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Post by Casey on Apr 30, 2009 17:19:08 GMT
This Production Packet was last updated on May 16th, 2009. Here's what we will need to have in order to make the production work smoothly. This list may change and if I make changes I'll post in this thread so you'll know to look up here again. 1) Stuff to read from: This can be the actual comics, your hardcopy of the book, or Sandjosieph's transcripts. 2) Voice chat program: We have decided to use Skype for our rehearsals. it can be downloaded here. Once you have registered, please PM me for further details on getting on our rehearsal calls. 3) Text chat program: (Edited May 29) We have been satisfied with the chat function in Skype, and do not need any additional text-chat program. 4) Audio Recording Program: I respect that everyone has their own preferences, but I'm really strongly leaning towards having everyone use Audacity. It is free, it is incredibly good, and it will make it easier to help troubleshoot each other if we're all using the same tool. 5) A way to move files back and forth: (Edited May 29) We have also been using Skype to shuttle files back and forth, and my Yahoo email account is the offline option. I'll give out that address as necessary. 6) (Edited May 29) EVERYONE in the voice part of the project needs to send me a PM that lists your Time Zone, your days and hours of availability, and a valid email address that you check on a regular basis, where I can get a hold of you. This is to prevent people from going MIA and holding up the project. This updated policy applies to everyone including those people who have already been in production. |
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Post by Rasselas on Apr 30, 2009 20:14:08 GMT
Additional suggestions for voicechat sessions: Skype and Teamspeak.
Text chat suggestion: that IRC channel that was made for Gunnerkrigg chat, as it can be accessed via browser and doesn't require that we all have the same chat protocol (Yahoo, MSN, etc).
Just suggestions if they'll be needed.
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Post by Casey on Apr 30, 2009 20:18:20 GMT
The IRC is a good idea. I've used IRC extensively as well. I don't know the IRC information but I'm sure when the time comes, we can get that distributed.
As far as your voice suggestions: I don't know anything about Skype so any information you can give would be appreciated. I have used TeamSpeak, though, and as compared with Ventrilo, my experience with the two sent me running from TS to Vent. Everyone's experiences may vary, but that was my experience.
Any more thoughts on the matter?
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Post by Aricos on Apr 30, 2009 20:23:24 GMT
You might want to establish who lives in which time zone so it will be easier to co-ordinate practice sessions. It won't do to put a lot of effort in setting up practice sessions, only to find out people can't practice together due to this  . (By the way, I live in the GMT+1 time zone (Netherlands) if memory serves.) |
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Post by Casey on Apr 30, 2009 20:30:04 GMT
I had thought about that, but I thought it would make more sense to work that out once we had the cast chosen. I imagine that we'll have to change rehearsal times for each chapter as new talent is introduced. It's also possible that we won't be able to work it out with everyone's schedule. If that turns out to be the case, then we'll just have to make our best effort at it.
Even in the worst case scenario, where we had no possibility of rehearsals, then the talent could just record their lines, and if someone's inflection turns out to not mesh up with the other person in the scene, then I can just send a note to the actor with instructions on what to change. It would be a much slower process, but, it would still allow us to make a good end product.
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Post by nikita on Apr 30, 2009 21:53:16 GMT
You can use senduit.com to share files up to 100mb in size. The catch: the uploads expire after at most 1 week. |
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Post by Goatmon on May 1, 2009 20:44:19 GMT
If you guys are serious about getting people together for some Gunnerkrigg voice acting, I totally want in on this. I tried getting this sort of project started a while ago, but I was too lazy to really make it happen. If you guys are pretty serious about this, you've certainly got my attention. In response to your suggestions on audio software; Audacity is pretty easy to work iwth, but it's limits on how much "Noise" it can take before it starts breaking down is pretty poor. I've found that, at least when recording music via my keyboard, that Wavepad Sound Editor works much better. I haven't tinkered around too much with voice acting, so take that with a grain of salt, although I will say that I've certainly had plenty of frustrations regarding Audacity. So, if you guys aren't hellbent on using it, I'd prefer not having to use it, at least for any recordings I'll be doing if I get through the auditions. edit: You can use senduit.com to share files up to 100mb in size. The catch: the uploads expire after at most 1 week. If you guys are in need of any online storage, I have a Box.net account going, which has a mostly unused capacity of about 2 gigs at the moment. The file limit is 50 megs, but unless you're saving everything in wav format, that shouldn't ever be a problem for purely audio-based material. |
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reyo
Junior Member
BANNED
Posts: 97
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Post by reyo on May 2, 2009 3:55:03 GMT
If I am chosen for any type of part, I vote that I get assigned some sort of technogeek to help me understand all of the lingo and even how to enact on anything involving software.
