SAG-AFTRA-Voice actors going on strike

[Tashasaurous]

This is completely new to me, but as I checked up on the KH13 forum for a bit more info on Kingdom Hearts 2.8, I found this and...it appears that even voice actors are going on strike this month and it's happening on the 24th of this month(which is already Monday in my end of the world).

http://www.npr.org/s...-game-companies

Even Disney is doing this and apparently someone thinks that no one respects or cares about the voice actors, which is practically not true, because I respect these people strongly for their work and for their jobs.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Strangelove]

i think the respect thing is more about how they are treated by the industry (not getting fair royalties, being seen as easily replaceable, losing out on work just so they can hire a popular celebrity)

 

[Tashasaurous]

i think the respect thing is more about how they are treated by the industry (not getting fair royalties, being seen as easily replaceable, losing out on work just so they can hire a popular celebrity)

Oh come on, voice acting can't be that easy to replace and I have a grudge against different voices in characters in anything. Sure sometimes it can't be helped when one or two voice actors die(like Leonard Nimory for example-R.I.P Leonard), but if they hire people who have completely different voices for characters, they sound terrible.

I'd like voices of characters to have the same voice actors and really, the industry sounds practically stupid. But that's just me.

 

[Tennyo]

Tasha, it really is that easy to be replaced. Also, I don't think the peeps in charge care too much if the audience notices a change in the actor. The bottom line is always what's most important at the end of the day.

These people's jobs aren't as secure as you'd think.

 

[ForceStealer]

It's likely about residuals. If a "normal" actor performs in something they get a cut of the money that the project actually makes, but that doesn't happen in video games. So that's probably the biggest part of it.

This, though:

Another major complaint from the actors is the secrecy of the industry. "I can't imagine if there's any other acting job in the world, where you don't know what show you're in, when you're hired," says voice actor Keythe Farley, who chairs the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee.

"And yet that happens every day in the video game world," Farley told reporters during a press conference Friday. "I was a main character in Fallout 4, a character by the name of Kellogg, and I never knew, that I was working on Fallout 4 throughout the year and a half that I did vocal recording for that game. You show up, there's a stack of scripts on a music stand with your lines only."

-is an interesting point. Why IS it so damn secretive? Especially when it's a sequel. I loved when I went with my friend to his dad's work and had to sign a non-disclosure agreement that they were, at the time, working on Civ 5. Gee, who would have seen that coming?

Tasha, it really is that easy to be replaced. Also, I don't think the peeps in charge care too much if the audience notices a change in the actor. The bottom line is always what's most important at the end of the day.

This, I think, is going to change soon. Companies have gotten some serious pushback for voice actor changes in recent years. (Michael Ironside in Splinter Cell, David Hayter in Metal Gear Solid.) Obviously it still happened, but I think that signals the direction this particular facet is going.

 

[Strangelove]

that is the point, they are seen as someone you can just replace with little consequence. it's not given the same prestige as film and tv actors, nor the same level of pay. so you have to do a job that is pretty intense physically (having to record screams and pained noises or making an unusual voice for hours at a time), get paid low (unless you're on the simpsons or a famous film actor), don't get residuals or royalties like with other media.

actually most of that was mentioned in the npr article anyway. here's a pdf flyer describing their demands and grievances

https://www.sagaftra.org/files/interactive_strike.pdf

 

[Tashasaurous]

I guess you guys have a good point and it does depend on those said actors want to return to reprise their roles or not or just can't do it since they're busy at something else.

But don't you guys feel sorry for those who are on strike? I mean, for the past three years no one had a pay rise in any kind of job.

 

[Lex]

It's not about availability, it's about companies getting rid of established VA's because soundalikes are cheaper. It happens all over the place and not just in the video game industry.

Futurama for example, when it moved to Comedy Central, tried to pay all of its VA's half the money (notable actors like Katey Sagal, etc., literally all of the main characters). The show began recruiting soundalikes and the VA community basically boycotted and said "fuck that, none of us are doing that" (as well as the obvious fan outrage), so they ended up hiring the original VA's for their original salary instead of cheaping out. I remember reading about this years ago because Rachel Robinson (the voice of Fang from XIII) made a statement on her facebook page that she'd been asked to audition for the role of Leela and flat out said it's a horrible practice and that she and her other VA buddies told them where to stick it in support of the original VA's.

In video games it's even easier to be replaced due to both the secrecy and lack of publicity before the voice work is done, but that last part is speculation. I mean realistically the only way fans or anyone is going to find out that a VA has changed is when real marketing for the game begins, and that's more often than not done way after voice work has been recorded.

Into the bargain, higher-ups often don't seem to notice or care about the impact. I remember before Infamous 2 was released they had this whole statement about the new VA because fans went nuts that it had been changed, and they were like "oh we're so surprised at all the love you have for [original VA]! So we've changed the voice of [title character] to match it more!" missing the point completely that people wanted the original VA. Some dumb shits in the industry.

 

[Tashasaurous]

It's not about availability, it's about companies getting rid of established VA's because soundalikes are cheaper. It happens all over the place and not just in the video game industry.

In video games it's even easier to be replaced due to both the secrecy and lack of publicity before the voice work is done, but that last part is speculation. I mean realistically the only way fans or anyone is going to find out that a VA has changed is when real marketing for the game begins, and that's more often than not done way after voice work has been recorded.

