Author: Kris Takahashi

Meet the Actor – Arisen1 (Stephanie Young)

Kris Takahashi Meet the Actor 1 Comment

EDITOR’S NOTE: Stephanie’s schedule prevented her from finishing the role Fjona, which has since been cast by Alice Bell. Her voice will live on, however, through the NPC Alisen, and her songs will live on through the countless bards that play them.

Bards are cool.  This is an undeniable fact.  It’s mostly because they play music.  In a mod full of hundreds of thousands of words, music provides a simple yet elegant diversion.  Music does not require a PhD to unscramble complex metaphors, or even require half of your attention.  It doesn’t even require an understanding of the local language.  It transcends language.  As a wise degenerate once said, music is like, poetry for the soul, man.

There have been two such poets that have lent their talents to this mod, and together they have provided the soundtrack that sits in the column to the right.  The invaluable Arisen1 not only composed Dusk on Anvil Harbor and many of the vanilla instrumentals, but she also has voiced a handful of characters, including all of the mod’s children.  On this day, she lent her time to answer questions from yours truly, and not all of them inane.  Just most of them.

Introduce yourself. You know, name, location, belly button type, whether you snore in your sleep.
Not too much to say about me.  I’m just a young woman from the southeast corner of the USA, who happens to be interested in the arts.  I started out voice acting from back in the day when I used to make flash animations, and have kept it as a steady hobby since then.  Besides voice acting, I am into any other art, like digital and traditional art, animation, 3D modeling, writing and music composition.  It’s hard to name a favorite.  I just love them all!!

Hmm…and as for belly button type, I’m an innie, lol.  And I’ve been wondering if I’ve been a snorer for my entire life.  Maybe if I set up a recording device next time I sleep…hmm. :)

Let’s start with the music. Talk about your background and training, if any.
I’ve actually been singing since I was just a toddler.  In fact, I could make up my own harmonies at age four.  I am self taught on the piano, and have been tinkering around on it since I was little.  I feel like musical talent sort of runs in my family; even my parents first met in chorus class.
I was involved in a lot of choirs and music theaters growing up, so that’s where I honed my acting/singing skills.

Also, when I was 15, my dad introduced me to Adobe Audition.  And that was the first DAW I worked with, and the gateway for me to learn and build upon my skills as a composer.

What are some of your favorite video game music songs/soundtracks of all time?
Growing up, I loved Disney soundtracks more than anything else.  And I still do, really.  I had the pleasure of meeting my all time favorite Disney composer, Alan Menken, and almost had a heart attack after shaking his hand.  But to be honest, all I listen to are soundtracks…from pretty much everything.  However, I listen to orchestral metal from time to time too.  I’m a long time fan of the band, Nightwish.  :D

What software, instruments, cowbells and whistles did you use to make the vanilla and original music?
I used FL Studio and good ol’ Audacity to mix, record and compose all of the pieces for the mod.  And for the drum and flute, I played on a djembe and a bamboo flute.

If you could have one wish, but in exchange every piece of music you will ever hear forever is sung by Lurbuk the Orc bard, would you wish for something, or just wish this deal had never been made?
I think that poor Lurbuk’s talent is underrated, and with some proper vocal coaching, he could actually become famous!

However, in exchange, I would wish for the ability to shape-shift(because I’ve always wanted to be a shape-shifter) and I would require that I became Lurbuk’s vocal coach, to ensure he would never sing one sour note again.  :)

Talk about how difficult it was creating the accompanying instrumentals for Luaffyn’s Band, and your overall happiness with the result.
As far as performing…that was the easy part.  Luckily, I had the different parts mostly down in one take.  As far as the editing though, that is where it got a bit more complex.  Certain things like changing pitches to match the original music, and also removing unwanted sounds.  It’s a somewhat tedious process, but I am happy with the end result.  :)

For “Dusk on Anvil Harbor” I basically gave you an apple and a bag of flour and said, “Here, now you make pie.” Talk about the process of cooking this musical pie.
Well, first I studied and gathered information from an existing piece as a template.  I listened to find the BPM(beats per minute) of that piece, and then tried to replicate its overall tone using my own melodies.  Once I had the beat and base melody down, the rest of the process was very simple, and quite fun to make.

Let’s move on to acting. Everyone loves Beatrice and Urzub, but voicing a nonsensical character like Beatrice must have been challenging. Talk about what difficulties you had, and what you enjoy about her, if anything at all.
She was a very fun character to act, but at the same time, challenging.  She jumbled many words into the same sentence a few times, so it was tough bunching so many consonants together, and then trying to make it sound eloquent at the same time.  But it was a fun challenge, and I really enjoy her character.  She kind of does her own thing, and doesn’t pay attention much to what Urzub thinks about it.  Kind of like myself, actually.

