the same year as me, and look what she's done for them. Compared to what I've done here I must feel completly inferior

[Windy*]

There's one other thing that concerns me, did I decide to be a VA too late?

Earlier in this thread I said I know of an ADV VA who was born the same year as me, and look what she's done for them. Compared to what I've done here I must feel completly inferior

I don't think there's any such thing as starting too late in this business. :P Most VA's are older than you, right? I'm starting early, but there are some pro VA's who are younger than me. I've met 12-year-olds working for Funi. *shrugs* I don't let it discourage me.

You seem to have, um, a lot of insecurities. Probably being redundant, but if you really want it, go for it. You can't worry about all the "what ifs" or what you could've done differently. Work towards your goals with all your heart and what will be, will be. Just give it your all so you can never say you didn't try hard enough. If it's meant to be, it'll happen. And it can. Just keep that in mind and block out whatever doubts you have, and you'll be a lot happier.

[Seishiro17]

look if you let something menial like someone getting into it before you affect you then you're just acting childish. there is always going to be a younger person that can beat you its called evolution.

[wpt1031]

There's one other thing that concerns me, did I decide to be a VA too late?

Earlier in this thread I said I know of an ADV VA who was born the same year as me, and look what she's done for them. Compared to what I've done here I must feel completly inferior
Starting to late to become a VA? Not really possible. Look at Andy McAvin and William Frederick Knight. Both older VAs who didn't start really until anime had become popular. So its just a matter of getting off your butt and doing something about it. So don't fret dude you've just got to really work at what you want to do.

[GrantM]

look if you let something menial like someone getting into it before you affect you then you're just acting childish. there is always going to be a younger person that can beat you its called evolution.

I was never always like this, in fact this whole thing came about when I read a on DVD Vision Japan of Full Metal Panic, and they commented on the lage of the lead female VA at one point, that's what's made me act like this

[wpt1031]

I was never always like this, in fact this whole thing came about when I read a on DVD Vision Japan of Full Metal Panic, and they commented on the lage of the lead female VA at one point, that's what's made me act like this
If your talking about Luci shes not in her early 20s shes in her late 20s or very early 30s

[TamTu]

BTW: you know, you can find VO work in the UK, right? Might not be anime, but it beats the alternative :)

Well I could, but I don't know anywhere in Glasgow that does that sort of thing

Yeah. Go back a few pages and read Azure's post.

[GrantM]

I was never always like this, in fact this whole thing came about when I read a on DVD Vision Japan of Full Metal Panic, and they commented on the lage of the lead female VA at one point, that's what's made me act like this
If your talking about Luci shes not in her early 20s shes in her late 20s or very early 30s

Yes.....she commented on my blog about that, just telling me, and I'm still trying to track her down on Live Journal just to ask her how she found out about my blog and to apologise for being.......insensitive

[Yoda117]

Yeah. Go back a few pages and read Azure's post.

Missed it... danke'

But yeah, never heard of a major city that didn't have a few casting agencies... even in NZ, it's not hard to find them.

Heck, if you can find them in Philly... they're anywhere

[Fiona C]

Well, I don't think one is needed to the point of death. But I do personally, think it's good to have a back-up and a degree can help that.

But sure, people can get along fine without one too. :)


Even an english degree would be good. *nod* Back when I wanted to work in Production, I asked my Aunt and her b/f about what I should do at Uni. Both of them work in production (Aunt = BBC, B/F = Used to work for Channel 4), so they really knew what they were talking about. Over here, a media studies course would be useless because nearly everybody can get one of those. But a good english degree, they said, would work fine. *nod* So definitely get yourself a degree as a backup plan. <3

And seek out work at the BBC, to get in experience.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/gettingintobbc/index.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newtalent/radiopresenter/kully_singh.shtml

[Lucien]

Ok, someone explain this 'backup plan' thing to me. I think some people here are confusing 'secondary job' or 'temporary job' with 'backup plan' or consider them the same thing.

