Busy Voice Stuffs!

Okay okay okay okay okay okay.

First thing's first. I have lined up a gig. I don't know what I'm doing, or how much I'm going to get paid, or how long til it's released, but I've got it. I'll be doing some voice over work for a promotional spot for a sponsor search for a community organization. And that's about all I know. More details when I get the chance.

Secondly, this is now my official announcement that AS OF JANUARY 1, 2010, I WILL NO LONGER BE PARTAKING IN FANDUBS OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE OFFICIAL RELEASES. This is for a couple reasons, the most obvious of which is that, as I approach entry into the wonderful industry that has so far made huge steps to accept me, I do not wish to stab myself in the foot. It's no secret that the industry looks down on fandubs as a detraction from the hard work people get paid to do. While I would disagree with this accusation, I am also a realist, and know that if I keep doing what I have been, I'll get nowhere. So, I will continue to work on fandubs as long as there is no official English-language license. Once a project has reached that point, I will have to refrain from dubbing said project. I will, however, be continuing with my radio plays and such.

Finally, and most importantly, JOIN MAH GROUP! I (with the help of Voice Actor/MAN OF AWESOME Kyle Hebert) have created a Facebook group dedicated to getting Hollywood (and ultimately the rest of the entertainment industry) to understand that they should be hiring voice actors for their blockbuster animated and CGI movies. Too often the industry guys will cast big names to draw an audience but sacrifice the movie's characters and performances for such. We say, let the voice actors do their job! For more information, check out http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=243252943101. On board are great professionals like Kyle Hebert, Wendee Lee, Tara Strong, Kyle Hebert, Cristina Valenzuela, Richard Epcar, Bob Bergen, and Kyle Hebert. And did I mention Kyle Hebert? Come show your support!

Gigs, Roles, and Christmas Time

So, in case you haven't heard by now (or in case you actually care), I was informed just last night that I'll be headlining a gig I thought I was merely being a warm-up DJ for next week. This is at once amazing and frightening, as that puts a lot of pressure on me since this is the groups first real event. I know my love is Voice Over, but DJing has always been a guilty pleasure for me. I definitely enjoy the time I put into it, and I also take it very seriously. I guess that it paid off.

So if you've friended me on Facebook and you're in the LA area, you probably got an invite. And if you haven't done either of those things, head over to http://www.meetup.com/TrancePortal/ and join the group, and then you'll find all the details for the event literally at your fingertips. If you can, come out and show me some support! :D

I've managed to snag a couple of new roles that I'm really excited about. I'm starting to get more involved in the land of the radio play, and I've also scored 2 roles in some flash animations. More info on those as they become available, but I hope you guys will enjoy them. I've really been working my buns off. Ask my family; they've been worried. XD

As Christmas approaches, I find myself again in a frustrating place. I don't have the money to buy the Christmas presents I want for all of my friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, it's going to have to be another one of those years where I mass-produce computer-made Christmas cards and then just include a privatized note in each. I hope everyone will understand that it's not that I'm not thinking of them, it's just that I can't afford much more than that. So if you get one of these, don't hate me for it. >_<

Hope everyone is enjoying the rain in LA! It's been a long time coming, but now we're in a good place! The plants are getting their much need moisturizing facials, and the area will be much happier for it.

As always, live well and enjoy! ^_^

Aaaaaand, THAT'S A WRAP!

Well, Turkey Day 2009 went over alright. I made it through most of the day without thinking about how many turkeys were sacrificed for our twisted American holiday.

Moving on, though, another new clip! Been waiting ages and stages for this to come out, as I recorded my lines for this back in the first week of September. But I hope you enjoy! I play the three (screaming) brothers who speak (scream?) at the same time. Feedback is always much appreciated.

Things are getting a little hectic for me here. Money's been tight, but it's going to be even tighter for the next couple of months, as holidays mean no work. Besides that, I'm still a bit behind on a few projects and have even more coming up. I'm hoping to get all caught up this week, and maybe even finish the lines for a surprise project with a friend that I'm not allowed to talk about. But that should be fun. ^_^

Finally, I leave you with this statement: IF YOU LOVE CRISTINA VEE, LET HER KNOW! She has a brand new Twitter account, and could use some followers. Or if you're just a stalker, now you can know about things she does in her everyday life without leaving the comfort of your computer. Just don't tell her I sent you. Check it out at http://twitter.com/cristinavee.

