Heartbreaker and Equity Kill the Sentinels Universe

I'm interested in doing this. Like...super-interested. Whether it's a single session, mini-series, or ongiong, episodic pseudo-podcast, I'm all about it. I'd like to brainstorm with one or two other people, script things out ahead of time, and play out the back-and-forth of them discussing their successes against mooks and failures against heroes over drinks. A few caveats, though.

• I don't have much experience with audio editing, but would be willing to learn if someone with a knack for it wouldn't be available.
• Chances are, this won't be done in person, so both parties (plus any interested guests) would either have to record separately or through some sort of group chat, which may reduce the quality.

Before I go putting my basket of chickens before the cart and getting too excited about this, would anyone else be interested?

Brainstorming fan-fiction? I'd be down for some stuff there. IS there a time-frame? You can also use skype to begin, to get a flavour of how the story should go. 

Oh, man. I hope this happens. 

Did we just get encouragement frome one of the few pwoers greater than OblivAeon himself?! The pressure is on. 

That's a good idea. A couple of practice sessions, so to speak.

There's no real timeframe. I'd like to get to it a bit sooner rather than later, but people have schedules and such. I'd like to commit to maybe recording on Friday evenings, spending the rest of the week in communication over the framework and script, editing if need otherwise be. Saturdays tend to be my gaming days and run a bit late. Other than that, usual grown-up responsibilities and whatnot occupy me through the workweek.

dies

Resusicates

Nope.  none of that happening.  Not until after the podcast is a thing.

Plays Inspiring Prescence and uses Cleansing Downpour. 

I'd also be interested in this, in some capacity (UK time zone be damned). I'm a writer,role-player primarily (as regards the idea), but I wear many hats.

I think we should creat a google docs or something to get ideas out. At least get something out there where we can communicate better. These forums are good, but not the best for this kind of conversation and discussion (imo). 

Ugh. Why am I so damn happy to be soaked? What'd I miss?

Okay, so I think we'll need two recurring participants, of which I will be one, to handle the voices of the eponymous characters. I'd like the occasional guest, maybe even recurring ones, be they other villains or the ever-present bartender, barman, or barmaid.

I've been roleplaying for the bulk of my life, but haven't done much actual acting, so I'm not anticipating any kind of little golden statues for performance here. It's a labor of love and fun, that's all. One that will hopefully be entertaining, of course.

I'm operating out of the Eastern time zone (GMT -5, last I checked), and am most available for recording on Friday evenings, with the rest of the week dedicated to scripting, storyboarding, and editing.

One more idea I have regarding guests isn’t just with regards to voices. I’d like to let people submit not only suggestions for who is being discussed, but possible scripts or frameworks for the conversation – give everyone a turn at contributing to the stories. Everyone who would be interested, anyway.

Sounds awesome. Let me know how I can help. Whether it's ideas, storyboarding, acting (i do have a credit on IMDB), or something else.  I wrote a super quick, and super brief scene in the OblivAeon update if you want to see what i can come up with on the spot. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DSKgPy9zSnZCV7y5PDrv1k6tvmcYDdJShjvrzzJ_Dus/edit?usp=sharing

I'd like to still keep some discussion here, for anyone who may be interested, but we can keep the nuts and bolts of it to the doc.

Let me know when this is up. And I could give suggestions.

I don't think I'd be comfortable playing a major role in this, I roleplay for games but recording a script people will listen too is a step further than I think I can take at the moment.

However, any ideas or such that I can hep with I'd be glad to try and do my part. Even if it is simply being another pair of eyes on the script to catch mistakes. I'll check out the google doc later.

I like the idea.  I just don’t know how much I’d be able to contribute.  

I have time and could contribute.  I think I'd do okay with voice-acting, but it may take practice.  You'll want to figure out a voice and a personality for each character.  Then deep-dive all we currently know about them.  From there it's just fun and games discussing how to take out the most powerful heroes the Sentinelverse has to offer.

At the moment, HB has an unapologetically exaggerated New York accent. Equity, by contrast, has a calm and cool tone without any discernable accent. HB's brash and conceited, but Equity's level, scathing remarks tend to cut a bit deeper when the two get antagonistic. They're peers on speaking terms, who get along about as well as any two can in the field.

At least,that's what I envision. I wouldn't be opposed to any kind of constructive feedback or correction.

I would assume that equity would be the one who would have to reign in heartbreakers more psychopathic tendencies but that's just my opinion. 

I'm of a similar thought, except that I'm not entirely sure Equity would be motivated to reign HB in. He might comment on it, or contrast it with his level-headedness, but I don't think Equity would think it right to 'correct' HB.