[GrantM]

Ok, someone explain this 'backup plan' thing to me. I think some people here are confusing 'secondary job' or 'temporary job' with 'backup plan' or consider them the same thing.

Yeah even I'm confused

[TamTu]

Yeah. Go back a few pages and read Azure's post.

Missed it... danke'

But yeah, never heard of a major city that didn't have a few casting agencies... even in NZ, it's not hard to find them.

Heck, if you can find them in Philly... they're anywhere

Actually, I was talking to Grant. But no prob :3

[Saren]

Ok, someone explain this 'backup plan' thing to me. I think some people here are confusing 'secondary job' or 'temporary job' with 'backup plan' or consider them the same thing.

A backup plan is for in case things don't work out with VA work, like you keep getting rejected for years and years and finally decide it isn't worth it, or you develop vocal nodes and the surgery they use to correct it screws up your voice completely, or you just lose any passion you once had for the art. Stuff like that. For some people this includes going to college to get a degree.

And a 'secondary'/'temporary' job is your day job. Not necessarily something you love, but what you have to do to pay the bills.

That's how I see it ^^

[GrantM]

Now that I think of it, not only do I feel inferior when it comes to the VAs at ADV and Funimation, but the people at Rooster Teeth (who do the popular web machinima series Red Vs Blue, they also do the character voices on it), they've been on TV, appeared at conventions....you get the idea

[Matt Alan]

Now that I think of it, not only do I feel inferior when it comes to the VAs at ADV and Funimation, but the people at Rooster Teeth (who do the popular web machinima series Red Vs Blue, they also do the character voices on it), they've been on TV, appeared at conventions....you get the idea

Do you seriously want to voice act? Or just have people talk about you? If all you want is a little fame, go tie yourself to the doors of a bank and protest the misuse of grammer on the internet.

[GrantM]

Now that I think of it, not only do I feel inferior when it comes to the VAs at ADV and Funimation, but the people at Rooster Teeth (who do the popular web machinima series Red Vs Blue, they also do the character voices on it), they've been on TV, appeared at conventions....you get the idea

Do you seriously want to voice act? Or just have people talk about you? If all you want is a little fame, go tie yourself to the doors of a bank and protest the misuse of grammer on the internet.

I want to voice act, I relise now that I have a number of insecurities that seem to try and interfere with it

[TamTu]

Okay. You want to voice act.

Just don't do it for the fame. If you work hard, be passionate about your work and hit the right projects, fame will just be a part of it. But it's never going to be easy.

The reason the RvB peeps are so popular is because they had hit a goldmine with their concept of making funny movie shorts with Halo models. In all seriousness, the voice acting isn't that fantastic, but they are good enough to make the concept a hit. And I have to admit that it does require some necessary skill to make sure walkie-talkie sound doesn't get old after three seasons already.

Anyways. Get over the insecurities step by step. If you want to reach the moon, build a rocket first instead of just merely jumping towards it everytime, failing and feel depressed about it.

[Sadsiren]

I want to voice act, I relise now that I have a number of insecurities that seem to try and interfere with it

Then stop insulting yourself, quit complaining about incoveniences and just get up and do something about it. God helps those who help themselves, you're not gonna get anywhere LET ALONE your dreams unless you get cracking on it.

I myself am not 100% secure in my abilities, but I try and take steps here and there. I take classes, I talk to people who are in the know, I get a little practice in here now and then. I plan to take a workshop for the first time this fall. It's not going to be cheap, it's not going to be my hot ticket to voice acting, but it's another step in the right direction. And I didn't find it by sitting and whining, I looked info up and asked around. People have been trying to give you suggestions, starting taking them and make something out of them.

It's your choice whether to let excuses hold you back...

[GrantM]

Okay. You want to voice act.

Just don't do it for the fame. If you work hard, be passionate about your work and hit the right projects, fame will just be a part of it. But it's never going to be easy.

The reason the RvB peeps are so popular is because they had hit a goldmine with their concept of making funny movie shorts with Halo models. In all seriousness, the voice acting isn't that fantastic, but they are good enough to make the concept a hit. And I have to admit that it does require some necessary skill to make sure walkie-talkie sound doesn't get old after three seasons already.