Having voiced Thorolf, Henrietta, and Morrigan, I think it’s safe to say you are my go to child voice. Do you enjoy doing child characters? How is it different than performing an adult role?
Child voices are as equally enjoyable to me as the adult roles.  They allow for me to put on a voice that I never knew I had, and it really brings out the whole creative aspect of voice acting.  Besides that, it’s actually too much different from an adult role.  :)

Cats, dogs, or Dwarven spiders?
Cats, all the way. Not even dwarven spiders can compare!  I mean, it’s not even a close match.  :D

If you’ve played the mod, do you have a favorite character outside the ones you’ve voiced, and why? If you haven’t played the mod, why are you such a horrible person?
Haha!  It’s hard to name a favorite, because I really enjoy every one of them.  But, I have actually developed a nice bond with the character, Qa’Dojo.  That crazy Khajiit is one of the coolest followers I’ve had. :)

What type of character do you typically role play?
When role playing with friends, I generally go for something random, like a traveling, singing minstrel warrior, lol.

If dragons could sing, what would be the effect of a musical shout?
Oooh, that’s a tough one.  First of all, I might just die of happiness were there ever to be a singing dragon shout.  If anything, not only would it shatter glass, but it would also shatter bone…and maybe a few buildings as well.  :D

What other projects are you working on? Where else can people hear your talents?
I’ve been working on vocal for a music collaboration.  But besides that, I have a few voice acting projects, as well as a fully voiced follower mod that I’m currently working on.  So, I will have a lot of stuff to present in the near future.  For anyone who wishes to listen to my music, you can go to my Newgrounds account here or my Youtube account here.

Do you have a favorite alchemy ingredient?
I think I like jazbay grapes the best, just because of their name…sounds almost musical. :)

What do you think of the curriculum at the Bards College in Solitude?
It is just way too easy.  I think it’s because (speaks in high elf voice) they will let anyone into the Bard’s College nowadays.

Is banging your head against a desk in a slightly rhythmic manner considered music?
Only when accompanied by a few painful “ouches” that just happen to be in tune.  :)

What other instruments would you like to see in Skyrim?
Ooh…too many to count.  At the very least, we need a harp and a dulcimer.  But what I really would love to see in the game is a bagpipe!  :D

What kind of mic do you use and what difficulties did you run into making your recording environment?
I use MXL 990 condenser mics for most of my recording.  As for the environment, it took years to create a perfect recording studio environment in the basement, and most of the stuff that we have is too technologically advanced for me to use.  So for me, the recording process is quite simple.  I just plug in my computer into my mixer and I’m good to go.

What sort of character type, mod or elsewhere, would you like to voice/play next?
I hope one day to voice a sexy seductress/temptress mod.  I just love putting on that sexy temptress voice.  :)

Character Profile – Dagri’lon

Kris Takahashi Character Profiles 26 Comments

When it comes to Dagri’lon, there’s a few things I need to address:

Yes, Dagri’lon is overpowered for a follower.  He was never intended to be one.  He was designed to be a challenging fight in a game devoid of challenges.  It really isn’t his level either.  It’s his spells.  They wreak havoc.

Yes, Dagri’lon has no head.  That was not Jay33721’s original concept.  He was supposed to be a rotting corpse, but at the time, I didn’t know how to make Draugr talk.  So, fiddling around with a pasty Dark Elf, I put a Flame Atronach’s armor in his inventory and voila.  No head.  It started out as a compromise, and it evolved into a story.

Yes, Dagri’lon has a voice that is practically a caricature of all the evil voices in the history of evildom.  However, Dagri’lon is not motivated by evil.  He does not live to see the hero dipped slowly into a pool of boiling acid, while he sits patiently on a throne of skulls making finger steeples.  And while Dagri’lon seeks immortality, he is not a creature of greed.  He is motivated by one thing and one thing only.  The man abhors decay.

If there is an inspiration for Dagri’lon, it comes from the writings of Yukio Mishima, and the Buddhist scriptures on the decay of angels.  There are five signs in total, so if you come across an angel during your next trip to the market, be sure to look for them.  They are as follows:

1. The flowery crown withers.
2. Sweat pours from the armpits.
3. The robe is soiled.
4. They lose self-awareness, or become dissatisfied with their station.
5. The body becomes fetid, ceasing to give off light, and the eyelids tremble.

