Twice Reborn: a vampire visual novel (PAID and UNPAID)
Project Overview
UPDATE: Our deadline will be September 3rd, 2018.
An original visual novel. Decide Mark Delaware’s choices as he navigates through a world where vampires are real. How he treats those around him will determine his fate.
“Entering into a vampire society dedicated to the arts, Mark discovers frightening clues that his mentor committed a taboo, that he is being watched by a murderous renegade, and that he may have risked his soul. Determined to regain his humanity, Mark searches for the truth about vampires.”
Twice Reborn is a visual novel game project by First Step Cinematics, LLC. This is a commercial microbudget video game project so there are both paid and unpaid voice acting roles. Audio may also be used in a possible audiobook variation of the story as well as promotional materials.
About Project:
In this visual novel, the player will play as Mark Delaware. The player’s decisions can influence the direction of the branching story.
Tagline:
An impulsive college student becomes a vampire’s apprentice but discovers that it may have cost him his soul.
Accepted Voice Actor Expectations:
- To deliver in a timely fashion audio files (and to give weekly updates on progress). For the majority of characters, audio files are expected within a month of script deliverance. All audio files must be in .ogg format. No MP3s.
- All voice actors must sign a contract with First Step Cinematics which guarantees the project the rights of the recorded audio.
- Voice actors must have their own access to audio recording equipment of good quality. No built-in computer mics or gaming headsets. A 20Hz - 20kHz Frequency Response or a low dynamic range is preferred.
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All script lines are to be recorded separately with the appropriate audio file name. Pre-clean noise out with a 4db “noise reduction” before file delivery. Recommend Audacity as the program to do this. - Actors must be willing to redo a script file if there are audio technical issues or if it was a poor take. Please be careful and do not “blow out mic” with an overly sensitive take (and visa-versa with a quiet take).
- Actors must have a means to online share audio files with First Step Cinematics and must be able to keep the audio files at that link for one year.
- Please do not submit tryouts for more than five roles. DO inform us if you are also willing to take an Extra's role.
- If the role is paid, payment will only be given once job is completed through paypal.
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Please do not embellish outside the given words in the script. The game engine matches actors' spoken words to the read text. Please pronouce clearly and not slur words (unless that is your specific character). - We prefer more conversational/natural voice tryout inflections instead of ones that are more "cartoony".
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We need a flirty voice for a sorority girl role.
[Flirty]
“Hi! I hear you’re graduating soon with two majors. Wow. You must be pretty smart. Can you speak in French to me? I want to learn a few new words.”
We have extra roles from female college co-eds to frat boys to grouchy vampires and a sultry vampiress. Just apply and we'll see if it's a good match!
“Curse the Society of the Arts. Those picky bastards must have found someone very talented.”
“Do you prefer weapons or hand-to-hand combat?”
“I hear that you are an excellent scholar like your father. You are a linguist then…very helpful for investigations, I’m sure.”
[flirty] "Aw, let's go have some fun. I know of a quiet place."
"You're a biter--just like Charlie!"
“Quite atrocious! Not only do they appear unacceptably late, but their attire is so—what is the word I am trying to find? Ridiculous. Looks like a tacky Halloween wardrobe.”
Mark Delaware: Lead. An impulsive college Teaching Assistant, Mark is impulsive, opinionated. Possible vampire depending on gameplay. Medium voice-range, young adult.
This part carries the entire visual novel and is the character the player controls.
Word Count: 8725
[annoyed/joking] “What do you think? You’re still doing this stuff before morning! Remember Monday when you stole all the toilet paper from the restrooms? We had no toilet paper all week because you also T.P.’ed the head R.A.’s office. But you weren’t here this week—so I guess you didn’t know that.”
“He can send cash instead. Or how about buying me a car? Does he think money makes me happy? Is that what you want to hear? He wouldn’t care anyways. Tell him to love me enough to call me himself when you both return home.”
“…you and I can never be together. We can never last…our places are too different. You have a whole future out there. You and I both knew we could only be a short term thing. You’re going to graduate, I’m going to graduate. We’ll both be going our own ways pretty soon.”
"“The Skulls are right. You want to control everyone. I hate you and I’m going to do whatever I damn well please. If I want to drink someone I will. If I want to kill them, I will. That’s what vampires are made to do.”
Mentor to Mark Delaware. Intelligent, charming, strict. Deep to medium-low voice range. Adult, 30s-40s.
Word Count: 1723
“Really? I’m comfortable. You’re finished with these papers? Thanks, you’ve been a huge help this semester. It’s difficult to find a quiet moment to grade around here. I saw the tail end of the amphitheater performance outside. Your twin friends were there. I don’t think I’ve told you, but they’d taken one of my classes before. It’s unfortunate—they were with some unsavory company tonight. I advise you stay away. Your future depends on it. Bad company is bad for the mind.”
