“Manga Minutes” is a fun, new web-based series that complements Manga Entertainment’s destination site, Manga.com. “Manga Minutes,” which has been nominated for a 2009 Webby Award, features a unique blend of video, product-related information and other editorial content and offers fans a customized way to experience a wide range of manga and anime. “Manga Minutes” is hosted by Yoko and Rogue, a duo of lively, animated hosts and showcases reviews of anime, manga, and video games from a variety of publishers. Manga.Com is the official site of Manga Entertainment, a leading publisher of anime titles such as Ghost in the Shell, Astro Boy, Ninja Scroll, Blood: The Last Vampire, and many more.

Street Fighter revolutionized the fighting genre and created a global legacy since its debut over 20 years ago. Street Fighter started a phenomenon in arcades in 1987 and went on to spawn several successful sequels that continue to be played. The massive popularity of the game further inspired a feature-length anime film, a live-action movie starring Jean Claude Van Damme, a manga series, and an array of trading cards and other collectables.

“The massive international fan base for Street Fighter epitomizes the synergy between video games, anime, manga and film and the special feature on Manga Minutes gives a fun and informative look at how this unique game has impacted all these genres,” says Grant Luke, Capcom Sr. Product Marketing Manager.

“Licensed content from throughout the “Street Fighter” franchise has been amongst of the most successful in the broader Manga Entertainment library of content,” said David Katz, Executive Director, Digital Media for Starz Media’s Manga Entertainment. “We celebrate the release of Capcom’s ‘Street Fighter IV’ with this special ‘Manga Minutes,’ as well as special promotions we have on Facebook (“Street Fighter” wallpaper), YouTube (Street Fighter playlist on Manga Entertainment’s YouTube channel), and more at Manga.com.”

Street Fighter IV is the latest in the wildly popular franchise and promises to deliver an extraordinary experience that will re-introduce the world to the fast-paced action of virtual martial arts. Capcom brings 25 fighters, including the return of the original 12 World Warriors, Ryu, Chun-Li, and more. The characters and environments are rendered in stylized 3D computer graphics (CG), while the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective with additional 3D camera flourishes. Mixing tried-and-true classic moves and techniques with all-new game play systems, Street Fighter IV brings a brand new fighting game to eager fans around the world.

“Street Fighter has captivated millions of players around the world for more than two decades and the enduring popularity of the related anime and manga have prepped nearly two generations of fans for the debut of Street Fighter IV,” says Eric P. Sherman, President of Bang Zoom! Entertainment. “With plenty in store for the new game and lots of other related genres to explore there is plenty to get excited about in this latest Manga Minutes episode!”

About Capcom
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment. Founded in 1983, the company has created world-renowned franchises including Resident Evil®, Street Fighter®, Mega Man®, Breath of Fire®, Devil May Cry® and the Onimusha® series. Headquartered in Osaka, Japan the company maintains operations in the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, Tokyo, Korea and Hong Kong. More information about Capcom and its products can be found on the company’s web site at www.capcom.com.

About Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment Ltd. is an entertainment company specializing in the production, marketing and distribution of Japanese animation for theatrical, television, Internet, DVD and home video release worldwide. The Manga film library is marketed and distributed in the U.S. through Anchor Bay Entertainment. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in London and Tokyo. Manga Entertainment is a division of Starz Media LLC (www.starzmedia.com), a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, attributed to Liberty Capital Group.

About Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc.
Headquartered in Burbank, California, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. is a leading and award winning full service audio post production studio working in the fields of feature films, television, electronic entertainment, anime and direct to home entertainment projects. Founded in 1993, Bang Zoom! Entertainment maintains operations in the U.S. with three buildings, six recording/mixing stages and a staff of just under 200 actors, writers, directors and technicians. Bang Zoom! Entertainment is committed to carrying out innovative projects that contribute to the promotion of global cultural awareness. More information about Bang Zoom! Entertainment and its products can be found on the company’s web site, which is located at www.bangzoomentertainment.com.

