Aggro Incarnate Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 (edited) Rena Strober, Azura's VA for the North American localisation, shares her experience voice-acting for Fire Emblem Fates, thoughts about the initial reactions, and excitement for the release of the game with Super Geeked Up. There's some interesting info on how the voice-acting process is like for video games in general as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-lybyJ-yVg Edited February 16, 2016 by Aggro Incarnate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abvora Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Awwwwww, she's such a sweetie. It's a pity her first experience with us was with people bashing her for her singing. Hopefully she learns that it's being widely praised now! Interesting interview, too, especially for the insights on how they VA for the characters. I didn't know they didn't even get their character's names or personalities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elieson Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Yea I learned that with Kyle Hebert's FE13 voice interview. He was basically told "Don't sound spanish" and "here's your name" but out of context he wasn't quite sure on anything beyond a suggested delivery method Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draxal Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 (edited) This fandom's too mean for it's own good; gets angry over the most trivial of things. However, it's really an issue with many gaming fandoms as well Edited February 16, 2016 by Draxal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glyth Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 (edited) "what they call like weebling or something" oh lawd Looks like she got a negative impression of the fans. I do prefer the japanese one, but the english version is good. Edited February 16, 2016 by Glyth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anacybele Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Ha, I'd have reacted the same way Rena did about everything. I'd have been upset at the bashing of her Azura dub and surprised at taking part in something so big, relieved to see people actually enjoying the English song, etc. I understand her completely here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowofchaos Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 The thing with being a proper non-toxic "weeaboo" is acceptance and just stating that you prefer something more than the other instead of bashing voice actors. People forget that the whole "mere-exposure effect" will make it so no English voice actress will ever live up to their expectations if they make it so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggro Incarnate Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 (edited) Come to think of it I find how VAs are done (not being told anything about the premise behind the dialogue apart from suggestive voice direction) as Rena explained here a bit curious though. Is this the case for dubs in games and animated films and shows, possibly just voice-acting in general; or something rather quite specific to either the demographic (North America), the industry (gaming), the context of dubbing-for-localisation, or the producers / distributors (IS / Nintendo) specifically? (Although not knowing the premise for animated shows where the dialogue drives the entire narrative wouldn't make sense, now that I think of it...) I would have imagined that knowing more about the specifics of what it is that they voice-act would allow voice-actors to get a better sense of how they convey the dialogue; for instance the full backstory of the characters, their personalities, physique, context of dialogue, and character relations. It would seem that what makes a good dub becomes at the end of the day becomes an issue of hit-or-miss of the voice-directors and how they communicate with the voice-actors, which I find interesting, but a bit perplexing as well... My initial guess would be that for the kind of voice-acting in video games that involve a similar amount of 'information release' as Fire Emblem Fates (mostly focusing on voicing battle quotes, short verbal reactions, cutscenes lasting a few minutes at most), the interests of keeping certain information about their product confidential prior to release somehow outweigh that of potentially improving the voice-acting by providing more subtext to the VAs and allowing more freedom and contributions from their part. But is keeping info so tightly controlled to the extent where it goes beyond a simple confidentiality policy (Don't reveal certain type of specific information about our product) and to the point of voice-actors knowing so little (Not knowing what their characters are, or even the name of the game) really of benefit to Nintendo as a distributor for the game though? Edited February 16, 2016 by Aggro Incarnate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFantasm Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 (edited) The thing with being a proper non-toxic "weeaboo" is acceptance and just stating that you prefer something more than the other instead of bashing voice actors. People forget that the whole "mere-exposure effect" will make it so no English voice actress will ever live up to their expectations if they make it so. This. It's why I wish I never heard any of the Japanese voices after learning there'd be no dual audio, because I knew that I'd just end up constantly comparing them. It isn't fair to the English VAs who put forth their best effort, only to hear how awful they'd be/are with little to no valid reasoning behind it. I admit when watching anime and the like, I prefer subs to dub, but I'll never go around bashing others for their preferences. Edited February 16, 2016 by TheFantasm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truthblade Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 (edited) So they aren't told ANYTHING about the person they voice. That might actually explain the "terrible" voice acting (I put it in quotes because I don't think it actually is). I think some personality