Down with the Sickness

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Chris Biewer

It has been a while since I posted so I wanted to wrap up the holiday weekend with a production update and share my absence. Shortly after attending Nebraskon, I came down a case of con plague and I was shelved for a few days. Then we started to travel to my sister’s house for the holidays.

Over the holiday weekend I have been working with some of my voice over talent and getting some paperwork in line and getting scripts and questions resolved. I brought my tablet along to do some work while on the holiday break but after being full strength for a couple days, I caught something else and am under the weather again, which is why I am writing this weeks update as opposed to hopping in front of the camera again. Once I am back up and running, I will recap Nebraskon and share more information about episode 2.

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday! Talk soon 🙂

Production Update 198: Pause

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Chris Biewer

It has been a little bit of a rough past week. I ended up tabling my animation tests due to migraines all week. The previous week before I had a cold and a sinus infection and I am not sure if the subsequent migraines were a result of just getting back to full health or if they are part of something else. I have been exploring a new diet recently to see if that will help, it seems like when I try new things to see if they work it solves the problem but then it comes back. It could also be a result of not being able to get out doors and naturally spending more time in front of the screen too. I am going to find a solution to this.

On the animation test front though, I completed a minor test that I mentioned before, using 4 mouth shapes of dialogue scenes. The next test I want to do involves using 7 shapes and seeing if that offers a more fluid solution. My aim is to render these scenes out side by side and share them.

This past week I also started a new session for teaching assisting through School of Motion, something I have been doing for a year now. I love to help get people into animation and that is what I love doing at School of Motion. My aim is to bring some of that animation eduction to Cosmic Rage as well, I am still working out the best solution for that. But this also allows me to build up some funds to cover the recent tablet I purchased and also going to help cover costs of VO for episode two along with funds from Patreon.

I really appreciate all of your patience as I get back into the full swing of things this week.

Introducing James Larabee

Posted on May 4, 2016 by admin

Where are you from: Born in Toledo Ohio, grew up in Danville Illinois and then Grove City Ohio. Moved to Texas and never looked back! I love living in Dallas!

Why do you want to be a voice actor: Voiceacting is acting-pretending-and gives me a chance to be people I could never be in real life. Also, as a voice actor, I can be cast in many more roles than a film or stage production that is looking for someone who has a look or age that I might not fit.

Who is your favorite VO actor: Todd Haberkorn is a great actor, and is amazing!

Who is your favorite anime/game/cartoon character: I gotta go with Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles. Great acting, voice acting, and I identify with being a dad, a husband, and heck…he’s Incredible!

If you could voice any character, who would it be and why: The Joker! I have a great version of his voice that I think could go toe to toe with Mark Hamill!

What drew you to audition for Cosmic Rage: The art style always pulls me into a project, then it’s the story; both of these hold true with Cosmic Rage!

Where can fans follow you at or find more of your work: Well, you can always follow me by watching my IMDb or check out some of my art and demos at: www.thehomeofhappiness.weebly.com

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5690715/?ref_=fn_al_nm_5

Introducing Wyatt Baker

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Chris Biewer

Where are you from?
A small town in central Pennsylvania, aiming for Hollywood~

Why do you want to be a voice actor?
I love giving life to the unreal, and voice acting is my favorite way to do so.

Who is your favorite VO actor?
Patrick Seitz <3 (Patrick if you’re reading this I’m your biggest fan xoxoxoxo)

Who is your favorite anime/game/cartoon character?
Hard to choose just one, so…

Anime: Yasuri Shichika from Katanagatari

Game: David Young from D4

Cartoon: Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty

If you could voice any character, who would it be and why?
Also Yasuri Shichika. His lovable cluelessness and determination make him an awesome character. However, by that point, you’ll have been torn to pieces.

What drew you to audition for Cosmic Rage?
Contract killers, prize fighters and apocalyptic mayhem? I couldn’t not audition for it!

Where can fans follow you at or find more of your work?
You can check my soundcloud! https://soundcloud.com/aquaerano

Introducing Carson McCamy

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Chris Biewer

Where are you from?
Chatsworth, GA

Why do you want to be a voice actor?
I grew up wanting to be an entertainer. As a kid, around four I would design costumes for my grandma to make, and I would run around and mimic the voices for any costume I was in, and then I would always mimic characters from movies and shows that I’d watch. So it was always a lifestyle for me, rather than a career choice.

Who is your favorite VO actor?
Either Dee Bradley Baker or James Arnold Taylor.

Who is your favorite anime/game/cartoon character?
Anime: Hellsing’s Alucard, Game: Deadpool. Cartoon: Alucard

If you could voice any character, who would it be and why? Deadpool; because he’s my favorite character in anything ever. And thats because we’re so alike in personality, it’s uncanny.