Yes, the decay of all that’s good and holy is not a new concept.  It’s a common theme quoted in everything from the notebooks of angst-ridden teenagers to grown men forming Fight Clubs.  I want to spoil that which is heavenly, I want to destroy something beautiful.  I am by no means an expert on the author – I’ve only read Confessions of a Mask – but that seems to be the mantra of a lot of Mishima’s characters.  Protagonists who are disgusted with themselves, self-loathers who lash out by perverting the pure.  Yet Dagri’lon is not a whiny teenager.  He harbors no jealousy of things that are beautiful.   He simply recognizes its transience.  He will burn down the Golden Pavilion in a wall of flames, but his intent isn’t to defile its beauty.  It’s to preserve it.

No, Dagri’lon isn’t a destroyer of worlds.  Destruction is a compromise, a last ditch effort to defy that most intractable of taskmasters – time.  Yet in the end, he cannot see fit to destroy himself, and the irony is he’s become the very thing he despises most.  A decaying angel.

Meet the Actor – FedoraAndRapier

Kris Takahashi Meet the Actor 1 Comment

When TESV chose to go with a new Argonian voice type, it seemed to best fit with the Shadowscale motif.  Dark, sinister, and smooth as Tennessee Whiskey.  It’s an awesome voice, but it seemed mismatched with the abundance of vanilla Argonians who were more likely to pour you a drink than spill your blood.  While FedoraAndRapier’s voice embodies all of that cold lizard smoothness, there’s also a bit of compassion in his timbre, and it’s that which made him perfect for everyone’s favorite vampire hunter, Among the Hist.

If only I could clone him and utilize his voice talents again, the mod would be enhanced and wars would cease and children would never go hungry.  Unfortunately, while his busy schedule has prevented this utopia from becoming a reality, he did find time to do this interview, and I thank him.

Introduce yourself. You know, name, location, belly button type, whether you snore in your sleep.
Certainly! My name is Øystein and I’m a 21 years old student and aspiring actor from Norway, and on the internet I often go by the alias “FedoraAndRapier.”

I’m the proud owner of a standard issue navel that thankfully don’t need much emptying. I do not snore when I sleep, but I’ve heard it runs in my family (through two thick walls actually). I also have it from good sources that I talk in my sleep, though they rarely tell me what I’m saying. Must be something I don’t want to hear!

Talk about your acting experience, if any, and what got you into voice acting.
I’ve been practicing drama and theatre for the last five-six years now, but I already showed great interest in acting as a little kid; always wanting to be the center of attention and loving the sound of my own voice. I took drama and theatre classes through high school, did one year of theatre at a folk high school (a Nordic thingy) and I’m now studying drama and theatre at a university. Add to that a vast amount of productions (both amateur and through school) and you get some very busy and grueling moments. By the end of December I’ll be done with my sixth theatre-production this year alone.

Voice acting holds a special place in my heart however. I grew up with a lot of cartoons and Disney movies (dubbed to Norwegian), and I would spend a lot of time remembering the lines and recite them whenever I pleased.

It’s funny, because we grow up with this huge gallery of wonderful and inspiring characters, brought to life by someone whose name and face we rarely bother to take note of. My huge respect for the field is what pushed me to try myself as an amateur voice actor while in high school, doing fandubs and such. It’d be a dream come true to make a living out of this, but it remains to see if it is meant to be (10 points for rhyme).

How did you find the mod? Was Among the Hist your first choice for a role?
I have had fairly little time to voice act these last two years, so when finding this wonderful project on VAA I didn’t intend to audition for anything. I realized however that the opportunity of playing Skyrim while ALSO be listening to the sound of my own voice was too good to miss.

I was actually looking for an Argonian to voice, since they are my favorite race in the game and I love to strain my vocal chords. Seeing as A-T-H was the only male lizard available I pounced for him. I also auditioned for the part of the hedonistic Dravos, but he was unfortunately taken.

Discuss Among the Hist. What you think about him as a character? Do you share any similarities to the character? Any differences?
Among-The-Hist is a solemn, sombre and deeply conflicted character worthy of his own novel. I also find him to be extremely brave, charming, very funny at times and I absolutely dig the hell out of him.

He presented a dual challenge for me; both in getting the right amount of gravel and solemness in my voice to sell the part of a virtuous Argonian, while simultaneously getting into the head of a mind so vastly different from my own. He’s a man on a mission, guided firmly by his religion and principles. To me this was difficult to relate to, but it was rewarding to try and experience and express it.

The doubts he harbors when we meet him were much easier to relate to, and it made him much more human (or Argonian). He is actually willing to question his code and choices who has guided him his entire life, a quality we don’t often find in people as devout as him.

What’s your opinion on vampires?
Not my favorite monster, but I can’t say I dislike them either. Ironically, I’ve starred as a vampire in the Sims 2 machinima “Venin Abyss”. Judging by some fan reactions I seem to have become the Robert Pattinson of Sims machinima, be that for good or worse.

