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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

WIDGET ME THIS, BATMAN!



And in the meantime, enjoy this footage of the auction! I only feel pain watching this, knowing that for a full hour before I couldn't get in touch with my server admin about the ninja TF2 update. The JOYOUS pain of CHARITY!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

An Unusual Christmas for Child's Play

Now that I'm all mellowed out on ibuprofen, let's take a moment for charity!

Why would you give away your unusual?! It's so hard to get one!
While I know these are highly sought after by some, the rarity of this hat doesn't compel me to keep it. Especially since it's a hat for a class I rarely play. I considered trading it off for like a bunch of keys but that just seemed like a waste too. And I didn't like the idea of trading it to someone for their money - thought I know plenty of people do that.

Then I thought, you know what rhymes with rarity? Charity!
See? There's a reason for everything. ಠ_ಠ

Why only one item? Couldn't you raise more money with more stuff?
In retrospect it would have been nice to make the auction a little bigger and open to more items from other donators who were on board with the idea. I've already received a surprising number of requests to contribute their items for auction, which warms my heart greatly. But I felt that with the date already being so close to Christmas, and with me being so preoccupied at work and home, and with this being the first time I've ever organized something on this level for an internet fundraiser, I thought I'd take it slow at first so I didn't mess anything up. It's HIGHLY likely I'll accept people's contributions and make future auctions provided I can get server time and free time. It's even more likely this will become an annual thing if I get a positive outcome.

How long have you been giving to Child's Play?
I was on the executive board of my university's gamers/sci-fi club for my final two years of attendance and helped organized seasonal fundraisers to Child's Play as it was our charity of choice. It's so easy to do and I love kids so much that it was just a no brainer who to give this auction money to.

Why only ten bidders?
Easy to keep track of. I'm only one woman - though my fiance will be there to help, he's not much of a woman unfortunately.

This is great and all, but I didn't get into the bidders slot and still wanna give!
Wow, aren't you awesome! Well, Child's Play couldn't make it easier for people to donate.

You could also buy a child a toy on the CP wishlist on Amazon.com or Ebay.com. 
Youcould even text a $5 donation from your phone! Seriously, check out their website and see what you can do. I'm sure you'll feel just as good as we all will.

I kinda wanna do something like this! How can I start my own fundraiser for Child's Play?
There's a whole packet filled with great info on how to start your own fundraiser, from large scale events to smaller internet-only ones like these. It should be under the "Donate" tab. Have fun and good luck!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Mr. Excrutiating?

Ow. Ow. Ow.


I'll write things and be clever when I DON'T have two bleeding holes in my face.

Please also check out the charity event I'm trying to get together: An Unusual Christmas for Child's Play. It'll be getting its own blog post soon.

Gonna go bleed summore now.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Testing Female Engineer

I had several concerns when it came to testing Female Engineer's voice. Apparently from the feedback I received, many viewers wanted to here her even DEEPER to differentiate from Female Spy.

This perplexed me, until I stepped away from the first video for a few days and came back to it with fresh ears.

One of the other reoccurring suggestions was "less happy" or simply more subdued and serious. Whether it was my own excitement over starting a new big project or just something in the air that night, I came to realize that the first rendition was indeed too cheery and bright, as well as too fast.

I'm so happy people caught this. It does bring something to light however. I think now that I've taken time to assess my first approach, I can say that it may have been that bright tone that gives the voice a "higher" feel. However, when taken with a new approach and slowed down, I think I can obtain the desired affect. It's been difficult to find good Texan references for the time period. At first I was looking at Mary Martin as a potential source, more in tone and less in accent. But then I found myself wandering into Ma Kettle territory! At present it's just a scramble, but that's why I want community feedback.

There so much more I could write about but why make more clutter? We'll see how this goes and in the end, let's all have fun.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Boo and such!

Well, here's my Halloween Update, nearly late though I may be.

