The Voice of Neil Ellice

sound proof of this. But it's also kind of a guest room too, so I don't really have like the perfect office yet. So it's but it's going well. I mean, you know, I've I've just hosted my first housewarming party, lash six year old birthday. It was a nightmare before Christmas party. There was a scene I thought you, I thought you're gonna say it was a nightmare, Like, how did it go? It was a Nightmare's how it went? Yeah?

Oh no, no, it wasn't. I worked really hard at it, which I should probably try to work more are on soundproofing my office. But it was it was a really lovely time for my little girl, and um, she's actually birthday all So for what people don't know about you is you for your kid's birthdays, you go all out. You are like you've told, no, you've told. I mean we've had this conversation and Brendan and I have had this conversation where it's like, you don't do anything small

when it comes to your kid's birthday parties. Am I correct? Yeah? No? I I mean I don't want to. I don't want to brag. But idea, I why quite a lot of things, and I have like a big vision. And so with Nightmare before Christmas, I really needed to make sure before we like lit the candle. I was like, are you sure, honey, that this is your new like fixation because my daughter gets really passionate and she was like she was like, no, no, night wemb before Christmas. I love the movie and like

I love the movie too. So when you have this like animated movie that you grew up with and you're so passionate about, and you know, Wednesday Adams just came out and Tim Burton is alive and well and the aesthetic is very like on trend, I was like, let's go for it, let's have fun, and I did. Ide I wy a snake if you have you seen the movie remember of course yeah, sure, of course there was

a snake that eats a tree. And I actually ordered on Amazon like air conditioning, like circular pipe and like Fabrick and like I will I will send you pictures. But I'm went all out and I should probably be soundproofing my studio, but here we are with no I mean again, it's it's it's I'm it's not even about the sound as much as the aesthetic of the look you sound good. You just you can be in any town, USA, any room USA right now. That might be a good thing.

I think exactly because if I go somewhere, you know, I've heard you. I miss you too, But I've heard your kid's birthday parties are so epic that, like you, like even adults wanted like I can't why didn't you invite me? Like why didn't you write me six year old birthday party? You know? The parents, the parents did have a good time. I think, like you can tell one of parties good when how how quickly people text you after the party? Right that makes sense? Or if

they text you at all? Thank you? And and like us last night people got home and texted me right away, so I was like, oh, this is a success for sure. But it was honestly, like I piggyback off of my children's birthday parties. So this was not only was it a housewarming right with all of my Christmas decorations inside, but then I had a purple Christmas tree outside and

everything else out there. Yeah. I mean, I'm just wondering, So how much of it do you think is the parents texting you going like, oh that was amazing, And how much of it was the car ride home the parents going like she ever going to like she's ruined birthday parties for our kids any kind of party? Are you kidding me? How are we ever supposed to follow them? That's kind of you know what. I think. I think that the our our little community of of parents are

a little extra. So I think that like we all piggyback off each other, just going for it because I think that once their kids get a little bit older and they're not why sin so many animated movies and they're not such like big franchises that have all these things at your disposal to either create or purchase online. I just don't think that we'll be doing this like, I don't know. Once my kids like that, you think, so yes you will know you Yes you will. I

guarantee you will. She's gonna, you know, like the like a twelve or thirteenth birthday party. You're gonna go all out and it won't matter what she's into. It's gonna be like, oh, I'm really into what to name it? But you know it doesn't matter what. I mean. I'm into high school musical. You're gonna be like, well, then I've got to recreate the entire class. You know, my friends like from the movie To Come exactly. You're the person who's like, oh, it's a nightmare for Christmas, I

gotta call Timber. You're like that person, um mamma troized. I don't know a ton of people, but I know some very cool animated voices speaking of here on I hear voices today. There you go, going back to I hear voice brought it right around. I mean, I don't know if my daughter is going to be into modern warfare for today's guests, but you never know, she could get into the gaming, you know. So one of the things that is so cool about gaming, I think is

that it's really the the the um Uh. I don't know what you would say today to not be um kind of uh dismissive. I don't know if it's the female side the how how you would say it. But the women, girls, uh, younger people are are loving video games and they're really the the the um female side is really growing because there's a lot of women that are headlining some of these video games and are you know, huge important characters and a lot of these video games.

So I think there's a real chance that your your girls could get into this. The world's are so immersive and they're kind of taking over for movies in a way. I mean, that's one of the things I want to talk to our our guest about today is it's the the um I P that he's involved in. He's ridiculously successful. It's like the numbers are are insane when you hear about them. So for this whole new generation of both boys and girls, men and women, he they not bind here.

Everybody everybody's loving video games, UM, and I think that is something that's that's cool and growing. Which is strange because you and I have talked so much about how like they added the X button on the controller and I was out, like too much for me, that's me, that's me too. I never And that's the other thing Piano to like, you have to be a very like your brain has to work in a certain way, or you just have to train it and try and fail

enough to where you can enjoy playing the game. But for me, it was I did game Boy and then my and my brother had Sega and then I tried the controller. Thing just really really generally messed me up. So that's how I was when they so I the last new system I bought because I was like a

video gamer back in the day. Yeah, like we were on the cutting edge, right, I think, yeah, you went into I got as far as PlayStation two and again that's when all of a sudden it was like, no, you need to do the buttons on the top and the button behind the control and I was like, mmmmmmmm too much to really hard, that's really cool, It's difficult. Brendan actually really is a gamer. So my husband is a gamer and he doesn't let it rest the mind for it he has, but he has the mind for it.