Anyways. Get over the insecurities step by step. If you want to reach the moon, build a rocket first instead of just merely jumping towards it everytime, failing and feel depressed about it.

If I'm going to do that, I guess I've gotta figure out what my insecurities are first

It's just I didn't reliase I had any insecurities until I started this thread

[Iscabibble]

Don't worry. When I first started, I was so afraid. I hated the sound of my own voice. ^_^

You'll learn a lot and it's really quite fun. You get to grow and stretch your voice, you'll find yourself with roles you never expected to get, you may pick up some nice pocket change on the way.. I've even learned quite a bit about HTML just by fighting with my resume! :)

I think it's really helped me to grow as a person.

[Rage]

cause you can be what ever you want when you're VAing.. what else?

[Lucien]

cause you can be what ever you want when you're VAing.. what else?

...what?

[Nikki Wright]

cause you can be what ever you want when you're VAing.. what else?

...what?He misinterpreted the meaning of this thread, thinking that GrantM was posing the question "Why do you want to VA?" though that's not what the thread is designed for. ^.^;;

[La Sailor Luna]

Look Grant M,

It seems to me that you have alot of insecurities, but don't let them get you down the others are kinda being a little hard on you but that's ok because the people you're going to tryout for are going to be ten times harder on you and not say sorry or care that your feelings were hurt or lose any sleep at night AT ALL.
So don't give up and stay headstrong because it's a really tough job at whatever you want to do, because nothing in this world is going to be easy. And I have to agree with the others, if you don't love this with some sort of passion, then you're wasting your time. If your heart isn't in your work then you can't expect to go very far.
But don't get discouraged because there are better people than you in the game right now or they've been here longer than you. I'm new to this too so I'm a little nervous and discouraged, but I'm not going to let that stop me at all. I keep on doing what I'm doing and never look back.

NEVER EVER EVER REGRET ANYTHING THAT YOU DO. YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST. Remeber that, *always*.

Good luck with all that you do. *Gives you a big fat hug!!!!*

[Tony]

If you do go into professional voice acting, don't ever worry about being inferior. There are enough people in the business who make that decision for you. All you can do in any audition is give everything you've got. If the director feels you're right for a part, you get it. If not, you go to another audition. As a voice actor, most of your time will be spent looking for work. (unless you're Don LaFontaine) But, I digress. You've selected certain studios you want to work for. I can appreciate a desire to stay true to what you want to do. However, one cannot live on anime alone. As a job, anime dubbing sucks. You get low pay, work long hours, and a sizeable chunk of your target audience views your performance with the same regard as they would accord a pile of dung. If it's fame you want, this is the wrong business. It's a bit difficult to be famous when nobody knows what you look like. In order to get enough money to support yourself, you're either going to have to get another job, or simply be willing to put your voice to anything you can. Commercials, narrations, promos, toys... anyone who'll pay you. I mean, commericals are the freakin' grail of voice acting. If you score a national, not only do you get scale (which is about 4 times what anime pays, if not more), you get residuals, which roughly translates to "checks come to my house for no extra work done." All that being said, practice. Take acting classes. Record yourself, play it back, critique yourself. Do it again, and again, and again. Play your stuff for other people, ask for brutal honesty. Whenever you get behind a microphone, ask yourself "Who am I, and why am I talking right now?" The lines on the paper are the goal, whereas your job as an actor is to find the reason to say those lines. ("because i'm getting paid" doesn't count) Work on accents and dialects. If you want to live in the US and get paid to do voice work here, it would really help you to learn the major American speech patterns. Hone your accents to the point where you would fool a native. Just remember: This shit is HARD. The trick is being completely genuine while lying through your teeth. As humans, we are so used to speech as a form of communication, we pick up on very small nuances and affectations of speech. You have to learn how to control those nuances to elicit the response you want. Anyways, I'm rambling... Good luck, and don't forget to pick up some headlight fluid.