And if you don't know who she is, you should be ashamed. VERY ashamed.

Turkey Day Approaches!

Hoping to have a wonderful time of it.

But you guys don't care about boring stuff like that. So let me talk about the awesome stuff. New video is my Animation Demo Reel for 2009. It's a collection of works I've been involved in with the sole intention of showing my ability to match lip flaps. Hope it works on that end, and I really hope that people enjoy it.

On another note, Episode 3 of Genesis Avalon (featuring my debut as Martin Alvers) is FINALLY out! Head over to http://pendantaudio.com/genesisavalon.php#new and check it out! And while you're at the Pendant website, you should take the opportunity to subscribe to their podcast so that you can get the new episodes monthly. And also, check out this week's episode of This Week In Pendant (TWIP), because yours truly has a highlighted interview. If you need an extra link for that, here it is: http://pendantaudio.com/twip.php

Other than that, some more projects are coming up soon (I hope), and come next year, once I can afford it, I'm going to be taking some voice lessons with an awesome person who has agreed to help me. I'm not at liberty to say who, but just know that I'm going to be working my buns off! :)

Look! New Clippage!

So, first things first. The new clip is a wonderful little fandub of the new series Fairy Tail, which is still overseas in Japan. In this clip, directed by the wonderful Jordan Woollen a.k.a. Para_bolic (Dead School Productions), I play Natsu (the pink-haired screamy guy). Had a lot of fun in the role, even though I was still recovering from my bout with Pneumonia, and who knows? Maybe there might be more in the making...

Anyways, this past weekend was amazingly busy. Friday night a couple of friends and I made it to the launch party for Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt's new book, Voice-Over Voice Actor. This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone even remotely interested in voice acting and what it's like to be in the industry. Finally met Yuri, who was on my list of voice actors I needed to meet before I died, and he is such a nice guy. It was great to be able to talk to him.

Saturday was my best friend/sister's 21st birthday, where we finally got to play BlazBlue. Ironically enough, our friend Cristina was able to make it, and she happens to voice a couple of characters in the game. Well, 5 minutes after we started playing, she came in as I was playing with her character. Next thing I knew, the character entered and said her line, and I heard it coming from right next to me as well! It was pretty epic.

Saw Cristina again on Sunday at another friend's birthday party. Played some Rock Band, some DDR, and sang the blues about not being able to play guitar while being accompanied by some very talented musicians. Overall, it was a great time, and I was glad I was invited.

And finally, Monday night was the screening of Magnum Farce: A Shot in the Dark at the LA Comedy Festival at the famous ACME Theatre in Hollywood. It was great to see all of the talented actors in all of the films, and I gave my support to Ken Mora, the director of Magnum Farce. Kyle Hebert was there as well, and we got to talk about a few things, including (but not limited to) FPSs vs. RPGs, zombie invasions, industry standards, and the state of living these days. It was overall a very enjoyable night.

I'm still recovering from my Pneumonia, and yet, I've no time to dally. Over-due lines to record tonight, and I'll have to look into some more projects soon, because my schedule is starting to have open spaces. Thinking about creating an acting account on New Grounds, so keep a look out.

Stay safe, everyone! ^_^

So, I Didn't Have Swine Flu After All...

Turns out it was actually pneumonia. Lucky me, huh?

Anywho, life is returning to normal for me. I've finished lines for a few projects this week, and I have even more to do tonight and tomorrow. Somehow, I've got more on the weekend, which I have to do around some housework and various other responsibilities. But I'll do it.

I hope to be attending the debut of Magnum Farce on Monday night to support Kyle Hebert. Assuming my paycheck comes in on time, I can buy my ticket ahead of time so that I'm sure to have a seat. But we'll have to wait see. Should be pretty fun. :D

Halloween, H1N1, and more!

That's it. I can't take not updating this thing anymore! You may want me to shut up, but I'm not going to. Because I like the sound of my own... typing.

Anyways, Halloween was cool. Went as a vampire-demon-thing. Not really sure, but had a good time. And then, 2 days later, I came down with Swine Flu. Still trying to kick this sucker, but luckily all symptoms are gone save for a racking cough and the occasional sore throat. But I'm hoping to be fully-recovered very soon so that I can get back to recording lines.

