VC Radio
Voice Coaches Radio – #654 – The Strike Continues with AI
Voice Coaches Radio. Everything voiceover. Here we go. Brand new episode of Voice Coaches Radio. I'm Marissa and uh, hoping that now that we are into October, just a couple days in, that you're ready for spooky season. Um, you know, this, one of the things that I saw on the Weird Holiday calendar list as we were wrapping up September is, uh, it was National Comic Book Day near the end there and uh, you know, hopefully if you're, Your comic book kind of person that you got to celebrate you got to go to one of the shops and grab a free Comic book if they were doing that um I know that like there's various comic cons that have been happening around the country and like one of the stations i'm on in ohio They just had one uh right around the same time.
Those events were always so cool. Like if you are somebody That is very interested in voiceover. It's always worthwhile of seeing, like, who's gonna be there. You know, because when I was looking at their list of people, because it's always, it's always interesting. It could be some of the actors from, from some of, like, the Marvel movies or, or whatever.
But it could be some of the voice actors that have been so prominent. In any video games that are a part of it, or any of the animated stuff that's a part of it, and, uh, you know, helping bring all that to life, that's where it's like, if you are interested in doing that side of voiceover, or just voiceover in general, it can be really cool because they'll do different conversations, um, just meeting them and being able to ask a couple questions, you know, it's, it's just a great opportunity.
So if there is a Comic Con coming up next to you, wherever you might be, I mean, it is worthwhile even just doing a Google search just to see who's going to be there and what it could be, uh, to benefit you, you know, at the end of the day. Um, you know, this, this leading us The, the conversation that I do want to have, um, because, you know, one of the questions that comes up a lot and I understand it is, how is AI going to affect voiceover and, and is it, is it even worthwhile to, to go ahead and get educated in voiceover?
Can I still have a career in this if AI exists? And excuse me, like the thing is, is like, first of all, AI. Well, while it seems like, sure, in some cases, maybe some people are, are not even like understanding that it's not a real person that they're hearing. There's most of the time though, that you can take a listen to something and you're like, man, sounds a little weird.
You're not really able to put a finger on it necessarily, but there's something that's happening. And what I always notice is like every single thing is just a statement. Like it's not a conversation that's being had. They're just like, here's information. And I'm just going to take it sentence by sentence and I'm going to say it in the same kind of delivery and I am just going to make this come out and it's going to be done.
In an okay kind of way, it's gonna get the job done, but nobody had to pay me. Um, you know, and, I don't know, like, there's been certain TikToks that I've clicked on or YouTube videos trying to get education on something and I'm just like, I can't listen to this, this sounds awful, and it turns out it's probably something AI.
Um, Or if I've gone to like, you know, be educated on some true crime case because I'm a weirdo and I have to, you know, dive into all that kind of stuff and for whatever reason it brings some comfort, which is just weird. Um, but I feel like that's a lot of us. We're all weirdos. You know, I was watching one, and it was just like an AI voiceover, and I'm like, this is awful, like, I can't listen to this.
And, and some people feel that way with certain audiobooks, but it, like, in that case, it's a real person, it's a real person who does not have the education or the experience. And, I think that's where it's like, sure, it gets the job done, right? But it's the cheapo way of doing it, and In the big picture of things, the companies that want success with what they are putting out to the public, they, they put a little bit more money into what they're doing, and they hire the professional.
What it does, what it makes us do, as voice actors, it makes us be better. And that's what you should be striving for no matter what anyway, right? To be better. But this is what's gonna allow us to Just like, knock AI to the side, is enhancing our abilities to be real. To bring more of us to whatever it is that we are reading.
Uh, or performing. To bring those human elements to life. And it doesn't mean that we should be stumbling over anything by any means. It just means Having the human element to it, you know, and, and doing it really exceptionally well. And that just comes in time, it comes in practice, and it comes in, like, comfortability, but the other C word, which is confidence, right?