[GrantM]

If you do go into professional voice acting, don't ever worry about being inferior. There are enough people in the business who make that decision for you. All you can do in any audition is give everything you've got. If the director feels you're right for a part, you get it. If not, you go to another audition. As a voice actor, most of your time will be spent looking for work. (unless you're Don LaFontaine) But, I digress. You've selected certain studios you want to work for. I can appreciate a desire to stay true to what you want to do. However, one cannot live on anime alone. As a job, anime dubbing sucks. You get low pay, work long hours, and a sizeable chunk of your target audience views your performance with the same regard as they would accord a pile of dung. If it's fame you want, this is the wrong business. It's a bit difficult to be famous when nobody knows what you look like. In order to get enough money to support yourself, you're either going to have to get another job, or simply be willing to put your voice to anything you can. Commercials, narrations, promos, toys... anyone who'll pay you. I mean, commericals are the freakin' grail of voice acting. If you score a national, not only do you get scale (which is about 4 times what anime pays, if not more), you get residuals, which roughly translates to "checks come to my house for no extra work done." All that being said, practice. Take acting classes. Record yourself, play it back, critique yourself. Do it again, and again, and again. Play your stuff for other people, ask for brutal honesty. Whenever you get behind a microphone, ask yourself "Who am I, and why am I talking right now?" The lines on the paper are the goal, whereas your job as an actor is to find the reason to say those lines. ("because i'm getting paid" doesn't count) Work on accents and dialects. If you want to live in the US and get paid to do voice work here, it would really help you to learn the major American speech patterns. Hone your accents to the point where you would fool a native. Just remember: This shit is HARD. The trick is being completely genuine while lying through your teeth. As humans, we are so used to speech as a form of communication, we pick on very small nuances and affectations of speech. You have to learn how to control those nuances to elicit the response you want. Anyways, I'm rambling... Good luck, and don't forget to pick up some headlight fluid.

I've known about the crap pay for a while now, it does not seem to bother the VAs at ADV/Funimation as far as I'm aware

[Matt Alan]

If you do go into professional voice acting, don't ever worry about being inferior. There are enough people in the business who make that decision for you. All you can do in any audition is give everything you've got. If the director feels you're right for a part, you get it. If not, you go to another audition. As a voice actor, most of your time will be spent looking for work. (unless you're Don LaFontaine) But, I digress. You've selected certain studios you want to work for. I can appreciate a desire to stay true to what you want to do. However, one cannot live on anime alone. As a job, anime dubbing sucks. You get low pay, work long hours, and a sizeable chunk of your target audience views your performance with the same regard as they would accord a pile of dung. If it's fame you want, this is the wrong business. It's a bit difficult to be famous when nobody knows what you look like. In order to get enough money to support yourself, you're either going to have to get another job, or simply be willing to put your voice to anything you can. Commercials, narrations, promos, toys... anyone who'll pay you. I mean, commericals are the freakin' grail of voice acting. If you score a national, not only do you get scale (which is about 4 times what anime pays, if not more), you get residuals, which roughly translates to "checks come to my house for no extra work done." All that being said, practice. Take acting classes. Record yourself, play it back, critique yourself. Do it again, and again, and again. Play your stuff for other people, ask for brutal honesty. Whenever you get behind a microphone, ask yourself "Who am I, and why am I talking right now?" The lines on the paper are the goal, whereas your job as an actor is to find the reason to say those lines. ("because i'm getting paid" doesn't count) Work on accents and dialects. If you want to live in the US and get paid to do voice work here, it would really help you to learn the major American speech patterns. Hone your accents to the point where you would fool a native. Just remember: This shit is HARD. The trick is being completely genuine while lying through your teeth. As humans, we are so used to speech as a form of communication, we pick on very small nuances and affectations of speech. You have to learn how to control those nuances to elicit the response you want. Anyways, I'm rambling... Good luck, and don't forget to pick up some headlight fluid.