I was accepted into a voice acting competition called "Act It!" and our first challenge is due this week, so here's hoping I can recover by then. If you're interested, you can check out the details on THIS NEW VOICE ACTING COMMUNITY SITE CALLED VIRTUAL HOLLYWOOD. [/shameless plug]: http://z6.invisionfree.com/Virtual_Hollywood/index.php?showtopic=10

Last but not least, I attended Cripsin Freeman's Anime Mythology seminar about women. If you get the chance to attend, do it. The Adolescence of Utena makes so much more sense now. So, it's definitely worth it to attend.

Trying to aim for Crispin's Intermediate VA workshop again on the 21st, but we'll see what happens, since I'm incredibly broke. But life goes on, and so must I! Peace! ^_^

I'm not dead, just sick...

So, I was sick for a week about a week ago. I got better, and thought to myself, "Great! Now I can do all those lines and auditions I was supposed to do last week." Well, I'm an unlucky guy, I guess. On Monday afternoon, my throat started feeling a bit sore. It's a lot worse today, and hasn't really been very comfortable. So I'm sick again, and falling even further behind on all the things I'm supposed to be doing. Fun stuff.

Thinking back, I might have caught something on Saturday, when I spent 8 hours at the filming of the Spike Scream Awards, an Oscar-style award show put on by Spike TV. You guys should check out when it's airing for you, because I might actually be on camera. That's right, I could be on TV.

In other news, my radio show tonight will be interesting. I'm going to see if I can get a friend of mine to come guest host so that people don't have to listen to my crappy voice and I don't have to aggravate my throat any more than necessary.

Also, my good friend Daniel and I started an Amateur Voice Actor interview show. Check it out--> http://voiceactingalliance.com/board/showthread.php?t=47515

And a new clip has been placed in the video feed. This would be a Potemayo fandub where I play Kodai, a bizarre man with a son who's found a mysterious magical creature. It's a fun project, and I hope more clips get made in the future. Click play and enjoy! ^_^

Translation, Auditioning, and I was on a boat!

Oh wait, I already said I was on a boat, didn't I? Oh well. I WAS ON A BOAT!

Moving on, auditioning for a few more projects this week. I'm waiting on some cast announcements for some radioplays, one of which has had its deadline extended til the 12th, so I'll be waiting a bit longer for that one. I'm in the studio tonight recording more auditions for more projects and planning to have a great time doing it.

On another note, I translated the first sentence of the Bakemonogatari "light" novel. This thing is 445 pages of Japanese characters and kanji without any Furigana at all. So it's been hard. Posted below just because.

「戦場ヶ原（せんじょうがはら）ひたぎは、クラスにおいて、いわゆる病弱な女の子という立ち位置を与えられている―当然のように体育の授業なんかには参加しないし、全校朝会や全校集会でさえ、貧血対策とやらで、一人だけ日陰で受けている。」

"Hitagi Senjougahara has been given the title of the sickly girl in her class― Naturally she is looked down on because she doesn't participate in physical education class, and to avoid getting anemia, she sits alone in the shade during school assemblies."

And there you go. It seems like it should be easy, but it wasn't. Took an hour with the help of my Japanese Class assistants. Part of the problem was that some of it was hard to explain in English. But I got the general idea, and I'm happy that my translation makes sense. Anyone out there who's really good at English AND Japanese want to double check this for me? XD

New voices, a slight cold, and I WAS ON A BOAT!

So, while recording a couple of auditions 2 days ago, I discovered 2 new voices. I rather like them, as one is pretty much in my same range, but doing something different with my throat, so it sounds like a different person. FINALLY, I have a voice that doesn't sound like me! This is good news, so yeah. ^_^

Also, I've been ill for about the past week. Somehow, I've been able to work around it, but today I'm a bit nasal. And my voice is a little high-pitched. So no recording for me today.

Also today, I WAS ON A BOAT! No, really, I was. DJed a boat party with 40+ people. I might post up pictures later on when they've been uploaded. But from what I heard, people enjoyed it. It was nice to hear the comments and feedback I got from everyone, especially since I had to work around the death of the generator while we were out. But we made it work. :)

New clip is a fandub of Chaos;Head, which is owned by Madhouse, check out the official releases, yada yada yada.

