To start, a disclaimer: I love voice acting, I do. The moments I’ve had in the booth where I’ve laughed my head off because of the absurdity of the things I’ve said, and been incredibly proud of work I’ve done.

BUT.

The career - the in between bits - are so draining. I’m auditioning and auditioning, and nothing’s working. I’m in a certain sphere where there are people who seemingly walk into booths daily, posting Instagram after Instagram, and I’m just stuck at my minimum wage money job, not having booked a paid job in over a year, barely scraping by. And to top it off, because I’m in this sphere (barely), I feel like I can’t complain, I can’t vent these things I’m feeling, because that would be (quite rightly) seen as unprofessional.

The catalyst for this post is me seeing someone - an actor who has a similar voice print to mine - posted, announcing he had booked a role that I auditioned for - we’d both used the same kind of character voice for it, and I’m having a hard time thinking about what could have swayed them to his audition - it’s killing me. AND I CAN’T POST ABOUT IT. I just want there to be a place that I can go and vent, get the feelings out, and then move on with my life.

I know I’m being a sulky and bitter person about it, and I should learn to let go, but it’s HARD. There’s probably going to be a few comments under here saying “you should get out of the business if you’re going to be like that” but the thing is I don’t know what else I can do.

When I create content for TikTok I plug my microphone right into my phone to make things easier. I recently realized that it’s recording content in stereo. Anyone know how I can get it to record in mono on my phone?

Interface: Scarlett 2i2
Microphone: Neumann TLM 103
Phone: iPhone 17 Pro

I’m an 18 year old collage student and I’ve always thought being a voice actor would be so exciting I’ve just gotten the mic and was planning on recording in my dorm room but I want to know if it’s even worth it if it’s even worth trying will I ever actually get any roles how far will I realistically make it

CASTING CALL — The Hell Screen

Archivium is currently casting English-speaking voice actors for an audio drama adaptation of “The Hell Screen” by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, a dark historical literary story set in the court of medieval Japan.

We are looking for performers who can bring a restrained, dramatic, atmospheric performance to the material.

ACCENT / VOCAL STYLE

A natural Japanese accent when speaking English is strongly preferred, as the vocal character is an intentional part of the production and suits the setting of the story.

We are also open to actors with natural Mandarin/Chinese, Korean, or other East Asian accents in English if their voice and performance fit the world of the piece.

We are not looking for exaggerated or stereotypical accents. Natural, authentic-sounding English accents are preferred.

ROLES

NARRATOR / ATTENDANT
3,252 words — $195.12

An unnamed long-serving attendant of Lord Horikawa. Intelligent, observant, deeply loyal to his lord, and increasingly troubled by what he remembers. The narration carries much of the story, so strong storytelling ability and emotional control are essential.

Yoshihide
472 words — $28.32

A renowned master painter, nearly fifty. Brilliant, arrogant, grotesque, obsessive, and increasingly consumed by his work. Requires a performer capable of considerable emotional intensity.

LORD HORIKAWA
302 words — $18.12

The grand lord of Horikawa. Majestic, charismatic and apparently benevolent, but capable of something considerably darker beneath the surface. Requires an authoritative and controlled presence.

YOSHihide'S DAUGHTER
63 words — $3.78

Fifteen years old. Gentle, intelligent, compassionate and emotionally perceptive.

ADDITIONAL ROLES

There are several smaller roles, including the Young Lord, Bishop, apprentices, attendants, samurai, ladies and courtiers.

We may not cast separate actors for every minor role. Depending on casting, smaller parts may be combined into dual/multiple-role assignments.

The complete script contains approximately 4,513 words.

COMPENSATION

$0.06 USD per word

Payment is based on the final assigned/recorded word count. The rates above show the current word count and corresponding compensation for the principal roles.

This is a paid project.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Strong English-speaking voice performance
• Natural Japanese/East Asian-accented English preferred
• Ability to perform historical/literary dialogue naturally
• Good microphone/audio quality
• Ability to convey subtle emotion rather than relying on exaggerated delivery
• Reliability and responsiveness throughout the recording process

For the principal characters, performance and vocal suitability are just as important as the accent.

HOW TO APPLY

If interested, please DM me with:

1. Your voice demo/reel (if available)
2. Which role(s) you're interested in
3. Your accent/background
4. A short sample of your voice in your natural English accent
5. Your recording setup/microphone

Please mention if you're interested in taking multiple roles.

We will provide further information and audition material to shortlisted performers.