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I'm kidding, but I'd seriously need most of this stuff dumbed down if I'm going to be understanding any of it. (ex. are there links to this "Audacity" that you speak of?)
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Post by Goatmon on May 2, 2009 4:51:45 GMT
You can find Audacity here, if you are so interested.Having tinkered with it, I personally can't reccomend it; Perhaps I simply do not know how to make it work for me, but whatever the reason, I find it is much too sensitive. The recordings in Audacity always start to develop static and other annoying complications unless I am extremely careful about the noise. Even with a decent quality microphone, it still has very low tolerance to high pitches, or multiple recordings playing in a single audio sample. I recently tried Wavepad, and I found the difference to be like night and day. It has a much greater tolerance to how much noise and combined sounds can be mixed together before it starts developing static and other obnoxious feedback. Mind you, I dabble with recording music, and probably put more strain on the software's tolerance than anything most human voices would put it through.
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Post by Rasselas on May 2, 2009 11:58:05 GMT
I use Cooledit myself.
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Post by Casey on May 2, 2009 18:11:18 GMT
I'm going to experiment with Wavepad over the weekend if I get the opportunity.
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Post by Casey on May 8, 2009 18:43:12 GMT
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, here is an update. It is now just a couple of days before we will begin in earnest. There are a few parts already chosen due to uncontested auditions, and the other parts from chapters 1 and 2 will be decided less than 36 hours from this writing. I think the first thing I'm going to want to tackle is making sure that everyone who gets a role has their audio equipment set up to give them the best possible recording. In my experience, a person can have a perfectly okay mic but their settings, drivers, or other such mess is causing them a lot of problems. We will have to handle each one on a case by case basis, and what I want to do is foster a helping and mutually supportive attitude amongst all the cast members. We will be using Ventrilo as our method of voice-chatting with each other. The download link is here, and the latest version appears to be 3.0.5. I will try to post detailed step-by-step setup instructions later in this thread. We will also be using IRC concurrently. I have yet to get the server details, but, it should be very easy to reach without a download needed, and it will enable us to help people get their Vent and mic set up in situations where they cannot hear or speak (due to said set-up issues). If you are chosen for a role or are pretty sure you're going to be because you're trying out for bit parts etc, please go ahead and download and install Vent above. Do your best to become familiar with it, and let me know if you have major issues. Also, poke through and become familiar with your own system audio settings. Just knowing where they are, even if you don't know what they do, will bring us a lot closer to being able to get you squared away. NOW is the time to get your audio settings right. We will take whatever time we need to help people get their stuff straight, but, the sooner we can get to work, the sooner we can make some magic happen. Next point. We need to start a conversation about when people would be available to get together in Vent and rehearse. PLEASE, PLEASE let's phrase this in terms of GMT. We have people in the UK, in the US, and other places in Europe. If you need to know what your time offset is relative to GMT, just google "what time is it in London" and compare that to your local time. I'm aware that we might not be able to get everyone together at one time, but as much as possible, I'd like to get people who are sharing a scene together even if no one else can make that time. And I would like to get some time with each of you, even if it turns out to be individually. Please post your thoughts, concerns, etc, and let's keep this conversation going. This is where the magic starts to come together, so let's dive in with both feet, etc etc etc. |
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Post by Casey on May 8, 2009 18:49:35 GMT
P.S. for the large majority of you, the correct Ventrilo Client download will be the first one (PC) or the last one (Mac). If you have a 64-bit OS or Win 9x, you'll know it, and you'll know which other one to download.