Finally, check out my latest radio play role! I play a dad. Which is a new thing for me. --> Midnight Sugar: http://voiceactingalliance.com/board/showthread.php?t=47010

Wait! Don't leave! I'm alive! I swear!

So, I've been away for a while. It's not that I haven't wanted to post another blog, but I've been busier than I thought possible.

The short and dirty status report is as follows:

- Went to the Intermediate Voice Acting workshop with Crispin Freeman at the JVTA.
- Saw the Eureka 7 movie premiere alongside Crispin Freeman, Tony Oliver, Stephanie Sheh, and several of my friends.
- Got cast in a new visual drama called "Obscurity" as a Mass Murderer. That's actually the characters name. Lots of fun, this one is.
- Genesis Avalon Episode 1 FINALLY came out! Even though I'm not in this episode, it's great to see the awesome that is this project in it's completion. It's been in the making for 2 years, so it's nice to see the hard work come to fruition.
- Had a 1 hour session with Kyle Hebert over Skype. He seemed impressed, and said some very nice things to me, and recommended a vocal coach for commercial work. I'll definitely check her out once I have the funds. I'm still kind of floating in the air from some of the things he said, but I'll try and deflate my ego so I can come back down to Earth.

And that's mostly it. I'll be updating the video soon with some new material. In the meantime, check out the productions I mentioned above! ^_^

Genesis Avalon: http://pendantaudio.com/genesisavalon.php
Obscurity: http://www.cjworkshop.co.uk/

Chinchilli Day, Intermediate Workshops, and Guilt Removal...

So, in an attempt to remove some guilt from my conscious, I've taken off the Naruto fandub. Instead, I've put up my 2009 blooper reel. Enjoy the laughs. Some minor language warning in the first 15 seconds, but then it's clean for most of the rest of it. <.<

Yesterday was Chinchilli Day, according to Las Vegas. I really wish someone would have told me that yesterday. I'd have taken it off as well. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, go to Youtube and search for "Chinchilli Day."

So, now to the meat of this entry: The Intermediate BangZoom Workshop on Saturday. Again, let me reiterate how amazing these workshops are. Tony Oliver has officially become one of my heroes. He's nice, patient, and really knows how to help actors bring out the best from inside them.

The instance that stands out most to me involved some practice ADR a.k.a. dubbing. I was in the booth, headphones on, trying to match my voice and emotions to a scene from Rurouni Kenshin as the lead. Kenshin is a wandering samurai who has given up his killing ways to seek out a more peaceful life. However, the character Shishio has forced him into a fight where the only way to end it is for one of them to die. Kenshin finds new resolve in the fight by realizing that should he fail, countless innocents will suffer for it.

Now, that is a bit of a paraphrase, but it's just so you get the idea. I am most used to playing teenagers (which Kenshin is not), and particularly school students (which Kenshin is not). I've also rarely played anyone with any kind of anger involved. So this scene was an intense challenge, especially since I'd seen the original dub AND watched a friend (Sean Chiplock) win AX Idol doing the same scene. Both were extremely epic, and I tried very hard to achieve that same level of epic without copying either the original or Sean's performance. And it wasn't easy.

On the most important line of the scene, I had done 3 takes and still hadn't got the right feel that Tony wanted. I had gotten closer each take, but it was still missing something. And then, Tony said something that I honestly can't even remember, because it put me so into the character and the moment that I was very literally not myself anymore. When I watched the playback after we had finished, I was pretty much speechless. There was a strength to my voice that I've never heard before. I was very impressed. And I knew that I hadn't done it alone. It was at that moment that Tony more than proved himself in my eyes.

And what's more, it didn't stop there. Tony continued to do the same for each and every one of the other students in the class. So kudos to you, Tony. You have made my hero list. I hope you someday come to know of the appreciation I'm sure all of your actors feel for your wonderful directing. :)

Overall, another day and wad of cash thoroughly well-spent. If I get the chance to, I will do it again. It's that worth it.

