I was delighted — and a little surprised — when an interview request came in from Geek Sheek … for me. Thanks to Randi Jean for picking me and FanGeek.com to feature on the Geek Sheek blog!
Raphael Sbarge (Archie/Jiminy, Once Upon a Time) continues his conversation with writer Jane Espenson (Once Upon a Time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Husbands).
Learn more about Jane’s career, writing for television and what those writing sprints are all about. (If you missed it, catch up on part 1. Part 3 will be posted Thursday!)
Raphael Sbarge (Jiminy/Archie, Once Upon a Time) chats with writer Jane Espenson (Once Upon a Time; Husbands; Buffy the Vampire Slayer and so much more), in his latest audioblog conversation. In part one, they discuss how Jane became a writer.
Jane Espenson
Jane: Hey, Raphael.
Raphael: Hey there. So, thank you for agreeing to do this. How fun, to get a chance to talk to you about kind of what you’re doing. In the full disclosure of how this is, essentially, you and I are working together, obviously, on Once Upon a Time, but I know that you are working in other venues. I’m particularly interested in talking about what you think about what you’re doing with your Web series.
But I thought, to kind of just use … I wrote up some questions, almost like a blind interview in a certain sense – knowing some of the answers? But for other people who might not know some of the answers, sort of them getting a chance to discover you. If you’re game, then I can sort of jump in from that.
Jane: I think that sounds marvelous. I’m more than game; that sounds wonderful.
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Are you in the Orlando, Fla., area? We need your help for the latest project from Nicholas Brendon (Xander, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
WHAT? We’re looking for local, fun places that will let us come in and film some footage. (Personally, I really want to make him try some crazy foods.) In the end, what we do will be determined by the venue you come up with!
WHERE? Restaurant, quirky shop, whatever. You tell us; he loves to travel and experience new things. In fact, Nicholas made it a point to tell me, “I’m for up anything! Eating contests, whatever!” Then there was something about how he’d jump out of a plane, naked. Which I neither want to encourage nor film. I’m just sayin’. So, please, send me other ideas.
WHEN? We’ll be in town Feb. 17-19.
WHO? It will be just me, Nicholas, and a camera. He may want to talk to the venue’s owners, employees or whomever, ’cause that’s how he rolls.
HOW? Leave a comment with your email address, or drop me a line at if you have an idea for a venue and/or want to volunteer a place you own or work at! Nicholas wants ALL ideas!
Raphael Sbarge (Kaidan Alenko, Mass Effect) wraps up his conversation with Jennifer Hale (Commander Shepard, Mass Effect). They discuss the future of videogames and more.
Raphael: I’m sure fans want to know how to follow you online? If you want to give us your … Twitter name and/or if you have any sort of fan site, or anything that they could sort of follow you?
Jennifer: Yeah – the best way to find me right now, is I’m on Twitter: @jhaletweets. … And my website’s JenniferHale.com, but, you know, that’s just my website. It’s mostly for work, but you’re quite welcome to go there. The Twitter way is probably the best way to find me.
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Raphael Sbarge (Kaidan Alenko, Mass Effect) and Jennifer Hale (Commander Shepard, Mass Effect) discuss the evolution of acting in video games and BioWare’s commitment to its characters in part 3 of their audioblog conversation. Missed a part? Catch up on parts 1 and 2.
Raphael: What has been, in your experience in working in games, kind of, the games that you most dislike doing? Without giving titles or I mean, without, you know, calling out the guilty. But what are the things that, what are the games that are …
Jennifer: Yeah – games where I’m asked to play a role, and not a person – do you know what I mean? Like, I’m just a nurse, or I’m just a girl in distress, you know. Or an ass-kicker, you know? Well, who’s the person? And games where the writing isn’t there, like the time hasn’t been taken to really get it in the writing. Where the writers have been rushed, or dismissed, so they couldn’t give their best-quality work. Those are the hardest ones. Or where people are vague, in a hurry and not concerned with specifics. Which, quite fortunately, happens less and less and less. There’s just such good work going on right now, it’s really great.
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Raphael Sbarge (Kaidan Alenko, Mass Effect) continues his discussion with Jennifer Hale (Commander Shepard, Mass Effect). Topics include her start in voice work, and how she approaches her characters. Second in a multi-part series; check out Part 1 if you missed it!
Raphael: So I’m sure everybody wants to know, I mean people who haven’t necessarily gone and researched you, but how did you find your way, as an actress, to doing games? Was that something that you were aiming toward?
Jennifer: You know, I came out here like all the rest of us, you know, pursuing the on-camera stuff. And it was going fine, but then I went, ‘You know what? I need to actually make a full living at this — and right away.’ And I’d done a bunch of voiceover back East, before I moved here, and so I …
Raphael: Was that in New York, or was that …?