Is it true about jellyfish stings and urinating on them? Would the same trick work for a vampire bite?
A quick google search will reveal that there is little proof of urine actually healing jelly-stings, but who knows. Maybe the thought of someone relieving themselves on you makes the pain tolerable in comparison.

I doubt it’d work on vampire bites though, seeing as jellies sting the surface of the skin while vampires usually punctures the jugular. Peeing into the wound doesn’t seem like the most productive thing to do at the time.

A vampire, a werewolf, and Among the Hist walk into a bar. I don’t have a joke here, but who comes out alive and why?
Among-The-Hist naturally, all thanks to his tactical skills! It’s all about starting a fight between the vamp and the were, leaving ATH free to take out the weary survivor. I’m not sure how ATH would spark a conflict, but I’m sure it entails him dressing up in drag.

Did you follow Ralof or Hadvar? Did you join the Stormcloaks or the Imperials?
I followed Ralof, but only because the Imperials dropped cooler swords. Also they tried to execute me. Still haven’t taken a side yet, but I’m really not liking the “Skyrim for Nords” BS the Stormcloaks are boasting.

If you’ve played the mod, do you have a favorite character outside the ones you’ve voiced, and why? If you haven’t played the mod, why are you such a horrible person?
I only tried the mod recently, so I’m obviously not a great guy ;) I was trekking over to Windhelm with Among-The-Hist following behind me, when I met Morviah Hlaalu just outside the gate. Was really captivated by the strength displayed despite her story of tragedy. Definitely a woman to admire.
I was also charmed up to High Hrothgar by Wander-Lust at the docks. These two were both played by Lila Paws, right? Terrific actress ^^

Haven’t spent enough time with the mod to find a favorite yet, but I’m getting there. :P

What type of character do you typically role play?
I often play the dashing and wise-cracking hero with a heart of gold, but I love rolling characters that are extremely arrogant and cynical, while also being charming and passionate as hell. These guys will save the world just because it conveniently fits into their schedule of snarking and flirting.
I tend to go for melee classes with one handed sword or dual wield so I can get up close and personal.

In fantasy RPGs I love to play dwarves or beast races like argonians, and I try and avoid playing humans at all cost. It’s more fun to see the world through the eyes of a different culture or creature. I doubt I would’ve showed so much distaste for the Stormcloaks if I hadn’t seen my fellow Argonians being treated as second class citizens.

If you could have one dragon shout and use it in the real world, what would it be and why?
Blowing people away with Unrelenting Force sounds fun, but I doubt that “Fus-Ro-Dah“ would make a good argument in court.  Aura whisper sounds much more useful to me as you can never be sure that you’re totally alone. Locating the party in an unfamiliar neighborhood will be much simpler too; just follow the red cluster of light.  Would however be scary to see how many things are actually living in my room with me at night. :S

Do you wear a Fedora in real life? Do you own a Rapier? Or does it mean rapier wit?
I wear fedoras on special occasions and I like to think they suit me. Have a wonderful dark-brown one I inherited from my granddad.  I do not own a rapier, nor do I fence, so let’s go with rapier wit.

You have 2 arrows and diplomatic immunity. In front of you is Nazeem and the guy who works for Belethor, at the general goods store. What do you do?
Ask them to hold my arrows while I think of a clever answer.

What other projects are you working on? Mods, fiction, acting, etc. Where else can people hear your talents?
I’m wrapped up in theatre right now and as such I’m doing very few projects at the moment, so this mod is the best bet for people who wants to hear my voice before Christmas (unless you happen to live in Trondheim). I have a youtube channel that hasn’t been updated in three years that you can check out, though I wouldn’t recommend it. Also there is Venin Abyss which I mentioned earlier.
There are a couple of short films I’m in, but they are in Norwegian. :)

How does a Skyrim bee survive in a jar?
I don’t think it survives as much as it dies very slowly. I don’t see any breathing holes in that jar.

What kind of mic do you use and what difficulties did you run into making your recording environment?
I use two microphones. One is a M3 condenser microphone from Røde Microphones, which I used for this mod. I used Pro Tools to record here. The other is the small Apogee MiC USB microphone, which I use with simpler programs like audacity.  My biggest difficulties involve finding a place to record where people ain’t stomping around. Doesn’t help that I have paperthin walls where I live. When they all finally shut up the hard part’s over.

What sort of character type, mod or elsewhere, would you like to voice/play next?
As an actor you can’t get picky, and I’d accept any role given. In this case however I’d maybe want to voice a character with a different mindset than Among-The-Hist. I love playing comedic and over-emotional roles, but I also have tons of fun voicing villains and monsters. A comedic and over-emotional villain that happens to be a monster, perhaps?