Anywho, Crispin Freeman's Intermediate workshop is this Saturday. This will end my month-and-a-half-long run of workshops and money tossing. I can't do any more for the time being, but my resolve has not been lost. I'm just getting warmed up! >:3

Also, if you get the chance, check out a new radioplay I'm in called Alex Harcourt. I play the lead (luckily), and am definitely using this as both a learning experience and a resume builder, since it's completely original. Link is here: http://voiceactingalliance.com/board/showthread.php?t=46528.

Workshops, New Clips, and Work Sucks...

Well, I've updated the clip to the right to show the latest released piece I've been in. Hopefully some more will be released soon, and I can get the ones I'm REALLY excited about up here. I'm not really pleased with my performance in this one, but it was probably the most emotional piece I've done up to this point. But you know what, I'm going to just leave it behind me and move along.

Going to another topic here, now 2 days away from the Intermediate level workshop with Bang Zoom. Really looking forward to that. Should be lots of fun! :D

Also, in case anyone wanted to know, data entry sucks. It's one thing when you have a job and get paid to do what your job description says. It's another to spend the day behind a desk typing in numbers to a database. That sucks.

Another Monday. Huh? What do you mean it's Tuesday?!

So, holidays officially suck.

Okay, that's a lie. But they do throw off my whole schedule completely and entirely. I mean, how fair is it to give someone a three day weekend when on that fourth day they're expected to wake up at 6 AM when they've been up until 2 AM for the previous 3 nights? Curse you, American school system.

This week should be fairly breezy, in terms of what I actually care about. I've caught up with most of my lines (next deadline isn't until Saturday, and it's my own clip, so the deadline is a bit lax), so really I'm just cruising this week until Saturday. That is the day I attend the Intermediate level Adventures in Voice Acting workshop over at BangZoom.

I can already imagine how awesome it's going to be. I think I might be a little less shy this time. I might still be friendly, but this round, it's for keeps. If you see me there, don't be surprised if I look intense. I fully intend to show these guys that I mean business. Even if I suck, which is usually the case, I want to show them how much I want this, and how much I'm willing to work for it.

So yeah... Puppies are cute. Someone get me a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, yeah?

The Voice, she is gone!

So, Thursday night I went to a concert. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but in this case, it was huge. Nickelback concert. Featuring Saving Abel, Papa Roach, and Hinder. Didn't really like Hinder, but Saving Abel was pretty good. Papa Roach was awesome. And Nickelback made me lose my voice.

So here I am now, in desperate need to record, and constantly trying to get my voice to cooperate. And of course, my sinuses decided that they were going to disobey my wishes and clog up. So now I'm downing sinus medication and hoping for the best. Got a few deadlines today, tomorrow, and Tuesday. So yeah.

Oh, and attending the AiVA Intermediate workshop in 6 days and counting. ^_^

They've changed the faucets!

Walked into the bathroom here at work. All of the handles on all of the sinks have been changed. That's just weird.

In other news, California's still on fire, just watched Bakemonogatari Ep 8 (very strange and hard to follow, but absolutely amazing nonetheless), and might get some feedback on my demo reel from Kyle Hebert. That'd be cool. :)

Here be the post-workshop thoughts!

August 23, 2009
Wow. Abso-bloody-lutely the best day of my LIFE! Tony was awesome. If I ever get directed by anyone, I hope it's Tony. He really knows how to help an actor pull out their best for the scene.

The workshop was wonderfully informative. For the most part, a lot of the physical and anatomical aspects of what he told us were things that I already knew. But I can definitely see how that information would help someone who WASN'T familiar with it, so it was all good.

Probably the best part of the day was behind the mic experience. Having a director lead you in the right direction and an engineer to line you up and make sure everything is as amazing as it can be is so liberating as an actor that I can't even begin to describe it. When I'm working out of my house, there's little-to-no interaction with the director, and I think that that may be why AVAs can sound so amateur in comparison to pros. I honestly believe that a director can make or break an actor's performance.

I got to throw my voice behind the character Moondoggie from Eureka 7 (throwing a tantrum about everyone loving Renton more than him [totally right up my alley]). I also got to voice Albert from Gankutsuou (CURSE YOU JYB) opposite to another of our workshop's members who voice The Count. That scene was fun. I got to play someone of upper-class status with a generally innocent character type. That was very nice.