info would be very helpful. Edited February 16, 2016 by Blade_of_Light Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HF Makalov Fanboy Kai Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 So they aren't told ANYTHING about the person they voice. That might actually explain the "terrible" voice acting (I put it in quotes because I don't think it actually is). I think some personality info would be very helpful. it might also explain why some voice actors get pigeon holed into using only certain voices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limstella Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 (edited) Really cool insight on VAs, thanks for posting. I'd react the same way she did with all the backlash :P So they aren't told ANYTHING about the person they voice. That might actually explain the "terrible" voice acting (I put it in quotes because I don't think it actually is). I think some personality info would be very helpful. You'd think they'd be told something like: Shy, reserved, yet wise, or "Over the top" "Goofy" "Loud" Edited February 16, 2016 by Manakete Morgan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delfino Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Come to think of it I find how VAs are done (not being told anything about the premise behind the dialogue apart from suggestive voice direction) as Rena explained here a bit curious though. Is this the case for dubs in games and animated films and shows, possibly just voice-acting in general; or something rather quite specific to either the demographic (North America), the industry (gaming), the context of dubbing-for-localisation, or the producers / distributors (IS / Nintendo) specifically? (Although not knowing the premise for animated shows where the dialogue drives the entire narrative wouldn't make sense, now that I think of it...) I would have imagined that knowing more about the specifics of what it is that they voice-act would allow voice-actors to get a better sense of how they convey the dialogue; for instance the full backstory of the characters, their personalities, physique, context of dialogue, and character relations. It would seem that what makes a good dub becomes at the end of the day becomes an issue of hit-or-miss of the voice-directors and how they communicate with the voice-actors, which I find interesting, but a bit perplexing as well... My initial guess would be that for the kind of voice-acting in video games that involve a similar amount of 'information release' as Fire Emblem Fates (mostly focusing on voicing battle quotes, short verbal reactions, cutscenes lasting a few minutes at most), the interests of keeping certain information about their product confidential prior to release somehow outweigh that of potentially improving the voice-acting by providing more subtext to the VAs and allowing more freedom and contributions from their part. But is keeping info so tightly controlled to the extent where it goes beyond a simple confidentiality policy (Don't reveal certain type of specific information about our product) and to the point of voice-actors knowing so little (Not knowing what their characters are, or even the name of the game) really of benefit to Nintendo as a distributor for the game though? From what I've heard, how companies handle video game voice acting varies quite considerably. I've heard that sometimes, the voice actor will have a picture of their character in the booth, be allowed to listen to the Japanese voice clips (if they exist), and are, you know, actually told who their character is, from name to personality. I feel like having none of those things and only giving the actor vague information, not to mention having no context for their lines, is detrimental to the quality of the final product. I would hope that the voice directors at the very least are knowledgeable about the characters their actors are trying to portray, and thus can help tune their delivery so it fits, but geez... makes me feel sorry for all the voice actors who are being ragged on for being "bad" when it probably wasn't even their fault. They were likely trying their best stumbling around in the dark, and everyone's judging them for it. Rena seems like such a sweet lady. She really doesn't deserve such rude comments (turned up to 11 considering this is the internet). I think she did great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twice Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Rena seems so nice! I like her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanethedragon Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Lol, interesting vid. But yeah, it's only just a reminder to me now that I think of it that it may partly not be the VA's fault for delivery. As for Rena's part, I'm still going through highs and lows of cringe and not-so cringe with her songs and acts for Aqua. I mean, it's good on some parts if not okay, and reaaaaally bad on others. When it comes to these things, considering that they (in this case Nintendo) don't provide that much details of the character for the actor, it does lend its way towards having an inconsistent act throughout the course of recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thane Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I haven't listened to the interview, but I'm confused about one thing: why wouldn't they be told anything about their characters? That makes no sense, and would take only a few minutes!The gaming industry seems to be in such a weird state where half of it tries to be Hollywood and the other is just...a strange, geeky mess where stuff like this happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanethedragon Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I haven't listened to the interview, but I'm confused about one thing: why wouldn't they be told anything about their characters? That makes no sense, and would take only a few minutes! The gaming industry seems to be in such a weird state where half of it tries to be Hollywood and the other is just...a strange, geeky mess where stuff like this happens. They do provide details, it's just that