Organization! OOooOoOOoohh~!

Latest NG Roles

Cammy in Street Fighter Club!
Tek in A Very Confused Christmas!
Both of the Girls in Santa's Job!

(Haha... 2 British characters...)

Released Projects Goal - Crazy Workaholic-ness

If I count professional-ish stuff, a bunch of personal goals regarding released projects have been fulfilled this month, like hitting the 80 completed projects mark and making the 2-released-projects-a-month quota. The moment finals ended for me, I worked on Christmas specials, school projects, and half-finished lines I've owed for months. I kid you not, I got around 12 projects done in a few days.

...And I still have more lines to work on! But hey, now that my quota is complete and it's been proven that I'm quite capable of meeting whatever goal I set for myself, all I have to do is wrap things up so I can focus my efforts on more professional pursuits.

RE: Professional Pursuits - Voice Acting

Hnilmik_AVA-CharDemo-09.mp3

This demo may become obsolete once I start cracking on my professional character demo (like I should) and have it pretty-mixed up to industry standard by one of my talented friends. I already commissioned Rina-chan to mix it since summer (trust me, she mixed awesome demos for herself and Princess Aurora, so don't doubt her mixing skills)... But of course, if she spontaneously combusts or something, I'd definitely turn to Y. Chang (if he isn't too busy being awesome with his amazing singing), Sapphire (if she really feels like it since she likely gets bugged by demo-mixing requests all the time), Omahdon (if he isn't swamped by other amazing projects to mix), and/or Antfish (if he's not swamped with college and other awesome projects he's putting together) to make my demo sound good.

RE: Professional Pursuits - Interning at Studio(s)

As for my internship quest? I got a bunch of callbacks from a studio expressing interest in me interning for them, which is good (I know for a fact that they let their interns provide additional voices for anime if the project is non-union; I've voiced with their interns before), but I had to turn down the offer in the end. The studio is willing to wait for when I'm ready to help them though, so I'll be keeping in touch~

XD Networking is cool.

Art Hunt

If anyone remembers my goal of commissioning a ton of artists to draw me-art so I can use to promote myself, I have a small gallery of what I have so far~ Lots of pretty art~ I have to say though, I've become quite an art whore. I couldn't help it. I love collecting crap. If I ever muster up the courage/audacity to ask talented artists on NG to do art for me for free (ACK), you've been warned.

I voiced for Nathaniel Milburn's Wooshii.com promo ad and it was released today! On my birthday too! Such happiness~

I gotta say, I thought this would be a depressing birthday since I'm behind on my studies for my finals (and voicing for projects since registration issues came up), but everyone was awfully nice today with their gifts, kind words, and well-wishing. Thank you all very much!

As I mentioned, bad things came up in registration due to bad planning and the economy's effect on universities, but as someone who makes the most of things, I managed to figure out a way to intern for a studio or two (likely animation and post-production studios) for college credit and scholarships. Meaning, my bachelor's degree will take a bit longer to get, but pursuing a master's won't take as long if I play my cards right.

Wish me luck!

Anyways, I'm still incredibly swamped (sorry for not responding to comments and PM's!)... But rest assured, I'll try to get my lines done as soon as I finish finals this coming week, before Christmas so you guys have time to incorporate them into your flashes.

@@; (Too many talented animators and game designer people on NG... If you see me floating around, wanting to try out for other people's stuff, just remember that I'm bad at saying no to neat things like that.)

Hnilmik's AVA Character Demo 2009

I have finals for the next 2 weeks or so, so if I'm taking a while to respond or send my audition lines out of interest for your project, that's why.

(I'm really bad at saying "No" to scouting offers...)

Usually I'd voice for things in secret to keep sane, but some of the folks I agreed to voice for (before finals) have some tight deadlines* I had to meet for their projects to work out. Not to mention I have classmates who are working on their student project who want my voice too.

So if you're willing to wait, say, 'til mid-December for me to iron out some details, that'd be much appreciated. There's a good chance that my abilities will be even better then!

Hnilmik's AVA Character Demo 2009

If you're on a tight schedule too, don't let me hold you back! If you need some other female talent to replace me but don't know where to look, I most certainly know a bunch of other girls you can check out who voice for flash (and some actually want to voice specifically for more flash stuff) and MAY be more available than I am. Well, the ones who are already out of school.

Here are some folks who I know personally and have worked with before. In other words, they each have their own unique strengths and can work with producers who respect the time and effort they put into their works. Added bonus: They can act and take direction.

Be sure to drop them an email since they might not use their PM's too much. Closer to the top of the list are folks who are already out of school (but may be busy IRL).

