Ghost Note: Short Animated Film

Ghost Note: Short Animated Film

Project Overview

Ghost Note is my upcoming USC Sophomore animated short film, expected to be finished around May 2027.


It is a 6-8 minute psychological J-horror thriller that blends atmospheric ghost horror with a tragic, character-driven romance. The story follows Kenneth, an obsessive criminology student and superfan who moves into a haunted Tokyo apartment to solve the 14-year-old disappearance of his guitar idol, Westley "Wes" Holloway. But Wes is still there—trapped as a vengeful spirit. When Kenneth breaks the ghost's curse, Wes reverts to his arrogant, eccentric rockstar persona. However, Wes's massive ego refuses to accept the truth: he was murdered. To protect his pride, Wes actively sabotages Kenneth’s investigation, leading to a tense, emotional cat-and-mouse game that culminates in a devastating climax.


I am looking for voice actors who can convey dark charisma, eccentricity, and deep emotional vulnerability. The project is heavily inspired by 80s shred/metal culture, classic J-horror (like The Grudge and The Ring), and tragic romances.


This is a dense, psychological character study. If cast, you'll voice characters with massive emotional arcs—shifting from cool and condescending to desperately vulnerable and shattered. It is a fantastic, challenging showcase piece for any voice actor's demo reel. As a USC animation project, this film will be held to a high visual standard, heavily sound-designed, and submitted to film festivals upon completion.

Latest Updates

  • Storyboarding Phase & Audition Update!

    Hey everyone! First, thank you all so much for auditioning and following the project!

    I am currently deep in storyboarding for my USC class deadline, so I haven't officially cast the lead roles yet. I want to lock the final pacing and animatic before I reach out for final recordings.

    The casting deadline will remain open while I finalize boards and animatic, but please know I am listening to every single audition and taking notes. Thank you for your attention and patience!

Project Roles: Wes Holloway (The Ghost Guitarist) Kenneth Chen (The Criminology Student) The Landlady (Side Character)
Wes Holloway (The Ghost Guitarist)
Voice Actor Voice Actor
Wes Holloway (The Ghost Guitarist)
open
Unpaid

Character Name: Westley "Wes" Holloway

Role: Lead
Age: 24 (Spiritually stuck at this age since 1989)
Gender: Male
Accent: Standard American (slightly 80s metalhead/rockstar vibe)

Character Description: Westley Adam Holloway was a 24-year-old American guitar virtuoso taking the Tokyo underground music scene by storm with his metal band ExRazor, until his life was violently cut short in 1989. For the last 14 years, his spirit has been bound to the very room he died in.

Wes is the ultimate eccentric rockstar. He carries himself with the languid, predatory grace of a stray cat—confident, slightly arrogant, and always watching. He has a dark, dry sense of humor and a smooth, condescending demeanor that he uses as a shield to hide his deep-seated trauma and fear of vulnerability. His ego is massive, and he would rather believe the lie that he died by suicide than admit he was brutally murdered and lost his control.

When an obsessive superfan named Kenneth moves in to solve his murder, Wes actively sabotages him to protect his ego. However, as he grows attached to the boy, his arrogant facade begins to crack.

Attached is a link to Wes's character sheet/concept art: file:///C:/Users/Annyk/Downloads/Weixin%20Image_20260915224813_836_1.pdf

Voice Direction / Tone:

  • Tone: Smooth, low, and languid. He speaks with the unhurried cadence of someone who knows he's a virtuoso. Slightly condescending but with a dark, eccentric charm.

  • Range: The voice needs to reflect a massive emotional shift. For most of the film, Wes is cool, flirty, and mocking. But by the climax, his cool persona shatters entirely, and the voice must break into desperate, vulnerable, terrified pleading. (When Kenneth comes close to finally bringing the truth of his murder to light)

  • Reference/Inspiration: I have included a short audio clip of an interview with legendary guitarist Marty Friedman. Wes’s character is heavily inspired by him. Do not just do a straight impression of him. Instead, use Marty's interview as a reference for Wes's cadence, eccentricity, and smooth pacing. https://youtu.be/XhPSZfNJPGc?si=zpiYN4wEsDmx5a6Y&t=32

Language:
  • english
Voice description:
  • american
  • male adult

  • Still trying to sniff out some clues, junior detective? You're not gonna find anything, y'know?

  • You know, I used to play for crowds of thousands. Now my biggest fan is a crime student who can't even afford a working space heater. (low, teasing chuckle) Heh, how the mighty have fallen, am I right?

  • (Responding to Kenneth during an argument, he's offended, angry, and about to say something he'll regret) Admit I was a victim?! So you can play the hero? Tell me, Kenneth... is this what gets you off? Playing detective with a dead man? You don't give a shit about me! I bet you can't wait to drag all this back to your little law school. (mocking) 'The Tragic Case of Westley Holloway. Gone but not forgotten' That's gotta be an easy A. Yeah. Would make your resume look realll good too.

