St. Agatha City Voice Casting
Project Overview
St. Agatha City is a branching choices visual novel that functions both as a dating sim and a mystery game. It is a very large project, spanning multiple chapters - I am currently working on getting the demo out sometime in May, 2022, but this is a tentative date. Because this is such a massive undertaking, and an unpaid job, I am not expecting haste or experience from potential voice actors.
Deadlines are flexible, though commitment is needed, as there really aren’t any truly one-off characters. Emotional range is necessary for every role, and microphone quality is next to inconsequential, as the nature of the sound mixing of this game allows for it, and I actually really like the cozy skype-call feel the test runs have had so far. As long as you aren’t being interrupted by loud noises and are easy to understand, a little fuzz is okay.
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Latest Updates
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Thank you again to everyone who applied! The alpha came out on the 22nd of May on Itch.io, and I have been working with actors to get voice lines recorded and inserted into the game. The first patch should see Marjory's route voiced! There were a few characters who we were not able to cast, so come July, I will be posting a new listing :) We'll be keeping it small, and just trying to fill five of the remaining roles at this point. If you are interested in trying out for the main character Pixy, her roommate and potential love interest Norman, or three of the side characters - Donny, Walter, and Connor - stick around! That'll be going live next month. You can check out progress and download the alpha here! https://butterfly-stitches.itch.io/st-agatha-city
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Callbacks: When to expect them, how will they happen, etc
Today is the day! It is 3:27 AM in my time zone, which means I'll be getting off work in just 1 1/2 hours! I've spent all of my free time reviewing the just over a hundred submissions I've gotten from people from here, via email, and Reddit. I will be reaching out to people today and tomorrow to follow up. My wording and grammar leaves a lot to be desired at the moment, I know, as sleep has fallen by the wayside in favor of wrapping things up here - so, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to comment below this update! I will be directly messaging those who have been selected for callbacks over the next 2 or so days. I have been exposed to such a myriad of talent, that there were some shots too close to call - and I'll be asking some people to do live readings to make the final decision. I will be making official castings public once I can confirm details with their actors, and the characters I have not been able to find a fit for this time will be relisted in about a week, once I've had some time to recover. Thank you for applying. Words fail to describe how ecstatic I am to have your time, effort, and support. If you were not chosen for the project, please feel free to apply again for future ones. I did not encounter a single person here who I would not be happy to see again. I hope this weekend treat you well, and I will be updating this casting call as soon as I can. Hopefully I can get an eight hour sleep in between then and now. Take care, and again - thank you! -
Last day before callbacks!
Dawn on the final day, etc. Almost there! Thank you SO much, everyone. I am going to be checking all the 11th hour submissions, finalizing notes, and meeting with my team of alpha testers to make a final decision. I don't think we've had any auditions for Walter, so we'll likely have to make a second post, and add anyone who we can't find a good match for. That being said, there have been so many good entries, that I doubt there will be many characters that slip through unmanned. Thank you all! And best of luck. I'll be seeing you again, tomorrow. -
3 Days Till Callbacks!
I'll be using this valuable, rapidly dwindling time to go through your submissions and take notes! I am overwhelmed, in the best possible meaning of the word, with the amount of support, talent, and enthusiasm I've been greeted with. I will be messaging people individually if I have any questions, or need any reshoots. If you have any questions for me, my email is [email protected], and my Discord is Fairyfly#6159. Discord will yield faster replies, because I keep notifications on, but emails are checked multiple times daily! -
Halfway through the first batch of auditions!
Just wanted to let you guys know that I have been listening to what you've been submitting, and taking notes! I have not been able to follow up with everyone I'd like to yet, but I don't want you to think we've gone dark! Thank you so much for applying! I have been losing my everloving mind.
NOTES: Need to be able to do a British (any region) and Standard American Accent, and have/perform a convincing stutter. He typically speaks in an American accent.
Description
Baxter is a timid, jumpy young man, whose extraordinary stress levels have led to his hair going grey prematurely. He has a quite debilitating nervous stutter, which the actor has to be able to perform realistically. He is prone to bouts of paranoia, and has a pitchy quality to his voice, which can be seen when he raises it, out of anger, stress, or fear.