The session will be led by renowned voice actor and director Tony Oliver and will offer attendees in-depth instruction on every major component of voice acting including character development, basic acting skills, and how to use and project the voice with a variety of emotions. Developing a compelling demo, studio etiquette and protocol for auditions will also be examined. This unique voice acting workshop at Bang Zoom! Studios is $299.00 and space is very limited. Details and reservations to attend the session are available by clicking here.

“We held two voice acting workshops at the recent New York Anime Festival as well as a separate all-day intensive session at John Marshall Sound in Manhattan and I was very impressed at the level of interest and dedication, as well as the raw talent displayed by many who attended these events,” says Oliver, who is the current ADR (Automated Dialogue Recording) director for the hit anime series Gurren Lagann, seen on Sci Fi Channel and has, over the last two decades, also portrayed lead roles on many iconic animated series including Robotech, Gungrave and Lupin III.

He continues, “Voice acting is a niche that is often overlooked or even ignored by many traditional acting disciplines and educational opportunities on the topic are quite rare. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn some valuable skills and techniques and gain insight on every step of the recording process. They’ll also have plenty of time to practice in the same recording booth at Bang Zoom! where dialogue for so many well-known anime series like Gurren Lagann, Samurai Champloo, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Chobits and Last Exile have been recorded for domestic release. This will be an extremely informative afternoon for anyone that is serious about developing a voice acting career.”

Bang Zoom! Entertainment will also offer workshop attendees a special $5.00 discount on the critically acclaimed ADVENTURES IN VOICE ACTING™- Volume One DVD, which spotlights the behind-the-mic world of the talented and diverse personalities that bring animated and video game characters to life. Bang Zoom! Entertainment produced the film, having completed English language dubs and audio post production for more than 2,000 anime episodes for a wide variety of anime series in addition to working on other animated features, live action productions and video games. ADVENTURES IN VOICE ACTING™- Volume One is also available online for $29.95 at www.adventuresinvoiceacting.com/purchasethedvd/.

About Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc.
Headquartered in Burbank, California, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. is a leading and award winning full service audio post production studio working in the fields of feature films, television, electronic entertainment, anime and direct to home entertainment projects. Founded in 1993, Bang Zoom! Entertainment maintains operations in the U.S. with three buildings, six recording/mixing stages and a staff of just under 200 actors, writers, directors and technicians. Bang Zoom! Entertainment is committed to carrying out innovative projects that contribute to the promotion of global cultural awareness. More information about Bang Zoom! Entertainment and its products can be found on the company’s web site, which is located at www.bangzoomentertainment.com.

Bang Zoom! worked closely with Ms. Hiroe Tsukamoto of Aniplex and Mr. Toshifumi Yoshida of Bandai Entertainment, Inc. which are the two companies that produced the series. Bang Zoom! provided Japanese-to-English translation, voice casting, and scriptwriting, and is presently engaged with ongoing ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) sessions, and final mixing for the 27 episode show. The new dubbed soundtrack will also be featured on a forthcoming Gurren Lagann DVD release from Bandai Entertainment featuring 5.1 multi-channel surround.

Gurran Lagann is a science fiction, comedy action series reminiscent of great “mecha” anime titles like Gunbuster, Nadia, and Evangelion. The series centers on Simon, Kamina and Yoko, three youths that live in an underground village on a future earth. They become embroiled in a conflict with surface “Beastmen” who pilot giant robots known as Gunmen, one of which they take for themselves and name GURREN, and lead the battle against the Beastmen. Created by anime powerhouse studio GAINAX (Evangelion, Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise), Gurren Lagann won Best Television Series and Best Character Design at the 2008 Tokyo Animation Fair (TAF) and excitement over the series’ North American broadcast debut continues to draw millions of viewers weekly.

Knowing the exceptional quality fans and viewers would demand for such a notable release, Bang Zoom! Casting Director Kaeko Sakamoto assembled a stellar cast of veteran voice talents for Gurran Lagann, including Yuri Lowenthal as lead character Simon. Other talented voice actors include Kyle Herbet (Kamina), Michelle Ruff (Yoko), and Johnny Yong Bosch (Rossiu). “A show of this quality and depth requires and deserves the best voice actors we can find,” says series Director Tony Oliver, himself a renowned voice actor. “The characters in Gurren Lagann are complex and nuanced and evolve greatly through the series. The ‘big anime actors’ are big for a reason. They are able to make these characters real and alive using just their voices and their artistic skills and that really shows in this new series.”

