g.j. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
in_the_blue) wrote2007-07-22 08:13 am
in_the_blue) wrote2007-07-22 08:13 am
My Weekend with Vic
...or, "What I did at Otakon, Day 2."
Okay, so let me give the disclaimer: I don't watch Full Metal Alchemist or Dragon Ball Z or any of the millions of other shows that Vic Mignogna's worked on. So when we went to the Vic & Steve Show on Friday, I was really there for the Steve Show. But as I said, they were both adorable and funny and friendly and all that stuff. Check.
Yesterday, we got there early specifically for the Q&A with Steve. I mean, Paige and I got there early for the panel. Two hours early, because the only way to get where you can actually see these guys decently (you can certainly hear them from everywhere in the conference room) is to be there early. Also, Otakon has this thing where they give out express passes to autograph sessions to the first 20 people in line. We should have been #1 and #2, but one of the staffers fucked up and told us to come back later. Fortunately, we didn't listen to her and as soon as other people started lining up, we were there. So we waited in line, and I have to say we were having a lot of fun, because I brought a notebook and we threaded for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
outpost_12 longhand while we waited. (Come on, given Mr. Spike's Voice Actor, we were in Spike-Julia moods.) That was great. And everything went according to plan. We moved like baaaaaa docile sheep from one line to the next, and HEY STEVE HI ripples through the crowd about ten minutes before the panel, and he's all friendly and waving and the handlers spirit him away. I turn to Paige and say... why is Vic Mignogna here dressed like a pirate? Guess he can't stay away.
When the doors open and we get in, the fucking room is already a quarter full. Breaking their own rules, they let people stay from the previous panel. And there were no autograph tokens, which is irritating but honestly neither here nor there because I've never in my life waited in line for an autograph and I wasn't about to start here. But if they'd given us an express token -- go to the head of the autograph line, priority treatment -- I would certainly have done that. But wait two hours? No. Just wanted to hear Steve talk (and yes, we're all on a first-name basis now).
So we got the best seats we could, which were pretty decent, and both guys are up there, and Vic begs people to let him sit in. He said "I know you're all going Steve! Steve" (makes bowing gestures with his hands). He said "Today I'm right with you! I'm also sitting here going Steve! Steve!" It was kind of sweet. So Steve said hi, asked if we minded if Vic sat in, then launched right into Q&A. Vic said he was going to be his sidekick for the event, and wandered out into the audience to field questions with the mic. I tell you, sweethearts, it's a good thing I'm not a raving Vic fangirl, because I had the aisle seat and he stood right there next to me for a good five or ten minutes. If I'd been feeling less generous I could've tackled him for the microphone (he's not that much taller than I am).
As it was, he was just the guy dressed up in the pirate jacket (there was some big pirates versus ninjas thing going on, I don't know what that was all about) standing next to me blocking the aisle.
Steve was great, answered all the questions except the really stupid ones that they specifically ask guests not to ask ("There's a rumor that you and David Lucas are the same person. What do you have to say about that?" Steve: *head to desk* "Next question.") and he was generous with his time. I didn't get to ask a question but that was okay. It was fun to listen, and someone else asked a question similar enough in nature to mine about the craft of acting that I was entirely satisfied.
In the Friday panel people were merciless asking Vic to do Edward Elric's most famous line that never aired, and I'm almost too tired of hearing it myself to repeat it but I will for you, just this once, no charge: Colonel Mustang is dead sexy... in a miniskirt. In the Saturday panel, someone asked for it again. Now, to Vic's credit, he did it and got it out of the way because otherwise no one would let him rest about it. He knows how to work a room and be nice to his fans. But still. Yeah. Whatever. He actually told the story of how that line came to be, which is far more fascinating than the line itself. Will repeat that story for $25.
OK. Highlight questions: Who's the angstier character, Edward Elric or Vincent Valentine? (no clear winner, edge to Edward)
Would you do a second season of Cowboy Bebop, and if so, which character would you like to do? (I'd do a second season of Bebop in a heartbeat; Faye Valentine)
What tips do you have for aspiring voice actors? (Don't do it for the money, do it because you love it; develop a thick skin for all the rejections really fast)
Who's the character who was most difficult to play? (Spike Spiegel)
Do you still have to audition, or do people tap you for roles automatically? (I'd say I get one job for every 30 auditions I do)
Guys, this is one of the busiest voice actors anywhere. He's still getting rejected 30x more often than he's getting accepted for work. Imagine that.