"Well yeah, I backed over him. Needed to make sure he was dead, didn't I?"

"And you don't think three rounds to the chest was enough to ensure that?"

"Maybe. Better safe than sorry, yeah?"

"Hm. And you then decaptiated him?"

"Heh. What can I say? I'm thorough."

I don't think HB's quite that psychotic, but what do I know?

I have to say I would be EXTREMELY happy to do some v.a. for this project, and I'd love to put myself forward for Equity - since I have a mild (or 'cultivated,' as they call it) Australian accent, I think it'd be a good fit.

Even if we just needed a tiny cameo or something though, that would be very cool!

I love the idea of this whole thing (I mean who hasn't had fun thinking about how you could defeat each hero's powerset?), and could help with any ladyperson voices, but otherwise I think it'd probably be best to have you guys do you so the writing style stays consistent.

What a delightful game to play, prospective Murder talk! While likely unable to delve too deeply in the lore with writing, I did do a good amount of voice acting over the years, and still perform on stage and the rare screen. Playing the villain is rarely less than a thrilling moment for any actor!

LOL, I think we may have more trouble narrowing it down to a small cast of "2 guys plus the occasional extra" than anything else

DEfinitely interested, but also definitely would either help with backend or 'occasional extra' stuff. My voice is too high-pitched to be either of the mains

I may have invited myself into the doc so don't freak out.

If I’m able to record for this (actual possibility this time!), then above post. Even if I can’t record, I’d still love to help with this.

You could have rotating guest stars for Nemeses.

Can’t wait for the guest star Vyktor episode. 

I'm just imagining it. Vyktor tortures the Sentibels multiverse.

I feel like anything involving "tortures the Sentinels universe" is probably redundant with Tactics where most heroes already seem to be in an ironic hell.

Hippo tries to punch random people in the sentinels universe but fails spectacularly.

I can't say I'm totally sure about how to get this ball rolling, but I think I'm going to script out a mini-scenario and act out both parts myself. The 'script' will be a skeleton with tips on improvisation and reaction tones more than anything set in stone. I'll focus on HB, and allow anyone who wants to go over the script and record their lines as Equity in response to not just HB's scripted lines, but my tone and demeanor. From there, I’ll either dictatorially decide who gets the part or I’ll upload however many variants we have and let the community decide on who they feel has the best rapport and performance.

As we have a few ladies interested, I’ll see if I can’t add a few lines from the barmaid…and pointedly avoid referring to these roles as lady-parts.

And, well…we’ll take it from there!

"Hippo?! That friggin' guy. Anything he can do, I can do!"
"I once saw him lift a bus. Can you lift a bus?"
"...Y'know what? Who needs to lift a bus, anyway? If you can't hit 'em with a bullet, you can't hit 'em with a bus!"
"A bus is considerably larger than a bullet..."
"Can you lift a bus, Two-Tone?" (I see HB rarely calling Equity by his name.)
"No."
"Pfft. Then wh-"
"And I am not the least bit insecure about that."
"Bite me."
 

I'm just gonna keep coming up with random names for guest star episodes because it's hilarious. Highbrow outsmarts the sentinels universe. Amit makes broken deals with the sentinels multiverse. Calypso splashes water on the sentinels multiverse. 

I'd love to hear Highbrow's plans actually, I think she'd be a good addition to the cast. It would be a Freud trio, Highbrow's the Super Ego, Heartbreaker's the ID, and Equity balances them out.

Has anyone ever told you you should be a writer?

Once casting's been set, I think we'll work on Skype or Google Hangouts, acting out the week's script with each part recorded locally then merged in post...or however people phrase that stuff.

Can't wait to hear it.

An insurance adjuster from suburban middle-America could be just about anything, but this description made me think of Kevin Costner’s eponymous Mr. Brooks. I’m unsure if Equity as Equity rather than as Andrew Jones should sound different, though.

I would absolutely LOVE to be part of this. I’m pretty good at voice work. I can do a variety of voices, too.

My thought is that each of these men is trying to conceal his identity. Otherwise, why the masks? Tony Taurus may not have an overdone Brooklyn accent, but Heartbreaker does. And Jones may be a mild-mannered midwesterner, but there's no reason for Equity to not have, say, a charming and polite Australian accent. 

This is, of course, all until I'm told otherwise by someone that outranks me. :D

I don’t think Tony cares much for concealing his identity.

Also, side note, I’d be a good narrator!

@McBehrer: Would we want to go for "normal comic book narrator", Ostrander's Heroes for Hire comic book narrator, "adventure game narrator that snarks about the main characters", or "adventure game narrator that breaks the fourth wall and snarks to the main characters"?