Why a Femscout update on Halloween? Because it's fucking scary how much this soundpack irks me. >_<



Nevertheless, this frightful holiday has also given me an excuse to attempt a "Let's play..." of sorts. But this wont be a regular thing. Just for kicks. Fraps is apparently an unspeakable enormous monster. See? More Halloween tie ins!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Slap my hand!

Ok. I jumped the gun on this one.

I know I typically post here before I release to Youtube and for that I'm sorry. I've been so busy lately and exhausted lately I kinda had a brain fart. I've taken my brain Beano, so we should be back on track.

Editing assisted by the awesome Ian "Warm Fuzzies" Suffix.
Lip syncing by the just as awesome MrDude20652.

I had fun with these. I see the excitement as totally out of place and awkward given the character, which is hilarious to me. "Ooh, slap my hand! See?! Isn't that cool! It's fun! Oh my God, why has no one ever tried this before?!?!!" Like Princess Diana finding out she REALLY likes Cheetos.

I need time in my life again to work on some assorted gmods that need getting done. My heart is sad though that HeavyWeaponsGull has flown the coop. He was an awesome gmodder and brought me many giggles. Always had something nice to say about my work. I hope he returns some day.

Work's been good to me. I'm making more now than I expected to, but much of that delicious wampum has to go to student loans and my future wedding fund.

Oh. That's right. He liked it so he put a ring on it. ;)

But enough on old news. New news is the best news. Otherwise it's not news. It's olds. And that's stupid.

So more filler to come, then another Femgineer test soon. Femscout still wears a helmet to dinner so give her time.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The GLaDOS Statement Reproduction Initiative

Finally, after several weeks in development, I present to you your requested Glados lines as preformed by me and edited in Melodyne by Dr. Hooves!

Well, not ALL your requested lines. They were all equally good. But some were just more equal that others. It's an Animal Farm thing. You know. Four feet good, two feet bad. You understand. I knew you would.

Female Engineer notes look great so far. If you can believe it, I'm waiting for even more feedback before I jump on that one. Female Scout, as always, is chugging along as the special child of my voice over endeavors. She wears her own special helmet and everything.

In more local news I've decided that come hell or high water, by hook or by crook, I'll be attending NYCC 2011. There business cards shall be distributed shamelessly and mingling so hard the center is sure to collapse in on itself. As a result of this, I may not come back alive. Undead maybe. In the event of my reanimation, I ask that you all remember me as I was - alive.

That's all for now. Perhaps one of these days I'll write about something entertaining.

Like ponies.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Much Obliged!

Wow. Can anyone believe it's almost been a year since ChemicalAlia agreed to have me do the voice replacement for her Female Spy model and our crazy journey began? Seems like just the other day. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful that year has been and how grateful I am for so many supporters in that time. I strive to get better and to challenge myself, and if you are reading this you have had a hand in that yourself.

Is there anything I can say or do to possibly express that wealth of pure gratitude?

 


Nope.avi

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Gashlycrumb Tiny Update

So the narration's up if you haven't found it yet. I meant to post it to the blog first, but preparation for work this morning got my wires all crossed.

I'm pretty content with it and hope you all were too. As I said, I want to keep things interesting and keep pumping out a mix of different projects.

In other news, ChemicalAlia has shared a concept sketch for her female Engineer. It's exciting news and it's getting a great deal of positive response. As for myself, I've thought about auditioning for this one, but the final say is with Alia and her preferences.

Female Scout is proving to be even more of a royal pain than she was the first round of recording sessions I tried last year. In truth I feel that someone can do a better job (or let's say more fitting job) than what I've been producing for her. This isn't insecurity; just personal preference.

There's a gal out there who'll pick up the character and wow us all, I know it. And when she turns up, I'll be using her soundpack!

But enough on gender bends. There's still Portal to think about and something of a melodic project I've been eyeing for a while.

And about that last poll! I'm taking it seriously and considering all those options. We'll see what ends up on the channel next. For now, take care and stay crunchy in milk.


P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEE BRADLEY BAKER!
Keep on making them animal noises!

