Voice Acting For Fun And (Eventual) Profit

in #blog7 years ago (edited)

Some years ago I heard about an upcoming television series that would be an ongoing tale of zombies. Being a huge horror fan and quite partial to the zombie subgenre I was intrigued. When I found out it was based on a comic series I just had to read it before the show came out so I could see the differences. This was how I discovered Robert Kirkman's magnum opus The Walking Dead.

I read it for a good while and life got in the way so I gave it up somewhere before issue 100 where Negan (a widely popular villain) is introduced. Years later the television series, being free to watch, had replaced the comic for me. Then the big season finale occurred which left it up in the air which character would die at the hands of Negan as he was introduced on the show. I decided to pick it back up and see what this Negan character was all about. I wanted to start over though as I had forgotten details. Not wanting to read it all over, I searched for an action comic version of it on YouTube. That is how I discovered "The Walking Bread".

It was a channel dedicated to bringing the walking dead comic to life. I was mesmerized. I watched a good ways into it and realized that I wanted to be a part of this. Then, as if life had become a scripted movie, a video pops up as I'm making my way through the YouTube episodes that is the producers suggesting they want to cast the roles to people who were interested. I was working a contract up in Virginia doing detention construction at the time. It basically consisted of installing master locks and digital security systems in jails and prisons across the greater United States.

I emailed them and they responded asking me to chose a character to read and send them an audition. I knew I wanted a big role and I knew they had already cast the hero so I thought I'd read for Negan since he was supposed to be the big bad of the series. I was staying in a hotel and that night I spent a good twelve hours figuring out my plan of attack. Everything from method of recording to how to voice him and what emotion to use. I ended up recording six takes and narrowing it down to my top two. I sent them both so they could hear my ability to change the context of the lines through emotion. Well it worked because they messaged me back the next day and told me it was so good it gave them chills.

Unfortunately they already had plans to play Negan themselves so I looked over the other upcoming characters and chose a lesser villain that actually is among the heroes.

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(Image Source: Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead issue #95)

His name is Gregory and he is a control freak with a superiority complex. I've been playing the roll ever since and I figure what better way to end this story than by showing you my debut on the channel. So without further adieu I present to you The Walking Bread's production of The Walking Dead issue #95. I come in at the 4:15 mark.