I think it would only count as fourth wall breaking if the characters snarked back.

Yes, exactly. (See: Space Quest 6.)

IDK, I’m not the one writing it. I was thinking mostly serious, but with exceptions for Guise, Setback, and the like.

I'm debating a narrator, actually. The jury's out on that one. I'd like to be able to paint the picture through their dialogue, but I don't see why we couldn't try it a couple of different ways. I'll hopefully have something good to go soon. I'm currently on the mend from an accident back in September, and it turns out that a broken back and neck don't lend theselves to "free time for writing" quite as much as they contribute to "perpetual exhaustion and pain."

But enough of all that. I'll have the trial script done and hopefully recorded by the end of this evening, EST.

Again, I love that this is happening.

As we have a few ladies interested, I’ll see if I can’t add a few lines from the barmaid

Eh, why the barmaid when there are so many worthwhile guest star possibilities? Glamour is always willing to work with others. Kismet could show up in an episode accidentally. Highbrow can come in and be haughty and smart at everyone. Heck, some version of La Capitan could even show up! So many options!

… Now I'm gonna want an episode that is La Capitan talking to La Capitan and La Capitan about taking down the Sentinels and arguing with her/themselves about who has the best ideas until La Comodora comes and rounds them up like an annoyed grandma babysitting her unruly grandkids.

I have this weird yen to play Becky Blast as a one-time thing. I imagine an overly-excited dissonantly adorable valley girl type whose every suggestion is some variation on "blow things up" and talking about how pretty explosions are.

But yeah, there's actually quite a few potential lady villains among the major villains, team villains, mini nemeses, environments, and Citizens.

@Blue-Eyed Bard: Yikes, dude, are you like OK? Please rest up, those types of injuries can cause major problems if you exacerbate them or don't heal up right. :/

Hey, if Christopher says La Capitan is going to show up at The Wretched Hive for some grog, who am I to argue? I'm all for bigger-than-bit-parts for our better halves. I'm actually more excited to have something like this going on.

• Kismet just laughing in the background the entire time the two of them are discussing Setback.
• La Capitan portaling out, then walking back into the door looking like an absolute wreck, time and again throughout the Southwest Sentinels episode. "Nope. Next suggestion?"
• Highbrow ordering a plum, floating in perfume, served in a man's hat.

At the moment, I'm trying to avoid a case of Too Many Cooks, even as I absolutely welcome constructive encouragement and suggestions.

I'll hopefully be finalizing the aforementioned casting script for Equity at some point today, and recording a rough run of the whole thing.

Thanks for the concern, @Jeysie. I’m doing what I can to rest and recover, but it’s definitely not an experience I’d recommend anyone else try at home.

I definetly approve of La Capitain coming in and out trying the various plans during an episode about the Sentinels. That has some good comedy in it.

And, thinking of Becky...

We know that she and Heartbreaker in are For Profit together in the Tactics timeline. If this happens closer to the time of Oblivaeon (me, pushing an agenda, nah) then it is entirely possible that she and Heartbreaker meet during the course of this. Like, HEartbreaker runs into her at a hospital while on the job and he takes her out on a date because he thinks she's not only cute but also hilarious. A bit of a bombshell...

and this is why I should not be trusted with humor.

You will have an eager listener in me when you release this project for public listening. :)

I like the way you think. (And tell jokes.)

So, those of you interested in this, what are you most hoping for with regards to the tone?

Dark?
Light-hearted?
Funny?
Serious?

The casting script for Equity turned out to be a bit less ‘wakka wakka’ and a bit more ‘two guys who kill people for money talking about killing people’. I’m not saying it’s gratuitously dark and gritty, but I want to make sure I’m going in a direction that most folks would gravitate toward.

So, let’s try this. Where would you like to see this fall on these two scales? I’ll adjust what I have so far accordingly. Right now, Equity test script notwithstanding, I'd like to go for a balance between each, myself. Some dark humor, some ridiculous levity, some underlying sobriety between two guys starting to understand their world's on the brink...you know, fun stuff. For the kids.

Dark      |----------| Light-hearted

Serious |----------| Funny

I'm the sort of person where one of my default humor settings is "dark/morbid humor" and the other is "dry and straight-faced", so admittedly my reaction to these two scales is "both at once".

(Like as an example I remember making a comment recently in Twitch about letting Human Shield get nixed because Mainstay was incapped with a joke of "I can picture just going ahead and using Mainstay's unconscious body as a shield for everyone".)