I do. I do. Brendan has the mind to like not only take in the entire story but also to have that kind of the mathematical side you kind of need, in my opinion, to have all the buttons going at the same time. He seems to have, especially because he was trained in the Marines and they train a lot

of military people. We should speak about this to him and if he's had any you know, I remember going overseas and playing you know, well at the time, it was we, but there was plenty of other guys, um that we're playing you know, Modern Warfare and like things like that, and they were and they were all and they were gaming and it was very cathartic for them and it kept them sort of like in in reality but also on step removed from reality. It was very

good for them. So it would be really cool to hear our guests, Well, you saw all of these call you heard stories about these call of duty teams that were actual Navy seals that we're playing this game as a team where it was it was one of those things where it's like, wait, you do this for a living, and what do you do to relax? Or a team

on call of duty? Like so it's insane, but I'm I'm so I'm very excited because this you know, our our guest today has obviously done a lot in the in the voiceover world, but is primarily known for video games. And I think that, you know, we've talked to Troy Baker, and we've talked to other people that kind of kind of run run the gamut of of all of the voiceover world, but our guest today, But the is Troy the face, Like, is his body and face also in

Yeah for some for some of them. Yeah, And again, I I just know he's a huge video gamer. I know Laura Bailey is a huge, huge game voiceover actor. So but you know, we're very excited to have today's guests. Who do we have here today? On I hear voices it's Neil us is joining us. We cannot wait. Thank you so much. Hey, how are you? I'm good, Neil, how you doing good? Thank you? Nice to meet you both you as well, Thank you so much for joining

us today. We've been really excited. We were talking so our little pre show chatter here was talking about how we were all we both considered ourselves gamers until the introduction of the third and fourth button on the controller. Yeah, at which point it got very confusing. Um, but this was also kind of as as big as video games were. This was before it's kind of become the new movie for lack of of a better word. I mean, it's it's taken over, you know, media everywhere. So I'm just curious.

Were you let's start here, Were you a gamer when when you were growing up? Yeah? Absolutely? Um, I mean I had everything from uh, I think when I was a kid, my sister hadn't a I have an older sister, she had an Amiga remember that nice of first got started, um, and then everything all the way up to to an Xbox UM for one Christmas. So um, yeah, I mean, look, they're immersive. I totally. I can't hear you. I mean, I mean I was once. I once played Gears of

War for fourteen hours straight. See that's interesting. That's very very interesting. Like what you were saying about how it's the new movie Will, but like what when we and we've also talked to you know, because um, Will is very big in D and D and the culture. Yeah, do you have you ever played D and D? I well, I'm in the middle of writing something right now and I just learned the term true neutral. Ah there you go. Okay,

are you a true neutral will. No, I'm I'm a good I'm well, yeah, I'm I'm I'm I'm more of a uh yeah. It's hard to say which character I play. Um, there's some Sometimes I'm a chaotic evil, but a lot of times I'm I'm closer to the Yeah, what I am as a nerd uh Neil and I love? Aren't you Empire? Aren't you an Empire guy for the Star Wars? Yeah? I thought you were an Empire. Well no, I just I've always said that, you know, if you ever got as an actor. You know, everyone wants to play a Jedi,

and I would love to do that as well. But when I look down in my hand, I want to see a red lightsaber. So what about Reven? What's completely interrupting Christie's flow by then that's fine. This is this show is called I Hear tangents, So don't even worry about it. Get on. Maybe you're a darky then that could possibly. Yes, there's I mean again, a little bit of good, a little bit of buy you can you never know when the blade's gonna pop out. Is it gonna be blue, is gonna be red? You never know?

That's I kind of love that there's also the whole all right for fully nerding out here, there's also the whole uh side that really the dark the dark side isn't necessarily dark. It's just another way of looking at and utilizing the forest. So there are people that claim that being a syth doesn't necessarily mean you're bad, especially back in your Saber Neutral. None of these characters believe they're bad. I don't think even General Shepherd believes he's bought.

I think that's true. But there, you know, that's a question is do you know, uh, do you know your own insanity? Is the is a whole another podcast will get into at another time. Well no, but I also think you're talking about nuances in how we approach characters and and in terms of the character that you're portraying. I mean, you're literally the face of this franchise. Can

you can you walk us into walk us through that process? Well, Ghost is kind of the face of the franchise, which I think it was really smart because Samuel Um just smashes it. But yeah, I mean soap is uh for I think the majority of levels in the game, Um, you see soap both in uh cinematic seems to your point Christie Rights by cinematic game. Um, you see him

in a cinemas, but you're also playing as soap. So I the work I did was a cross performance capture in the cut scenes cinemas as well as still wearing the suit and still with all the other actors, but my helmet camera is off and instead they convert my helmet into a camera. So there's bits in the level that, Um, they get to a certain point and Graves might say, well, we're gonna have to bust the store open, Soap, get on it, and then the player. If the player lingers,