Into the bargain, higher-ups often don't seem to notice or care about the impact. I remember before Infamous 2 was released they had this whole statement about the new VA because fans went nuts that it had been changed, and they were like "oh we're so surprised at all the love you have for [original VA]! So we've changed the voice of [title character] to match it more!" missing the point completely that people wanted the original VA. Some dumb shits in the industry.

But still, don't you at least feel sorry for those who aren't that famous but still have a job at least? I know voice changes can't be helped and it can be annoying, but I always praise those who at least did their best to voice certain characters.

Will Smith for the second Interpendence Day movie...well, he wanted too much money. But still, I feel more sorry for those who don't have the same respect from those hired them like those who are really popular.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

In the arts, appearance usually trumps vocals. It's a lot harder to find similar looking people as opposed to similar sounding people and VAing is one of those parts of the arts that's not as flashy as visual acting is. So it's a lot easier to hide what's going on from the public.

 

[Tashasaurous]

In the arts, appearance usually trumps vocals. It's a lot harder to find similar looking people as opposed to similar sounding people and VAing is one of those parts of the arts that's not as flashy as visual acting is. So it's a lot easier to hide what's going on from the public.

True, but still, I still feel sorry for those who are on strike. I mean, sure you don't hear much about those who do all the voice acting, but I still praise their work and respect them as people, and not just....Vocal Cords. Calling them that is just wrong.

 

[ChOcOboO]

It's likely about residuals. If a "normal" actor performs in something they get a cut of the money that the project actually makes, but that doesn't happen in video games. So that's probably the biggest part of it.

Yup. And that's only those who are hired for supporting roles or main roles, since you don't get residuals as an extra.

I had no idea this was going on. I understand that in comparison to the people doing voice work, the animators, editors, etc. are working longer hours overall, but it shouldn't matter in the end when performers are also giving their all to ensure that portrayal of the character is up to standard, while not even knowing about their characterization, which is another shocking thing... you don't go into an audition room for a commercial/film/industrial and NOT know about the specifications of a role, that's unheard of. Especially on a SAG-AFTRA role, which are only available to those already in the Union, so you would think that at least those voice actors would be treated a bit better. I'm aghast.

 

[Hisako]

It's likely about residuals. If a "normal" actor performs in something they get a cut of the money that the project actually makes, but that doesn't happen in video games. So that's probably the biggest part of it.

I've actually read that the residuals part of the deal could be one of the throwaway proposals they've implemented to make their other ones more attractive (like enforcing safety supervisors for stunt mo-cap and reducing the duration of high-stress recording sessions).

It's apparently a tricky subject to tackle because the potential problem is that the developers working on the rest of the game (usually in equally shitty working conditions, or worse) aren't usually paid residuals either, and they would probably be loathe to have voice actors earning residuals before them.

 

[Tashasaurous]

I've actually read that the residuals part of the deal could be one of the throwaway proposals they've implemented to make their other ones more attractive (like enforcing safety supervisors for stunt mo-cap and reducing the duration of high-stress recording sessions).

It's apparently a tricky subject to tackle because the potential problem is that the developers working on the rest of the game (usually in equally shitty working conditions, or worse) aren't usually paid residuals either, and they would probably be loathe to have voice actors earning residuals before them.

What also gets to me is like the Industry must thinking that no one cares about the voice actors of the characters, which people actually do and I definately care about the voice actors of them.

But then again, everything on Earth has definately gone downhill and is continuing to do so. I'm not surprised if gaming companies and actors, ect. are suffering the same problem as other people who are losing their jobs when businesses they work for are closing down and they have to go back to school to re-learn for a new job all over again.

 

[Hisako]

Honestly, I think the only reason why the voice actors have done it first is because developers don't really have a union with the same amount of clout that SAG does, if unions exist at all

 

[Tashasaurous]

Honestly, I think the only reason why the voice actors have done it first is because developers don't really have a union with the same amount of clout that SAG does, if unions exist at all

Well today's the first time I've ever heard of SAG-AFTRA, which is one the most stupidest names and/or words I've ever read in my entire life.

Then again, the voice actors regards to Kingdom Hearts 3 and the future of Final Fantasy VII(I think mainly it's Compilation) that the actors who do them are practically waiting for another update and like us, are sick and tired of these spin-offs(mainly Kingdom Hearts spin offs) but even they don't know much on what's going on.

Months ago, or maybe last year, Quinton Flynn who voices Reno in the Final Fantasy VII titles and Axel/Lea in the Kingdom Hearts franchise wants to voice Reno again and even was getting impaitent on the super long delay for Kingdom Hearts 3 as his next recording role as Lea/Axel, and really, I don't blame the poor guy.

 

[ForceStealer]

I highly doubt voice actors are sick of spin-offs. The more Kingdom Hearts games there are, the more paying gigs they get.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Being as I didn't see this thread (and it's VAs being just video games, even if that is the primary focus) I made a thread in the News section on this yesterday that's got some more details on the whole thing: http://thelifestream.net/forums/showthread.php?t=19145

Also, we should probably merge these threads, but should we keep the discussion here or move it over ta News?




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