When Christopher and Adam brought this idea up the “Almost Got ‘Im” episode from Batman the Animated Series came to mind for me https://youtu.be/cLEQhmr6Qtg

That makes me think of the pile of dead bards from Dorkness Rising

Actually, I've always gotten Strax, the murderous potato from Doctor Who in my head whenver Becky comes up, but with a valley girl type speach patterns

Becky: Hey Heartbreaker, Equity invited me but then never showed, he said you might want some Grenades for your next hit

HB: Grenades?

Becky: Totally.... well... he may have said "ideas" but...

<o:p></o:p>

You're not the only one thinking along those lines. This also allows a bit of chronal wiggle-room with the when of each story. I want a bit of that, with occasional callbacks to past episodes if this runs for a while.<o:p></o:p>

HB: Yeah. Turns out Haka’s weakness isn’t music from those singing fish things you buy from TV.
E: My god. You thought I was serious.
HB: Hey, how’d the pork rinds approach go with Unity, hm?
E: …shut up.<o:p></o:p>

…

Minus the "Valley" part and the "girl" part, this is how I've been described in the past, only I lean more towards arson than explosives as a potential solution to all problems.  (It's easier to control a burn than an explosion).

I would totally be interested in maybe voicing a small part, be it a guest or just a one-time bit part (like a drunken bystander pestering Equity until he gets turned into an "object lesson" on why manners are important).

Edit: And I side with Jeysie on the sliding scale positions, for the same reasons.

I think the show should be a mix of all four types. I feel like I'd get the most kick out of equity's dry, deadpan responses to heartbreakers more crazy stuff.

I think middle of the road sounds good, keep it on a balance. Not to say you can't change it as the episodes need, really.

Sorry, I'm not too helpful on this one, am I?

Every contribution is helpful, Phantom5613. It's just as valueable to say "Humor is needed" or "Grounding is needed" as it is to say "I would enjoy a balance between levity and seriousness." Don't devalue your input.

[...] like a drunken bystander pestering Equity until he gets turned into an "object lesson" on why manners are important

It's worth noting: Heartbreaker kills because he enjoys the challenge and the mayhem. Equity only kills for money. He won't lift a finger for free.

Alright, well...nerves be damned, here we go. My Heartbreaker part of the Equity casting script is finished. It and the script will be available in this shared folder.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-UgIw3zhOg3QjNJcmZwMUU4bFk?usp=sharing

Anyone who is interested in the part can listen to the audio file as they record their own lines, then send their part to theBlueEyedBard@gmail.com. I’ll do a bit of clipping, trimming, and fitting to see how well each goes with what’s already there. And yes, I plan to work on the voice a bit, so don’t be too brutal! ^_^;

The script isn’t set in stone, either. Don’t be afraid to take your time and try a few different recordings with some improvisation thrown in there. Have some fun with it. That’s what this is about, after all – a podcast built on fun, not on polished professionalism!

(Just keep telling yourself that…)
(Just keep telling yourself that…)
(Just keep telling yourself that…)

I'm also saying mixes, for most of the same reasons, but a few things to discuss with these scales.

As much as "this is serious" could be there, I doubt this is going to head that direction. Heartbreaker is too much of a wildcard and the entire interaction between them is shapping up to be humorous. And, we aren't doing drama, the most serious this will get is when we drop the curtain and remind people that these two guys are actual murderers… but I think we're edging humorous the entire way. Keep it grounded to a degree sure, but when I think serious two guys in a bar talking about hypotheticals is rarely high on the list.

Flipping to the other chart, we know these two are murderers. There is almost no way to avoid dark humor or gallows humor, it is almost the entire point. This will rarely get to the "manic unicorn" side of humor, and it shouldn't I don't think. These guys are dark personalities, we should seek balance obviously because if it is too dark too long it becomes boring, but things are going to tend dark just because of the characters and the scenario. No real helping that, just seeking breaks and valleys so it doesn't become monotomous.

Glorious, simply glorious

"Hey, Two-Tone. Yer fanboy's killin' my buzz. Here's a fifty - balance that scale for me or somethin'."

Also, yes, the later scripts actually will have something to do with the topic of the podcast. I didn't want to spoil any ideas with the casting script. ;)

"Bulk and Skull Kill the Sentinels Universe"

<Equity> sighs Heartbreaker, I'll charge you a dollar so I can slap this man.
<Heartbreaker> fishing through his pockets Yeah, all right.

That's … impressive self-control.  Some drunks can be really annoying and persistent.  (I talk a lot sober.  Drunk, I turn talking alot into a superpower). He won't even knock him unconscious for personal reasons?

Edit: that said, I can see either the Bard or mwc's scenarios, if that's the case.