At one point, the lady to my right (aka![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lostinapapercup) heckled Steve about his singing and made him laugh.
There was also stuff about the skill of writing for ADR (automated dialog replacement, for those of you who don't know) and about how tedious the work is because the actor and dialog writer have to fit the words to the footage that already exists, as opposed to, say, something like Shrek or Toy Story where the actors record first and the animators have to match the movement to the existing dialog. Steve said he doesn't do ADR writing any more because it's so tedious (about 40 hours of work for one hour of product). In fact, he's not even writing these days, just acting.
OKAY THEN! End of panel. Applause. It was fun. We were happy. We didn't much care about the whole autograph thing, except for the fact that the Otakon staff were so insistent about the way it was going to work and fucked up. They're also supposed to have a conference room EMPTIED OUT before the next panel starts, and they fucked that up too. I might have to write to them about that.
Big gap of time before the next panel, which was something called Dub Actor's Cavalcade. It was in the main event room, which is as huge a room as I've seen in any convention center. We got there a few minutes early because we'd learned our lesson about standing in line -- it didn't pay -- but it didn't matter. There weren't a whole lot of people there, which surprised me, but there were a whole lot of actors. Well, if seven counts as a whole lot. Most of them I'd never heard of, but I'll tell you who they were anyhow: Brandon Potter (who?), Vic Mignogna (my weekend with Vic continues!), Aaron Dismuke (Alphonse Elric -- Aaron's only fourteen!), Jennifer Sekiguchi (aka Stephanie Sheh; I know her best for Kohza in Samurai Champloo 13/14), Mike Sinterniklaas (Dean Venture, Leonardo in TMNT), Jamie Marchi (Rinslet in Black Cat), and Caitlin Glass (Winry, FMA). This panel was pretty cool, straight Q&A. Get in line, ask your question. It was very low key and it also lasted an hour and a half, so the actors had plenty of time to answer the questions in as much detail as they wanted, which was nice.
The room should have been more crowded. There should have been a Steve there, but I get the feeling he's so popular that he only does his assigned stuff at conventions and then makes a hasty retreat. And that's just fine. But see, there was a Vic there, so we got to hear the ROY MUSTANG line again and people, leave the guy alone about it. I think he has the patience of a saint, and I also think that if someone asks an actor (voice or dub or stage or screen) to tell a story and they say they'd rather not... stop asking. Just stop. Go away. They're being generous enough to share their time with you; give them a little peace and quiet.
Worst question from the audience: what pairings do you support for your characters? For example, Vic, which do you like better: Edward/Roy or Edward/Alphonse? Best answer ever: "I don't support any pairings. Edward/Roy doesn't make any sense and Edward/Alphonse: eww, brothers! Don't even go there." (More fanfic writers needed to hear that one.)
Anyway, we sat through that panel, entirely satisfied, then left to meet up with the boys for dinner. Then the next thing we were interested in was something called Dub Actors After Dark, but it wasn't till 11:30. We had no idea what it was going to be like, because there was no description of it, but we were determined to hang around for it. So we watched something called Cat's Eye, which was simultaneously the best and worst thing I've ever seen (think Charlie's Angels animated like Scooby Doo and you've got it). I don't know when it was produced although Paige & Mike's friend John called it "70stastic" which it was, but it had this character in (Toshi) it that Paige and I are dubbing Spike's grandfather. If you ever see it, you'll see why. In the meantime, I guess it gets to be our little in-joke.
So finally 11:20 comes around and they start letting people in for this Dub Actors After Dark thing and what happens? Colleen Clinkenbeard and someone else i didn't know came running in apologizing for being late to the Shin Chan panel. Nnnnooooooooo. But only ten minutes till the panel we were there for. And about five minutes after that, when it was Colleen and Jamie Marchi and Brandon Potter and the other person we didn't know and they assured us that was it for the panel and it would be lewd and crude and 18+ only, we... left. See, I didn't want to ruin my record that went every panel I attended, Vic was there or it wouldn't have been My Weekend with Vic.
And now it's Sunday, and here we are, and I have to pack and leave in a few hours, and that's that.