Bang Zoom’s Pat Rodman oversaw the project as Supervising Sound Engineer and maintained strict quality control throughout the project. Rodman further served as the re-recording mixer for the 2.0 broadcast version and the soon-to-be-released dubbed DVD version from Bandai Entertainment which will be presented in 5.1 multi-channel surround. “There were a lot of voice effects that needed to be put into the English dialogue,” recalls Rodman. “The Japanese used a lot of ‘verbs’ (or reverbs) for room treatments and a lot of echo delays and special effects for the various robots. The show also required sound effects for voices depicted in cockpits, hologram devices, headsets, intercoms, and some god-like characters among others. We also put the dialogue effects into the 5.1 mix which is very compelling because the sound actually follows the picture on the screen. These effects can be a challenge to mix but the 5.1 multi-channel audio presentation of the DVD will really add a new sonic dimension to the soundtrack.”

Recording was performed with Neuman U87 microphones into an Avalon Mic pre-amp and recorded with Protools HD. The mixing was done in Protools utilizing the Waves bundle and various Digidesign plugins. Mixing was performed on a control 24 mixing surface.

Oliver explains that one of the biggest challenges with the series has been the tight recording schedule. “We’ve had to do in 4 months what we would normally do in 6. It seems like we were already behind before we started and we’ve been going hard at it since day one. But the close camaraderie of everyone involved makes this show a joy to work on.”

He also notes challenges with presenting some of the more complicated concepts that are based on theoretical science, quantum physics and obscure science fiction. “It’s difficult enough to deal with these concepts under normal circumstances, where translation isn’t involved, but in anime these concepts must be communicated in dialogue that is restricted by screen time and picture. It’s not easy to do but it’s proved a particular challenge that made working on this series very fun.”

Oliver is intimately familiar with anime voice acting as he first drew fame for his role as Rick Hunter on the groundbreaking series Robotech in the 80s. Gurren Lagann pays homage to many classic anime character archetypes and plot devises but reconstitutes them into a very 21st century story told with a slick visual style. “The nature of the show did take me back to Robotech, but not just because of the mechanical robot aspect,” says Oliver. “Characters like Simon, who is thrust into a great adventure in a rapidly changing world, and Kamina, who sets the standard for heroism in the story, are reminiscent of Rick Hunter and Roy Folker of Robotech. The epic nature of the plot and the lengthy passing of time in the stories also make the show reflective of Robotech. But while paying homage to many great mecha-based shows of the past, Gurren Lagann tells a very unique story that is very contemporary at its core.”

Voice actor Yuri Lowenthall notes how he drew inspiration from the strong synergy he shares with the team of writers, the Director and the Producers of the show. “The writing keys me into what type of character Simon is and then Tony (Oliver) and I work closely together to bring out what we feel the original Japanese team would have wanted, but for an English-speaking audience. Having access to Tetsuya Kakihara, who voiced Simon for the original Japanese series, was also extremely helpful.”

Bang Zoom! Entertainment President Eric P. Sherman emphasizes the demands of voice acting for anime. “It requires the actor to perform in a believable way while at the same time interpreting the original intent of the creators and fitting their line readings exactly into the mouth flap and timing of the existing animation – and often there is little time to prepare.” But he also notes that this talented cast played a huge part in making sessions fun and productive. “These voice actors are all veterans of numerous well-known series and thus have the technical skills down pat, making it possible to concentrate on the creative aspects of their performance and subtle nuances that add a compelling new layer to Gurren Lagann. We hope audiences will enjoy the new English dub for this action packed series!”

About Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc.
Headquartered in Burbank, California, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. is a leading and award winning full service audio post production studio working in the fields of feature films, television, electronic entertainment, anime and direct to home entertainment projects. Founded in 1993, Bang Zoom! Entertainment maintains operations in the U.S. with three buildings, six recording/mixing stages and a staff of just under 200 actors, writers, directors and technicians. Bang Zoom! Entertainment is committed to carrying out innovative projects that contribute to the promotion of global cultural awareness. More information about Bang Zoom! Entertainment and its products can be found on the company’s web site, which is located at www.bangzoomentertainment.com.