Graves won't nag him, and we shot that. That's me standing there. They're all in the peacap suits with the camera is acting, but I'm in the peacap suit but kind of like the camera, you're the cameraman. Yeah, for that for those pieces. So it's it's very strange when someone's nagging you to do something and you just have to stand there because they have to get their four nags out and they have to it gradually more angry

and you just have to take it. It's the strangest thing for our fans who are unfamiliar with how to how you actually go about creating one of these video games nowadays. So Peak, you're wearing an entire motion capture suit. Correct, what does it made up? Just like Spandex? Oh yeah, no, it's spandex and velcro. It's an evil combination. You are

leaving nothing to the imagination. It's almost impossible accent. We had an issue because, um, on top of that, you do actually have a tactical best like soldiers wear, but it's not a tactical best. It's there to hold all of the electronic equipment that goes for sound and the camera that's attached to your head. So once you've got all that on at the beginning of the day, they calibrate you right, and then you are in that for

the next eight or nine hours. There's no there's no because once all that gear comes off, they have to calibrate it again. So you're wearing it and unfortunately, uh I just I couldn't get comfortable in it some days. So I bought this chair, this reclining garden chair. Um to the ridicule of everybody there, but really they were jealous chair you have ever? Oh yeah, and it had a level that it wasn't just a launch chair, like at a level that we your your feet kicked out.

I got a call the next day saying, don't bring that chair in again, and I said, wow, why, I have every right to be to be comfy. Yeah, he says no, because that chair had reflective stripes on it, and it was you placed it within the void, within the the volume. Sorry, and it threw off the data for an entire's day shoot. That had to be manually like I had to be manually unwrappled by someone because every shot there's like a chair floating around. So anyway,

that was the chair. But it's not the most comfortable stuff. You get on with it. You know, you're shooting comfortable. Yeah, you're shooting eight hours a day. Yeah, that's the basic because there's no you know, you're Some stages call it the volume. That's very similar to what they use it at Star Wars for you know, the Mandalorian. Really it's just a giant stage with a ton of sensors. Uh and um. Yeah, I mean once you're in the suit by nine am, that's it. You shoot until five or

five or six. Because they don't need to stop for rain coverage. They don't need to stop for anything, it's all inside. So and are you shooting it like a film? I mean, are you getting pages every day and your memorizing your dialogue and you're shooting everything just like you would be in a shooting a film. Yeah, the sides. So the way they make games is that, um, it's

layer upon layer upon layer. So throughout the whole two years, I may worked like two or three times on the same scene but bringing in different elements, right, um, But essentially the way the flow goes like one's called the

alone mission. Ah. The very first day of of of performance capture UM was straight in at the deep end because it's a scene at the top of a level where Soap, my character, Soap mc tavish is injured, he's dying, um, and he's trying to get his friends on the radio and no one's no one's responding until one character does and helps him through the mission. UM. So that on that first day I got the script, maybe four or

five days before they locked the script. At that point, they've locked all the digital sets because even though you're working in a giant space like they've built all the sets. But the guy, the the Jeff, the director, Jeff Negas is there with a camera which doesn't look like a camera. It's called a v cam. It's just a computer. Basically. They'll point at you and if you look up at the screens in the wall, you see your character on the fool set. What it's already built, sanity. Yeah, they've

been working for years building these sets. And then the actors start to come in and it's very cleverly scheduled. Right so that I'm so sorry, I'm so confused walking to walk me through this. Okay, So the Volume, that's your studio. It's some studios called the volume, you know, others don't. And then when you walk in, are you

looking at like little taped squares like little exes. And they've created a makeshift like a cube for you to sit on if you're sitting or or or if it's a boat, they've taken some scaffolding, rigging, and they've they've the wizards there that you know they have like stage hands, grips have put together kind of a boat. It's on top of rubber tires and then they're moving it to make it look like a boat. That's that's the that's the most set that you will get. Okay. So it's

very very sparse. But then but then your directors shooting you guys in real time with this like computer camera, so it's very specialized. UM and so, but then if you're looking at a different uh TV, you're seeing soap in the oh you're seeing so, you're seeing so in a car or on a boat. So part of the director's job is to make sure that it's with the motion cap. There's also a motion capture director there. His

name was Matt, very talented guy. He runs the stage and his primary on our shoot was to make sure that UM that when we're playing out the scenes, that it plays out on the digital set. So they're having to work together to make sure that when we are getting in and out of a car which is just some scaffoldings, you know, taped together UM or a boat that on the monitors it plays it's very precisely matched. That's crazy look that makes a d R look like, Oh man, Kyle's way is hard. I have you ever

the drenaline rush when the beeps go. I can never get it. It's one of my favorite things in the World's a d R. So you're shooting this thing, how do you factor in that the player can control the character, so the player can can the player kind of go off script. How do you how do you account for something like that? How do you? How do you shoot

for every eventuality of what the player might do. So the for the most part, all the levels UM and and Modern Warfare two, you can play as a gunship, you can play as a missile and some of the levels, but for the most part you're either soap gods or rudolful um. They know that stepping into it. So you'll shoot the cinematic and then you'll go into parts of the level where um there is interaction with the other characters and basically, uh, the player yeah, pretty much can

do whatever whatever the player wants. But the artificial intelligence, it's the layer, uh, a layer upon under layer within the game itself, will make the other characters start to speak up and say, hey, why are you looking at a window. There's a missile like um, and so they

start to chime into that experience. So it gradually guides it guides the player through and then uh, you might get to the end of a level where the first player soap has to do something, has to punch in a missile, code has to solve a problem, and yeah, the player and some players do they just decide just not to do anything, just to see what happens. Yeah, we shoot for that, so we'll shoot that version. So you've got you maybe a ghost or graves um as

as I'm what's called idling um. And then there's an idol script, so that has each of them saying six times, hurry up, hurry up. Listen, you're gonna you're gonna We're gonna lose if you don't do something um. And then that kicks in, yeah, five or six times, and it's the AI of the game that kicks in. Like the players just sitting there. Yeah, they didn't dress pause AI. That's very interesting. Yeah, it's all. It's all. It's a lot of it's a lot of it's AI. I think, um.

