Hello there everyone and a warm welcome to the main CCC page of our original project: Rise From The Ashes! Whether you're interested in auditioning or just checking us out, your support really means a lot to us! This is my first ever project, so I'm pretty nervous, but passionate to improve and always happy to receive pointers and advice!
What is this Project About?
'Rise From The Ashes' is an original story series created by Max and myself of the sci-fi fantasy genre predominantly (with elements of many other genres - including romance, coming of age and action - coming into play too~). The setting is modern day America and revolves heavily around the concept of abilities, with superheroes and many different creatures of fantastical origin existing amongst the 'normal' population. It is mostly told through the eyes of one such character, fourteen year old Ash, who must learn to accept his true nature, decide what path he wishes to take and overcome multiple obstacles and threats in his way - including those who would do anything to exploit the abilities of all supers for their own gain.
A normal school morning takes a turn for the worst when he is abducted in broad daylight, only to wake up some time later in hospital with little memory of the incident and a lot of unanswered questions. On his journey to uncover the truth behind his identity and purpose, Ash will meet many people - but are they friend or foe? With uncertainty around every corner, will he succumb to the darkness, or come out stronger than the mighty phoenix, to rise from the ashes of despair? Your own choices will determine that answer- so tread carefully.
Advance Warning - This story deals with some rather sensitive topics, including mental health themes and depictions (which have been thoroughly researched for as accurate depiction as possible), violence, kidnapping, strong language (at times) and potential character death (depending on the Ending). As a result, anyone that auditions for this project should be at least 15 years old and be comfortable with the content. The last thing we want is to make anyone feel uncomfortable :( As a general idea, Arc I is rather dark and slightly more 'horror' based, whilst Arc II has more light-hearted slice-of-life moments (but some equally dark [if not darker] events sprinkled within that too for balance).
What Format will the Project be in?
The current plan is to divide our current series into Two main Arcs, beginning with Arc I, which will be produced first. It is planned to be made in the format of a visual novel style game on RPG Maker MV, approximately 10-15 hours of play, including puzzles, fight scenes and a current total of six possible endings influenced by player actions and choices, including the True Ending (based off of our canon universe which leads straight into the events of Arc II). Much of Arc II already exists as a scripted RP. Hopefully we would aim to do the same for Arc II eventually.
Of course, we are aware this is a lofty ambition to achieve, especially given life demands and time-scales. Therefore as backup, should it not be possible to make this project into the desired format for whatever reason, then both Arcs will instead be done in the format of an audio drama or audiobook, so you can rest assured that your talents will not be wasted. We both have a lot of passion for the universe and characters we have created and we intend to see this through to the end, no matter what format.
Once we start gathering the staff, a Discord sever will be created and the link provided for anyone interested.
Great! What Roles are Available Currently?
Currently, we are looking to cast the main staff to make the game a reality (artists, composers, video and sound editors and assistant writers) and the Leading VA roles for the series (including supporting roles in Arc I which have greater significance in Arc II). These VA roles are all currently Male, but Ash's VA can be any gender due to the nature of his voice and inclusion. There are of course Female VA supporting roles in Arc I and quite a few female leads in Arc II.
Once we have gotten most of our staff and our lead roles for Arc I cast and the script has reached the second chapter at least, then a separate casting call for Supporting, Minor and Extra character VA roles will be held for Arc I. Currently, the prologue is in the process of being officially scripted and written.
Okay, what's in it for me?
Sadly, I'm a poor university student with no income, so the game is planned to be free-ware and a zero budget project. If I could pay every one of you guys, I honestly would. If this is something that is important to you, then I whole-heartedly encourage you to showcase your wonderful talents elsewhere, I'm so sorry I can't provide in that sense :( However, whilst I can't pay you, I can certainly give you:
- An official recommendation on your CCC profile for other directors and users to see, upon successful casting into the project
- A CCC profile following for the Top 3 auditions for each Role
- Individual detailed feedback for every audition to this project
- Sneak peeks and polls for you to get actively involved in the project
- Experience to practise and build yourself up for other future projects
- And most importantly...a fun, supportive and friendly team atmosphere with collaboration and a place to be free and enjoy ourselves (as well as a chance for you, the leading staff, to choose our Team Name!)
Exciting! So what do I have to do to get cast?
Just send us an audition! Whether you've been in several projects already, or if this is your first time, anyone and everyone is welcome to audition for any role! There are only a few requirements to meet, both in general and for Voice Actors :D
So, what do we expect? We'd love for you to be:
- Friendly and a good team player
- Collaborative and enthusiastic to share or give feedback on ideas and improvement
- Respectful and supportive of others (any bullying or cruelty towards anyone for ANY reason is just a straight no-no)
- Organised and reliable to meet deadlines (Honestly, we're very flexible people, if you can't make a deadline for whatever reason, please just tell us!)
- Reasonable commitment (we all have our own lives that must take priority, but as you can imagine this project will be long and require you to be in for it ideally until the end). If you find you can't commit anymore, please message us in advance so we can find a suitable replacement. We'd prefer this not to be the case of course, but sometimes its inevitable and we are understanding of that - I myself may take longer than desired to finish certain elements of the script, so please be patient with each other. No one knows what goes on behind a screen after all.
- For VAs
- One or two takes of each line is much appreciated - and don't be afraid to try something new! Innovation could just earn you the role~ Really put yourself in your character's shoes - try to be expressive and have as much fun as you can!
- Any characters with a 'BONUS LINE' is optional for the VA. As context, these characters are likely to end up in situations where they are held against their will and are often restrained and silenced. If you're willing to try such lines, then go ahead and have fun, but if you'd rather not, then that's okay too!
- Casting will be done based on how well we think your voice fits the character you have auditioned for, as well as the quality of sound you provide. You may audition for as many characters as you like, but there will be no double casting for other lead roles (including in Arc Two). Lead VAs for Arc I can feel free to audition for a Minor role for the project as well, or a supporting role in Arc II -ideally though, we would like a diverse cast if possible.
- A decent quality of microphone would be much appreciated - I am absolutely NOT expecting everyone to have snowball or expensive studio quality mics, but the minimum background noise, echo and static, the better. For lead and supporting roles, a phone or laptop microphone is unlikely to give your voice the justice it deserves.
- After we have given feedback, feel free to retake and submit improved lines as much as you like! Willingness to improve is a great quality to have!
And Lastly~
The most important rule of all - HAVE FUN~! The Deadline is of course prone to change depending on the auditions we get, but it will be open for at least one month before we consider casting.
We wish you all the very best of luck and thank you from the bottom of our hearts! If you've taken the time to read all of this and send us an audition, thank you so much. It honestly means so much to us. We hope you may come to love these characters and their stories just as much as we do, but until then, keep being your awesome selves! Any questions can be directed to my CCC inbox!
We look forward to seeing all of your wonderful auditions and talent~!
~Abbie and Max~ x