Unique All-Day Workshop Will Cover Character Development And Voice Acting Skills With Prominent Voice Actor/Director Tony Oliver

Burbank, CA, September 15, 2008 – Bang Zoom! Entertainment, a leading full-service audio post production company and producer of original entertainment content, has announced a special intensive one-day voice acting workshop taking place on Sunday, September 28th at John Marshall Sound in Manhattan NY from 10:00am-6:00pm. The session will be led by veteran voice actor and director Tony Oliver and will offer attendees in-depth instruction on every component of voice acting including character development, basic acting skills, and how to use and project the voice with a variety of emotions. Developing a compelling demo, studio etiquette and protocol for auditions will also be examined. John Marshall Sound is located at 630 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10036.

This unique voice acting workshop in Manhattan is $350.00 and space is limited. Details and reservations to attend are available here. This session will be a more comprehensive and detailed complement to another Bang Zoom! voice acting workshop scheduled to take place during the 2008 New York Anime Festival, which is to be held at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center, September 26-28.

“This workshop in the heart of New York City will be an informative and hands-on ‘boot camp’ style session for anyone looking to become a serious voice actor,” says Oliver, who is the current ADR (Automated Dialogue Recording) director for the hit anime series Gurren Lagann, seen on Sci Fi Channel, and has over the last two decades portrayed lead roles on many iconic animated series including Robotech, Gungrave and Lupin III. “We’re holding the workshop in a fully-equipped digital studio with the latest audio recording technology and the curriculum for the all-day session will give insights on every step of the recording process as well as a variety of useful vocal techniques that bring animated characters of all kinds to life. Every attendee will receive plenty of personal one-on-one instruction as well as focused time behind the microphone in the recording booth. This workshop will be our most comprehensive yet and I invite anyone seriously exploring this unique vocation to attend!”

Bang Zoom! Entertainment will further offer workshop attendees a special $5.00 discount on the ADVENTURES IN VOICE ACTINGâ„¢- Volume One DVD, which will also be on-sale during New York Anime Fest. The new release, which has received strong critical acclaim, spotlights the behind-the-mic world of the talented and diverse personalities that bring animated and video game characters to life. Bang Zoom! Entertainment produced the film, having completed English language dubs and audio post production for more than 2,000 anime episodes for a wide variety of acclaimed series including Samurai Champloo, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Chobits and Last Exile, in addition to working on a variety of other animated features, live action productions and video games. ADVENTURES IN VOICE ACTINGâ„¢- Volume One is also available online for $29.95.

“Voice Actors provide a critical component to animation and many other aspects of the entertainment business. We’re very excited to offer this specialized workshop designed to give aspiring actors valuable tools and insights as they pursue this profession,” says Eric P. Sherman, President of Bang Zoom! Entertainment. “We’ve held several more generalized voice acting workshops at major conventions this past summer including Anime Expo and the San Diego Comic-Con, and we look forward to presenting our latest one at the 2008 New York Anime Festival. But the overwhelming enthusiasm and desire for an even more hands-on experience on how the voice acting process works also inspired us to develop this intensive 8-hour session at a working recording studio in New York City. As animation becomes a more cross-cultural and international industry new opportunities for talented voice actors are continually emerging.”

Those seriously interested in this vocation are encouraged to take advantage of this unique workshop taught by one of the most talented, knowledgeable and respected voice actors and directors in the business.

About Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc.
Headquartered in Burbank, California, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. is a leading and award winning full service audio post production studio working in the fields of feature films, television, electronic entertainment, anime and direct to home entertainment projects. Founded in 1993, Bang Zoom! Entertainment maintains operations in the U.S. with three buildings, six recording/mixing stages and a staff of just under 200 actors, writers, directors and technicians. Bang Zoom! Entertainment is committed to carrying out innovative projects that contribute to the promotion of global cultural awareness. More information about Bang Zoom! Entertainment and its products can be found on the company’s web site.