Jennifer: No, actually it was in Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia.
Raphael: Wow.
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Raphael Sbarge (Kaidan, Mass Effect) interviews Jennifer Hale (Commander Shepard, Mass Effect). Part 1 in a series.
Hi. This is Raphael Sbarge, and I’m so excited today, because based on the success and the response of all the audioblogs that have sort of gone before this, and people have written such wonderful notes of appreciation. I wanna sort of bring to you, for the first time in actual present time, my friend Jennifer Hale and I actually speaking live together.
Raphael Sbarge (Kaidan, Mass Effect) chats with Kimberly D. Brooks (Ashley, Mass Effect) about the technology behind videogame voice work. (Catch up with part one and part two.)
Raphael: Are there any sort of noticeable differences in the characters that you voice for videogames, versus the characters, you know, screen roles, or other stuff you do on camera?
Kimberly: Well, I feel like you can have a lot … well, obviously because, there’s so many, you know, characters can go in so many different directions, and you have to record alternate endings, and different paths that the way the character can go. So it gives you an opportunity to stretch your acting, because you have so many different choices. But I have noticed that the technology in recording has gotten a lot better. I don’t know if you … I just feel like when I’m recording alone, which we do most of the time in games – all the time in games…
Raphael: Yeah.
Kimberly: It’s just a little bit more challenging. And you don’t exactly know what the other character’s reaction is going to be, and the proximity of the person next to you and the way you talk … But now with the technology being that, if you, or let’s say Jennifer Hale, for instance (female Shapard) has already recorded a scene, that scene will be played for me in my recording session, so I’m actually acting against her.
Raphael: Right.
Kimberly: And I love that – I really, really appreciate that technology.
Raphael: So what I understand – because we record at Technicolor – is that this is, I think, maybe even a proprietary software, I guess.
Kimberly: Yeah.
Raphael: That BioWare has created, called Veda, I guess. You know, for anyone who doesn’t know, essentially, when we walk into these rooms, we’re there, you know, essentially locked in a room with double-paned, bullet-proof glass…
Kimberly: For four hours, by yourself.
Raphael: For four hours, all alone, you and your bottle of water and your imagination.
Kimberly: With your bottle of water, or in Jennifer Hale’s case, her hot water.
Raphael: Right, right, right. Running to the bathroom, because you keep trying to keep your voice, you know …
Kimberly: Lubricated.
Raphael: So it doesn’t get too dry, because you’re talking, talking, talking, constantly. And there’s, with this new technology, the, David, who’s at the board for us, essentially, he’s the mission control, man at the controls, who does the recording and ships it to Edmonton. He’s able to play in cues, set up and record it, and so, that’s what you’re talking about. It makes it a lot easier, doesn’t it?
Kimberly: Oh my goodness. It just, it really does. I think game three is going to be … the performances are going to be even better than the first two games, because of that technology. I really think so.
Raphael: It’s great. It’s great.
Kimberly: Yeah, it’s incredible.
Raphael: Well, I know it’s coming March 6. And we’re all really, we’re excited to see it. I’ve gotta start playing one and two, so I can get up to speed, so I can enjoy three.
Kimberly: I know, yes, please. You can play the version with me, you know. You could just…
Raphael: Oh, that would be so fun!
Kimberly: And I’ll play the version with you.
Raphael: Sweet. I love that. Well, what can you tell us, for the fans who want to find you, what your Twitter name is, and what your Facebook address is, in case they…
Kimberly: OK, well, I’m just – you know how I am, with the, the whole social media thing. I’m just kinda catching up with that. But I guess if you wanna email me, you can do it at …
Raphael: No, not your email, but your, what’s your Twitter name?
Kimberly: Oh, the Twitter name. So that would be twitter.com/kimberlydbrooks.
Raphael: OK, great. Great. And then on Facebook, do you have a fanpage on Facebook?
Kimberly: Yeah, I do. [Editor's note: http://facebook.com/officialkimberlydbrooks.]
Raphael: OK, great, well people will find you then that way, for sure.
Kimberly: Excellent. Cool! I wanna be found.
Raphael: [laugh] That’s awesome. Kimberly, thank you so much.
Kimberly: Thank you, Raphael.
Raphael: You’re great, and we loved your letter, everyone did. And more to come. We’ll find more chances to chat some more. But thank you, for taking the time.
Kimberly: Thanks, so much. Your letter was the inspiration for me, so, thank you.
Raphael: All right, thanks everyone, and we’ll all talk soon. OK.
Raphael Sbarge (Kaidan, Mass Effect) chats with Kimberly D. Brooks (Ashley, Mass Effect) about how they were cast for the series and the evolution of videogames, in the second part of a three-part interview. (Catch up with part one.)