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Post by Casey on May 10, 2009 14:37:50 GMT
Allright, now that Round 1 is over, I need each person who won a role to send me a PM letting me know a few things:
1) That you're ready to do the role and you understand how much work it's going to be! That's so you can't back out later, ha ha!
2) Whether or not you have downloaded Ventrilo, attempted to optimize your audio settings and microphone, gotten a voice recording program that you like and are familiar with, and whether you need help with any of the above.
3) What days and times you could make yourself available for an audio conference with me and your fellow actors on Ventrilo to rehearse lines and recieve direction on your performances.
I need these PMs right away to let me know that you have seen that you won, and that you're ready to get started!
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Post by Aricos on May 10, 2009 19:52:49 GMT
Send you a PM Casey  |
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Post by fuzzyone on May 12, 2009 5:26:11 GMT
Well, you already have my lines for Robot in chapter 1.. or, rather, Acherus does... unless you'd prefer a new, clean copy. And Winsbury... I can give you all of his lines to date in probably a 2 minute file. I do have a question, though... Does Ventrillo work on Linux? because I'm still terribly new with it, and don't know a lot about what I'm doing.
EDIT: Well, having gone to the Ventrillo page, the Linux version is still in development, though I DO have access to a Windows computer with a load of space I could put it on.I live in the US, Central time, which, I believe, is GMT -6. I'm anxious to get started on this, I'll PM you my Contact info, Casey... I've pretty much always got my Yahoo IM running, whether I'm at the comp or not.
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Post by Casey on May 16, 2009 5:23:37 GMT
I am happy to say that I now have in my hands the very first raw audio data for the project! Soymilk has sent in her "Paz" lines. I'm having her send in some more too, just for contrast and comparison.
Any of you who have "bit parts" for Chapters 1 and 2, if you want to go ahead and send them to me, send them to (removed--PM me if you need my address). You can send multiple takes, etc. If you feel that you need a consult on your mic equipment, let me know by PM here. And please, for the record, don't send me regular correspondence to the above email address, just files. I don't check that account nearly often enough to get back to you as quickly as I could if you sent me a PM here on the boards.
Those of you with more-than-bit parts, I promise, I am still working out a way for us to voice conference to rehearse the lines and get it so that we all know what to record... and to make sure your audio equipment is ready to go. I don't want you guys to end up recording a whole lot of stuff, only to end up not satisfied with the quality of the recording and whatnot.
BTW, obviously if anyone has access to a Ventrilo server, we would be more than grateful for you to let us use it. From the feedback I got from the actors for this round, it looks like our best potential meeting times would be between 6pm and 10pm London time, which is noon to 4pm my time (Central Standard, US). I do want to make that happen starting as soon as possible, and the major stumbling block at this time is just a server to meet on. I might even beg my old WoW guild to let me use theirs since it goes relatively unused during the US day. I'm trying to avoid having to make that imposition though.
Edit: BTW, Anyone who is involved with the project can also add me on Yahoo Messenger (ID removed, PM me if you need it). I can't say that I'll always be on or available, and I will prioritize talking to the actors above social calls... but still, now that we're moving into production, it should be another way to get a hold of me.
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Post by Casey on May 16, 2009 19:19:48 GMT
You all might be interested to know that, as I type this, we are in the middle of our first Skype conference call. We're still working out the technical details, but just on its face it appears to me that this is going to be sufficient for what we're doing. Time will tell. If you have won a role and want to see what the fuss is about, go ahead and install Skype and let me know, and I'll bring you up to speed from there.