Adventures in Voice Acting is a DVD composed of five episodes, each covering a specific topic. From there, each episode is then split into even smaller parts dealing with more specific nuts and bolts of voice acting. Unlike many documentaries that are peppered with snippits of interviews, this is made up entirely of interviews–not just one or two, but dozens of interviews with various voice actors, producers, casting directors and more.

Never fear, though, it’s not simply light and fun interviews with voice actors, nor simply suggestions of what to do. No, the voice actors interviewed discuss the process itself, touching upon some of the technical and not-so-technical aspects of the job. Discussion ranges from the experience of being in the booth–having to glance from the script to the screen to the time stamp at the top of the screen, for example, or using green apples to remove ambient mouth noises–to the differences between doing anime dubs and original animation voice tracks. It’s really a fascinating DVD, even if you’re not thinking of trying to get into the business. Hearing actors share their stories of abject rejection, difficult personal lives, familial estrangement, and even what sounded suspiciously like a confession of suicidal thoughts, makes for some interesting viewing material.

The DVD also manages the trick of being discouraging and encouraging at the same time. Through the various tales of rejection and financial hardships it manages to demystify and perhaps even dash the various dreams of voice acting as glamourous and fun. The fact that several of the people had to maintain second jobs for years, in some cases decades, before being able to support themselves seems sure to scare away some who dreams of being a big name anime voice actor. Still, throughout this, the interviewees never quite cease to encourage the viewers to pursue their dreams, maintaining that persistence will pay off eventually. (It might just take ten or twenty years.) It certainly feels like a grounding experience for aspiring future voice actors, that’s for sure.

In addition to the five main episodes there are several bonus features which include vocal exercises and warm up-routines, to deleted scenes that discuss the voice actors’ own history with anime, and a lengthy text section with even more advice, hints and tips from the various people interviewed on the DVD.

If you’re interested in the business or thinking of entering it, this seems like a fantastic DVD to have. Even if you’re just curious as to what goes into making dubs, it’s probably worth a look.

Volume one of Adventures in Voice Acting is available now through the Bang Zoom! Entertainment website.

As Bang Zoom! president Eric P. Sherman explained to PCS last December, the series’ primary goal is to educate fans about the profession by giving them behind-the-scenes access to animation and video game productions. “We tried to make this film so as to create the feel of having a back stage pass, or access to a movie set,” he explained.

The Bang Zoom! Crew interviewed hundreds of voice actors, from greenhorns to seasoned pros such as Steve Blum (Cowboy Beblop), Yuri Lowenthal (Naruto, Noein, Hellsing) and Kate Higgins (Bleach, Naruto). Each volume is divided into five episodes exploring different aspects of the craft, from technique to technology. Volume one “takes the viewer from the very basic ‘What is a Voice Actor?’ all the way up through ‘How did you break into the business?’” Sherman explained. “These questions are really at the very core of the film, and they are answered here, but in several different ways in the film. And in later episodes, actors and casting professionals give their own very thoughtful, personal nuggets of advice on what you should do if YOU wanted to do this for a living.”

Veteran voice actor Yuri Lowenthal (Naruto, Noein) is one of seventy-five professionals to appear in the final cut of Adventures in Voice Acting.

In addition to the actor interviews, Adventures in Voice Acting includes vocal warm-up exercises, practical advice for breaking into the business, and studio tours that help the fan better understanding the dubbing process. Volume one, for example, features the following episodes:

• Process and Techniques While In The Booth
• Audition Preparation Tools
• Finding Your Way into the World of Voice Acting
• What to Expect on the First Day in the Studio
• Advice from the Pros

To celebrate the release of Adventures in Voice Acting, Bang Zoom! will be sponsoring free clinics at Anime Expo 2008 in Los Angeles. These one-hour sessions will provide fans with an opportunity to chat with industry experts as well as try their hand at dubbing with a professional audio engineer. Workshops will be held July 3rd – July 6th; to register, visit the Bang Zoom! booth (#811) in the Exhibit Hall. For more information about the workshops, click here.