I think this one is called Next Generation Call of Duty. So it's very very immersive. Um I think. I don't know if it made it into the game, but we did do some work in Amsterdam where there was CrowdWork. So the first person is moving through a crowd, but it just depends upon how you move. Literally all of the models are all controlled by AI, and you can interact um, you know, they're they're they're they're looking, they're looking at you in the eye. It's very realistic as No,

there was one of the scenes. One of the levels takes place in Amsterdam. I ended up only shooting out a vertical slice. So I worked for a few days on a level in Amsterdam that just never made it into the game. It made it in a different way. So another thing for your listeners, like, when you do a video game, you're not just doing the cinematics and the voice over in the first person, you're you may well be hired very early into the process. So I

was hired in um, which is you know, two years ago. UM. I didn't start working on the finished game. I started working on They had me do monologues and um little slices of levels that they would then take to a green light committee to continue the production of the game as kind of a showcase. So they get it. They need more and more money basically to keep it. Yeah, the money is released over time. Yeah, so you're kind of a utility player. I was gonna say, how much

was the budget on on this? Do you know? Is that I don't know public knowledge, Like do we ever find out well they may do they make honestly don't know. So so if the yeah, if what I the information I got is right, and I'm sure it is, but it can be. It's insane that in the first three days, so first of all, this was considered, um it's like the second largest rollout in history, and in the first three days the Blockbuster game generated eight hundred million dollars worldwide.

So that is more than Doctor Strange and Top Gun combined. Yeah, which is insanity. Well, so it's been three years since uh, the first Modern Warfare, which was spectacular and I think was you know, definitely um set up people's interest in this game, especially because you know you've got soap and ghosts and some of the other uh, a newer character

um coming into the one for one Um. Yeah, I mean, you know, they did a really interesting did it really interest in this time because they decided to release do a pre release of the game on October twenty one, then was their normal release the game in the and then multiplayer war Zone two I think not until November sixt so, so the game itself had time to breathe. Um, you know, and they're just i mean, listen, the people,

so Infinity Award makes the game. UM Activision funds that that was all the publishing, in the marketing, and I mean they're they're second to none in the world in terms of the assets that they put together, the height that they put together. I mean, we even got to shoot a live action trade teaser trailer UM, which I wasn't expecting UM. So they had all that stuff planned out in advance and we did it. And that's where you end up in congratulations to them, because there's literally

thousands of people across American Europe. There's a huge office of Infinity Award, Poland and Germany all you know, contributing towards the game. So it's a lot of people. We had Troy Baker on and we only we only talked to him a little bit about this process. So talking to you about this is really awesome. You you seem to have such a fresh, obviously very up to date perspective and so comprehensive, you know. Brent Brennan, Oh my gosh, will I did it again. I called to my constantly,

constantly calls me your husband's name. Sorry, because I love you. That's why I don't have no problem not like that. I think we all get that, but it was it's like one of those things where we have this very traditional animation background, and of course I think I would love to do mo cap. There was a time when I was like all like hoping that I would get that opportunity. Will would you like to do mo cap too?

Hell yeah, I mean, just just because it's it's so different, and it's it seems like this, it's it sounds really, it sounds crazy, and it might sound like hyperbole, but I do believe it's the future, meaning it is the perfect hybrid of player involved, single person which people want to be involved. Everything you're looking at is social media, and it's all about me, me me. We come from a whether you like it or not, we come from a very kind of egotistical and and selfish kind of society.

So we're we're all about social media, we're all about ourselves, are all about our own brands. So the idea of a video game where you're in control, you're in charge, but it's also the hybrid of shooting where you are voice over your animation, but you're still shooting like a film. Um, I do believe it's next. I believe it's absolutely next. I believe the next thing we're going to see is Avatar or or you know, any of these kind of

DC movies. But we get to be one of the characters and the thing, and we get to control what's going on. So I think that's where we're headed. And I think that's what video games are showing right now. Is that. I mean, when you've got video games that are making this amount of money, this I act are this intricate when it comes to the process of shooting them. I mean you were booked, you said two years ago to start this thing. Um, so yes, I mean, yeah,

a long, long winded answer. Of course, I'd love to give it a shot. But I also think it's becoming a very specialized niche in the acting world. And that's one thing I wanted to ask you about. Is you started on camera or did you start as a voice over actor or did you start on state? Well, let's put it this way. I'll just start. Yeah, I just

acting classes. Honestly, Um, I did a little bit of of a theater when I was younger, and then just a few years ago I decided I really wanted to give this a to give this a whirl, So I just started shooting, writing and shooting my own little short films. Um and put a real together and a voice feel together as well. I'm really passionate about voice I I, um, I'll go by you Lucky. I've got me a guy called Mick Winger, who if you've known, had him on your show, like I would invite him. He's a fun,

plastic actor, voice actor. Um. I believe he's the voice of iron Man from Marvel as well as well as others. Right, okay, a good guy. So Mick back in the I mean, I know if he's still doing it. But he had a thing where he had a little introduction to voice over course. UM, so I did that with him. And he had a weekly group where people got together at his studio with audition sides or just material to workshop.