When speaking normally, or particularly calmly, he has a surprisingly smooth, languid quality to his voice. Baxter's VA ideally can do a British accent, for plot reasons, but far more importantly has the ability to make this character shift from panicked, to calm and collected, to sinister. I don’t really mind what sort of British accent, I am aware there are a myriad of varieties, I can write around that. As long as you can do it well, that’d be great! Though I am more than happy to take whatever I can get, ideally you have a natural British accent, and can feign an American one.
Baxter has moments in which he will speak deliberately and with a darker inclination, though he seems to find these moments and people's reactions to them sort of funny, like a cat playing with a mouse. In these moments he enjoys teasing and playing with people's feelings, as he rarely feels the sense of control to actively feel anything beyond neurosis, and he lavishes the moments he has feeling clear-headed, unintentionally oftentimes using them to lash out.
(Extremely anxious and fretting, tripping over himself stuttering) “I didn’t mean to, I swear! It was an accident. I didn’t know that- well- my phone broke! Please don’t shoot the messenger!”
(Sinister, playful) "What... don't want to play anymore? You already paid your admission fee. I don't exactly offer refunds."
(To the love interest, Pixy, in a low voice) "I-I'm sorry, for how I've acted. For what I've done. I h-hope you can forgive me."
NOTES: Has a Boston accent, and a nasal, grating voice.
Description
Denver is not a native to St. Agatha City, he is actually from Boston, Massachusetts, and moved to Missouri as a teen. As such, he has a very thick Boston accent. His voice is nasally and somewhat high pitched and whiny by nature, and so in an attempt to cover this he oftentimes speaks forcing it lower, as to appear more traditionally masculine. This just leads to his voice growling and cracking somewhat unfortunately, and it isn’t even that convincing. The best examples I’ve found so far is Steve Buscemi in Trees Lounge, and Brendan Lukens of Modern Baseball. He speaks very quickly, being a verbose person despite his standoffishness.
Denver is… caustic, to put it lightly. He intentionally pushes other people away, as he deeply fears that if he allows them to get close, they won’t like what they see. As such, he is quite an unlikable man, however, this is fully on purpose. He is clever and quick witted, and uses this to get under people’s skin as quickly as possible, despite rarely actually believing the meanspirited things he says. Despite this, due to his character development that involves him learning to be a more approachable person, he is a fandom favorite (despite its small size.)
Because Denver assumes people’s opinion of him is automatically negative, he wants to take control of his fate and choose for people to not like him, instead of waiting for them to, in his mind, inevitably leave him.
"Uh huh. I'm from Boston. I gotta little brother named Austin, who was born after the move. My parents wanna have a girl, 'n name her Paris. That's fuckin' ridiculous, right? That's not even in America."
(Joking) "You better calm down. Someone might think you actually like me or something."
(Emotionally devastated, but speaking in a quiet, level tone) "You... you think I'd do that to you...? I don't just hang around you because I think I'll get somethin', okay?”
Ian is a soft person, physically and emotionally, possessing a sweet and patient disposition, and nerdy sentimentalities. However, he is in possession of as much sharp wit as Denver is, he just doesn’t really utilize it for… bullying. He’s very quick on his feet, and intelligent, and has a pretty dark sense of humor. He’s usually just too quiet for people to notice. He has a sense of loyalty to his childhood best friend, as she was the only one there for him during the bullying he experienced throughout high school. These experiences also made him a colder person than he initially lets on, though he only really shows this to people who irritate him.
Ian has a gentle, if a bit warbly voice (similar to Wyatt from Weird Science) but he is one of the characters I am most flexible on - as long as he comes across as soft spoken and intelligent, things like cadence and quality of voice are far less important. Ian’s hobbies are very musical based, so the willingness to sing for this role is a plus - you do not have to be very good though, and I have yet to write anything that utilizes this. I can work around it at your comfort level. He has a problem putting others before himself, and also taking the cruel opinions of others to heart. He’s been trying very hard to get over this.
(A bit shy, but forthright) "Mm-uh, oh? Yeah, Caliber Coffee - it was dead for a while... it's weird. I've been coming here for a couple of years now. It’s hardly recognizable with all these people in it.”
(Contemplative and pleasant) “It’s a good feeling, to think about how far you’ve come, and feel glad that you’re not where you were anymore.”