those details are very vague. Also this isn't a problem inherent in the gaming industry in the west as it also blends into the anime industry as well. I remember attending a panel at a convention once with Monica Rial and a few other notable VAs and they did gloss over some of these aspects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thane Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 They do provide details, it's just that those details are very vague. Also this isn't a problem inherent in the gaming industry in the west as it also blends into the anime industry as well. I remember attending a panel at a convention once with Monica Rial and a few other notable VAs and they did gloss over some of these aspects. But...why? It seems like something that could easily be fixed without increasing the cost yet at the same time improve the quality of the product, or am I missing something important here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obsidere Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Oh man, I feel so bad for Rena. She did such an amazing job for the singing and for the voice of Azura. And then she gets attacked because her singing didn't exactly match up to the Japanese version. However I am happy to hear that most of that flak is gone and she is getting the appreciation she deserves. I dunno I love fire emblem but when people get so riled up over something like that it makes me upset. Anyway thanks for posting the video Rena seems like such a sweet person and i'm happy I got to watch this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supercredit Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 This doesn't happen with anime most of the time. And video games either. Basically treehouse once again shows it's bullshit colors. What a fucking debacle. They should be completely ashamed of how they handled this game, and I hope enough fans speak out so they know exactly how they were shitty caretakers of this ip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanethedragon Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 But...why? It seems like something that could easily be fixed without increasing the cost yet at the same time improve the quality of the product, or am I missing something important here? It's really hard to tell, but I suppose this dude summs up what could most plausibly be the answer. My initial guess would be that for the kind of voice-acting in video games that involve a similar amount of 'information release' as Fire Emblem Fates (mostly focusing on voicing battle quotes, short verbal reactions, cutscenes lasting a few minutes at most), the interests of keeping certain information about their product confidential prior to release somehow outweigh that of potentially improving the voice-acting by providing more subtext to the VAs and allowing more freedom and contributions from their part. But is keeping info so tightly controlled to the extent where it goes beyond a simple confidentiality policy (Don't reveal certain type of specific information about our product) and to the point of voice-actors knowing so little (Not knowing what their characters are, or even the name of the game) really of benefit to Nintendo as a distributor for the game though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delfino Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 (edited) But...why? It seems like something that could easily be fixed without increasing the cost yet at the same time improve the quality of the product, or am I missing something important here? Apparently, they saw it as very "secretive" information. I can only assume that they were trying to keep as much information about the game, its characters, and localization changes from getting out as possible, though I don't see why they would need to resort to such extremes to do so. It's not like the actors aren't already under a NDA, anyway, and it's more harmful to the game's quality, if anything. edit: ninja'd Edited February 16, 2016 by Delfino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuky Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 (edited) She seems like such a sweet person! I think she did a great job with the song, even though I admit that I'm biased after being exposed to the Japanese version first. She definitely didn't need all that negativity in her life. And I can't believe that the VA's were told so little about their character; I've always known that voice acting is a difficult job, but in this case, I'm even more impressed by their work. Now I'm really curious about how much the voice acting policies differ between various companies, media, and countries. Edited February 16, 2016 by Tsuky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thane Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 It's really hard to tell, but I suppose this dude summs up what could most plausibly be the answer. I see, thank you. It makes a degree of sense but it seems a tad paranoid, no? She seems like such a sweet person! I think she did a great job with the song, even though I admit that I'm biased after being exposed to the Japanese version first. She definitely didn't need all that negativity in her life. And I can't believe that the VA's were told so little about their character; I've always known that voice acting is a difficult job, but in this case, I'm even more impressed by their work. Now I'm really curious about how much the voice acting policies differ between various companies, media, and countries. For as long as I have known Fire Emblem to be a thing, it has had a larger-than-normal problem with its fanbase. I mean, it's not on the same level as Sonic, but its definitely considered to be one of the more hostile and pretentious ones out there, and I believe the fan reaction would've been a lot milder if this were a different series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowofchaos Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 The Tales of Series is one of the fandoms that are definitely NOT milder than here for negative reactions to English dubbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.