Friday, August 19, 2011

D is for Delays

Family life beckons me away for long periods at a time. While I was away in Baltimore, someone had the audacity to fall ill... quite literally, in fact.

A maternal unit took a bad stumble and is in my diligent care until she fully recovers. So not big surprise that I haven't put things out as fast as I'd like to. I do have plenty on my plate, though. Like a fat man at a free all you can eat brunch... with Canadian bacon. Awww yeah...
  • We're pushing 70 out of 400+ female scout lines.
  • Finished some lines for Earthbound Fortress 2's episode 1, which is looking fantastic!
  • A contest is ready for almost immediately after Female Scout Soundpack release.
  • More Glados lines will be shared soon.
  • And just in time for 3000 subs, my first non video game project in a while:

My narration of the popular alphabet book, The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey!

Should have it up in the next day or two; a refreshingly morbid turn away from TF2 for the moment. I'm trying to get back to what my Youtube Channel was about in the first place: exercising and doing a variety of different types of projects, getting feedback, and learning. I love the TF2 and Valve community, and there'll always be some fun new thing from me in time, so no worries if you're feeling cheated at all. Let's all have fun hearing about 26 little children finding a land made out of candy and puppies and free amusement park rides.

Because that's exactly what this book's about.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Dubbers need dosh, mate!

Another small update on things in this little neck of the world.
  • Female Scout's chuggin' along... Valve time, people. Valve time.
  • For those following my blog and Twitter, I may have some special tidbits for you that I wont be sharing with those following my YT account. So aren't YOU special?! More on that at a later date.
  • New soundpack idea bubbles in my brain, but I shant release details until I'm sure I want to do it.
  • Otakon 2011 fast approaches. I'll be there with bells on my toes and horn-rimmed specs on my face, so you just might catch me in the cosplaying crowd - or at least my business car
So seeing as how this is a blog by a voice-over enthusiast, I feel obligated to share the following with you. This was posted on Erin Fitzgerald's deviantart account. Her most notable roles include May Kanker and Nazz from Ed, Edd, & Eddy and Morrigan in MvC3.

This is her plea to those of you (including myself) who torrent anime illegally. 
You can should read it HERE, but the TL;DR is try not to do it, anime watchers. It hurts the profits for the American dubbers which in turn hurts voice actors payment and getting hired. These are fun shows to watch for free, but dubbers need dosh to keep buying rights to NEW animes to dub.

In short, please think before you torrent - for the children.

Thank you for your support. In other news - - KITTY TIME! ^___^


Saturday, July 9, 2011

Progress. Slow progress.


It appears as though I'm starting to finally catch up on some of my projects. Allergy tests are finally done with, revealing that I am allergic to something all year round! 
One of them on the list was cockroaches... I shiver in my boots at the prospect. Bleck. 

Creepy little buggers...    
So now that I'm aware of my triggers, all I need do now is stay the fuck away from them as best I can so I don't launch my throat into a hellish blood storm.

I've since started up on more soundpack progress. Female Scout will, unfortunately take some time. And I'm going to use math to show you!

Female Spy Lines = 249
Amount of Time to Complete Pack = 2.5 months

Female Scout Lines = 450+
Completed Lines = 30
I punch those numbers into my calculator and I get a kick to the teeth.
What truly holds up the progress on the pack is the level of energy that should be present throughout. The overall character is an irritating one, a pestering kind if know-it-all mentality that is entirely distasteful. That's why we LOVE Scout. He's an ASS.

But here's the tricky thing: in entertainment media of any genre women aren't typically get assigned these roles. Ever. When men are young jerky upstarts with class clown antics, it's charming and humorous. When women are assigned these traits, it's unappealing, grating, or marginalizing for that character. It's sad, but true: as far as the media is concerned, women are not allowed to be dicks. That's why they're called "dicks".