He never said he wouldn’t beat someone up for personal reasons. But he’s not a chaotic evil murder hobo, like Heartbreaker. Killing is a JOB.

You wouldn’t expect an accountant to file your taxes for free, but they’ll still use math in appropriate circumstances, because it’s a skill that they have.

That's my general assumption (though, I don't think it's possible to go a whole day without using at least some math.) and what I was going for, which is why I figured I'd see if Christopher would like to clarify our understanding.

So, is it safe to conclude that my voice acting was so bad that everyone lost interest and this project is now officially dead? ^_^;

Not so! I quite like the example you have recorded up and such, I just don't have much to contribute in the ways of making a podcast.

When I'm not sick, I'll try and record for Equity. :D

I got busy and haven't had time to listen, plus there is no way I'll try voice acting anyways. Far too much pressure, I'd rather help with the writing and editing side of things.

I'm going to a wedding over the weekend and studying for exams, but should be able to record something mid-next-week. I really like how this whole thing is shaping up!

I can't help but suspect that you're lying…

That said, thanks for the reaffirmation, everyone. I was only like…35% serious about the self-deprecation. Maybe 40%…

I mean I could try out for the two leads, but I'm guessing this isn't the Swaptober verse. ;)

It is by no means my podcast (I'm not even auditioning since I don't have time to commit to a podcast… though I will certainly be an initial listener!), but since people have already suggested that the podcast be from a "near universe" to the one from SOTM, why couldn't one of the differences between the "primary reality" and the HEKSU one be that Heartbreaker or Equity is a lady?

Also, Christopher did suggest that there could be a recurring female role (even if not H or E).  So use the audition to showcase your talents, and maybe that'll give Bard some inspiration for a different role you could fill.

Exactly. Everyone loves cameos. Settle on who you'd like to be, and I'll see what I can do about accommodating.

I can't do anything other than the forums on my work computer (dropbox/etc are all disabled) and i've spent… 20 minutes at home while awake over the last few days.

Definitely still interested.

The Blue-Eyed Bard wrote:

I think you're wrong there. I LOVED it. I can't wait for this to be a real thing. Maybe a slight suggestion, leave a little more time for Equity to talk? I imagine you're leaving enough time to read it semi-slowly, then picking back up, but I've learned that people read faster than they talk. I'm not going to audition, but just picked up on that while listening. I really love this thing, though. You're teasing this about as well as >G is teasing the RPG. I can't wait for it. Your voice acting tripled my interest in this. Keep it up!

Well, shucks. Thanks, Fire. You're going to give me a complex. And maybe even an ego.

The spaces aren't to be filled precisely by the applicant; I’ll fine-tune all that in post. It’s just to show areas where Equity’s lines will be made to fit, really. They can even pause HB’s lines to take more time for their own, if need be. It’s really just about showing reaction to what’s being spoken. The downside to this method is that there’s no reaction on my part. For now, I can just say that HB’s going to keep rolling ahead, regardless of how his monotone companion reacts, but I’m definitely going to make things more dynamic with the main series, itself.

I have recorded me doing Equity's lines.  It's a .wma file. How can I get it to you?

Go ahead and send it to theBlueEyedBard@gmail.com. I'll try to find time to listen to it over the weekend.

Thanks, and congrats for being the first submission!!

Sorry, I've been a little bit busy. If you don't mind waiting, I will try to do something next week.

I don't mind waiting. Life gets busy, and we're not in a huge rush with this. So far I've had one submission, and this didn't have enough time this weekend to even listen to it. I'll consider some kind of deadline, just to see if it helps motivate, though.

While I was mostly joking with my comment (namely, to say why I hadn't spoken up), I do rather like the idea of doing a reading just for range for later parts, so I've been going over the script trying out voices for both sides. But I need to see if my headset is up to the task at least for now; I feel a bit annoyed because I could swear I had an actual microphone at some point but I can't find it. Guess I can always invest in a new one. Also life has been kinda sucky for me lately, which also meant not getting to do much.

I will say that even though you seem to want people to read for Equity, the current script reads to me a lot more like a Heartbreaker showcase. I found it easy to get into HB's character but Equity's dialogue felt a bit sparse for the task.

I'm almost certainly to blame for that. HB's more bombastic, more apt to steal the spotlight, whereas Equity's not only more subtle, but rather content to let HB carry on like the swaggercock he is. The challenge for me is going to be making Equity as enjoyable to listen to as HB has the potential to be.

Fortunately, I can do scathing and sardonic rather well, and have high hopes for where Equity will go with this. A bit part of this test script, though, was not just tonal reaction to HB's lines, but improvisation and the speaker's ability to make the role their own.