Fairuza
Francine Louise
Rina-chan
Cerise Panda
Sapphire

See you guys in a few weeks!

* I'm currently working on like 3 indie games and 1-2 projects I can't really talk about (yet), so that ought to give you guys an idea of what I mean by tight deadlines during finals. I even have 2 flashes with deadlines this weekend!

Random Tidbit of the Moment: My birthday is December 12th~

The Charlie Brown Murders got released~ I voiced for Lucy! IMMENSE HAPPINESS.
[EDIT]: Daily 2nd and Front Paged! (Nov 17th, 2009)
[EDIT2]: Weekly 4th!
[EDIT3]: 33rd Best of All Time! (Nov 23, 2009)

(AND A CERTAIN DEGREE OF APPREHENSION IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAST PSYCHO CHARLIE BROWN FLASH THAT SHOWED UP ON NG...)

You know how I have a ton of (stupid) personal goals that I want to achieve while achieving more longterm goals (like voicing for a Wrench Wench, for instance) ? One of those goals is to voice for more "feature"-like animations, like hand drawn stuff. I have nothing against tweening, especially when it's done right and well (I "grew up" on the Internet around those kinds of flashes and there's stuff like that on TV nowadays; I ain't a hoity toity purist), but golly, who doesn't want to voice for animations high quality and detailed enough to be seen on TV or as their own movie!

Hm. I guess this goal is harder to explain than I thought.
[EDIT]: I just learned that the term is... FBF or frame-by-frame, right?

Well, I do know for sure that the opportunity to voice for such awesome stuff doesn't come by often. Uber animators don't usually hold auditions for their stuff and if I'm correct, they're more likely to cast people they know or at the very least, cast voiceovers who market themselves directly to them-I tend to be very indirect due to questionable availability and I'm shy to a fault, preferring to be polite and mindful of personal space as opposed to pushy or overly presumptuous.

Hnilmik's AVA Character Demo 2009

Since their animations are so high quality, they take a long while before they're released too (unless the animator has a team or is a super animating machine). There are like 3 other "feature" animations I have roles in, but they're still being animated (tentative release dates are sometime next year) and I got the roles during the summer, or mid-fall in a case or two.

I'm soooooo excited for Hans Van Harken's "The T" animation~

(May I add that I always wanted to voice for a character with a drawn out death sequence? As in, not an instantaneous death? And at the hands of the person he/she likes? Yep, my silly personal goals get THAT creepy-specific. I'm still waiting for the chance to voice for a homicidal, maniacal murderess.)

Anyhow, I'm sure I'll be voicing for more amazing "feature" animations in the near future, especially once my quota-thing is out of the way so I can more actively pursue quality work over the quantity of work. I know for sure that I tend to put student animations high on my voicing priorities. I managed to get on the good side of several indie game developers lately too, so I'll let you guys know when I can talk about their projects.

=P As for interning, I did manage to get ties to a LOT of animation studios, as I said I would. Odds are that you're not gonna hear me in Disney, Warner Bros, Cartoon Network, or Dreamworks things anytime soon, but if I'm gonna have a round-a-bout way of breaking in, that way will allow me to learn all kinds of stuff before I get to my goal~

Yay for detours!

Another boy role (Toon Link). Harharhar, meeting my voicing quota...

Resident Evil Chronicles 2 was released... A while ago, actually! Speaking of blasts from the past, I recorded those lines on Halloween last year, so it's interesting listening to how much I improved!

xx; And yet sometimes I think I'm too productive as a voiceover... I overdo things. You know how you always have room to improve and should always listen to or read about what others have to say about your performance or works so you can learn something? Two words: Newgrounds reviews. For the most part I average up the general comments received to get an idea of what I might be doing wrong... Then make the most of it. At times it's harder than it sounds, but I somehow manage.

Case in point: "IS THAT PERSON A BOY OR A GIRL!?" / "I DON'T KNOW THAT PERSON'S GENDER!!" / "SHE SOUNDS LIKE A BOY!!" / "GET A VOICE THAT ACTUALLY SOUNDS LIKE A GIRL!!"

Guess how I make of those kinds of comments~? I get cast as boys!

...And yep, I'm the boy in Antfish's awesome production~ I had fun~

Then there are reviews out there that're (more) thoughtfully written. They're usually long, but they can be concise as well if the reviewer just focuses on the main points that stood out. I like reading those reviews. They tend to hurt if they're bad reviews too, but hey... The point is, I wasted their time somehow. For reasons I can't quite understand or describe properly, people like to be harsh. They'll even put their reviews or comments in rather offensive or disheartening ways. However, they're still people with opinions and most opinions have some weight behind them. So if their reviews hurt, that means they likely had to endure much more ouch from my performance than the initial scathing ouch I get from reading their reviews.