I've known about the crap pay for a while now, it does not seem to bother the VAs at ADV/Funimation as far as I'm aware

LMFAO. Not bother them? Oh sure, maybe not, except for the fact that they have to EAT. MAAAAAAAAAAAANY MAAAAAAAAAANY MAAAAAAAAAAAAANY VAs who do anime-only have secondary jobs. Luci Christian, I believe, is a phone operator/sales lady or something.

VA work pays CRAP. ESPECIALLY non-Union, aka MOST anime work.

Making $275 an hour sounds good, right? Well, that one hour might be the only time you work in a week, or two weeks, or even a month. Can YOU live off 275 bucks a month?

Not in the real world pal. See, there's these things called bills. Yeah, I know, evil little thing designed by nazi martians in office who enjoy paaaaaaaaaaain and suuuuuffffffering. AGOOOONY.

275 bucks won't even pay the rent.

[GrantM]

If you do go into professional voice acting, don't ever worry about being inferior. There are enough people in the business who make that decision for you. All you can do in any audition is give everything you've got. If the director feels you're right for a part, you get it. If not, you go to another audition. As a voice actor, most of your time will be spent looking for work. (unless you're Don LaFontaine) But, I digress. You've selected certain studios you want to work for. I can appreciate a desire to stay true to what you want to do. However, one cannot live on anime alone. As a job, anime dubbing sucks. You get low pay, work long hours, and a sizeable chunk of your target audience views your performance with the same regard as they would accord a pile of dung. If it's fame you want, this is the wrong business. It's a bit difficult to be famous when nobody knows what you look like. In order to get enough money to support yourself, you're either going to have to get another job, or simply be willing to put your voice to anything you can. Commercials, narrations, promos, toys... anyone who'll pay you. I mean, commericals are the freakin' grail of voice acting. If you score a national, not only do you get scale (which is about 4 times what anime pays, if not more), you get residuals, which roughly translates to "checks come to my house for no extra work done." All that being said, practice. Take acting classes. Record yourself, play it back, critique yourself. Do it again, and again, and again. Play your stuff for other people, ask for brutal honesty. Whenever you get behind a microphone, ask yourself "Who am I, and why am I talking right now?" The lines on the paper are the goal, whereas your job as an actor is to find the reason to say those lines. ("because i'm getting paid" doesn't count) Work on accents and dialects. If you want to live in the US and get paid to do voice work here, it would really help you to learn the major American speech patterns. Hone your accents to the point where you would fool a native. Just remember: This shit is HARD. The trick is being completely genuine while lying through your teeth. As humans, we are so used to speech as a form of communication, we pick on very small nuances and affectations of speech. You have to learn how to control those nuances to elicit the response you want. Anyways, I'm rambling... Good luck, and don't forget to pick up some headlight fluid.

I've known about the crap pay for a while now, it does not seem to bother the VAs at ADV/Funimation as far as I'm aware

LMFAO. Not bother them? Oh sure, maybe not, except for the fact that they have to EAT. MAAAAAAAAAAAANY MAAAAAAAAAANY MAAAAAAAAAAAAANY VAs who do anime-only have secondary jobs. Luci Christian, I believe, is a phone operator/sales lady or something.

VA work pays CRAP. ESPECIALLY non-Union, aka MOST anime work.

Making $275 an hour sounds good, right? Well, that one hour might be the only time you work in a week, or two weeks, or even a month. Can YOU live off 275 bucks a month?

Not in the real world pal. See, there's these things called bills. Yeah, I know, evil little thing designed by nazi martians in office who enjoy paaaaaaaaaaain and suuuuuffffffering. AGOOOONY.

275 bucks won't even pay the rent.

Trust me on this I will get a day job. That's what I've been planning to do from the start

[Tony]

VA work pays CRAP. ESPECIALLY non-Union, aka MOST anime work.

Making $275 an hour sounds good, right? Well, that one hour might be the only time you work in a week, or two weeks, or even a month. Can YOU live off 275 bucks a month?

Not in the real world pal. See, there's these things called bills. Yeah, I know, evil little thing designed by nazi martians in office who enjoy paaaaaaaaaaain and suuuuuffffffering. AGOOOONY.