The deadline for Equity tryouts will be Friday, November 17th. Afterward, anyone who was hoping to voice a character in this will be able to step forward for cameo or recurring roles. Suggestions and scripts for episodes are always welcome, and the more we have participating, the more variety and diversity I think we’ll all be able to enjoy.

but when is the deadline for deadline tryouts. rimshot of course I'm kidding. Probably.

It's like, I'd like to give it a shot, but that requires me to record, and THAT requires me having a microphone, and I do not have that.

I'll be near a Best Buy on Sunday, though, so who knows?

Amazon's bound to have a few at a decent price, too.

They do, but then option paralysis sets in. 

I can empathize. I'm using a Blue Snowball myself, but those things go for $50-70, a not-insignificant investment.

Have any friends you can borrow one from?

I own a microphone but my voice is too young and high to possibly be any character from the multiverse.

Thiago, maybe?

Or that kid Guise terro- I mean "helps"

I always thought that was Thiago, but I guess I was wrong. The more parts, the merrier, though!

Also, what is Thiago or Some Kid (his official name in headcanon) doing talking to serial killers? Especially Thiago. Even if he had a dark side lapse before becoming Ra, how is anyone going to take him seriously?

Oh good, so I'm not the only one who thought the kid on Santa Guise was Thiago until Guise's podcast. I think I just chalked the sudden switch to red hair up to being that sort of thing in real life comics where characters would always get their hair and eye colors accidentally swapped around from time to time.

Sum Kidd. That’s his name now.

His father, Mr. Kidd, is a vertically challenged person, and he's sick of his name and people making fun of him for his height, and he sure isn't having some purple-yellow moron messing with his son. 

New Tactics villain confirmed.

Also, Blue-Eyes... White Drag- I mean Blue-Eyed Bard, how goes the casting?

Reshiram!

Eh, I've been meaning to get one anyway.  I'll not have a chance to do much with my shiny new microphone (man, it IS shiny) until Thursday, though.

Stupid Responsibilities.

Well, yeah, with that attitude. My voice is low and can be gruff, but it's nasal, atonal, and I sometimes hiss my S's. Doin' this shizz anyway, though.

If this is something you want to do, though, do it. I'm behind you 100%. You want to be Grand Warlord Voss with an addiction to helium? Go for it. You want to be Chibi Blade, it's yours.

Apologies for the radio silence; it was a busy weekend. Still only have one submission for Equity. I've mixed and combined his part with my own, though, and I don't think it's bad at all for a first attempt from each of us. You'll all get to hear it soon enough, even if it's the only entry for the vote.

Remember, aspiring assassins (asprassins?), this Friday is the deadline!

Not to be confused with that Deadline.

I think guests work out much better than a narrator.  Then it's "Killing the Sentinels Universe with Heartbreaker and Equity."

You get a little banter, introduce a guest that is appropriate, and then discuss killing the target of the week, from three perspectives, one of which would be a nemesis.

Damn, if I had a microphone I would be so up for being Equity. If Equity can be English, that is. And mildly exasperated with literally everything.

And, because of the stupid CTA, I managed to actually play with my new Microhone (a Samson Meteor in chrome) and a recorfing software (Audacity) last night. I think I have an diea of where I'm going with this.

If nothing else, it's a pretty good Mic.

Audacity is what I'm currently learning to mix everything in. It's not too terrible a learning curve. I should really set some time aside for some SchmooTube tutorials, rather than trying to teach myself, though.<o:p></o:p>

Equity absolutely  can  be English, Weasel. Like I mentioned before, I see no reason why a villain looking for anonymity wouldn't adopt or affect an accent. Equity would, in particular, work as a snide Brit, I think. You've still got time to beg, borrow, or steal a mic…<o:p></o:p>

My first couple of attempts at Equity had my (absolutely atrocious) Fake "Isles" accent.  Mostly because that's my default "voice."

I decided to try and dial myself back to the general Midwestern accent from my light Chicago accent, because my Isles accent is terrible, not because UK wouldn't work (I can totally see it) but because mine's worse than Gabrielle Anwar's fake Irish accent in episode 1 of Burn Notice.

AHHH! I'm so damn delighted to see someone else who hated that accent as much as I did. I loved that show, but CRINGE anytime that accent is used, even in the opening credits. 

My problem is similar; I have a pretty good voice, but the best I can manage is my laptop mic. And my laptop is getting old and bad, too, so getting it to actually work is a pain.

I’ll do what I can, though.

MuaYammi.

That's a sick burn.

Just sent you a recording, hope it comes across okay!