What drew you to audition for Cosmic Rage? I’d never seen a concept or art style like this before, so naturally I was drawn to it.

Where can fans follow you at or find more of your work? My work can be found on YouTube. LlamaStudios is the creator of my most well-known work as Batman, and my voice over demos can be found on castingcall.club as well as my YouTube channel by searching Carson McCamy. I can also be found on Twitter by that name as well.

Introducing Gianni Matragrano

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Chris Biewer

Where are you from?
Depends on how you look at things! Born in New York, but brought to Florida when I was four and raised by my very New Yorker Italian-American family.

Why do you want to be a voice actor?
Like many, I’ve been into animation and video games since I was a kid. It was all I ever wanted to spend my time on. I really love the projects I get to be a part of from the bottom up, every perspective. Be it the writing, art, message it spreads, the design philosophy, or even just a fun little romp for the viewer/player. I really love the creative energy I get to bring to the table with the addictive power of acting. Honing my skillset and seeing the finished projects come to life, as the many talented people behind them envisioned, is something that has been a thrill for me for five years. I can’t see myself stopping now.

Who is your favorite VO actor?
This is just a mean question! What they’ve each brought to the table through the years has undeniably been a pleasure for so many like myself. I really love the work of D.C. Douglas (Wesker, Resident Evil 5, with most notoriety). Steve Blum is a name that’s been said to me hundreds of times through the years in reference to my sound. Truthfully, when I listen side by side, I can sort of hear what people mean, but for the most part I hear how many leagues above me in skill he is, and I hear the many differences to his voice.

Still, that being said, I have studied his work to get inspiration more than most other voice actors. I don’t attempt to impersonate his work though. It’s been a big focus of mine to try to create my own style to things through the years. I don’t want to be “the next Steve Blum”, as prestigious as the title would be. The world has a Steve Blum and will only ever need that one Steve Blum. I want to be the next Gianni Matragrano.

The truth about me is that when it comes to naming voice actors, shamefully, I’m one of the worst. You’d think in five years I would have done more research about the most famous ones, but I guess I’ve actually been more focused on recording for my own projects hahah.

Who is your favorite anime/game/cartoon character?
Max Payne. No question.

If you could voice any character, who would it be and why?
I voice him. A character named Legend in the series called Eden. Eden had been a webseries for some years, and has recently launched into becoming a game you can check out at www.edenbluethegame.com. I’m really hoping for the best with Eden, it’s been a series I love being a part of.

The gist of what I’m trying to say is, back to my point about being “the next Gianni Matragrano”, is that what I want the most is for a new character to be tied to me in that way where folks just go “Yeah, that’s what that character sounds like. That’s his voice.” I’m not thinking I’ll be famous overnight, it’s a long road ahead and I know that.

To answer the question in a more forward way, Max Payne. Max Payne is a character whose game-style bleeds through every sentence spoken, and due to the really fascinating nature of the writing, each line brings a lot of creative opportunity for the actor playing him. If you ask me though, James McCaffrey will always be the only Max Payne, and even I’d be a little mad about me “officially” replacing him.

What drew you to audition for Cosmic Rage?
Uh oh. I can’t remember. Haha! Oops! It was probably posted to an audition board or forwarded to me by a friend, and I probably looked at it and said “This seems fun, interesting, and like it has some potential at a glance! Good enough, let’s jump in!” I really think the world is full of surprises, and if I even get the slightest feeling of a project having potential, I can’t resist jumping on it. It’s like I can hear opportunity knocking and I’m compelled to answer the door. Not to mention, this project has been fun to work on, and one thing about its style is that even from the audition info I was probably able to tell that it was going to be fun.

Where can fans follow you at or find more of your work?
http://giannimatragrano.wix.com/voice
(the website has links to past role playlists)
www.twitter.com/Gianni_VM
https://www.youtube.com/c/GianniMatragranoVoiceActor
http://gianni.newgrounds.com

I know, I know “Newgrounds? What is this, middle school?” But that’s legitimately where I started off, and I have to say, it’s an absolutely great place for beginning creators (and experienced ones too!). You’ll find a community of fellow creators ready to love and constructively critique your work, and a site staff ready to support up and comers by posting their latest work to the front page and even enabling artists to make front page news posts themselves! It’s not all hentai and jabs at celebrities (though that’s loveably still there), there are many beautiful animations, songs, voice demos, art, you name it, residing on that website.

Thanks for reading!

Production Update 165: Recharged

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Chris Biewer

It’s been a little while since I have given a production update so let’s all get caught up to speed! First off, it was spring break week, so I traveled and took some time away from work, school and the computer. I spent some time working on Cosmic Rage, primarily in the regard of making sure I have things lined up and making notes of where the holes are yet.