275 bucks won't even pay the rent.

Matt:
Wow, we suck... Just crapping all over this guy's dreams. Ah well, reality does have that nasty habit of intruding into our lives. Last gig I had, I barked like a dog for an hour. (It really troubles me that there could be a prostitute saying that exact same thing right now.) Dignity and voiceover don't really correlate.

Grant:
Well, you said you want a day job, so that matter is sorted. If you just want to do it for the love of it, then ignore most of my last post, and just concentrate on the "get good" stuff.

[GrantM]

Actually what I plan to do is finish college (or university if I get that far) while getting acting lessions and some voice coaching. Then try to move to Houston and get a day job there. Once I've done that I'll then try to work for ADV and Funimation

And I know I will love working for them, I like anime and I've had some tastes of voice acting already. Besides I'd think I'd fit in well at ADV and Funimation, even though I do have Asperger Syndrome, but I don't think it would affect my voice acting ability (I just hope no one else from them read my blog)

And $275 an hour?...that's like £158 over here. Okay you say it may not be much but it's sure more than what most people I know earn

Still that's why I'm getting a day job

[Nikki Wright]

Besides I'd think I'd fit in well at ADV and Funimation, even though I do have Asperger Syndrome, but I don't think it would affect my voice acting ability Okay, get ready for some brutal honesty:

If you don't think it's going to affect your voice acting ability, stop waving it around like some kind of flag. Honestly, if it's going to affect nothing, stop finding ways to bring it up. Doing that will affect you in more ways than just your 'voice acting career'.

[GrantM]

Besides I'd think I'd fit in well at ADV and Funimation, even though I do have Asperger Syndrome, but I don't think it would affect my voice acting ability Okay, get ready for some brutal honesty:

If you don't think it's going to affect your voice acting ability, stop waving it around like some kind of flag. Honestly, if it's going to affect nothing, stop finding ways to bring it up. Doing that will affect you in more ways than just your 'voice acting career'.

I was actually more concerned about how the people at ADV/Funimation would think of me if they knew I had it

I didn't mean to keep this topic going, but then again I had to answer something on it

[Nikki Wright]

Besides I'd think I'd fit in well at ADV and Funimation, even though I do have Asperger Syndrome, but I don't think it would affect my voice acting ability Okay, get ready for some brutal honesty:

If you don't think it's going to affect your voice acting ability, stop waving it around like some kind of flag. Honestly, if it's going to affect nothing, stop finding ways to bring it up. Doing that will affect you in more ways than just your 'voice acting career'.

I was actually more concerned about how the people at ADV/Funimation would think of me if they knew I had it

I didn't mean to keep this topic going, but then again I had to answer something on itBottom line: If you say it will affect nothing, don't talk about it all the time. e.e

[GrantM]

Besides I'd think I'd fit in well at ADV and Funimation, even though I do have Asperger Syndrome, but I don't think it would affect my voice acting ability Okay, get ready for some brutal honesty:

If you don't think it's going to affect your voice acting ability, stop waving it around like some kind of flag. Honestly, if it's going to affect nothing, stop finding ways to bring it up. Doing that will affect you in more ways than just your 'voice acting career'.

I was actually more concerned about how the people at ADV/Funimation would think of me if they knew I had it

I didn't mean to keep this topic going, but then again I had to answer something on itBottom line: If you say it will affect nothing, don't talk about it all the time. e.e

I see, okay then

[Yoda117]

First off... VO is the most ADD-like environment I have ever seen.

Since AS is similar in nature, it should prove to be no problem... but feel free to not mention it often.

And if you want to know just how far you can go despite having AS, feel free to give Raymond Thompson a call... he's the executive producer and creator of Cloud 9 Studios in New Zealand. Considering his success in the UK with shows like "The Tribe", "Twist in the Tale" and others I'd say that the sky is the limit so long as you don't choose to use it as an asset instead of a liability.

[GrantM]

I'd say that the sky is the limit so long as you don't choose to use it as an asset instead of a liability.

What's the difference?