Save This Role Hear all 8 Apply / Audition
Kenneth Chen (The Criminology Student)
Voice Actor Voice Actor
Kenneth Chen (The Criminology Student)
open
Unpaid

Character Name: Kenneth Chen

Role: Lead
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Accent: Standard American

Character Description: Kenneth Chen is a 20-year-old Chinese American law student studying abroad in Tokyo. He is also an obsessive superfan of the late guitar virtuoso, Wes Holloway, and his 80s band, ExRazor. Kenneth didn't move into Room 404 by accident; he moved in specifically to solve the 14-year-old mystery of Wes's disappearance.

On the surface, Kenneth is firm, headstrong, and determined. He has a bit of a "macho," stubborn personality—he likes to think of himself as the tough, no-nonsense detective type. When he first meets Wes, his fanboy side breaks out, and he can't help but gawk/geek out. However, because he is normally serious and straightforward, he is incredibly easy to tease and fool, making him the perfect target for Wes’s flirty, cat-like mockery. Kenneth is quick to rile up and gets easily flustered when his idol plays games with him.

Beneath his slightly prickly exterior, Kenneth is deeply devoted and highly intelligent. When he isn't being taunted by a ghost, he has the ability to sit down, shut out the world, and coldly dissect a case. He is an obsessive superfan who masks his deep, emotional crush behind a wall of frustration and legal jargon.

Attached is a link to Kenneth's character sheet/concept art:
file:///C:/Users/Annyk/Downloads/Weixin%20Image_20261012213348_1152_1.pdf

Voice Direction / Tone:

  • Tone: Grounded, youthful, and earnest. He shouldn't sound like a grizzled noir detective; he sounds like a smart, stressed college kid who is way in over his head.

  • Range: Kenneth goes on a massive emotional journey. He starts out terrified and gasping. In the middle, he is frustrated and trying to hold his ground against a taunting ghost. By the climax, he must sound completely heartbroken, desperate, and sobbing as he tears the wall holding Wes's corpse apart.

  • Reference/Inspiration: Think a mix of a nervous but determined college student and a tragic romantic lead. Some of Kenneth's character inspirations are: Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet), Josuke Higashikata (Jojo's Bizarre Adventures).

Jim Hawkins Reference clip: https://youtu.be/LP3oP6wcZA0?si=zOWjqYjolurgsfWB
Josuke Higashikata Reference clip: https://youtu.be/V3HBnK0g-_U?si=4ECHAK3OLb6dCGfi

Language:
  • english
Voice description:
  • male adult
  • male young adult
  • american

  • (Response to Wes's teasing, flustered but trying to keep a serious tone) I'm not a junior detective, I'm a criminology student! I-If you're not gonna help, then just shut up-! Go- go haunt a light bulb or something.

  • (Uncertain but being gentle to comfort Wes, trying to be genuine) I'm not giving up on you, Wes. Someone did this to you. Let me just... let me help you. It's...It's okay to admit you were a victim.

  • (Wes just said something out of line, Kenneth is shocked and hurt) I... You. You don't mean that. An easy A...? You think I'm doing this for a grade? (Pause) I'm doing this because I lov- (Kenneth stops dead. He catches himself. The vulnerability is too much, and he feels foolish. He swallows hard, wiping his eyes. His expression shifts from heartbroken to cold and analytical, though there is still a hint of hurt in his voice) "...Because I've loved your band, your music, ever since I picked up an ExRazor tape in middle school. But you can't even admit what happened to you. You say you chose to leave? You say you did this to yourself?" (Kenneth looks down a.t Wes's ghostly hands.) "This wasn't a suicide. And I'm getting to the bottom of it."

Save This Role Hear all 10 Apply / Audition
The Landlady (Side Character)
Voice Actor Voice Actor
The Landlady (Side Character)
open
Unpaid

Character Name: The Landlady

Role: Minor / Cameo
Age: 50s
Gender: Female
Accent: Standard American (or subtle Japanese accent, if the actor prefers)

Character Description:

The Landlady is a weary, no-nonsense middle-aged woman who has managed the apartment building for years. On the surface, she is just a strict but polite landlord handing over the keys to a new tenant. However, she is secretly a Yakuza informant who has been guarding the dark secret of Room 404 since Wes was murdered there 14 years ago.

Voice Direction / Tone:

• Tone: This role requires two very distinct deliveries.

• Beginning (The Facade): Tired, dry, and strictly professional. She sounds like a woman who has dealt with a thousand college students and just wants to hand over the keys and leave.

• Epilogue (When she finds out Kenneth solved the crime, and she makes a call to the yakuza): Completely deadpan, cold, and devoid of all emotion. The "nice landlady" mask is entirely gone.

Language:
  • english
Voice description:
  • female senior
  • female adult

  • (Beginning, handing keys to Kenneth) "And here are the keys, dear. Try not to lose them."

  • (Beginning, last thing she says to Kenneth before she leaves) "Don’t go tearing the place up now."

  • (Epilogue, when she is calling the Yakuza to alert them of Kenneth's discovery) "Sir?" (Pause) "He found out."

Save This Role Hear all 1 Apply / Audition
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