And we've reached the deadline. Well, we will have by midnight EST, I suppose. At the moment, I've got three more auditions to splice together (so far). Once they're all as good as I can get them, I'll post the all on here and we can vote on everyone's favorites. I've got family plans this evening and gaming tomorrow afternoon, but I'll be able to make some progress in between those commitments.

Hope I'm not the only one getting excited here! :D

Nope.

I'm going to have some funsies recording stuff later today, as I've pretty much only just regained the ability to hear again after I woke up Sunday with my ears clogged. :P (I mean, is there an actual purpose to ear wax production other than making me miserable every few months? I have often wondered this. :P)

Next project after that: Relisten to the Urban Environments episode.

Keeping the canals clear of everythng else, mostly.

Still sucks when you have too much.  Good luck!

Finally sent over something in my terribly milquetoast voice after having a moment of self-consciousness.

(I went with a sort of "trying to channel Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams" thing for Equity in particular.)

I’m not sure I have the acting chops to do a voice(although I could see trying to do Biomancer with in a sort of French aristocrat like voice). But if you are looking to put together a writer room I’d love to throw some jokes against the wall and see what sticks.  

Any contributions are welcome. Head on over to the Drive folder we have set up for it - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-UgIw3zhOg3QjNJcmZwMUU4bFk?usp=sharing - and look through the discussion doc, if you'd like. 

Alright! We have four official submissions for the part of Equity and one additional, special submission that involved one intrepid aspirant trying their hand at both parts!

I’ve anonymized the submissions and gathered them here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11yhyUHeyZtYOgdZVzo9gnZ1Sx9pZqWll?usp=sharing

And boy howdy, am I sick of my own voice!

So, anyone who would like to contribute to the democratic process of electing our new Equity should feel free to listen to the lot of these and let us know their favorite.

Feedback is not only welcome, it’s strongly encouraged. Everyone involved in the submission process has an interest in this sort of thing and would, if they’re anything like me, appreciate constructive feedback regarding their performances. What you liked, what you didn’t like, what you thought could be improved, what you thought was done perfectly…anything and everything. We want to do this, but we want to do it as well as we can, and continually raise the bar as we go. That includes my amateur-at-best audio editing.

I’ve got a few thoughts on roles, especially regarding the special submission, but will keep them to myself for now. I want your thoughts at this point.

Voting will go through the week, concluding on the 24^th. Even with the holiday, that should give folks plenty of time to listen to a handful of two-to-three-minute sound clips and share their thoughts on them.

And, by this time next week, we’ll have our Equity.

Yay!!!

Where are we actually casting our votes?  (If it's in the drive, I don't have access at work)

Here's as good a place as any.

Shiny.  I'll vote once I've had the chance to actually listen.

Brownie points for the Firefly reference. 

But brownie points won't win this for anyone. You need bonus points for that.

Ironically, the best way to score bonus points is by giving me brownies.

If I adopted it into my everyday speech patterns years ago, does it still count as a reference?  (Asking for a friend)

I'll see if I can get my fiancee to bake brownies.

Welp, missed it, because I’m bad at remembering things. Woops.

It's all good, McB. Apparently, you'll be our first choice for Biomancer...?

Aw, nobody else has voted yet? D: Maybe everybody's busy for the holiday?

I think I like Submission 2 the best for having the most personality while still sounding formal and kind of deceptively middle class bank teller. Only caveat is that I think they might need to slow down a little on their delivery. (Common goof when reading a script, tho.)

Submission 3 is a really close runner-up, however. Had an amusing "you're so annoying but I guess you're my friend somehow anyway so I guess I'll talk to you" vibe.

Maybe you and I are just more excited about it than the entire rest of the fanbase, Jeysie. ;)

Your votes have been noted. Your feedback, too. Thanks for both. Here's to hoping you won't be the only one voting!

Can’t vote. To busy eating turkey! 

i honestly won’t get a chance to listen until early next week 

which is after voting closes tomorrow…

Honestly, I agree with Jeysie, for much the same rationale. 

Same vote and runoff. 

Edit: though a special shout out to the special submission. Totally needs to have a recurring role. 

@The Blue-Eyed Bard: Aw. :(

Considering Nilus's comment, maybe it is just the holiday and we need to extend things another week.

Yeah, no worries. Voting extended until the end of the month.

I have a question for our good old gods Christopher and Adam: how canon is this?

Totally fair.

Hope everyone who celebrates had a good holiday.

@X-metal: It's a fan project, so it's only as canon as the canon information the fandom has to work from.

That said, it's probably canon in ONE universe.  Didn't Christopher & Adam say that every single game of SotM played is a canon game?