“Think about what you’re doing. Do you think they’ll believe you if you start ranting about monsters? They’ll think you’re drunk. I only told you this to protect you. You’re not supposed to be going around telling everyone. I thought you were ready for this. Was I wrong?”
“I understand your concern with ennui, but now he is like a wayward child. He and the others have too much freedom but never learned that with liberty comes responsibility. I had to kill one of the Skulls recently because of your negligence.”
“You never checked in with me. Not even once to say you were okay. You’re brand new. It’s not safe for anyone to be traveling with you—especially humans. Your R.A. opened your room for me when I couldn’t contact you. What did he find? Your cell phone. I thought that you’d regretted your choice and went wandering God knows where.”
Hispanic character. Goth vampire and leader of a vampire club. Looking for a US accent. Young Adult 20s. Medium to deep voice. Misunderstood character. Main antagonist.
Word Count: 4050
“Skulls are better. We’re free. But joining the Society of the Arts? You couldn’t have joined a more stiff group. A cage is a cage, no matter how fancy it is. Every vampire in the Rockies knows about the Society. They rarely speak to other vampires. Except for the Culture of Love. Those hippy vampires get along with everybody.”
“The Enforcer of the damn Code? Listen to me, Mark. He is dangerous. The killer of vampire-kind. He doesn’t just enforce the Code. He breaks it. No vampire drinks from another but I heard he DOES. He drained another one like us before—sucked him dry. Leave him before he decides to make a meal out of you.”
“Really? That’s lame. Grow a pair. We’ve all the power. We’re at the top of the food-chain. We’ll live longer than anyone before us. Do you think we’re a mistake? Humans are the miserable ones.”
Vampire and leader of a vampire organization. Spaniard accent. 30s-50s, medium to deep range.
Word Count 3330
“I always paint better when I wear clothes from my time. They’re loose and comfortable. Ah, and the smell of the oils. It takes me back. They don’t smell as earthy now. Back then we ground them ourselves. Used bug shells, minerals, dyes procured from under the sea.”
“There are other ways we can help. Think about your decision. Being in the Society is a life-long commitment. Like a fraternity, our bonds last forever. The Society of the Arts is not just an organization to promote culture. We’re a society of vampires. What some would call the undead. But don’t let that word fool you. We’re very much alive.”
“We can’t have hunters show up. They’ll destroy us all. This is too big a job for you to do alone. I’ll come. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bastardos killing humans also had a hand in my family being destroyed. First rule of being in our world is that things don’t always appear to be what they seem. You should be very familiar with that, Enforcer."
Vampire.
Either ***New Orleans*** or West African accent accepted. 20s-40s.
Word Count 2520
“Yes, I’ve been playing the viola, the bass, any stringed instrument really—they have always been my favorite, but especially the piano. You meet the most women when you play a piano. My first instrument was a harpsichord. While we visited Europe my father, a Dahomey prince, insisted that I should play it like Mozart.”
“Ready to learn to feed? Charlie will teach you. Ça c’est bon! It’s been a while since I painted the town red.”
“Great. I can’t wait to play. The Society of the Arts needs to show off its musical genius. It’ll be a reunion the Americans won’t forget anytime soon. It’s about time.”
“It’s fun to live life with a little bite.”
Vampire.
Elderly 60+. Any range. Must speak with clipped tones. Prefer Midwest-American accent.
Word Count 758
“I am normally not one to assert opinions, but don’t you think it is not only dangerous but also irresponsible to introduce him here and not mentally prepare him? The Code has already been broken with this one.”
“Professor Michelson, I knew it was dangerous to bring this boy here. Child, you have no choice: if you reject us you’ll be killed by the House of Skulls. What? I’m not going to coddle the boy. He could also become a blood donor…”
“So he fears us, we can use this to our advantage.”
“You won’t bite me, will you?”
“At least this place isn’t half-bad that I thought it’d be. Hurry up! It’s freezing!”
“What? This is our ride? It’s so old! I thought vampires had money and stuff. Aren’t you all supposed to be rich?”
“That’s great. But can I have something to eat too? Wait—do you even have food in this place?”
Middle range, late teens to young adult (early 20s).
Word Count 1455
“Sure. I want to be a rich stock broker someday. Or maybe an economist. Trading seems easy, but it’s the rest that’s hard.”
“After this experience, I want no doubt about where I stand. That bastard wasn’t right with what he did to us, but he was right that I needed to make a choice in your world. You’ve done so much for me. Let me do this for you.”
“You’ve been ignoring me, my phone calls. Everything about our relationship is wrong. It’s like after our first date, you’ve completely changed. I’m worried about your health. You’ve become so pale. I’ve been so worried about you, but you haven’t cared about me. The only time you do is when I make the effort to see you. Is there something you want to tell me? I see. I believe that two people in a relationship should be honest with each other. Are you seeing someone else?”