Um, and it's just, again, it comes in time. Um, but do I think AI is gonna make it so voiceover is like not a, a, you know, feasible job? No. Um, and I, I think that you'd be silly to, to come to that conclusion. Uh, I think, you know, if you are allowing yourself to grow to be the best of the best of the best, then there ain't no problem here.
Alright? So strive to be your best and continue to get better. And It's just let the work kind of prove itself as you continue. So, what's been happening now, I don't want to say in Hollywood, but in voiceover, um, you know, because voiceover is just everywhere these days. As of the end of July, in the video gaming community, they, they were having Some issues going on and they were in negotiations with all the major game companies and and just Negotiations completely broke down It's including companies like Activision Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take Two Interactive, Disney Character Voices, Warner Brothers and Discoveries WB Games, so it's like all the major video gaming companies And all the actors and SAG AFTRA and all of that, they're like, we're striking.
And now, basically, I mean, it's going to impact, just like when they had the writer's strike in TV, we had to wait a long time to get anything new, right, that we could go ahead and binge watch. This is definitely going to be impacting the release of upcoming games and stuff that's still in development that has yet to record any performances.
It all comes down to A. I. And the fact that some of these companies were like, Hey, we want to use what you've already done to create. New stuff, but we don't want to really pay for it and and that's just I mean for a lack of better word crap You know cuz I think in some ways they're like, well, we already paid you for the work like, you know So why would we pay you again?
And it's like well, excuse me You're paying for my likeness right and you're paying for not the work that I did but the work you're now Creating with what I've done and it's like, you know, this is this is a performance Art. This is creative. This is me and my brain and my character. Perspective or, or whatever.
So it's like, you can't just take that and do whatever you want with it. That's like taking somebody's photo off of the internet and thinking that you can just go ahead and make t shirts with it. Because it's like, well, I'm not trying to sell the photo, I'm trying to sell t shirts. And it's like, well, no.
No, no, no. Uh, that's not how it works. Um, so, you know, voice actors right now and the SAG AFTRA, you know, community, they're just trying to protect what's theirs. And I don't know when this is going to come to a close. I do know most recently in the, like, last week or so, They have added, uh, one of the high profile video gaming companies, Formosa Interactive, which they have, um, the video game League of Legends, which, I mean, listen, I'm not a gamer, but I've got a best friend who's a gamer, and that game is all he talks about, besides that, and it's like Magic the Gathering, which is not a video game, so like, you know, the, the, the geekiest of geeks that are in the video gaming community, no offense to my friend Bill or anybody else, uh, he knows, he knows, uh, like, that's, That's the game, right?
So now that they're going to be, uh, going ahead and, and, and basically like, you know, making it so that game kind of comes to a stop in, in progressing, um, they're kind of hoping that maybe this is going to be what it's Gets to kind of stop this strike and they can come to negotiation, I think, but I mean, I don't, I don't know when this is going to end.
I don't know why any of these gaming companies haven't, like, just had that joint, like, epiphany of like, Oh, they're right! We should pay them! Um. But this is kind of like the weird shift of the world like, you know, I've talked about it before It's like I've had a pivot, you know throughout the pandemic and you know afterwards Trying to do what I've done for years and do it in to me what feels like the safest way I can just because of the way things have shifted and Any other time in my life I would have been like cool.
Yeah. No, I'll work on one radio station Um, I will have a full time job and I will do whatever events they throw my way and any commercial work They throw my way and then i'll just pay my bills and i'll make you know, minimum money and that's fine. That's good Uh, but the way that life is these days in in a lot of these industries It's I mean radio is very volatile.
It always has been and I'm not safe to just go and move for a job that could end up getting the X, you know, three months after I moved there, no matter how well I perform. Um, so instead, I stay home and I work for a bunch of radio stations where together I make a, you know, okay full time salary. And. I just keep moving forward.
