Innagadadavida wrote:Building a bridge is hard; it takes a lot of planning, designing, math, manpower, funding, and documentation. Swimming across the English Channel is hard; it takes a lot of training, endurance, preparation, self-discipline. Playing an instrument is hard; it takes a lot of practice, study, dedication, and experience.
Voice acting is easy. All it takes is a natural talent and observational skills. Sure it may take a while to get a take just right, but in the grand scheme of things, voice acting is an easy career (for those who have that type of career, some just do it for some extra cash and for fun).
I debated how blunt to be about what I'm about to say. Are you seriously going to tell me, as someone who has never even attempted voice acting, that it doesn't take training, endurance, preparation, and self-discipline? I was trained by Susan Berkeley, the voice of AT&T, and even SHE says that she's still working on improving her voice. Voice acting, like acting itself, is a craft in which you never stop learning. It's not like you can learn all the secrets one day and then you're set. I, like many voice actors, have sacrificed much to pursue this art. Money (to buy home recording equipment, make a professionally-produced demo, attend classes), time (all voice actors are ALWAYS looking for work because with a scant few exceptions it doesn't pay well, and I'm always checking my email for new audition notices), and willpower (it can really drain you mentally when you go a long time without getting a gig). Not to mention that you have to sacrifice time with your friends and family in order to keep getting your paychecks. Don't insult us by saying that we are sacrificing so much for something that's "easy."
It's also a very difficult form of acting because its all about the subtle touches, as opposed to the bigger changes you can make when you have your body to assist you in film and theatrical acting. I have yet to act for an anime, but I've tried it informally on my own time...I can tell ya, from INFORMAL training, it ain't easy. It's one thing to match lips, but to match lips AND make it sound convincing? Not easy, no matter how much time or how many takes are allotted to you.
So listen, Innagadadavida, I'm telling you this as politely as I know how:
you have no clue what the hell you're talking about. Criticizing a voice actor's performance is perfectly fine. We welcome the feedback. What I and may voice actors would find insulting is people like you, who have no experience in the field, marching forward with the unbelievably insulting assumption that this business which you have not spent so much as a day in is "easy."
Anyway, I'm sorry I went off like that. I don't mean to sound angry or aggressive. I'm usually the one on internet message boards telling people to be calm and not to get so heated up. You did, however, strike a nerve. I'm telling you, as politely as I can, to shut up.
Now.