(Irritated, speaking briskly) “If you don’t mind, I have better things to do than watch you gawk at me.”
Marjory is probably the only person in this godforsaken city with truly pure intentions. As such, her kindness is sometimes mistaken for naivety, and this leads people to try to take advantage of this. However, because she is so well liked, she has a small group of friends who will always stand up for her. Marjory is very close to her family, and a outgoing, sunshiney person. She can always be counted on. She is a social butterfly who loves the mall, as well as just being there for others, and helping the community.
The distinct qualities of Marjory’s voice are far less important than the warmth, compassion, and her charismatic personality coming through. She is extremely earnest, and is clearly hiding nothing - a very open and friendly person. However, like her kindness being mistaken for naivety, her whimsy and humor can be easily mistaken for lack of intelligence by those who assume little of her. She is a bright and talented young woman, especially when it comes to social settings, she is just sometimes unobservant, and has a niche sense of humor.
(Extremely warm and cheerful, then very focused) "My name's Marjory, by the way. And I wasn't sponsored… wait… but they should sponsor me, shouldn't they? I was convincing, right?"
(A bit dejectedly) “Can I be the little spoon?”
(Worried) “I hope she’s okay… I… worry I did something. To make her leave, like that… I don’t know what I’d do if it was my fault.”
By the admission of everyone around her, Mindy is, and always has been, the It Girl. Her reputation as the hottest, most popular, and most mysterious woman in St. Agatha is one that makes her enigmatic, frightening, and hard to approach - and she doesn’t mind this. While the rumors are true, there is definitely more to Mindy than people’s first impression of her being a prom queen mean girl. Mindy is fiercely intelligent, even more ambitious, and a perfectionist by nature - something her parents drilled into her. Being adopted into a strict, high caliber family, she feels she constantly has to justify her own existence, a mentality her family has done nothing but encourage. As such, Mindy feels… trapped, and this has caused her to burn several important bridges, and sacrifice her individuality to live up to her parents’ high expectations. She can’t be satisfied just being a perfect student, a perfect daughter, and a perfect girl; she has to be the perfect trainwreck as well.
Mindy has a slow, purposeful manner of speaking, seeming to always know something you don’t, and laughing privately at a joke you don’t know or don’t get yet. She gives off the impression that she’s always one step ahead, even if that’s not true at the moment. However, her facade sometimes cracks, and she speaks earnestly out of loneliness, fear, or desperation - and it’s easy enough to remember that she’s just a nineteen-year-old forced into a role, trying her absolute best to seem more adult than she actually is, and impress those who will never actually care about her. I’d like for her to have a deeper voice, but I urge anyone interested to take a shot!
(Casual, languid - at ease but also interested in the person she’s talking to) "I mostly just like knowing things. And it's really easy to stake things out at a bar like Pig in a Poke. This city is so-so. But it's my hometown, and I have to give it that. It made a pretty cool person out of me."
"You are just too sweet. I like you. What's your name?"
(Darkly, sounding deeply regretful, and inwardly a bit angry at herself) “I don’t always say what I mean, you know. I don’t think I know how to.”
Norman is a small, sickly middle aged man, who is the roommate of Pixy Burrow. He is a programmer, and seems to have mild agoraphobia. Despite his off putting appearance, Norman is an easygoing, calm, and responsible person. He is deeply caring, but equally standoffish, as he isn’t used to the presence of others - he’s lived alone most of his life, and Pixy is both a breath of fresh air, and an oddity.
He has a low, somewhat croaky voice, due to lack of use, as he usually only really interacts with others once a year at his annual work conference. The closest comparison I can draw from is Hoffman-esque. He has a habit of acting older than he actually is, only thirty-seven-years-old, as he is a bit insecure of how his lack of standard adult milestones, as he still lives in an apartment, and has been single his whole life and fairly alone for most of it, so he tries to make up for his lack of experience with perceived maturity.
(Just meeting Pixy) “Hey, yeah, it's uh. You can just call me Norman, thanks. Is this... Pixy? Am I saying that right... Pixy? With a 'Y?'
(Somewhat shy) "Okay, yeah, I figured. I figured. I didn't know you were a... woman, though, until a couple of hours ago. So... I wasn't really prepared for... that."