You can't refund time. Wasting people's time is impolite and I want to be a generally polite person.

So after walking off the depression I sometimes get from taking critiques too deeply to heart, I do what I can to regain composure, and muster up the guts (or lose my marbles) to ask for further elaboration, thinking two things:

"What's the worst that can happen?"
"I AM SUCH A FREAKY CREEPER TO CALL PEOPLE OUT ON THEIR CRITIQUES OH MY GAWD WHY THE FRACK AM I DOING THIS WHY CAN'T I JUST TAKE THE CRITIQUE LIKE A NORMAL PERSON PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THINK THAT I'M MENTAL WHY WHY WHY ADGSAHSFJ"

...Though in all honesty, the intent is to make that time wasted/spent into an investment. It's the polite, good karma thing to do. If they're willing to give the time and consideration to expand on their review, I end up learning something so I can do better next time and the time wasted just becomes experience to work off of. That way, as I improve and strive for more exposure, hopefully, fewer people will hate me.

o_o; If you've read this far and I somehow still make sense, the "moral" of the story? Be polite to mean people, but don't be a pushover. And hope that they don't brick your windows.

...For crissakes, I'm not Gandhi. Wait, what?

Hnilmik's AVA Character Demo 2009

Two Minutes of Terror EP3 got released today~

[EDIT 10/30] Front Page Feature - I actually didn't expect that; A link and a button, perhaps, BUT A BANNER?! HUH.[/EDIT]

And coincidentally, on the same day Resident Evil SARS PT 3 got released, another project I voiced for a year ago-That chirpy, intentionally annoying Rebecca Chambers? Yeah, that's me. That project was the 14th project I voiced for. Two Minutes of Terror EP3 is my 68th. Whoooaaaa...

I also voice for the Sentry in this machinima, which was released very recently~

Hnilmik's AVA Character Demo 2009

Next year, I'm not gonna have a "project quota"--No more "must have 1-2 releases per month" craziness. Yeah, I've been at this for 2 years now and have voiced for a handful of professionally produced projects, which is not bad and even quicker than most, but... I take pride in being productive and would like to use that productivity in more professional pursuits.

Of course I'm still gonna voice for online projects (especially since a LOT of online projects are awesome), but it's about time I measured my progress more qualitatively than quantitatively.

Goals & Deadlines:
-- Have a professionally produced demo this winter (time limit: 2-3 months)
-- Have a better foot in the door in terms of voicing for professional projects BEFORE Anime Expo 2010 (time limit: 7-9 months)
-- Attend 3-4 different voice acting classes/workshops/consultations/what-h ave-you to further improve my skills

A glimpse of how I approach auditions and voicing for online projects in general...

FAQ: "How many/What classes have you taken?"
ANSWER: "Around 4 voice acting-centered classes, 2-3 acting classes, 2 speech classes, + all kinds of miscellaneous classes like writing and psychology classes to better get into the heads of the characters I play." (at the time the video was released)

-- PERHAPS intern at an animation studio next year; I can think of 2-3 places that accept them
-- Have a site to further promote my voice acting work
-- Commission a bunch of artists to produce awesome me-art so I can use to promote my work (site, business cards, banners...)

Many thanks to Muu-Muu for the artwork I'm currently using~

I'm in university right now. To meet these goals, I may unfortunately have to turn down or miss some great voice acting opportunities...

Okay, fine, I know it's September already, but last year I hit my personal record of most completed projects being released in a single month (9 projects in December) and I just hit it again last month (9 projects in August). So close! I almost hit 10 with the release of Blizzconned (Front Page'd~), but eh, whatcha gonna do when you have a personal goal of at least 2 released completed projects a month this year?

I'm pretty happy that Legacy of Pliskin Part 3.1 got released too~ First game project I've ever voiced for and trust me, I'm more of a casual gamer than an anime fan~ So jazzed~

A fandub I'm in also got released~ Why am I jazzed about this one then? 'Cause it's my first real role in one! And that's a pretty big thing for me 'cause I hardly/never get cast in fandubs since I don't sound like an anime character 90% of the time.

And look what got recognition on the VG Cats page~?

(I'm Jubilee in this one. I'm pretty hard to miss...)

(I bet you can't tell which characters I am~)

...And my AVA demo again 'cause I still didn't finish my professional one yet. Blagh.