Adventures in Voice Acting, Vol. 1
Available: July 3, 2008 at Anime Expo® 2008
Run Time: 131 minutes plus 30 minutes of extra features
For more info: www.AdventuresInVoiceActing.com

Episode 11, which was produced in 2007 but not aired, is hosted by popular anime voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch and features a review and commentary on the popular series Eureka 7, which is airing currently on Cartoon Network, as well as a segment on Fatal Fury.

AnimeTV is the first industry-approved program devoted to the anime phenomenon sweeping North America. In addition to airing on its own web site, AnimeTV review segments are also seen on IGN Entertainment’s popular anime.ign web outlet, and 9 episodes were recently broadcast by Comcast Corporation on its Anime Selects ON DEMAND network. The series performed so well that the cable provider is currently discussing the production of a second season. Comcast Corporation is the nation’s largest producer and distributor of non-linear programming designed for Video-On-Demand. AnimeTV is the creation of Bang Zoom! Entertainment President and CEO Eric P. Sherman, an ardent anime fan and the head of one of the leading facilities providing voice talent and audio post production to the anime and video game industry.

“We are very excited to announce the availability of this all new episode of AnimeTV”, says Sherman. “The series continues to draw new viewers with professional production and we look forward to developing new content throughout 2008. Fans can look forward to plenty of surprises and announcements throughout the year. The availability of the program on Comcast’s Anime Selects ON DEMAND marked the first time an independently produced program dedicated to covering the burgeoning anime market was made available in so many major national markets. Fans everywhere can now check out Episode 11 and see what has viewers and the industry so abuzz.”

ABOUT AnimeTV™
AnimeTV™ is a free fifteen (15) minute online video program produced by Bang Zoom! Entertainment and appears on www.goanimetv.com and a host of other media outlets including iTunes and YouTube. More information can be found on the show’s official web site at www.goanimetv.com.

ABOUT BANG ZOOM! ENTERTAINMENT
Headquartered in Burbank, California, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. is a leading full-service audio post production studio for feature films, television, interactive gaming, anime and direct to home entertainment content. Founded in 1993, the company offers a range of specialized services including a critically acclaimed staff of recognized voice talent, ADR,/Foley recording, sound design, and 2.0, 5.1 and 7.1 Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II mixing and encoding. Bang Zoom! Entertainment is also committed to developing a range of independent projects that contribute to the promotion of innovative cultural awareness internationally. For more information, visit www.bangzoomentertainment.com.

PopCultureShock: Tell us a little bit about Adventures in Voice Acting. What can the average anime fan expect to learn from watching this documentary, and how will that enhance their appreciation of their favorite series?

Eric P. Sherman: We tried to make this film so as to create the feel of having a back stage pass, or access to a movie set. We tried to make it a pretty intimate experience for the viewer. We’ve worked on a lot of anime series, and I think it was important for us to really know and understand these talented actors, so they would be willing to open up to us. I think this was very important during filming, and it allows the viewer to learn not only the techniques these actors use, but the motivation behind what they do, and how they have accomplished all they have.

One thing aspiring voice actors should know is that these actors make it look (or sound) really easy—but it isn’t! The fact that it appears so easy and natural should clue the audience in to just how talented these folks are. So when you watch Adventures in Voice Acting and then watch anime, in either English or Japanese, I think audiences will hopefully have a greater appreciation for the voices of the characters they hear and a respect for the craft. It will be a more visceral experience.

Industry veteran Michelle Ruff (Bleach, DearS, Girls Bravo, MAR) in the studio. Michelle is one of 75 actors to appear in the final cut of the film.

PCS: Who can fans expect to see in the documentary?

ES: In Adventures in Voice Acting volume one, fans can expect to see some of the most acclaimed and notable voice actors working in anime today. They include Steve Blum (Spike in Cowboy Bebop), Crispin Freeman (Alucard in Hellsing), Vic Mignogna (Edward in FullMetal Alchemist), and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, a renowned voice actress who is also a prominent ADR director. There are other facets of voice acting covered in this volume, but anime is definitely a focal point. Volume 2, which is forthcoming, is going to focus on voice acting for games, and volume 3 will be more about original animation. There are over 75 personalities featured in the final cut of the film, and as well as casting directors and voice directors. There is no shortage of informative and candid interview footage from professional actors across the country.