If somebody wants to add me cool, you know, if somebody wants to throw commercial work my way, great. Um, you know, I'll do whatever anybody wants me to do, but at least I'm getting work, I'm comfortable, I'm happy. And, and like, I own my home and I'm not moving for a job that. You know, doesn't really care about me.
Um, you know, instead I've got, you know, some great employers and I'm appreciated and, uh, you know, these are the kinds of gigs that we want to have, but that's just the way the world has kind of shifted. I think the pandemic really had a lot to do with that, but it's also opened up this world of voiceover where we can do more from home now, you know, they're seeing what kind of options are available and, and how.
Easily, you know, we can get some great quality and some, some great voice talent as well from anywhere. Um, you know, so it really has opened the door in so many ways for so many to, to dive on in, um, you know, and, and start or continue or whatever. This voiceover stuff with the video gaming community is just, it's a little shocking and it's a little just like discouraging because I don't know how long this is going to take for them to kind of iron things out, but I'm just kind of hoping that, um, You know, they can kind of just keep moving forward and getting some good stuff So, really, when it comes down to it, like, once I hear some more, I'll make sure that I give you an update, uh, but that's kind of where it's at right now, it's just kind of like stagnant, it's just running in place until, until they can start running forward, uh, but hey, the tortoise is who wins the race, right?
You just gotta be slow and steady, uh, to get what you need to get done, um, so, wishing those guys the best, cause that's not my part of the industry, uh, but I know so many Really, really love the work that's done. So, they need to be appreciated, uh, within their actual field now as well. Um, so, listen, if you got a anything that you want discussed, we'll get to some more brand new episodes starting next week.
So, you can hit me at Marissa, uh, at voicecoaches. com. Marissa at voicecoaches. com. Um, you know, if you're in the midst of trying to feel like, I wanna get the education, I wanna learn more. voicecoaches. com. All right. And there's always different, uh, little kind of workshops that are happening that you can join.
Um, there's always promo codes to save some money. Um, and, uh, yeah, we, we would love to have you. So check it out. voicecoaches. com. Any questions? Marissa at voicecoaches. com and, uh, stay safe, everybody. Visit voicecoaches. com for more voiceover news and information.
Those events were always so cool. Like if you are somebody That is very interested in voiceover. It's always worthwhile of seeing, like, who's gonna be there. You know, because when I was looking at their list of people, because it's always, it's always interesting. It could be some of the actors from, from some of, like, the Marvel movies or, or whatever.
But it could be some of the voice actors that have been so prominent. In any video games that are a part of it, or any of the animated stuff that's a part of it, and, uh, you know, helping bring all that to life, that's where it's like, if you are interested in doing that side of voiceover, or just voiceover in general, it can be really cool because they'll do different conversations, um, just meeting them and being able to ask a couple questions, you know, it's, it's just a great opportunity.
So if there is a Comic Con coming up next to you, wherever you might be, I mean, it is worthwhile even just doing a Google search just to see who's going to be there and what it could be, uh, to benefit you, you know, at the end of the day. Um, you know, this, this leading us The, the conversation that I do want to have, um, because, you know, one of the questions that comes up a lot and I understand it is, how is AI going to affect voiceover and, and is it, is it even worthwhile to, to go ahead and get educated in voiceover?
Can I still have a career in this if AI exists? And excuse me, like the thing is, is like, first of all, AI. Well, while it seems like, sure, in some cases, maybe some people are, are not even like understanding that it's not a real person that they're hearing. There's most of the time though, that you can take a listen to something and you're like, man, sounds a little weird.
You're not really able to put a finger on it necessarily, but there's something that's happening. And what I always notice is like every single thing is just a statement. Like it's not a conversation that's being had. They're just like, here's information. And I'm just going to take it sentence by sentence and I'm going to say it in the same kind of delivery and I am just going to make this come out and it's going to be done.