(Concerned but very patient and gentle) "I'm sure it's hard to talk about. Whether or not 'something' happened. But... if it did. As your roommate, I should know. Not just for my own safety... but... like you said. We should look out for each other."
Boon is a fairly quiet man, who delivers mail in St. Agatha. He rarely talks freely, as his impulsive nature leads to him oftentimes accidentally offending his peers, and leading to fights. He is new to the city, like Pixy, and originates from New Jersey, so an accent from the Northeastern Region of the US is preferred! He has a nasal voice that hitches a little when he raises it.
He will be focused on more later in the story!
(Glumly) "I'm just not so sure Ivy wants to hang out right now. She's been sick, 'n all. I mean, that's what Michael said."
(Angry, yelling a little) “There is no way in hell a bastard like you is going to fuck everything up for everyone! Just leave it be. Your dumb fucking ideas are going to push her away. She’s kind of the only thing holding this group together, given that you and Nate won’t stop picking fights!”
(Gentle and inquisitive) "I should... maybe text Ivy, right? That I'm here? Or would that be... putting too much pressure on her to come 'n see me, when she's apparently pretty sick, 'n all. I don't wanna make her feel worse..."
Cole runs the local ice cream truck - and he seems to have a history with and vendetta against Mindy Mindovitch, Ross Rorkshed, and Denver Washington - the former popular kids of Parkview High School. He’s otherwise outgoing, and likes to joke around. He has a reputation for being a troublemaker and kind of an asshole, if a lovable one.
"Hey, what the hell, man. No littering. Go throw that away."
(Spoken with distaste) "Who're you? Why are you hanging out with Ross Rorkshed?"
(Friendlier, but still a bit standoffish) “Don’t worry, I don’t bite.”
Connor Wayne, AKA. Connor Infected, is a punk who hangs around Tara Strange, and Giv Ahmed. He is in the garage punk band Jimmy Rabbit. He’s extroverted and surprisingly bubbly for his supposed shtick, but he’s got a rough, masculine, and fairly ‘sexy’ voice - and a hothead and willingness to do violence for the right cause. Like Ian, singing is desired for this role - but like everyone else, it does not have to be good. It’s a punk band, and Connor is a backup vocalist.
His best friend is Walter. They are constantly bickering and trying to beat each other up.
“Giv is kind of always saying weird stuff like that. Smartest guy I know, for sure… but just last month he kept trying to convince Tara that pigs can 'see the future.’ And the thing is, I don't think he was joking."
(Snarky) "You better believe it, sister."
(Giving directions, kind of flirting) "Yes, ma'am, right on mainstreet."
NOTE: Darius is a good character to choose if you don’t have a lot of extra time to devote to someone else’s project. He’s not slated for any major arcs, is undateable due to being a high schooler, and is acting solely as a supporting member and occasional friend to Pixy Burrow and the main cast. He’s usually too busy with homework to be in zany adventures, anyways.
Description
Darius is one of the youngest cast members, around seventeen or eighteen, and attends the local high school. He’s a cheerful, fun loving guy, who sees himself as the life of the party, though his lack of experience and sometimes ribbing humor makes people see and treat him as younger than he actually is. He is, however, beloved by his friends, even if less mature than those who already graduated. He’s a good kid, he just sometimes gets carried away trying to prove himself.
(Excited and inquisitive) “Hey, Zed! How’ve you been?”
(Complaining) “You need to come visit me more! I was worried you’d forgotten about me, or something. You know, Ivy visits Erik after school all the time. Hey - did you check out my Snapchat? You didn’t, did you…?”
(Disgruntled, defending himself) “You know, I can hold my own! I feel like you look down on me, sometimes…”
While on the clock at the local “Taco Hut” (whatever that is) Donny is an exasperated mess, and treats customers coming into the restaurant with active, seething disdain. Once off the clock, he’s a carefree, daredevil person, whose greatest pleasures are food and debauchery. He speaks in a languid, smug voice - that flattens with angry exhaustion when he’s at a shift.
(At work, flatly and extremely frustrated) "Ross. How many times do I have to tell you. We don't sell Baja Blast."
(Smug, but a little offended) "Who said I don't have a car? I mean, she's all banged up and a little bit on the side of filthy, but what'cha gonna do?"