And it was such a nice group of people and everyone will give each other feedback just an hour long, you know, a couple of hours long. Um. Now I got to a point where I really wanted a reel. He helped me record a real UM and then yeah, just together with that, just like put put that together with you know, some of the short films and things that I've done, I'd shot and got out there basically, um,

just little bits and pieces. I mean I've done standing work, background work, I've done like one liner co stars, Um, I know, right, the co stars are the hardest one actually, Um, to book I think they are actually, and then to do one set because you're kind of like, you know, you're like, yeah, we're ready to go. You know, do you want fried with that? Sorry? All right, sorry, it down,

it down? Um. And then I ended up booking I got lucky because I was I'm I actually got a guy a small guest star audition for Agents to shield um, so I got into the mix with the Sarah Fin company Christa Hussar and then yeah, I just you know, you just do enough of that people get to know you a bit and bring you back. You might not be right for this, but you know, you guys know the drill. And then I ended up booking Loki Um

Loki so for Marvel. So that was that was the start of like, oh, feeling like I'm you've made it, you know, yeah, well I'm not really doing it now, you know. I was there for an Atlanta for a number of months and surrounded by just you know, the best of the best. You have a question. So then

you're so your confidence. It sounds like in in sort of understanding your casting, because when we think about the way that you're being casted into the mo cap one one, you know, I actually look at Impossible, which you know, I don't know if you know. Me and Will were on that show. Yeah, so Kim was really big, you know, in in the two thousands and and so she was a very iconic looking character. And I remember when we first started working with them, well that you know, they

were trying different hair colors out on her. Now that she's too d animation and whatnot, But there is something to be said about when you see the voice of Pocahonas and you feel her energy and you're like, oh, they're kindred to one another. Okay, when you when you see Mandy Moore, she plays Rapunzel. These a lot of these actresses that play princesses or play Disney characters. I have noticed from firsthand experience there's a kindred nous to

the way they look, the way they act. And I don't know, Will you you know this like if you start playing a character, most of the time those studios will send along for the animators a camera, um, and they'll watch you and then they'll send it to the animators so that they can see the way that you're sort of interacting with the microphone. And I feel like a lot of people marry my actual likeness to Kim Possible, and it's strange because I don't do that much voice work.

So I just am curious, like in terms of your casting is sort of this like probably pretty masculine and like you know, um, from a different country and sort of like an as kick or so it's like that's your casting, so as your guy with a soft spot that's hard to find. Yeah, that's what I was Also, I think if I've read the bio right, the accents fake you're from Cleveland, um, so we all know that. To shuffle off now, No, I know, I see what you're saying. Is it is it? Is that something that

you were I mean, is it? It's not type casting so much as just seeing yourself in the character right well to your but to Christie's point though, and actually kind of to the point before. So this is the ear of four key gaming, right, So I don't know if you've seen the models for modern warfare or the models for far christ six when I was kind of figuring out what I'm getting myself into because I knew

this is going to be a two to three year commitment. Right, there's no there's no boxies, you know what I mean, Like, once you're in, you have to and I've all Daniel d Lewis says that he's only does projects every few years, but cause he feels he really has to be the director's ally. And it's pouring with rain, you're still there.

So I looked up where gaming was that and I saw far christ six, and I saw that Gianne Carlo Esposito was was in that, and I got I got shown some footage from that, and I was just blown away. So it's kind of to your point, Christy, rules like this are going to be your likeness. They're gonna be you. I mean, maybe you're cast as a monster or an elve or something like that, but they will still capture

your eyes. That's a hundred percent what they're going for in terms of how cinematic gaming is now where four K can capture the NW once of a performance and that your eyes are you. But for the most part they're going to be casting you. I mean, they cast real killst that as as well. Um uh, you know, and that's her likeness same as Glenn Moore Shower. Um So, going into that, I knew this wasn't a monster or an elf or like Benedict Cumbert Batch to Smoke the Dragon, right,

I knew it was going to be me. Yeah, So lean into that, absolutely, lean into being yourself and and that's hopefully, hopefully that's what we'll play, and that's what that's what played in the in the auditions. But yeah, acting wise, I mean, of course, it helps to understand what you're casting is a little bit. I mean, yet you have to have an idea of that, I think. I mean, I don't know if it's the most interesting software audiences to hear about it, but for actors, yeah,

