Summary
Memories of Redwoods is an 8 minute short film about a young trans woman who struggles with losing the friend who gave her the courage to live. Themes include chosen family, trans friendship, and hope.
We are hiring two transgender/non-binary voice actors ($50 USD/role) to record in January 2026 as we start post-production. We will also submit this film to LGBTQ+ film festivals in 2026.
This film is written, directed, and scored by Eliza Zhang (she/her), a trans filmmaker and film composer based in San Francisco. This film is produced by Studio Penrose, an award-winning indie VR film studio.
Like our previous productions, Memories of Redwoods is filmed in virtual reality with body actors using motion capture/animation technology. Voice lines are recorded and dubbed over the film.
Roles
1) Anna (she/her) is a shy trans woman in her early-20s who recently started transitioning and voice training. Her voice should be androgynous or slightly feminine, a bit insecure, and soft. "Future Anna" (1 line) is a slightly more confident version of herself one year later.
2) Chloe (she/her) is a confident trans woman in her mid-30s. She is an older sister-like figure in Anna's life. Her voice should be more feminine, warm, and reassuring.
Voice Acting Information
Anna has 7 lines (54 words). Chloe has 10 lines (78 words). Please have a quality microphone (USB/XLR microphone) with little to no background noise.
Although these characters have an anime aesthetic, the delivery should be grounded in reality. The story is based on the director's experience as a trans woman. The film also relates to current events affecting the trans community.
General Notes
You must be at least 18 years old to audition. These roles will require being in a Discord call with the director and team. This will make it much more efficient to finish the lines and get the best performance!
Please include your Discord username with your audition. If you have been selected for a role, we will reach out via Discord!
Payment
$50 USD per role, paid through PayPal or Venmo once final lines have been recorded.
Studio Penrose Social Media
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StudioPenrose
Twitter: https://x.com/Studio_Penrose
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/penrose
Please message us if you have any questions. Thank you!
Hi everyone! Thank you again for auditioning for Memories of Redwoods. There were so many talented VAs, and after careful review, we have selected the voice actors for this film.
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Congratulations to HoneyOni (Anna’s VA) and Laina Oxton (Chloe’s VA)!
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I can’t wait for you to all see this film later this year on the Studio Penrose YouTube channel. Follow us on social media for future VA opportunities for our upcoming short films and episodic series.
Hi everyone! I'm Eliza, director of Memories of Redwoods. Thank you so much to everyone who auditioned! I’m overjoyed that we received over 130 submissions from trans and non-binary VAs across the world.
We’re reviewing auditions this week and will be reaching out to those who are selected. We are submitting this short film to LGBTQ+ film festivals. We plan to release the film on Studio Penrose YouTube channel later this year.
For updates and BTS of the film, follow me on social media (https://linktr.ee/elizazhang). In addition, Studio Penrose is also working on several upcoming short films and an episodic series.
Join our Discord (https://discord.gg/penrose) and follow us on CCC and social media for future VA opportunities!
Anna (she/her) is a shy trans woman in her early-20s who recently started transitioning and voice training. Her voice should be androgynous or slightly feminine, a bit insecure, and soft. Anna has 7 lines (54 words) in total, which includes a "Future Anna" (1 line) as a slightly more confident version of herself one year later.
[Depressingly] Meh, I still hate it. I don’t even know how to dress anymore, and I’m still going by my deadname at work.
[Sadly] Sorry, I’m just— (struggles to fight back tears). You were the first person who... made me feel like I wasn’t broken. Once you’re gone, I—
[Excitingly, as Future Anna] Great. Watch out for the banana slugs!
Chloe (she/her) is a confident trans woman in her mid-30s. She is an older sister-like figure in Anna's life. Her voice should be more feminine, warm, and reassuring. Chloe has 10 lines (78 words).
[Encouragingly] Sorry, pothole (laughter). But hey. Your voice is sounding better!
[Reassuringly] I getcha. Took me a while to feel comfortable too. That’s why I love hiking. Just you, me, and the trees.
[Sadly] I’m scared too. I wish... I don’t know. Just... keep doing the little things that make you smile.
