“SEED” of a Voice Acting Moment
Screen capture from “SEED”
I finally got to be a computer!
I had my first voice acting gig a couple of months back for a sci-fi short Indie film called “SEED.” Due to the fact that I can imitate my Garmin pretty well, Tyson Wade Johnston –director of “SEED,” asked me to be the voice of the intercom for the movie. With a geeky grin, I said, “HELL YES!” Once a nerd, always a nerd, I guess. It’s odd, but I’ve always wanted to play the voice of a computer.
Tyson Johnston (dir.), Brandon Jones (audio), and Justin Zachary(“Kamp”/writer) were completely professional, and welcoming. Honestly, I’d work with those guys again any day. Recording was awesome. I spent more time running vocal warm ups than I did with the actual recording. I was in the booth for 2 or 3 minutes repeating the same paragraph over and over until they heard something they liked and said ‘Thank you.’ I tried to get them to agree to let me read more, but that’s they needed. Mimicking the GPS was one of those things I stumbled upon by accident. So, what does one do with a talent like that? Why, freak out my friends of course. :D. Brandon (the audio technician) tweaked the lines a bit to get it where he wanted, and I was told he had fun playing with my voice. *Insert giggle here.* There’s more that I read, but this is what made it into the trailer.
Ya know, it’s odd how I somehow inadvertently find myself linked to horror movies. First as a P.A on the B horror feature, “Dark Honeymoon” (with Roy Scheider, Nick Cornish, and Lindy Booth), and now with “SEED.” Why is it odd, you ask? Well, I’m not a big horror movie fan–never much cared for Gorno. I like the psychological ones that really get into your head and mess you up for days. Daniel Radcliff’s “The Woman In Black” is up there on my list of awesome horror movies with “The Haunting of Hill House.” I don’t need blood to be scared so much I can’t sleep.
I give you the training wheels of my voice acting career. (aside from the McCarthy Wholesale radio jingle I sang in ’06.) Squee! I’m so happy something I did with the industry made it past pre-production and survived Pilot Season!
“SEED” is a science fiction horror Indy short film set to release in August 2012.
SEE IT!
Were You At Comikaze 2011?
Rainbow Dash
If you were at the 1st annual Comikaze convention at the L.A convention center, you probably saw me ‘dashing’ around as the competitive attitude queen, Rainbow Dash. When I wasn’t being snagged for photo ops (which were all awesome!), I busted out my own camera and took some shots. If you dressed up, I may have caught you in one of my pictures. I’ve put up the ones that turned out on my photobucket page. Check it out! If you find yourself, that’s great! If you can’t find yourself, seek therapy. Or just wait for yourself to come home from where ever you were.
http://photobucket.com/comikaze2011
If you see yourself, please let me know and I will change the title on the picture. You can send me a direct message via the contact page on this site. 🙂 I’m not a professional photographer, but I do know how cool it feels to see a picture of yourself that someone snapped guerrilla style.
The number of intense, amazing, detailed, and jaw dropping costumes I saw at Comikaze landed somewhere in the… hundreds, maybe? We’ll say there were a lot, so please let your imagination fill in the rest. I ran into a plethora of Batmans, Supermans, Pokemon, and a few other ponies with Yaya Han. Even the guide for the Haunted Mansion ambled by lighting the way with his trusty lantern, and I got to race Sonic the Hedgehog (I’m still faster, by the way.)
As Rainbow Dash would say, the people, the costumes, the camaraderie, the friendships, all made the first annual Comikaze Expo “20% Cooler.”
Comikaze Comes to LA!
GENTLEMEN! BEHOLD!
ComicKaze has returned to Los Angeles!
Cthulu Takes Over the World
Now for a bit of nerdnip….. Mark Hamill will be there! SQUEE! Hence the photo on the comikaze home page.
It’s like a less expensive version of Comicon, with sweet guests like Stan Lee and Elvira, and again… Mark Hamill. 🙂
How is this related to “Itara” you ask? Why simple, my friends: I will be there as a customer (sadly not as a boothie) dressed as Rainbow Dash, in a costume I hand stitched together myself. I am very proud of the wing production and intend on being in the Masquarade to show off my work. Even if I don’t win, just being there will be fun. 🙂
Congratulations. You officially got a sneak peak into my little hobby of cosplaying –however lightweight it may be. Although I am not a professional seamstress, I still have fun running around a convention center and posing for pictures as I show off my Hard Work and Guts! (less of the guts, though, I hope).
If you see me there in sky-blue clothes, rainbow hair, a colorful tail, and 3 foot wings, please stop and say hello! I’d love to hear if you’ve read my novel, or are planning to buy it, or get a stack of them for Christmas gifts.
Comickaze website –>click
Times: Nov. 5th–6th.
Masquerade@ 4pm, Sun 6th. Vote for Rainbow Dash!
Book Reading and Signing Event!