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Post by Casey on May 16, 2009 21:04:05 GMT
Well, as an update, the Skype conferencing seems to work just fine. We had myself, Rasselas, Aricos, and FuzzyOne in there chatting. Skype seems to be the way we're going to go. Incidentally, I come from a background of using Vent so I was used to having a push-to-talk key to mute and unmute myself when I want to talk. Skype does not have that functionality. But, I found a small program online that adds this functionality. I'm going to post a link to said program, which I am now using. But please understand, I found it online, I make no claims about its suitability or safety, and I should not be seen as endorsing it because I know as much about it as you do (i.e. nothing, other than that it works). If you use it, whatever key you set it to it will completely override the use of that key for anything else, so I bound mine to my "Windows" key (which I've always thought was a pretty useless key anyway). It works, but be forewarned about its quirks. s4pg.us/s4pg.client/ |
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Post by Casey on May 16, 2009 23:43:32 GMT
I have updated the first post of this thread to be a comprehensive info packet of our current process. Please refer to it even if you have seen this thread before, as the updates may affect you.
Edit: Just to make sure you see the most important new point, we are no longer going to try to use Vent. We instead are using Skype.
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Post by Casey on May 17, 2009 16:20:52 GMT
Actors: We are at this moment getting folks together on Skype to check out our sound quality and make sure everyone's familiar with the controls etc. If you read this within the next few hours, send me a PM to get contact info and we can get you involved! Anyone who has been chosen for a role.
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Post by Ulysses on May 17, 2009 19:15:44 GMT
We need to have a "Miri sings animé" section in every Skype meet. Do Genshiken next time, 'kay? ;D
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Post by xanbcoo on May 17, 2009 19:19:47 GMT
I've got a final exam tomorrow and I'll be spending today studying for it, and tomorrow actually taking it.
I'll be sure to PM you when I'm a little less preoccupied.
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Miri
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Post by Miri on May 17, 2009 20:32:02 GMT
We need to have a "Miri sings animé" section in every Skype meet. Do Genshiken next time, 'kay? ;D Actually, I figured out the perfect song I should have sung after I got off. It's from FMA (familiarity, ten points) but from the new series (I get to plug a show, twenty points) and considerably more rapid (to the point that it took me three weeks to learn thirty seconds of it - fifty-point death combo!). I do I hope I get the chance. Also, Genshiken is hilarious. A bit lewd, but hilarious. I loved talking to you guys - Skype's going to work very well, I think. I hope we get to make more getting used to things/social calls - I'll always be hopping on to check people's status right when I get home from school now, I suspect. XD Curse you. Curse you all. |
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Post by Ulysses on May 17, 2009 20:41:54 GMT
It's from FMA (familiarity, ten points) but from the new series (I get to plug a show, twenty points) My friend told me about this the other day, how excited am I?! I just can't believe they got to the end of the manga and thought "Ah well, we'll just make it up". Just wait for the manga to end!
Also, Genshiken is hilarious. A bit lewd, but hilarious. Great theme tune too.I loved talking to you guys - Skype's going to work very well, I think. I hope we get to make more getting used to things/social calls - I'll always be hopping on to check people's status right when I get home from school now, I suspect. XD Curse you. Curse you all. We love you too It was great, but I'll enjoy it so much more when I've got a headset, or at least a mic with a stand. I know you couldn't see me but I still felt a bit foolish sitting there looking like a karaoke singer. |
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Post by Aricos on May 17, 2009 20:45:36 GMT
It was great, but I'll enjoy it so much more when I've got a headset, or at least a mic with a stand. I know you couldn't see me but I still felt a bit foolish sitting there looking like a karaoke singer. I feel silly too... I have a built-in mic and I'm wearing headphones, so to anyone walking into my room, it's like I'm talking to myself (and people don't need more reasons to believe I'm crazy...). |
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Post by Rasselas on May 17, 2009 22:48:05 GMT
I have to agree, the skype chat was really cool. You're all interesting and fun people, not to mention talented. I see good things in the future of this project!
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Post by Casey on May 18, 2009 7:21:36 GMT
Actors, check your Skype, I'll be sending you a message there after I post this post.
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Post by Aricos on May 18, 2009 12:51:41 GMT
Actors, check your Skype, I'll be sending you a message there after I post this post. Skype did not pass any messages to me  . |
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Post by Rasselas on May 18, 2009 13:03:24 GMT
The pesky thing with Skype and offline messages is that it only shows the message once both the sender and receiver are again online simultaneously. I know, that's completely silly but that's how it works.
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