"Miss Burrow, until this clock hits 2:30 PM and I clock back in, I'm the best friend you'll ever have in this god-abandoned city."
Eddie (short for ‘Hariette’) Creek is, by her own admission, a “dipshit rocker chick.” Interested in her terrible band, Rocktopus, kickboxing, roller skating, and her close knit friend group of other punk kids, she claims this doesn’t leave much room for things like ‘thinking things through much’ or ‘academics.’ Despite this, she’s fairly well liked due to being a charitable, kind, and talented person for what she lacks in brain or, according to some, looks.
Eddie has a deeper voice for a woman, and due to that combined with her height and muscles, it’s not uncommon for her being mistaken for a man (especially since in the alt scene she’s in, men with long hair, dark eyeliner, or nail polish is not uncommon.) She laughs loudly, and snorts when she does so.
(Cheerful) “Hey we’re performing this Saturday! If you stop by and ask for me, I can get ya backstage! You can meet my crew, too, if you show up earlier enough.”
(Lying poorly, perhaps on perhaps just to get the investigator’s goat) “The graffiti on Orpheus Street? Nah, I wouldn’t know anything about that. Looks like my tag? Must be a coincidence. Or an imposter! What tag? I don’t have a tag.”
(Offended but laughing it off) “I know I’m stupid, tell me somethin’ I don’t already know.”
NOTE: Eve has an exceedingly small role in the demo, with only a couple of lines. However, she is one of the main focuses of the fourth chapter, and will comprise a large portion of the lines, and will be in emotionally intense situations, including action and violence.
Description
Eve is a clerk at the downtown grocery store of St. Agatha, Interstellar Mart. She is notable due to the dead look in her eyes, and the sheer exhaustion radiating off of her. In truth, the one thing Eve hates more than being stuck working a dead end retail job is life itself. As long as her voice communicates this, anything goes.
She has a very poor relationship with her family, despite them depending on her - though deep down she is fiercely determined, sharply intelligent, and has a lot of vitality, and is only hindered and brought down by her loss of will to live and apathy brought on by trauma. Later events will change this, but as for now, Eve is just a force of powerful nihilism.
(Deadpan, exhausted) “Welcome to Interstellar Mart. Find everything okay?”
(Joking, but equally dead inside.) “Every day is better than the next.”
(Out of breath, terrified but thrilled - excited by the adrenaline rush) “What? You think you’re important enough to be the one to kill me? I can’t even do that.”
Giv is a stony faced, but soft hearted man. He speaks very bluntly and in a dry, clear cut manner, which leads people to think he might be emotionally sparse, but that couldn’t be farther from the case. He is an extremely patient and empathetic person, he just doesn’t always know how to express himself. He has a warm, deep voice, though if it weren’t for the extroverted friend group who found him, you’d likely never hear it - as Giv would be happy to spend his days indoor, programming, and speaking to no one. However, he is just as endeared to his friends as they are to him, and will let them drag him wherever they please. He has a protective, solemn demeanor, like a Shetland sheepdog watching a herd of sheep. He is by far the most popular character in the game, despite not appearing for much of the demo.
"I'm not... used to talking to people."
“Funny, how so little time can pass, and you can come to care about someone so much.”
“I understand. We are both lonely people, by nature. I see you. And… I think you see me. I think that’s why we get along so well.”
Hadley is the bassist and lead vocals for a local punk band in St. Agatha called Rocktopus. He’s an aloof and laid back person, but he knows how to have a good time. Formerly an awkward, shy kid, he’s since embraced a carefree alternative lifestyle, and only really seems to become stirred up by music, and causing minor to major chaos. Described as a lazy bum, he’d prefer to see himself as someone who enjoys taking the scenic route in life. He’s a closet dork, who is using a laissez faire alternative persona to hide the fact that he’s secretly an anxious overachiever with a passion for sci-fi books and getting good grades.
He has a drawling, amicable cadence. Like Ian, willingness to sing for the role is a plus, but in Hadley’s case skill really isn’t needed, as Rocktopus isn’t about being good, it’s about being loud.
(Awkward, a bit embarrassed, but trying to play it off) "We're... not the best at time management."