To everyone who loves fantasy, come see me at the Pyschic Eye Bookshop in Sherman Oaks. The date: October 1st. The time: 2pm–4pm.
I’ll be answering questions, and offering teases. And yes, there will be chocolate home made fudge. 🙂
Bestseller on Amazon.com? Let’s do this!
Hear ye! Hear ye!
Listen up, World!
The Date: SEPTEMBER 1ST.
The Time: 12PM
The place: AMAZON.COM.
The Mission: MAKE “ITARA: SON OF C’RESETH” A BEST SELLER FOR 1 HOUR!
That’s right. 1 hour! Let this be known as the Starting point to a campaign to make my debut novel, “Itara: Son of C’reseth”, a Best Seller on Amazon.com! Grab your kindles, zip up your pants, ready your mice, and download to your heart’s content. Or order a hard copy! Whatever floats your boat will ensure your spot in making Amazon.com history!
Demand your twitter followers to buy the book, and threaten them if they don’t by refusing to tweet about Justin Beiber, or Ryan Gosling’s delicious abs! This will spread like wildfire, and it will be glorious! And you will not have to deny the world the tastiness of Ryan Gosling’s Abs.
As incentive, I will post a new segment from book 2 to sate your curiosity! Intregued? Good.
Also, I am not afraid to use every cliche at my disposal, and don’t think I won’t!
———LONG LIVE IMAGINATION!———
West Hollywood Book Fair
This is an extremely short, eye-blink news bit stating that I will be at the West Hollywood Book Fair this October 2nd, on a Sunday. I will be there either as a participant (if I can get the approval), or simply as a visitor taking in the entirety of the awesomeness. Their website is http://www.westhollywoodbookfair.org
If I get to participate in this book fair, or at LOSCON this November at the Marriot Hotel at LAX.
Pancakes and Reviews
I woke up this morning expecting to sit back with a plate of home made pancakes with delicious fruit, and just lounge all day. When I checked my mail, I discovered this amazing review from Chris, the Administrator of jonathan-brandis.org.
“I’ve looked forward for this book even since I read the preview for it on the internet. I ordered it as soon as it was published. I read through it quickly and the book left me hanging. I simply cannot wait for the sequels. The book is a great fantasy novel and it has everything a fantasy lover would expect. I could not help but get attached to the main character and his companions. The main villain is also quite charismatic. I’ve reread it recently and again it has left me hanging wanting more! This is to be the first book of a trilogy so one can expect the sequels to be even better! In short, this is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy novels. As for the problems with the map, you can get a free scan of the map on the author’s website. “
The link to the Amazon.com page for the review can be found here. Needless to say, I was blown away. Mason Kitch is based on Jonathan Brandis, thus having the moderator of the top rated fan site give such a magnificent clarion call review of my work lifts my spirits. I have smiled this day.
The LASFS: A Generation or Two of Powerhouse Nerds
Ok, since I took the weekend off, I should probably update this post. As promised, the yummy details of the meeting at the Los Angeles Science Fiction/Fantasy Society (LASFS) are as follows. Grab your bibs. You’ll want to catch the drool from these tasty nerdbits.
The society was formed in 1936 in America as a safe haven for American science fiction/fantasy writers to gather and share their works. At that time, writers were being treated like grass floor mats and given less for their books than Snookie’s IQ. Seeing this as a massive ‘no bueno’, LASFS made themselves so annoyingly prominent that a law was passed to protect writers. That law still stands today. Now, little pee-on authors like myself don’t have to worry so much about being picked last for dodgeball –so to speak. A big hearty ‘thank you’ to the heavy-hitter Fantasy Gurus that made that possible.
Now that the vague history lesson is marinating in your craniums along side last night’s episode of Robot Chicken, let’s start our meal. First up is the appetizer of warm receptions for the newbies –myself and my editor, Ray Garcia. We could not have been greeted any bettter. Unless there were red carpets. And sexy cabana boys for me, with Angelina Jolie for Ray. With feathers. ANYWAY… I did not get the gift of cabana boys, nor did Ray get the pouty lips of Angelina, but the club members did bestow upon me the gift of fresh lemons from an old and beloved lemon tree shading the front door. Sadly, when LASFS moves, they will not be abl to take the tree with them, so they will attempt to grow a new one at the new site using seeds from the patron tree.
I took a seat with my little novel in hand, and listened to the meeting. At times, it reminded me of a Helena’s guild meeting with random quips thrown out from the attendees, and lots of laughter. There were some stale moments as well –as most meetings usually have. I had entered a friendly atmosphere where even a grommit like myself could throw in my measly two cents and buy a plastic bag for a quarter. (I’ll have to ask about the “And a quater!” reference next time.) As a special treat, a tasty entree of dialogue between Larry Niven (author of “Ringworld”) and Dr. Pournelle (author of “Lucifer’s Hammer”) fed the group with all sorts of grand advice, as well as reminiscences about the building and the history built up there-in beneath the massive kick-you-in-the-balls strong center beam.