In an okay kind of way, it's gonna get the job done, but nobody had to pay me. Um, you know, and, I don't know, like, there's been certain TikToks that I've clicked on or YouTube videos trying to get education on something and I'm just like, I can't listen to this, this sounds awful, and it turns out it's probably something AI.
Um, Or if I've gone to like, you know, be educated on some true crime case because I'm a weirdo and I have to, you know, dive into all that kind of stuff and for whatever reason it brings some comfort, which is just weird. Um, but I feel like that's a lot of us. We're all weirdos. You know, I was watching one, and it was just like an AI voiceover, and I'm like, this is awful, like, I can't listen to this.
And, and some people feel that way with certain audiobooks, but it, like, in that case, it's a real person, it's a real person who does not have the education or the experience. And, I think that's where it's like, sure, it gets the job done, right? But it's the cheapo way of doing it, and In the big picture of things, the companies that want success with what they are putting out to the public, they, they put a little bit more money into what they're doing, and they hire the professional.
What it does, what it makes us do, as voice actors, it makes us be better. And that's what you should be striving for no matter what anyway, right? To be better. But this is what's gonna allow us to Just like, knock AI to the side, is enhancing our abilities to be real. To bring more of us to whatever it is that we are reading.
Uh, or performing. To bring those human elements to life. And it doesn't mean that we should be stumbling over anything by any means. It just means Having the human element to it, you know, and, and doing it really exceptionally well. And that just comes in time, it comes in practice, and it comes in, like, comfortability, but the other C word, which is confidence, right?
Um, and it's just, again, it comes in time. Um, but do I think AI is gonna make it so voiceover is like not a, a, you know, feasible job? No. Um, and I, I think that you'd be silly to, to come to that conclusion. Uh, I think, you know, if you are allowing yourself to grow to be the best of the best of the best, then there ain't no problem here.
Alright? So strive to be your best and continue to get better. And It's just let the work kind of prove itself as you continue. So, what's been happening now, I don't want to say in Hollywood, but in voiceover, um, you know, because voiceover is just everywhere these days. As of the end of July, in the video gaming community, they, they were having Some issues going on and they were in negotiations with all the major game companies and and just Negotiations completely broke down It's including companies like Activision Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take Two Interactive, Disney Character Voices, Warner Brothers and Discoveries WB Games, so it's like all the major video gaming companies And all the actors and SAG AFTRA and all of that, they're like, we're striking.
And now, basically, I mean, it's going to impact, just like when they had the writer's strike in TV, we had to wait a long time to get anything new, right, that we could go ahead and binge watch. This is definitely going to be impacting the release of upcoming games and stuff that's still in development that has yet to record any performances.
It all comes down to A. I. And the fact that some of these companies were like, Hey, we want to use what you've already done to create. New stuff, but we don't want to really pay for it and and that's just I mean for a lack of better word crap You know cuz I think in some ways they're like, well, we already paid you for the work like, you know So why would we pay you again?
And it's like well, excuse me You're paying for my likeness right and you're paying for not the work that I did but the work you're now Creating with what I've done and it's like, you know, this is this is a performance Art. This is creative. This is me and my brain and my character. Perspective or, or whatever.
So it's like, you can't just take that and do whatever you want with it. That's like taking somebody's photo off of the internet and thinking that you can just go ahead and make t shirts with it. Because it's like, well, I'm not trying to sell the photo, I'm trying to sell t shirts. And it's like, well, no.
No, no, no. Uh, that's not how it works. Um, so, you know, voice actors right now and the SAG AFTRA, you know, community, they're just trying to protect what's theirs. And I don't know when this is going to come to a close. I do know most recently in the, like, last week or so, They have added, uh, one of the high profile video gaming companies, Formosa Interactive, which they have, um, the video game League of Legends, which, I mean, listen, I'm not a gamer, but I've got a best friend who's a gamer, and that game is all he talks about, besides that, and it's like Magic the Gathering, which is not a video game, so like, you know, the, the, the geekiest of geeks that are in the video gaming community, no offense to my friend Bill or anybody else, uh, he knows, he knows, uh, like, that's, That's the game, right?