I mean, well we have a lot of actors. In fact, we have a contest going on right now that's really fun and um it's sort of like the Not Star Search. I don't know if American Idol, so we're such a we're doing. We're doing it and it's going to be launching soon. We're doing the American Idol version of finding the next big voice over actor and you win very give when that yeah, a year when you win a year with a voice over agency and you win some very cool things and you're flowing out to lay and

you win some cool stuff. But we always love to give as much of you know, as many acting tips as we can, because at the end of the day, every every actor we're talking about is not a you know, I don't, I don't. Yes, I do voices, but I'm an actor first, so yes, you know, yeah I do. But yeah, we're what we do as actors, and we

just kind of find our medium. But that's one of the things that I find interesting and a little scary about the mo cap world is because one of the things that I love about animation is that I will get cast in things that I would never have a chance of ever being cast as. Uh you know, I mean there's no way there would have ever cast me

as Batman. Yeah, and it's true. So as a perfect example, I'm sitting in between Kevin Conroy and bless him and Mark Hamill as we're doing Batman Beyond, and I just never would have had that opportunity if it was all live action. I just I just the kind of the hey, it's all gonna be mo cap in the future is great, but it's also like man, it's you know, I got I used to get to play superheroes all the time, and now I might not be able to anymore because

now it also has to match how you look. And that's that's a kind of a difference that that's happening in the in the world of mo cap Um. I think they'll always be animation. I think there will always be an animation. And the fact that you're able to to work on something like Batman Beyond with those legends rest in peace, Keim conra i am ah and and and then you know, bring it maybe more to center just shows you that you've got range as an actor.

You know, I would I would, you know, But motion capture listen, I would say the majority of motion capture work that I've seen out there is in the realm of uh monsters. Fine to see um creatures, especially creature movement. Right, So one of the things one of the auditions I had to do for Call of Duty was movement. Um. I've forgotten the guy's name, is it Richard Dorton. Anyway, he's a motion capture actor but also does motion capture classes.

That's interesting. Yeah, and so if you look at his website, you'll see he talks a lot about at least for work like that, the craft of the actor is in the silhouette, right, Yeah, it's it's it's in using your body to convey as much as you possibly can, because yes, they'll capture an the motion capture. Yeah, the fidelity is great, but you've got to give I've heard I heard it said on a few times on the Call of duty set.

Just make sure that you're giving enough to the animation direct there's another director by the way, the animation at least three make sure that the animation you're giving enough to animation in terms of how you're moving. So one of the auditions I did for them was with a rifle, so I had to show them that, Um, you know, there's a big difference between can hold a gun like this, right or you know they typically hold them down here.

But then what plays a lot more on camera? Occasionally you don't want to go to be movie, but it's it's to bring your it's to bring you see the difference. Yeah, here can be here. Yeah, of course of course that you don't can't do that all the time, right, That plays way more and sells way more of what's going on than than just you know, having a more neutral, neutral body. So so yeah, there's also yeah for the animal, for the stuff you're talking about, kind of the animals

and and the creatures. And it almost seems like, I don't know, it's a weird correlation, but it almost seems like interpretive dance where it's kind of you're trying to convey the spirit of this animal and the movements of this animal or creature or whatever, and maybe sometimes you have no dialogue. So there is something along the lines of mine isn't right, but it's it's again, it's the technology is creating new types of acting, which I think

is something that's very interesting. Well, it's your voice in your body, and you know, I it's just very very interesting all the way around. Now, there is one thing I would like to talk about, and again I don't I don't mean to put you on the spot, but there's been a lot of talk about how video games are. They're getting to be huge business. They're making hundreds of millions,

if not billions of dollars, and the actors are not. Uh, now, is there is I mean, do you have a feeling about that where you're you're putting your heart and soul into something and the company's making a ton of ton of money, and a lot of times the actors are not. I wouldn't say they're not fairly compensated, because you know, you go in, you go into a contract knowing which you're going to be paid, but but you do. But there is certainly a the world of it's getting it's

getting to be bigger business. Is there a time where we need as actors to renegotiate what's going on because there's so much back end to these video games nowadays. Um, well, I think that they are. I think that's just a process of evolution each year. I don't know how often, um, because it would be this the sag after right, I don't know how often they have that master contract renegotiation. But um, I think it's fairly frequent. And they tried.

I'm sure, I'm not I'm not speaking on their behalf. You'd imagine that you you try to be on top of trends, um as much as possible. Um. You know, at the end of the day, the unions there to provide a basic agreement that is the kind of the floor. Um, and you're protected in in in that instance instance. Um, you know, as as as as it relates to like the box office or the growth of the revenues and

that the game is making versus your pay. It's I mean, the only advice I've gotten and that I could give is like you just try to get the best manager or agent or both and attorney that you can that understands this realm. You know, that's the key going into it. Um, especially if it's motion capture. If it's motion capture, it's a little bit more than voice. Are they capturing your likeness? Is it you? Is it you that's you know, going to be on the poster or you that's going to

be the character model for the game. You've got to do your research. And then I am curious, is there a bump in pay when they are using your likeness? Ah? Well that's all negotiated in the in the beginning, right, So there's no I don't know the sag after a thing well enough, but like because I know there's like stunt bumps and over time and you know these types of things which are which are catered for. Um, yeah,

I don't know about that. UM, I think it just that's all kind of has to be thought about up front. Really representation, it's not just good it's not just good representation. It's representation by people to understand video games. Yes, and

the world and where it's going in the world. And yeah, and by the way, all the other deals that are out there, you know, I mean, you know, it's helpful to but most you know, most voice agencies and most film and TV agencies will have um share that information internally. So if someone is lucky privilege enough to book a video game, they'll get the person from the agency or the management company who's most familiar with those deals to chime in as well as as well as with the attorne.