There’s also an insightful segment on up-and-coming actors. Voice actors with little to no experience at all, just on the cusp of breaking into the business themselves. They talk openly about their personal journeys and I think this gives encouragement to those who are just thinking of getting into the business.

PCS: American fans frequently note differences in voice-acting styles between the Japanese original and the dubbed versions aired in the West. What do American actors have to say about these differences?

ES: Japanese voice actors have a way of using breathing techniques that are different from their Western counterparts. In my opinion, the Japanese actors are often more concerned about what’s between each line of dialogue than the actual dialogue itself. It’s a subtle thing, but to me it’s a big difference, and I think some of these nuances and techniques have slowly made their way into English language dubbing of anime. This is a natural progression, since our goal has been to remain as true as possible to the original Japanese dialogue that we’re adapting into English. Not in all cases, but definitely a majority of them.

PCS: Your website suggests that one of the target audiences for Adventures in Voice Acting is aspiring voice actors. What kind of background/training do they need to break into animation and video games?

ES: It says it in the film around 20 times at least: take acting classes! Get yourself some training as early on as you can. Get into classes and workshops—not only to learn the craft of acting, but also, to start networking. These two go hand-in-hand. It’s great to be passionate about anime but knowing acting as a discipline and also as a business will definitely be what sets the successful ones apart. This may sound trite, but it’s true. It’s not just what you know, but it’s also who you know.

PCS: What will you be screening at New York Anime Fest?

ES: Episode One which is the first 23 minutes of the film. It’s a world premiere sneak preview event. The reason for this is simple. We’re not done with the rest of the film yet. We’re close, but we’re looking at another month or so in the editing room and then looking at distribution options. The film is divided into several “episodes” and we’ll be showing episode one in its entirety. This takes the viewer from the very basic “What is a Voice Actor?” all the way up through “How did you break into the business?” These questions are really at the very core of the film, and they are answered here, but in several different ways in the film. And in later episodes, actors and casting professionals give their own very thoughtful, personal nuggets of advice on what you should do if YOU wanted to do this for a living.

PCS: What kind of extras will buyers find on the DVD?

ES: Voice actor bios and personal messages to their fans, vocal warm up exercises, and mini-studio tours (behind the scenes footage).

Selections from Adventures in Voice Acting will be shown on Saturday, December 8th at 12:00 PM in the Live Action Screening Room at the Jacob Javits Center. Eric Sherman will be on hand to answer questions after the screening.

With a global market for new titles, particularly between North America and Japan, expert localization services are now a critical component of game development. Bang Zoom! Entertainment has brought to bear an arsenal of talent and services used widely in the anime arena for new RPG game titles (many based on anime and manga series) slated for domestic release.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America approached Bang Zoom! Entertainment to work on the .hack//G.U. series after hearing of the facility’s reputation for providing superior ADR and localization services for hundreds of well-known anime titles. It retained the company to develop, record and mix a new English soundtrack for the .hack//G.U. series – a sprawling project as each game possessed more than 6,500 lines of dialogue – but it was all completed in a scant six weeks.

.hack//G.U. encompasses three volumes based on a popular anime and manga series set amidst a fictional online role playing game in the future. The two new PlaySstation 2 titles have been highly anticipated following the critical acclaim of the first edition. Following the premise of the animated series, players again return to the fictitious Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) setting called “The World” to continue protagonist Haseo’s journey as he and his friends look to escape from what has become a digital trap filled with dungeons and monsters.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America producer Masahiro Knittel flew to Los Angeles from Northern California and ensconced himself at Bang Zoom!’s studios to advise the team throughout the recording and mixing process. Bang Zoom! Co-producer Mami Okada interfaced closely with Knittel and strong rapport quickly developed that helped facilitate completion.

“I was immediately impressed with the professionalism and high quality of voice over production of Bang Zoom!, and I knew that my project was in good hands,” Knittel says. “ADR director, Tony Oliver, and I quickly developed a close producer-director relationship in the studio, which I believe really strengthened the process of recording, resulting in very convincing performances by each of the actors. I thoroughly enjoyed working with everyone at Bang Zoom!’s studio, and I doubt you’ll find a more friendly and accommodating environment to work in. I am very pleased with the results of the studio recordings. These guys are on the top of my list when considering future ADR projects.”