But no, I'm probably not going to go out of my way to watch FMA, even now.
Okay, so let me give the disclaimer: I don't watch Full Metal Alchemist or Dragon Ball Z or any of the millions of other shows that Vic Mignogna's worked on. So when we went to the Vic & Steve Show on Friday, I was really there for the Steve Show. But as I said, they were both adorable and funny and friendly and all that stuff. Check.
Yesterday, we got there early specifically for the Q&A with Steve. I mean, Paige and I got there early for the panel. Two hours early, because the only way to get where you can actually see these guys decently (you can certainly hear them from everywhere in the conference room) is to be there early. Also, Otakon has this thing where they give out express passes to autograph sessions to the first 20 people in line. We should have been #1 and #2, but one of the staffers fucked up and told us to come back later. Fortunately, we didn't listen to her and as soon as other people started lining up, we were there. So we waited in line, and I have to say we were having a lot of fun, because I brought a notebook and we threaded for
outpost_12 longhand while we waited. (Come on, given Mr. Spike's Voice Actor, we were in Spike-Julia moods.) That was great. And everything went according to plan. We moved like baaaaaa docile sheep from one line to the next, and HEY STEVE HI ripples through the crowd about ten minutes before the panel, and he's all friendly and waving and the handlers spirit him away. I turn to Paige and say... why is Vic Mignogna here dressed like a pirate? Guess he can't stay away.When the doors open and we get in, the fucking room is already a quarter full. Breaking their own rules, they let people stay from the previous panel. And there were no autograph tokens, which is irritating but honestly neither here nor there because I've never in my life waited in line for an autograph and I wasn't about to start here. But if they'd given us an express token -- go to the head of the autograph line, priority treatment -- I would certainly have done that. But wait two hours? No. Just wanted to hear Steve talk (and yes, we're all on a first-name basis now).
So we got the best seats we could, which were pretty decent, and both guys are up there, and Vic begs people to let him sit in. He said "I know you're all going Steve! Steve" (makes bowing gestures with his hands). He said "Today I'm right with you! I'm also sitting here going Steve! Steve!" It was kind of sweet. So Steve said hi, asked if we minded if Vic sat in, then launched right into Q&A. Vic said he was going to be his sidekick for the event, and wandered out into the audience to field questions with the mic. I tell you, sweethearts, it's a good thing I'm not a raving Vic fangirl, because I had the aisle seat and he stood right there next to me for a good five or ten minutes. If I'd been feeling less generous I could've tackled him for the microphone (he's not that much taller than I am).
As it was, he was just the guy dressed up in the pirate jacket (there was some big pirates versus ninjas thing going on, I don't know what that was all about) standing next to me blocking the aisle.
Steve was great, answered all the questions except the really stupid ones that they specifically ask guests not to ask ("There's a rumor that you and David Lucas are the same person. What do you have to say about that?" Steve: *head to desk* "Next question.") and he was generous with his time. I didn't get to ask a question but that was okay. It was fun to listen, and someone else asked a question similar enough in nature to mine about the craft of acting that I was entirely satisfied.
In the Friday panel people were merciless asking Vic to do Edward Elric's most famous line that never aired, and I'm almost too tired of hearing it myself to repeat it but I will for you, just this once, no charge: Colonel Mustang is dead sexy... in a miniskirt. In the Saturday panel, someone asked for it again. Now, to Vic's credit, he did it and got it out of the way because otherwise no one would let him rest about it. He knows how to work a room and be nice to his fans. But still. Yeah. Whatever. He actually told the story of how that line came to be, which is far more fascinating than the line itself. Will repeat that story for $25.
OK. Highlight questions: Who's the angstier character, Edward Elric or Vincent Valentine? (no clear winner, edge to Edward)
Would you do a second season of Cowboy Bebop, and if so, which character would you like to do? (I'd do a second season of Bebop in a heartbeat; Faye Valentine)
What tips do you have for aspiring voice actors? (Don't do it for the money, do it because you love it; develop a thick skin for all the rejections really fast)
Who's the character who was most difficult to play? (Spike Spiegel)
Do you still have to audition, or do people tap you for roles automatically? (I'd say I get one job for every 30 auditions I do)
Guys, this is one of the busiest voice actors anywhere. He's still getting rejected 30x more often than he's getting accepted for work. Imagine that.