There's somebody who focuses on that, right, Yeah, and you as an actor, you really have to just you know, rely rely upon that, yeah, and then make it, make it make a choice. You're committing. It's going to be a two to three year commitment. Are you going to be in a huff in twelve months time from now? Uh? You know? Or or are you? Are you? You are? We good to go and you've just got to be you know, get the best deal. But you can and I'm in let's do it. This has been so informative.

We are now if you don't mind, if you would join us in playing our weekly game. Yes, are you ready? Are? We play a wonderful game called Across the Garden as our wonderful Listener. We like to keep it singular because then if we have more than one, we're just it's a bonus. But our wonderful Listener loves to Here is our across the Garden where, of course we are playing once again Ricky and Mocha the wonderful mice, trying to make it across the garden, uh and encountering other woodland

creatures along the way. And we bring in an amateur voice over actor every week and give them a shot. And then we're gonna take all these pieces every week with the amateur and we're gonna have all animated, so everybody gets a little chance to be in their own carptoon. It's a ton of fun we really enjoy. We've got wonderful actors like you who who will join us on this journey, and our guest today who we can bring in. Hello, Hello are you Jacob? I am Hi Jacob. This is

Jacob Stone. Now you're an actor, singer, voice over artist and teacher. Um and you live in sale A, mass You live in my old near my old, which is very cool. I've still always wanted to do Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts. So cool. It's it's time, I will tell you, Jacob, are you ready to join us this week to play Across the Garden? I'm ready to go. Let's do it. You are going to be playing with the the amazing Neil Ellis who uh we we think you're amazing. Uh

so yes is from the Call of Duty franchise. And we are going to once again be playing Across the Guard. And I will be Ricky as always. Uh, Christie will be Mocha. And then we we've got some other people coming down. We've got Sergeant Smythe and we've got Private Johnson. Everyone has their roles. I will be reading all the

stage direction as well. And let's jump into it. If everybody remembers last time well as always, Ricky Mocha can't seem to get to the damn mall, But here we are finally, so fade in exterior mall, continuous and noticeably shabby. Mochin Ricky Stairrup at the Giant entrance to the mall. Well, we did it after the trials and tribulations were finally here, aren't you grateful? If one more thing gets in our way,

I'm gonna cut a bit. That's fair enough. Just as they take a step towards the door, a voice, who goes there? Where's my blade? Ricky Moca look up to find Sergeant smythe a chipmunk and a British Bobby's uniform standing on a small makeshift parapet. We we just want to get to the mall and I just want I got a whole of day at Broughton. But that don't schedule ever? Is it? Mit? A beat? Sergeant Smith looks over his right. Is it another chipmunk with the clipmore

pops up mosa? What is scheduled? Uh? We have teen crumpets at noon, heard picking at one and a memory vroge around near Piccadilly at two. Sergeants By turns and drops the accent. What does that mean? Johnson drops it as well. I really don't know, sir. A beat? Sir? Why do we need to put on the accent because it matches the clothes and these were the only uniforms they had left, I know, but I don't know what any of the words mean neither. What's her actual schedule.

We're standing on this balcony saying, hold, who goes there until one? And then we can have some lunch. That's what it says. Well, it says bite of spotted dick, but I think it just means lunch. Dude. God, let's hope that's all it means. Back on Rickey and Mocha, Why does everyone start conversations with us and then forget that we are here? That's a it's a fair question. They noticed him again, forgot you were here? Why were you coming here again? We're just going to the mall.

I think that's a loud roy. We've let everyone else in, Sir. Do you think they just stuck us out here to get rid of us? I mean, we don't really do anything. I know what you mean. I mean, I'm not even technically a police officer. I got laid up my job as a motivational calendar model and I just kind of fell into this. You. I'm not really sure. I got a nasty bump on the head and woke up here yesterday. I'm pretty sure someone somewhere is looking for me just

throw up their hands. Okay, we're just gonna go in. Okay, I I am not asking anymore. We are going to go. Yeah, that's fine. The door's open. Ricky Moka walking in them all. So no memories at all. I've always been a chipmunk. That's a fair back. The rest is kind of a blur, the walk, get into the ball, fade out. That was great. Oh that was funny so much. I love Jacob, Jacob. That was amazing. I've got to say for Sergeant Smythe I never would have played him that intense, and I

loved it. I love just the background. You can tell there's a background that was nuts. And then Jacob steps up. Jacob, I have to ask, are you going to be entering our contest? Absolutely i am. I'm always looking for a new opportunity. We are talented. Finally tell you the dates. No purchase necessary. Can submit your entry at i Hear Voices at i heart radio dot com between January nine

and February nine. Entries will be judged. The contest is open to legal residents of the United States who are eighteen and older, and we will post official rules for complete details as we get closer to the start. We're very excited. So Jacob, you've got to join because you are very talented. You gotta put in this submission. Also, where can people find you? If they're looking for you, you can find me on social media. I'm on Facebook, uh, Instagram and TikTok all at the same handle at Jacob

stone Actor. That's j A k O B. That's awesome. Thank you so much. We are really looking forward to your submission, Jacob. And you never know if somebody's got to win. And uh, we're gonna, like Christie likes to say, we're giving your big break. I like to say we're cracking the door open. But either way, it's probably gonna be somewhere in the middle. Um. So thank you so much for joining us, Jacob. We appreciate it and we cannot wait for your submission. Thank you so much for

having me. Really bye Jacob, by Jacob, everybody, Neil, thank you too. That's I mean, isn't it fun to see new people like getting getting their start? I love it. It's wonderful and it's um it doesn't take much. You know you just did you guys write this? I write I write him every week. Yeah, the writer he's amazing, fantastic, lucky enough to write. I've written for a lot of the animated series that I was on. I wrote for