Hnilmik's AVA Character Demo '09

Me and my goals... If I want to hit the ground running this month, I oughta win the Pirate Voice Acting Contest, huh? And cross my fingers that my entry is animate-able? Sounds like a plan. I gonna start rearranging my schedule...

(Oh. Sloppy newspost 'cause I'm in university right now... In class even, where my field trips consist of visiting tapings of shows and such. Why? Film/Television Major, Broadcast Journalism Minor means less recording time for projects no matter how much I want to voice for insanely awesome flashes. Sadness... But hopefully things'll settle down soon.)

Hnilmik's AVA Character Demo '09

...So at 4 AM, after 2 hours of tossing and turning, I thought: "Could I make a demo using everything I already recorded for finished projects, auditions, and practice?" 3 hours later, this was made.

Is this a fitting representation of my acting/vocal range and my strengths? I can't be the judge of that. Alright mixing? Hell no. I hate my mixing. Will this be my "official" demo to show to potential employers? Are you kidding me? Overall, it's SOMETHING so I can finally stop stressing out (and losing even more sleep--Before you ask, no, I didn't sleep). You bet that I'm gonna keep working on a more presentable demo. Hopefully it'll be done before school starts.

AVA = Amateur Voice Acting... Or "Aspiring" if you want to be optimistic.

At least I can show a fraction of my range without relying on the Brawl Range Reel now.

Oh. And why didn't I upload this onto the Audio Portal? 'Cause I'm going to have a better character demo soon anyways... Whenever that may be.

As some may know, I attended Anime Expo 2009 and participated in the Voice Acting Auditions for AX Idol. I didn't make it into finals, but despite the mistakes I made in my performance, it definitely pleased the judges enough to put a few seconds of me into a montage featuring the tough competition! 130-something-ish-maybe competitors!

[02:32] - The Team Fortress 2 BLU Scout, sans hat and headset, squirming about saying "Honestly, pull yourself together already!" is me~

...No, that's not my natural speaking voice.
...Yes, I'm tiny, skinny, and androgynous enough to be a scout. Shush.

But hey, it's cosplay, so why not run around Anime Expo with RubberNinja as a RED Sniper? He's one friggin' fast sniper though... He outran me and practically everyone else when all the TF2 cosplayers charged through the halls and scared the bejeezus out of the other cosplayers.

Dig through TF2chan to check out the awesome TF2 cosplay pictures 'cause there're just too many great ones that were taken and I can't pick one! Note how I'm probably a RED scout in the front row for most of the pictures. My heart goes to BLU, but when autobalance breaks, it breaks.

Aside from my lifelong dream to be a TF2 scout in a project, I also wanna be a Bioshock splicer!

=P ...Yep. A Baby Jane Houdini Splicer was strutting her stuff in the name of Sander Cohen. Jack obviously wasn't impressed, so he shot her. Angered, she used her incinerate plasmids and accidentally enraged a Big Daddy and couldn't escape the Bouncer's drill.

...If only she used her teleportation powers like most other Houdini Splicers. It's a weird dream alright, uh-huh, but I wanna be a splicer.

...I'm obsessed with Team Fortress 2. I might not be the best player ever, especially on the PC, but by golly I've been obsessed with TF2 for the longest while now 'cause it's such a funny game. If you don't know what it is, marathon all the "Meet the Team" videos that're out and just listen to all the voice clips of the classes on YouTube. I'd LOVE to be in a TF2 flash or machinima someday... Especially as a scout.

(If I work on my announcer voice enough, we might be seeing a "Meet the Spy" light board turned sound board sometime, eh?)

One afternoon, in the middle of casting/live directing one of my voice acting friends, I listened to his canon TF2 spy impression and I pushed him into making this since another friend of mine (and I) frequent TF2chan and we just HAD to hear it happen. Antfish is awesome for putting it together all in one sitting.

...And the rest was history, especially once it hit gaming blogs like Kotaku and Destructoid. I can now say that a LOT of people heard me say "TAKE ME NOW~!" at this point.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to catch up on much needed rest since I've been busy catching up on voice work (I'm almost on a new batch of projects which fortunately feature flash stuffs), working on personal projects (somewhere on my YouTube channel you can hear me say "I'll take my shirt off for 20 dollars" in Chinglish), and other things (keeping in touch with friends and still working on a formal demo). Tomorrow I'll be heading into a studio to work on my skills and networking on the professional end. A lot of what I've been doing have been fueled by luck and supplemented by moderate doses of ability, so let's see this become a gradual recipe for success, eh?