After the meeting, I spent a few dollars on a purchase of “The Last Unicorn” — one of the first fantasy movies to influence me in my life. (I remember having watched that film before I could fully comprehend language.) Ray let himself be happily captured into a conversation with Dr. Pournelle. He ushered me over so that I could share in the golden fortunes from the cookies of wisdom that is Dr. Pournelle’s advice. After we parted ways, the gentleman that sold me “the Last Unicorn” said he would pass along my information to the coordinator of LOSCON –the Los Angeles Science Fiction Convention (held at the Marriot Hotel at LAX this November). This came with a supreme opportunity to possibly be on a panel at the convention. SQUEE! I will do it for free, and bring my own table if I have to. Just knowing that they may invite me as a new author to talk about the writing process and publishing punched me full in the face and broke my nose. Yet it is a good pain. To be a guest on a panel would be a dream come true. Plus it would give me an excuse to go shopping for a killer outfit.
Now for dessert. Will they read my book, you ask? Yes. Yes they will. The president of this branch of LASFS accepted the copy I had been toting around, and said she would try to get through it this week. The Itara Trilogy is my baby, and my life’s work. I am praying for a good review. Hopefully she will give said review and not tell everyone to throw cabbages at me. Although, it would be nice to make a good coleslaw out of. I’ll bring it to a potluck at the new clubhouse.
And that, my friends, is your dose of Nerdnip related to “Itara: Son of C’reseth.”
Holy Act of Randomness!
Who says random awesomeness is reserved for tasty waves or insane decisions to go cliff diving at midnight? I was able to get my own little lip-smackin’ treat of said goodness, albeit with less of an adrenaline rush, but infused with lots of ‘say what now?’ sprinkled in.
Last weekend, my mother and I took a long, grueling roadtrip into Salt Lake City, Utah from Los Angeles. 15 hours later, we arrived at my grandmother’s house and promptly died on the neatly made beds downstairs. As amazing at it would have been to have slept through the entirety of Friday, my mom and I made some calls to the local bookstores. Those that said ‘yes’ to even wanting to sniff the cover of my novel were met with happy squeals of delight upon reaching their stores. Two locations; Sanders Books and Eborn Books now both have Itara: Son of C’reseth on their shelves.
Now to the sweet, sweet joy. Friday night, Bret Eborn (owner of Eborn Books) invited me to show up to the Valley Fair Mall in Taylorsville, where he said I could sell some of my books out in front of the store. At last minute. Without any fanfare, marketing, or cardboard signs. The fact that he invited a no-body in the family of Authors across the globe shocked me. Nay, floored me like a science nerd reeling from a fresh VIP invitation to the Playboy Mansion’s coveted Grotto. I scouted the mall store out the night before, and showed up at 11:30am on Saturday, books in hand, and my laptop ready to display my artwork of Mason. Since all of my props had been left at home, this was all I had. During the course of 7 hours, I spoke with many different people, handed out slips of paper with my website and amazon information on it, told the curious about my story, and signed copies of Itara: Son of C’reseth to those who were intrigued enough to buy one. In all, I sold 11 books that day, and left 3 at the store. Hernan, a kind gentleman, was my first sale. That is an entirely new record for me! Plus, my tenth sale wanted her picture taken with me… AS AN AUTHOR! Little ‘ol country-bumpkin me. It could not have gone any better had a kick-line showed up to dance out front with pearly white smiles. I am still grinning at how incredible random circumstances can be. Of course, I poured out my thanks to Mr. Eborn for giving me this rare opportunity.
My grandmother’s 80’th birthday hosted many relatives I had not seen in years, as well as a very happy and understanding grandmother herself. I thanked her for letting me share her special day. Mr. Eborn has invited me back. Perhaps when I have enough money, and a little more time to plan, I will save up for a plane ticket and fly to Utah rather than sunburn my feet on a 2,224 mile roadtrip in a 4 cylinder puddle jumper.
Thank you, Salt Lake City and Taylorsville. 🙂 You’ve put a skip into the step of this neophyte author.
A little Change of Plans….
It seems I have the layout for this site a little backwards. See, I keep updating the ‘NEWS’ page, but it doesn’t show up to anyone who’s subscribed to this site. So, I’m switching things up a bit. The ‘NEWS’ page will appear first, and you can click on a new ‘WELCOME’ page to be added to see the plot of “Itara: Son of C’reseth” along with the cover art, and…. well, basically everything that’s on this page right now.
For a first update: I will be in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Taylorsville this weekend on a family vacation. A few of the bookstores have agreed to carry my novel on their shelves under consignment. So, if you live in Utah, and you want a copy, I will post a list of the bookstores here so You can see which ones have them. Also, Barns & Noble carries it. All you have to do is walk in and ask. They can order it right there. 🙂
Thank you, and that’s your ‘heads up!’ on the upcoming change to the site.
The Itara Trilogy 