Transformers and for Yeah. I wrote ThunderCats teen Titans Go and Thunder Your Cats and a whole bunch of different thread Well, that was well, good luck. I was incredible. It was a lot of fun. Thank you, Thank you. We're so happy to have you here. Everybody where? Can people find you? I'm on Instagram? Uh and TikTok now, yeah, TikTok Neil, what do you do on TikTok? I put up a couple of things on there. I am gonna do. I think I'll do Uh. I'm a little soap video

probably for Christmas. But yeah, Instagram is Neil Underscore ellis until I get my hands on Neil Ellis. Uh. And then TikTok is Neil Underscore Underscore Ellis, which is spelled e L L. I see. And that's just until you can get your hands on Neil Underscore Ellis. I know what. Here's the thing is, I did I did? I did? I had Neil Allen. Nobody took it right, Yeah, I had it. I don't know what pressed I think I

can called the birthday wrong. But basically it was like, you can't post anything, and I was like no, I was like, delete it. I deleted that and then I told my friend. He was like, why did you do that? You could have changed that. I was like, let's go back, going in all register against Neil Ellis. Sorry, it's gonna take thirty days. Wow, you got played by thee by myself. Happens all the time. Oh, thank you for joining us, and of course called thank you so much. Modern Warfare

two was scheduled. It's got PlayStation five, PlayStation four, Xbox, Xbox one, PC, dot Net, Steam, and it was all released on October UM. And if you're any type of gamer, I'm sure you've already gotten it. But if you haven't, go get it because it is. It is an immersive world. You're not gonna want to leave. It is a pretty amazing thing, especially if first person shooters aren't your thing.

You know, if you're like I don't normally do that stuff, check this one out because there's a lot going on between the characters. That's a lot of fun as well. Oh I love that again. It's a movie that you get to control. Sign me up. Just take away nine of the buttons and I'm there you and need Well, we're gonna go and play a point and click rumance st after this. Right there you go. I would love to do that. I'm telling you. Thank you so much, Neil.

I really appreciate it. And uh yeah, please everybody go follow Neil because this is some pretty incredible stuff. Thank you for joining us. Yeah, man, thanks both Christy, thank you all for your time. I really appreciate it. Good luck. Now, like two guys, both of you, yeah, both of you. Thank you. Wow. What a kind of a uh look into the I mean a more and more not to use this word again, but a more immersive look into

an immersive world. It's just it's such every time a new technology comes out, there's a whole new type of acting that pops up around it. And so this whole thing was really amazing. Well it's like what you say to where this is not going anywhere, and um, you know,

I think it's going to be the norm. And you know, what we know, uh is already outdated, right, Like everything that we've done with reporting to the actual studio is now outdated in that now you just use zoom and you just home from home, and the market in voice acting is always changing and if you're genuinely interested in it. I'm just happy that our podcast has the best guest because we really do get sort of a behind the scenes look at exactly how this goes down. I learned

so much today. I'd be happy Betty came on and um, who knows, smoke Cap maybe should be a part of the contest challenges. I don't know. I don't know. I don't even know how we would do that, because it's so you know, let's get through this first one. Yeah, maybe we should, and then in the future you never know what what Contest two or three is going to be like. But yes we are, as we're saying we can.

We're finally talking about the contest in actuality. I mean like actual specifics of dates and stuff you can do. So we will have far more on that in the future. And we can't just say it's a thing down the line. It's actually happening, everybody, It's actually happening. We can't wait. It's going to be everywhere. We are going to find the next big voice actor in this country, we absolutely are. We don't know who it's going to be what they're gonna do. But we're going to find a colleague out

there amongst us. Uh, so we cannot wait. Thank you all so much for joining us, for joining Christie in her completely wherever she is in the world room, she could be anywhere. She might be in Rome right now. I don't know. She's not letting in Rome right now. She's Louise, so you don't know. And I also don't know who this Louise person is. If you do, somebody new to the contact, that's all right, it is what

it is. Thank you everybody for joining us. We will see you well here you listen to you whatever, Just come back next time because it's gonna be a whole lot of fun. And until then, if you think you got what it takes to be one of us, put your voices where your mouth is. Thanks everybody, I hear voices as hosted by Wilfrid Ill and Christy Carlson Romano. Executive produced by Wilfred Ill, Brendan Rooney, Amy Sugarman and Vicky Ernst Chang. Our executive in charge of production is

Danielle Romo. Our producer is Lorraine Vera Weez and our editor Slash engineer is Brian Burton, and that was my announcer voice. Some side effects of listening to I Hear Voices are sore abs from hilarity falling down the Coco Melon rabbit hole, sneezing due to mass nostalgia, and hugs. Follow I Hear Voices wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss any of the amazing voices. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok at I Hear Voices podcast. You can also check us out on my Space,

omegl Vine, lime Wire. Hey I'm a napster. Okay, well let's teach you about the Internet. The who