Overall, I loved it. I'll be doing the Intermediate level next chance I get. :)

The end. :)

Where'd those days go?!

So, it's been a few days, huh? Well, long story really really short, California's on fire, I've been busy, and I released my first ever production! I scripted, mixed, AND directed this sucker, so I hope it came out alright. You can see it in the side bar, or (if you're in the future when the side bar clip has been changed), check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iz_IQvWy50.

Now, on to the promised pre-workshop thoughts!

August 22, 2009

I arrive at the building around 9:25 AM. It's not even close to what I expected. As was the JVTA building, it is a small, unmarked building with limited parking in the area. But unlike the JVTA, I know that these guys have equipment inside that is infinitely more useful than anything I've used up to this point. And if there's one thing I've learned by now, it's not to leave things up to outside appearances.

Luckily, today my friend Juan [name changed for anonymity] is also taking the workshop. I'm all for meeting new people, but there's something uniquely comforting about knowing that I'll be familiar with at least one person who's there for the same reasons I am. He and I have known each other for a while now, so hopefully we'll both benefit from this workshop.

I kind of know what to expect, but at the same time, I'm hoping to be surprised. I'm going in with an open mind, and I'm ready to learn. It'd be really awesome if I get discovered here.

9:35, I'm asked to move my car. So I park elsewhere and head in.

Once inside, I am again surprised. Red velvet couches greet those who wait, neatly placed in the corner of the entryway. The "front desk" is a small computer desk with an iMac in front and the "Land of the Rising Sun" behind a larger Vizio screen in the back. The building is large, spacious, and quite pleasant. A rock pond sits on the side lined by small plants.

I ran out to grab my water bottle, which I had conveniently left in my car, and on my return, I see Tony.

And now the day begins.

So there you go. Those were my thoughts as we started the workshop. Hopefully I'll have some thoughts from the post-workshop rush tomorrow for you. :)

Stay safe everyone!

So here I am...

Well. Hello there, everyone. I'm new to this blogging thing, so please, everyone be kind.

Let me just introduce myself here. My name is Mark, and every where on the internet I can be found under the moniker "Akumaryu." I'm a music fan, and anime fan, and a fan of a lot of other things, too. Probably my biggest love in life, though, is Voice Acting.

Now, if you've been on the internet for a while, you'll probably think "Oh jeez, here comes another one of THOSE people." But I hope you'll stick around and give me a chance.

See, I eat, sleep, drink, and breathe voice acting right now. Seriously. I wake up in the morning and think about it. I go to bed thinking about it. And it even invades my thoughts at some of the most inopportune moments.

I've been doing amateur voice work through the Voice Acting Alliance (awesome sight, check it out if you're at all interested in voice acting [recently suggested in a workshop by Tony Oliver!]). I've done a lot of fandubs (SHH!!), a few radioplays, and a couple of other things here and there. Chances are if you just run over to Google and/or Youtube and type in Akumaryu, you'll find stuff featuring my terrible voice and shoddy acting, so I won't do any plugs (just yet).

Lately, I've been taking some serious steps into getting involved with voice acting on a professional level. This, as I'm sure some of you know, is a terrible idea. But hey, I can't do anything else. I mean, I can do other things, but none of them speak to me like this. Plus, I'm mediocre at everything I do. This is probably the only thing I can honestly feel I do well with

But enough about me. Let's talk about me. ^_^

I've attended a couple of workshops now, and plan to attend quite a few more. I've set a goal for myself to at least have worked on one professional project by this time next year. And to help chronicle my journey, I've decided to start up this little blog. So I'll be coming here pretty frequently to let everyone who's interested in how that journey is going. In the words of several great minds, "The journey is often more amazing than the goal." Or something like that.

Anyways, I hope not to bore everyone too much. This probably won't be one of those blogs where I start off all serious and after a couple of entries talking about what I had for lunch and how mad I am at Jamie or Bill. I'm not that kind of person. Though I won't promise there will be no randomness. I AM THAT kind of person. So be warned.

And that's pretty much all I have left to say. Next post will be a re-post of sorts. I'll be typing up something that was a pre-workshop thought blurb from just before my last workshop, the Adventures in Voice Acting Beginning workshop. Then, my post-workshop thoughts.

Yeah, like I said, kind of boring. ^_^