(Impassioned for once while talking about his TERRIBLE van, the Red Dwarf, as if proud of it’s grotesque flaws) "Basically, you can't put, like, any weight on the back axle, or she'll throw a fit and roll. Also we can't accelerate too fast, or she'll roll. Also there are only two seatbelts in the whole thing, 'cause she was gutted before I bought her."
(Teasing Harvey) "Tellin' ya, Pix. He's a total little shit."
NOTE: Joan, like Darius, is an excellent character to choose if you don’t want to spend much time on this project, but want to do a voice. She appears minimally, and is a minor focus of chapter three, but doesn’t appear much beyond that.
Description
Due to her age, it is unclear if Joan is a lonely, socially awkward widow, or a genuinely sinister force. She spends her time mostly hanging around high school and college-aged people, not appearing to have any friends her own age. Whatever it is, the No Name Girl hates and distrusts her, despite the rest of her friend group accepting Joan with open arms. Nothing Joan really says is off putting or strange, she just has unsettling vibes, and choice of company. She also doesn’t seem to have any family of her own, at least that she mentions.
An older voice actress is preferred, but if you can pull a Mrs. Doubtfire, that is fine as well.
“It’s nice to have friends like you I can rely on. You’re good people.”
(Tentative) “Will you come visit me? It’s awfully lonely in the hospital. I could use some company.”
(Overjoyed) “Oh, I’m so glad you came! I wasn’t sure anyone would… no one else has gotten back to me yet.”
Michael is a thoughtful, intelligent person, who is deeply compassionate, and a wonderful friend and listener. However, most people wouldn’t know that, as he is difficult to approach due to his foreboding appearance caused by his strange skin condition, which he is very self conscious of. He goes out of his way to avoid the attention of others, which hasn’t helped alleviate his loneliness.
He has a quiet, low voice that gives off the impression that he is brooding and stoic, as opposed to cripplingly shy. He speaks gently at all times, and rarely if ever raises his voice. When speaking to someone he sees as a friend, his tone is a lot warmer, and he comes across as very demure and sweet. Being very reserved out of an abundance of caution, Michael is only capable of expressing himself emphatically to those he is close with, as he is very, very self conscious of people looking at him, despite how he outwardly acts.
(Warmly, with great affection) “I suppose I’d agree. You’re always right. Do you think I should try to make plans with Joey?”
(This information is being all but supplexed out of him, and he is addressing a small group) “Mm. Yeah, uh. I… I actually don’t think she’d mind. She’s been… worried, for a while, that nobody would ever like her in that way. Maybe if there was some sort of time constraint, it might actually encourage me to… you know… ask her out. Hm.”
(Very saddened, but determined not to let it get to him) “It’s not your fault. I’ve known Ivy for about twelve years. If I was going to… a-ask her out, I would’ve. Don’t worry about it.”
Nazir is the prickly high school friend of the No Name Girl, and Bailey’s boyfriend. He oftentimes talks briskly and sardonically, enjoying picking on his friends, but he can switch just as quickly to talking warmly and gushing (usually to and about Bailey.) He often times gets cut off by his over exuberant girlfriend, so being able to convincingly act like a second party is cutting you off is important for this role. He is, however, very patient about this. As long as Bailey is the one doing it. Anyone else is getting yelled at.
(Irritated at being called out) "Whatever. If he can't handle it, he can't roll with us. Right, Bailey?"
(Disdainful and somewhat sarcastic) “What, did I offend you?”
(Smug on behalf of Bailey, hyping her up) "You should follow Bailey's blog."
Walter is a longtime rugby player, and friend to Tara, Connor, Giv, and Ivy. He is a brash, blunt person, who often speaks before he thinks. However, he almost always means well, and cares deeply about his friends and his community. You can count on him, and he’ll go to (frighteningly) extreme lengths to help out those he loves.
He also does stand up comedy on the side, and is a loud, cheerful person, with a deep, booming voice.
(about his Mohawk) "I like having long hair, but it kept getting in my eyes during games. I looked like an off the leash Shetland sheepdog."
(annoyed) "She's a nice person Connor, jeez, dude. What do you want from me? Love confession? A ballad? A rock opera?"
(joking) "What, did you waterboard her to say that, Gatsby?"
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