I had a professor who worked for a big player in network TV (I'm not Allowed to Be giving out Certain names). Charged with the duty of creating a villain for a new game they were producing, he designed a woman of high class and wit with flawless comedic timing and a tragic backstory. She was sharp. Demeaning. Delicous. And what did they tell my prof? 

Make it a man.

Now before the war of the sexes sprouts in anyone's mind, let me say this: 
Nelson rating demographics taken from children ages 8-13 show that the majority of that group's audience are male. And a survey conducted of that target group concluded with unwavering results that young boys did not like powerful women figures in their television programming.

And these are children. Food for thought, America.

Anyway, that's about as political as I'll ever get on this blog. I'm just in this for the fun.

In the meantime, enjoy the progress being made with the Glados lines for Dr. Hoove's custom Portal 2 map!
Gender is irrelevant to Glados; women burn just as easily as men.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Then, suddenly, lip sync!

 

MrDude20652 is credit to team! Female Spy now has lip movement, so rejoice!

As if she needed to keep opening her trap.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Ze Sound of Progress, My Friends!

Updating from work. It was inevitable.
They gave me a laptop and a small, quiet room to think in; they knew the consequences of their actions!

Well, then. How fun was Meet the Medic? My eyeballs are still bleeding happy blood tears!
Robin Atkin Downes just has so much titillating, unpredictable energy that it's frightening. And he truly is a lovely man, in my honest opinion. [Incoming Downes appreciation in 3... 2... 1...]
 
WOW! :D

That comment was on my now-ancient Female Medic Voice EXERCISE (I didn't do the soundpack; this was done when she was still just concept art).

Now he didn't have to say that because we all know it was GOD awful. Like, this is my low budget porno done in the back of someone's van outside the 7/11. But I cherish it and keep it up because it shows me where I was, how I improved myself, and the value of a good mic. That's more important than likes and ego stroking, I think.

Downes tries to keep his fans up to date on his work which is very considerate. So for him to take time out of this day to glance over my tiny 7/11 van porno to give me words of encouragement --  that's the mark of a big, sweet man.

If by any chance you're not subbed to his YouTube Channel (which is actually a felony in some states), go pay him a visit. He posted this fun clip for us too!


So ends my fan rant.

In other news, I've been to the corner of SWAMPED and back. Wrestling with the guilt of not being done with those Glados lines, tackling Female Scout and all her whiny screeching, elbow dropping some Paula lines for Maxof S2D's Earthbound Fortress 2 -- it's a freakin' MMA brawl going on in my brain.

And there may be something much bigger on the horizon for my projects. I'm not at liberty to discuss it at the moment, but you'll be the first ones to know about it should it come to fruition.


NO, bronies, I'm pretty sure I'm NOT doing this. But I thought I'd share for any other VA's who were interested. Nothing against the show, I'm just super busy!

I think I've wasted enough of my job's internet blogging. Here's to another TL;DR post! Cheers!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Recovery and Alice

I'm alive. Really.
I'm just twitching pathetically in a puddle of my own mucus because it's very in this year.

Yes, my body has somehow managed to survive 3 weeks with the same throat pain and post nasal drip that left me open to infection at the beginning of this year. My throat has been so raw and nasty the past month that I punched out sought out every ENT I could get my fists on until an answer was found.

I'm told by highly trained doctors with practically HOURS of ontological experience that it is perhaps one of two things:

Acid reflux (very sneaky, silent reflux) or, way more likely, ALLERGIES (really picky, moody allergies).

With my allergy test fast approaching, I've making preparations to continue with Female Scout and Dr. Hooves's Glados lines for his Portal 2 custom map. I feel awful because pain aside, I PHYSICALLY could not get these things done on the schedule I had planned. Believe me. I tried. Ever hear a voice crack like a Ming dynasty vase getting hit by a bus?

While I was recovering I mooched from Psychoshinobi17 picked up Alice: Madness Returns! I'm so thrilled I can't even SEE all the key binding glitches through my tears of ecstasy!