On the voice over front, I took time to go through the episode and render everything out as it stands and as a whole and the voice over is all good to go with the exception of two lines from side characters. I hope you all have been enjoying reading about the VO cast for Cosmic Rage on the Wednesday posts, they are all very talented and I am so fortunate to have all of them on board with the project.

On more of a behind-the-scenes front, I have been working on applying for some panels and screenings to conventions this summer to get Cosmic Rage in front of more people. I’ll have more information on the Con Appearance page when I have more info since con season is getting underway.

Let’s talk about audio production. Things are going well, I have cuts of all of the scenes sent out for audio work to get done. Audio production is about half finalized at this point. There are two scenes that need backgrounds created but the remaining scenes need to be extended so they can fit the timing of the VO.

Finally, on the animation front I have a quarter of the scenes finalized. The remaining scenes are all timed out and need some final animation and compositing. Many of the scenes have some small edits to them so I haven’t marked them as complete yet. There are two scenes that need to be animated, the same two that need audio work.

Things are starting to come together nicely and I am very excited to have been watching a rough cut of the first episode. Stay tuned for more updates!

Introducing Finn MK

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Chris Biewer

Where are you from?
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, though I now live in Ottawa.

Why do you want to be a voice actor?
It’s hecka fun. I’m a dungeon master for a D&D group and I’m always coming up with crazy characters and kooky voices. I realized just doing the voices was fun enough on its own and given that I already had the audio gear and know-how (I’m a music composer by day) jumping into voice acting was a no-brainer!

Who is your favorite VO actor?
Wilhelm. Of Wilhelm scream fame.

Who is your favorite anime/game/cartoon character?
Philip J. Fry, although closely followed by Zoidberg. *woop woop woop woop*

If you could voice any character, who would it be and why?
I don’t have a specific character I’d like to voice…I’m always more in the vein of trying to be new characters rather than do fanimated films. But if we’re talking character archetypes, I would really, REALLY like to play a good-guy-slowly-turning-into-bad-guy or bad-guy-slowly-turning-into-good-guy. To be a character that is established in one manner and then slowly changes a huge part of themselves really appeals to me. The internal struggle, how much of it they show on the outside, how they work through the change – that’s the kind of role I can really sink my teeth into and get into the mind space of.

What drew you to audition for Cosmic Rage?
The animation style is really interesting; I’d never seen anything like it so that was a big draw. I also like how all the documentation and how everything is run is very organized. I’m the kind of guy that would be unable to function without a calendar and spreadsheets, so careful organization really appeals to me haha.

Where can fans follow you at or find more of your work?
My website – www.finnmk.com – is the go to place for all Finn-related news, music, credits, etc. but fans can also visit me on my other sites around the web.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinnMKMusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FinnMertinsKirkwood
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/finnmk
Newgrounds: http://finnmk.newgrounds.com/
Jamendo: https://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/478254/finn-m-k

Meet Ryan Vollmer

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Chris Biewer

Where are you from?
Chicago, IL, USA

Why do you want to be a voice actor?
As far as work goes, I have not done anything more rewarding or exciting. With voice acting, you get to bring life to characters. You see the world through their eyes, which means every day can be a new adventure.

Who is your favorite VO actor?
With all of the different styles in which voice work can be approached, it is hard to pick just one. Bill Dewees, Marty Glickman, and Mark Graue are some of the “bigger” names that come to mind. Of course, since voice acting is very much the same as traditional acting, I can’t leave out Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine, and Christian Bale. There are many other individuals within the community that have played a part in my development, however.

Who is your favorite anime/game/cartoon character?
I would have to say Cloud from FF7. The “old” cloud though, not the new one. The new one is a little too emo for my liking.

If you could voice any character, who would it be and why?
It would be pretty cool to voice The Joker, but I would definitely have to expand my range. I think the challenge would be interesting.

What drew you to audition for Cosmic Rage?
I like projects with originality and a solid plan. Cosmic Rage had both. It is extremely important to me that a project manager be organized. If they do not take their work seriously, then how can others have faith in their project? Chris Biewer has been nothing but professional; which is one of the reasons I decided to sign on to this project.

Where can fans follow you at or find more of your work? – On my website at www.ryanvollmer.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/rgvollmer

Production Update 163: Audio Galore

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Chris Biewer

It’s been a productive week on the homework front. I wrapped up a draft of my art history paper that I am going to let sit for a few days and come back and take a fresh look at it again.

I did sneak in some Cosmic Rage work this week. I am starting to go through all of the audio and finalizing lines and going through areas for revisions. I have a couple audio sections to go through for scenes and I also have to render some out to send in for audio work to get done. I will for sure get more in this week since my classes are starting to settle down a bit. We are getting so close on Cosmic Rage!

Sorry for the short update, but next week’s should be a bit longer. Thanks for stopping by! I will be unveiling another voice actor this week!