At one point, the lady to my right (aka
lostinapapercup) heckled Steve about his singing and made him laugh.There was also stuff about the skill of writing for ADR (automated dialog replacement, for those of you who don't know) and about how tedious the work is because the actor and dialog writer have to fit the words to the footage that already exists, as opposed to, say, something like Shrek or Toy Story where the actors record first and the animators have to match the movement to the existing dialog. Steve said he doesn't do ADR writing any more because it's so tedious (about 40 hours of work for one hour of product). In fact, he's not even writing these days, just acting.
OKAY THEN! End of panel. Applause. It was fun. We were happy. We didn't much care about the whole autograph thing, except for the fact that the Otakon staff were so insistent about the way it was going to work and fucked up. They're also supposed to have a conference room EMPTIED OUT before the next panel starts, and they fucked that up too. I might have to write to them about that.
Big gap of time before the next panel, which was something called Dub Actor's Cavalcade. It was in the main event room, which is as huge a room as I've seen in any convention center. We got there a few minutes early because we'd learned our lesson about standing in line -- it didn't pay -- but it didn't matter. There weren't a whole lot of people there, which surprised me, but there were a whole lot of actors. Well, if seven counts as a whole lot. Most of them I'd never heard of, but I'll tell you who they were anyhow: Brandon Potter (who?), Vic Mignogna (my weekend with Vic continues!), Aaron Dismuke (Alphonse Elric -- Aaron's only fourteen!), Jennifer Sekiguchi (aka Stephanie Sheh; I know her best for Kohza in Samurai Champloo 13/14), Mike Sinterniklaas (Dean Venture, Leonardo in TMNT), Jamie Marchi (Rinslet in Black Cat), and Caitlin Glass (Winry, FMA). This panel was pretty cool, straight Q&A. Get in line, ask your question. It was very low key and it also lasted an hour and a half, so the actors had plenty of time to answer the questions in as much detail as they wanted, which was nice.
The room should have been more crowded. There should have been a Steve there, but I get the feeling he's so popular that he only does his assigned stuff at conventions and then makes a hasty retreat. And that's just fine. But see, there was a Vic there, so we got to hear the ROY MUSTANG line again and people, leave the guy alone about it. I think he has the patience of a saint, and I also think that if someone asks an actor (voice or dub or stage or screen) to tell a story and they say they'd rather not... stop asking. Just stop. Go away. They're being generous enough to share their time with you; give them a little peace and quiet.
Worst question from the audience: what pairings do you support for your characters? For example, Vic, which do you like better: Edward/Roy or Edward/Alphonse? Best answer ever: "I don't support any pairings. Edward/Roy doesn't make any sense and Edward/Alphonse: eww, brothers! Don't even go there." (More fanfic writers needed to hear that one.)
Anyway, we sat through that panel, entirely satisfied, then left to meet up with the boys for dinner. Then the next thing we were interested in was something called Dub Actors After Dark, but it wasn't till 11:30. We had no idea what it was going to be like, because there was no description of it, but we were determined to hang around for it. So we watched something called Cat's Eye, which was simultaneously the best and worst thing I've ever seen (think Charlie's Angels animated like Scooby Doo and you've got it). I don't know when it was produced although Paige & Mike's friend John called it "70stastic" which it was, but it had this character in (Toshi) it that Paige and I are dubbing Spike's grandfather. If you ever see it, you'll see why. In the meantime, I guess it gets to be our little in-joke.
So finally 11:20 comes around and they start letting people in for this Dub Actors After Dark thing and what happens? Colleen Clinkenbeard and someone else i didn't know came running in apologizing for being late to the Shin Chan panel. Nnnnooooooooo. But only ten minutes till the panel we were there for. And about five minutes after that, when it was Colleen and Jamie Marchi and Brandon Potter and the other person we didn't know and they assured us that was it for the panel and it would be lewd and crude and 18+ only, we... left. See, I didn't want to ruin my record that went every panel I attended, Vic was there or it wouldn't have been My Weekend with Vic.
And now it's Sunday, and here we are, and I have to pack and leave in a few hours, and that's that.
But no, I'm probably not going to go out of my way to watch FMA, even now.