So now that they're going to be, uh, going ahead and, and, and basically like, you know, making it so that game kind of comes to a stop in, in progressing, um, they're kind of hoping that maybe this is going to be what it's Gets to kind of stop this strike and they can come to negotiation, I think, but I mean, I don't, I don't know when this is going to end.
I don't know why any of these gaming companies haven't, like, just had that joint, like, epiphany of like, Oh, they're right! We should pay them! Um. But this is kind of like the weird shift of the world like, you know, I've talked about it before It's like I've had a pivot, you know throughout the pandemic and you know afterwards Trying to do what I've done for years and do it in to me what feels like the safest way I can just because of the way things have shifted and Any other time in my life I would have been like cool.
Yeah. No, I'll work on one radio station Um, I will have a full time job and I will do whatever events they throw my way and any commercial work They throw my way and then i'll just pay my bills and i'll make you know, minimum money and that's fine. That's good Uh, but the way that life is these days in in a lot of these industries It's I mean radio is very volatile.
It always has been and I'm not safe to just go and move for a job that could end up getting the X, you know, three months after I moved there, no matter how well I perform. Um, so instead, I stay home and I work for a bunch of radio stations where together I make a, you know, okay full time salary. And. I just keep moving forward.
If somebody wants to add me cool, you know, if somebody wants to throw commercial work my way, great. Um, you know, I'll do whatever anybody wants me to do, but at least I'm getting work, I'm comfortable, I'm happy. And, and like, I own my home and I'm not moving for a job that. You know, doesn't really care about me.
Um, you know, instead I've got, you know, some great employers and I'm appreciated and, uh, you know, these are the kinds of gigs that we want to have, but that's just the way the world has kind of shifted. I think the pandemic really had a lot to do with that, but it's also opened up this world of voiceover where we can do more from home now, you know, they're seeing what kind of options are available and, and how.
Easily, you know, we can get some great quality and some, some great voice talent as well from anywhere. Um, you know, so it really has opened the door in so many ways for so many to, to dive on in, um, you know, and, and start or continue or whatever. This voiceover stuff with the video gaming community is just, it's a little shocking and it's a little just like discouraging because I don't know how long this is going to take for them to kind of iron things out, but I'm just kind of hoping that, um, You know, they can kind of just keep moving forward and getting some good stuff So, really, when it comes down to it, like, once I hear some more, I'll make sure that I give you an update, uh, but that's kind of where it's at right now, it's just kind of like stagnant, it's just running in place until, until they can start running forward, uh, but hey, the tortoise is who wins the race, right?
You just gotta be slow and steady, uh, to get what you need to get done, um, so, wishing those guys the best, cause that's not my part of the industry, uh, but I know so many Really, really love the work that's done. So, they need to be appreciated, uh, within their actual field now as well. Um, so, listen, if you got a anything that you want discussed, we'll get to some more brand new episodes starting next week.
So, you can hit me at Marissa, uh, at voicecoaches. com. Marissa at voicecoaches. com. Um, you know, if you're in the midst of trying to feel like, I wanna get the education, I wanna learn more. voicecoaches. com. All right. And there's always different, uh, little kind of workshops that are happening that you can join.
Um, there's always promo codes to save some money. Um, and, uh, yeah, we, we would love to have you. So check it out. voicecoaches. com. Any questions? Marissa at voicecoaches. com and, uh, stay safe, everybody. Visit voicecoaches. com for more voiceover news and information.
This week on Voice Coaches Radio, the strike kicked off near the end of July with voice actors and the video gaming company community due to usage of AI. Recently, it’s jumped to the next level. Marissa talks about what’s been happening and why and where they are currently in the strike.