[Matt Alan]

I'd say that the sky is the limit so long as you don't choose to use it as an asset instead of a liability.

What's the difference?

The difference is my first cousin. He's autistic.

But he expresses himself with his writing and his acting. He's very good, even though he's considered mentally handicapped.

Thats an asset, using what you have and making good with it and not letting it hold you back.

A liability is casting someone who may ruin something because of their "handicap".

Seeing as how you post and communicate and also go to college? Your AS really doesn't seem to hold you back at all and should NOT bare on someone's judgement on whether to hire you or not and therefore should not be tossed out in the open as an excuse.

[Fiona C]

I'd say that the sky is the limit so long as you don't choose to use it as an asset instead of a liability.

What's the difference?

An asset is something that will boost your career or anything for that matter. It's something good in your life -- like being good at teamwork is a valuable asset.

A liability is something that will cause you to FAIL, or make bad things happen.

[GrantM]

I'd say that the sky is the limit so long as you don't choose to use it as an asset instead of a liability.

What's the difference?

An asset is something that will boost your career or anything for that matter. It's something good in your life -- like being good at teamwork is a valuable asset.

A liability is something that will cause you to FAIL, or make bad things happen.

And your saying I'm treating the fact that I've got AS as a liability

[Fiona C]

I'd say that the sky is the limit so long as you don't choose to use it as an asset instead of a liability.

What's the difference?

An asset is something that will boost your career or anything for that matter. It's something good in your life -- like being good at teamwork is a valuable asset.

A liability is something that will cause you to FAIL, or make bad things happen.

And your saying I'm treating the fact that I've got AS as a liability

No. Merely answering your question. Though I believe Matt wrote a better answer above mine.

[La Sailor Luna]

Aren't ya'll being just a wee bit hard on this dude?

[GrantM]

Aren't ya'll being just a wee bit hard on this dude?

I don't think they are

[La Sailor Luna]

Suit yourself then homie.

[GrantM]

The way I see it, the people here at a lot more understanding than on other forums I've been to (the Anime On DVD forums for example)

[Yoda117]

Not sure that the message got across correctly, but the jist is that you can let AS run the course of your life, and use it as an excuse not to try, or put forth the effort... to use it as a crutch.

Or you could accept the fact that you have it, that a lot of other people do who have gone on to lead very successful lives and work that much harder ot achieve your goals.

[Cassie]

I'd just like to say that the real reason I wanted to be a VA was so I could get hot chicks.







Ok...I have nothing useful to add.

[Matt Alan]

I'd just like to say that the real reason I wanted to be a VA was so I could get hot chicks.







Ok...I have nothing useful to add.

Same here! :D

(Kidding....really...)

[Lioncourt]

The reason I became a VA was because it provided a safe home for my multiple personalities ^^

[soundcage]

I've wanted to do this since the third grade. Well, technically, I really got myself submerged in it two years ago after overhearing a few co-workers mention how I should get the hell out of that place and get into voicing. I always wanted to be a guy in a cartoon, but not for the glory of it. I always found it to be fascinating. From third grade and up until even now, I record something, whether small, large or just weird daily. This is the all consuming passion in my life, and even if I don't go anywhere with it, at least I can say that I've tried and that in itself is still worth it to me.

[Edwyn]

I'm just here because of [insert moderately disturbing although amusing, although still quite disturbing, comment here which may or may not involve the loving of dead people flesh]

[topleka]

::fwomps Edywn-kama:: Me too! I mean...um...PIE! I did it for the pie. >.>

Honestly, I've always loved creating forms of entertainment. Art, acting, and even programming, my whole life has always been about creating things that people will enjoy.

[Cefaclor]

::fwomps Edywn-kama:: Me too! I mean...um...PIE! I did it for the pie. >.>

Honestly, I've always loved creating forms of entertainment. Art, acting, and even programming, my whole life has always been about creating things that people will enjoy.

Agreed. Sept for the psychotic Edwyn and pie thing XD. Anyway, creating something gives self satisfaction. And thats a great feeling.