Work commenced as a vast collection of the original Japanese dialogue was delivered, checked for quality and organized into a cohesive format. Sound engineer Jeff Prosser explains, “A huge part included putting all the Japanese files into Pro Tools for easy reference. We would refer to these files regularly for comparison in order to get the correct emotions or intensity from the English voice actors. It became a roadmap for the entire project.”

Corresponding video elements were also delivered as Quicktime and Matroska (Kodak) files, which were then transferred into a Final Cut Pro editing suite as a single continuous video file with an all important streaming time code to be used for script timing.

Critical was that the new English dialogue sync exactly to the movements of each character’s mouth without changing the meaning or context of the original Japanese. “The key was to make it sound natural,” says project ADR Director Tony Oliver, himself a renowned voice actor best known for his portrayal of Rick Hunter on the famed Robotech anime series. “Sometimes the rhythm of the speech must be altered a little to fit, but the meaning of what is said must always remain true to the original intent. That can be challenging and often requires substituting words and altering syntax until it seems natural. Each of the voice actors also adds their own rhythm and personality.”

To convincingly achieve the key role of Haseo, Bang Zoom! brought in noted voice actor Yuri Lowenthal, who performed on the original .Hack video game as well as an array of other game and anime productions including Afro Samurai, Bleach, Final Fantasy XII, and several Naruto game titles. All of the recording was done sequentially, according to how the actual game unfolds, so each actor understood how the plot evolves and could tighten their performances in-line and understand the motivations required for each scene. Recoding used tried and true Avalon 737SP pre-mics and Neumann U87 microphones.

“The biggest challenge with this title was the sheer amount of dialogue,” recalls Oliver. “It was way more than a conventional narrative because of different outcomes possible with each scene based on moves the player makes. But convincing performances must be recorded for each outcome. The difference with video games is that the dialogue for each resolution must be performed and mixed in such a way to preserve the continuity of the entire game. It’s critical for there to be the same intensity and emotion in each of the lines spoken. I think we definitely achieved that with this project.”

Time constraints for the project were very tight and Bang Zoom! chief engineer Patrick Rodman began mixing completed tracks as ADR sessions continued to progress. All three of Bang Zoom! Entertainment’s mix/ADR rooms were used simultaneously for .hack//G.U. “I level matched each of the over 5,000 newly recorded files by ear then began processing the dialogue, which included matching the new dub with the same effects and vocal treatments present in the original. Mixing was done entirely in Pro Tools using a Digidesign Control 24 console.” Rodman also meticulously balanced and matched EQ, reverbs and pitching using various Pro Tools and Wave plug-ins. Rodman, who has been with Bang Zoom! for 8 years, was well-suited to work on the .hack//G.U. series, having worked previously at Monterey Post where he contributed to the soundtracks of several Warner Bros. animated titles including Pinky & The Brain, Batman, and The Animaniacs.

“As games become more sophisticated the players and fans demand a more convincing and compelling level of acting,” concludes Eric P. Sherman, President of Bang Zoom! Entertainment. “Likewise, because .hack//G.U. is based on a popular anime series, there must be synergy between the two and a higher quality of skill is required to do that. We are now applying our expertise gained from working on numerous anime titles to a new range of games that require localization for domestic release. .hack//G.U. was a very successful project, completed on a tight schedule, and we look forward to fans reveling in the new adventures and new English soundtrack the game presents.”

ABOUT BANG ZOOM! ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
Headquartered in Burbank, California, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. is a leading full-service audio post production studio for feature films, television, interactive gaming, anime and direct to home entertainment content. Founded in 1993, the company offers a range of specialized services including a critically acclaimed staff of recognized voice talent, ADR,/Foley recording, sound design, and 2.0, 5.1 and 7.1 Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II mixing and encoding. Bang Zoom! Entertainment is also committed to developing a range of independent projects that contribute to the promotion of innovative cultural awareness internationally.

Contact Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. at 1100 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505; Phone: (818) 295-3939; Fax: (818) 295-3999; Website: www.bangzoomentertainment.com.