Derp.
In all seriousness, though, great game so far. If you have the cash to toss around, get it or give the first AM's Alice a spin.

Oh, and Twitter. I do the twitter now:
http://twitter.com/DustyOldRoses
Pop over if you want to what boring nonsense I'm up to.
Pop over...
Mmm, popovers...
I kinda want sweets now. Maybe I'll tweet about it.





... fucking Twitter.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

For Science... You Monsters...


[REDACTED]

Voices for Japan


Though a couple months have passed since the devastating earthquake in Japan, we have not forgotten the struggle the nation is still enduring. Here these voices have come together to send a song of hope to them, a hymn of faith and change.

The collaboration was put together by
(Also singing along side me is my friend and "co-worker" Raikujo who gets cookie points for singing through strep throat. He's an angel!)

I am very honored to have been apart of such a wonderful, thoughtful effort, and I wanted to share with you guys. <3

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Remastered Scout's Mom Soundpack!

So this one time I made a soundpack for Team Fortress 2's Scout's Mom that all the gmodders and machinima makers I adore could have more options than turning up the pitch on Scout's voice. And this one time, I finished the soundpack just in time for Mother's Day, which was a nice way to present the piece to the public.

Then I saw that the quality of the audio was a hot mess. But what was I to do? With over 190 lines, I didn't have time to edit. And the laptop was all the way over theeeere... 

So then, this one time, MaxofS2D was all "Hey, I can edit your audio for you :3".

And then I was all like, "NO WAI".
And then he did, and it was all like "AWESOME!" and I was all like "AWESOME!" and Max was all like "AWESOME!" 

Sooo, here's hoping you still think it's awesome too.

The new remastered version here, hosted on Max's domain: 

This version will also be posted in the original video.  



And then I was all, "K, sleep now." 
And then I slept.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day!

Whether you're a mother, have a mother, love a mother, played Mother, or just like to say the word "mother", I wish you all a Happy Nearly-Belated Mother's Day!

As I've been spending most of the day with my own maternal figure, I've made this post a little later than I thought I would. But like a nine month gestation period of thunder and lava, I'm hoping it'll be worth the cervical splitting pain!



Here for your listening pleasure are the results of the "Scout's Mom Says..." Mother's Day Contest. I've chosen three winners whose line will be put into the Scout's Mom Gmod and Machinama soundpack.

Fair warning: since this wasn't going into the game, it's as rough as rough gets. The volume is low, but that's the only real thing that bugs me regarding quality.

Hope you all enjoy! :)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Now How Do I Work This Thing?

If you're reading this, then congratulations! 

To me! 

Because this being visible to the outside world means I have not made the internet implode upon itself by attempting to start a blog. Good job, me. Have a treat.

But at any rate, welcome to my unimploded space on the web! After a slew of allergy attacks, late hours at the job, freelance research, and countless nights of just being too deliciously lazy, I've at last found the time and energy to start this so called... "buh-lah-guh".

No doubt most of you were brought here via my YouTube Channel. If not, welcome anyway!  

I'm still trying to get a feel for this, so bare with me...

I recently had two wisdom teeth pulled and will be out of commission for at least a week or two until my jaw feels well enough to move around for voice over. Think of the stuff to come as over compensation. 

Not to mention I'm getting the other two pulled in July, so just copypasta all this pain for a month and a half from now... Boy oh boy!

If you're still reading, I commend you. As a reward, here's a new voice over exercise I whipped up in honor of the upcoming sequel to American McGee's Alice. After waiting MORE THAN HALF A DAMN DECADE for it, I'm super psyched for Alice: The Madness Returns!

 
In other news, I'm editing the Scout's Mom soundpack. In a perfect world, it'll be done by Mother's Day. I'm nervous about it, but hopefully there are some gmodders out there who could get some use from it.
As for the Female Spy being feature on Team Fortress 2's official blog? I'll save this from being anymore TL;DR by just making a video on it.


Let's see where this thing goes. Hope we all have fun while we're here.
-

D.O.R