Video Production Emphasis
Project
For my Senior Project, I decided to create an audio episode for my own original kids’ show called Strangely Familiar. I didn’t have the means to animate my episode, but I did create concept art, as seen below. I voiced the five main characters and included sound effects and music. I chose to work on this project because I want to be a voice actor in the future.
Process
The first thing I did was a bunch of brainstorming. I thought to myself, what should my show be about? How can it be entertaining without talking down to kids? How can I create distinct voices for each character?
Once I had my characters down, I started writing a pilot. After several hours of writing, I realized something—I HATE TV show pilots. I usually find them to be stiff, awkward, and as if the the show’s creators don’t know what they’re going for yet. I was experiencing the same problem with the pilot I was writing. It felt like a chore to write when I was looking forward to writing later episodes when the characters are already comfortable with each other and their situation. So, I decided to scrap my pilot and just write an episode that would take place in the middle of the series. It felt so much better to write.
Story/Concept Art
Show Summary:
When a young wizard named Nigel finally gets his powers, he accidentally turns his parents into stone. The only way for Nigel and his family’s cat familiars to reverse this spell is to complete a series of tasks assigned to them by the Magical Realm Council. Little do Nigel and the cats know that their lives have become a TV show for the Magical Realm and these “tasks” are for their own entertainment.
Nigel:
Nigel was excited to get his powers until they caused his parents to turn into statues. Still, as long as he has them now, he wants to take advantage of them any chance he gets. Even though the cats are supposed to be taking care of him, it usually feels the other way around, due to each of the cats’ zany personalities. That’s why he wants to turn his parents back ASAP!
Blaze:
As an adrenaline junkie with a wild imagination, Blaze always wants to have fun and make use of the five lives he has left…or was it four? Even though he’s Nigel’s familiar, their personalities often clash, leading to a few chaotic (but entertaining) situations.
Bennington:
While he might be uptight, he has good reason to be, since he’s down to his last life. Bennington thought his final life would be calm and peaceful when he became Nigel’s father’s familiar. Clearly, that’s over now.
Gunther:
Gunther is a simple cat who enjoys the finer things in life like eating, sleeping, and watching TV. He might be the laziest of the cats, but he’s definitely the most level-headed. He tends to be the one to bring Blaze back to Earth and calm Bennington down when he’s having another meltdown.
Magic Councilor:
One of the oldest members of the Magical Realm Council, he gives Nigel and the cats their random tasks to reverse the spell on Nigel’s parents. He just makes sure the tasks are entertaining enough for the millions of Magical Realm citizens watching Nigel and the cats’ every move.
Episode
Conclusion
I’ve learned a lot from working on this project. I learned how difficult voice acting can be, but also how much fun it is! There’s definitely a lot more I have to learn if I want to be a professional voice actor someday. I’m very glad to have gotten some more experience, and I hope to keep improving my abilities.
Q&A
Who were the easiest and hardest characters to voice?
Gunther was the easiest to voice, since he sounds the most similar to my normal speaking voice. It was difficult to create Bennington’s voice because I’m not used to speaking in such a gruff tone for so long. I had to completely rerecord Bennington’s lines because I wasn’t satisfied with how they sounded, and I didn’t want to have to use a filter for his lines.
Which character was the most fun to voice?
I loved getting to voice Blaze because he’s so wacky and unfiltered, which is what I sometimes wish I was more like.
Did you have any other people voice characters in the episode?
Yes, I got someone to voice the guy at the ticket booth and the announcer who talks before the movie starts.
What shows were you inspired by as you worked on this project?
I was mainly inspired by shows I used to watch all the time as a kid like Arthur, ALF, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
What was the most difficult part of this project?
Besides writing the script, definitely editing the audio. There were a few parts I had to change or cut because I couldn’t find certain sound effects.
Project Timeline