Equity: Alright, mate. Well…y'knew we were gonna come t'this - Guise.
Heartbreaker: Guise? GUISE? What the hell, man? He was impossible to kill before. Now that he's found Excalibur, become the newest pilot of Voltron, acquired the One Ring, collected the Deathly Hallows, learned the ways of Force, married the Nexus of All Realities, and converted the Holy Grail into a Pimp's Cup, it'd be like trying to fight God! And that would be if he didn't take me over halfway through this sentence and magically turn me into a sandwich.

Heartbreaker turns into a sandwich

Equity: Well. Looks like my client list just doubled. Ooh, a reuben!

I think you just wrote the perfect April Fools episode…

lets not forget that guise has all the infinity stones, has the philosophers stone, and has collected riptide.

May I add all 39 clues, the infinity ring, his father’s lightsaber, the master ball, Sherlock Holmes’ pipe and cap, and a half- decent Setback promo? (No, that was not a typo.)

Thors hammer, zeus's lightning bolt, iron mans armor, and a girl friend.

only squirrel girl can stop him now.

Or his evil cloned half-brother who recently woke up from a coma in deep space.

Who then turns out to actually be his amnesiatic father.

From space.

Fixed that for you.

You're welcome.

Who do you think the girlfriend IS?

point!

lets not forget that his father is darkseid and his other father is Thanos. And his mother is death.

Since we have a lot of unbusy people in the thread again, we could still use some more voting on voices. :)

You beat me to it. Thanks, Jeysie.

I'd love to. Unfourtanetly I can't. 

While not a direct vote, I will say that I really want to hear something with the first voice from the special submission and Adam’s old timey radio voice.

I’ll try to put together a more useful opinion when I’m not on my phone.

Well, we're down to the last couple of days. I hate to think interest in this may have petered out, but regardless, however underwhelming the voting numbers may be, this is going to happen. So get word out, and see if you folks can't rustle up a few more interested parties.

Submission 4 gets my vote.

Holy crap, someone else voted!

I would vote, but my computer that has bluetooth is dead, so I'm having to wait it out until I can get it fixed. I 

I thnk we can all live with that. 

We should make sure that Christopher geta an email when the first episode goes live.

Yes, please do.

I mean, I'll probably see it here.

I specifically did not vote because I don't want to hamper what you fine folks are doing.

Have fun!

First thought: Yeah, but more people would have voted if you did!
Second thought: Yeah, but more people would have voted exactly what you did if you did…

So, probably a good call. Thanks for the support.

Well, Schmoo Schmelievers, it seems that, with TWICE the votes of any runner up, Submission Two will be our selection for Equity! I won't take it upon myself to identify him, either by name or forum profile, but he's more than welcome to do, should he so choose. We'll get to work on our first script and hammer something as soon as we can manage to. Updates will come through on here, but the first episode will likely have its own forum thread to discuss.

Just got a chance to listen to the submissions. I'm too late but i have to say that submission 2 would have gotten my vote anyways.

I believe I've settled on the subject of our first episode. I'm going to work on scripting it this week, but keep the Who of it a surprise. Anyone interested in lending their creative expertise to editing or writing should feel free to reach out to me, though this would spoil said surprise. This is, more or less, a community project, and help is always welcome. That said, I understand the fun of keeping things a surprise, and won’t be terribly offended if I’m doing the writing on my own…provided you won’t be terribly offended with B+ writing on the best of days.

Thanks again, to everyone who provided input, feedback, and support. We’ll do this right by you.

Squirrel girl is his girlfriends and it’s totes serious.  But he is all like “I can’t settle down just yet”

Also he has all 7 Dragon Balls,  a couple Motherboxes,  the shooting script that  Kubrick used when he faked the moon landing and the last known print of “The Day the Clown Cried” which he has never watched but thinks is a comedy.

control over the void, the crown of radiolandia, and a best friendship with Christopher and Adam.

Onto revisions for the first episode's script. Things have been busy, but I'm almost certain it'll be done by Christmas. 

Final mixing for the first episode should be taken care of this evening. I'll host it in Google Drive until feedback determines whether we set it up as an actual, real-deal podcast or I give up and throw all my recording equipment into the river.

Sell it off if you give up.  Better for the bottom line. 

If this doesn't work out I offer to buy the equipment and convince Princess Cool to help me start a "Princess Cool and Jeysie Play Matchmaker to the Sentinels Universe" podcast. **

** Offer not actually serious.

Could it be serious though?

Sorry. You guys are stuck with me doing at least one more of these. 

For what it's worth, I'm pretty damn excited for it. 

Indeed.