[Say something in an elderly woman's voice]
Vampire. She is a goth.
American accent (Chinese-American character). Any voice range.
Word Count 1200
“Don’t look so shocked! Our guests come and go as they like, sweetie. It’s their choice if they want to party with us. We are what we are, whether we were given a choice or not.”
“Careful, Mark. This boy should hear what Dameon has to say. He’s too young to bring him into our world. You should’ve told him the truth. He told us you weren’t planning on making him a donor or a vampire. We both know the Code. I don’t believe the Enforcer’s pet would break rules like we do.”
“Well, I’m going to change the topic. I want a place like this. This mansion is incredible! I don’t care. I can appreciate finer things. We’re always trapped in that basement.”
“It’s death. We’ll all die someday. The darkness is a symbol of nothingness. It’s comforting. That’s what so delicious about it. We’ll always live, always cheat death. They call vampires the ‘living dead’. But we’re the ones still alive. The black walls remind me of that.”
Any range. Young Adult 20s. A punk. Friends with lead character.
Word Count: 912
“Your professor told Dameon off and that we’re supposed to leave you alone. As if we’d listen to him. You need to break his rules. The Skulls will hang out with whoever they want. Why don’t you come and join them, Mark? We could then always stay friends.”
“Mark, you’re home. We didn’t know where you disappeared to after the funeral. It’s been a few days and we’ve been trying to reach you.”
“Are you chickening out?”
Any range. Young Adult 20s. An emo. Friends with lead character.
Word Count 624
“Wait Kyle, I—accept his apology. It isn’t the answer we were hoping for, but it’s the best answer he’s given me in a long time.”
“Whatever.”
“No, brother. I’m starting to think he’s right. But Mark, you’re not a member of the House of Skulls. We are—even if we’re only donors. And I agree with Dameon. I don’t like how little you think of the gift you’ve been given. At least you have immortality. Be thankful and stop acting like an ass. If you really want that teenager to be a vampire, you shouldn’t wait around. Don’t let him end up like us.”
a 1950s greaser and a vampire.
Any range. Adult 20s-30s. Sound tough.
Word Count: 1006
“Hey there, hombre. What brings you here, Enforcer? I haven’t been killing anyone since your last warning. Hey kid, do you like that he calls you a rookie? That he bosses you around?”
“So stiff. Is he always like this? No. I’m not in charge of the House of Skulls. I’m like a gift giver. Dameon has my gift and he shares it how he wants with others. He has power now, freedom. I want to see what they’ll become. It’s one of the few things that makes this life interesting.”
“I know I’m always a loner, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to stop by. Hearing of your loss got me thinking. We’re supposed to live forever but our lives are very short.”
“So is mine. I heard you said to my friend that you hadn’t seen Mark. Belmonte visited here a few days ago. You know he’s been looking for him all over town. And here’s the missing vampire. Like magic. How did he suddenly appear? Don’t tell me you just found him. It’s uncool to lie, you know.”
Vampire. Leader of a vampire organization.
Indian-Asian. Middle to deep range. 30s-40s voice.
Word Count 582
“We can’t complain. I’m enjoying this whole “organic” movement. My family has decided to turn part of our lands into an orchard. The blossoms in spring are beautiful. You must visit sometime and relax your mind.”
“I want to reorganize what we have. I need a fresh change. You know what it’s like. Sitting always in the same environment makes us stale. Besides, people usually update their houses every other decade. A touch here and there goes a long way. I may sell the older art pieces to you. You should come visit. Cloud needs an excuse to show off his guitar.”
“Alive! Then I’m also going there! Something might happen. He’s been slipping. He’s starting to lose his sanity.”
“This is worse than I thought! Hunters? In Colorado? We’ve always kept a low profile here. None of the vampire families have made any trouble—except Dameon—and your mentor stopped that. I have to warn the others.”
Elderly vampire.
Prefer a FRENCH accent.
Word Count 738
[From a journal] “I have spent many lifetimes in service of this land and kept it safe from invaders. Now, with the last of my strength I’m barely able to concentrate long enough to write these words. I suppose the villagers are right; I’m the enemy. “I drink blood but I’ve no choice. That is my punishment. I drink the blood of those who have not yet fallen from God’s grace. The moment I’d become a vampire, I’d forsaken God when I rejected His plan for me. I shudder to think that I’ll never see neither daylight nor heaven because of my selfish choice. I don’t want to be damned!”
West African, South African, Caribbean, or American accent. Any range.
Word Count 360
“Mark, what have you done? Remember that God is always there for you. Trust in Him once in a while. Your soul is worth so much more.”
a Hispanic teen with an American accent. We need attitude for this prologue role.
She has only a few lines
"It’s getting expensive here."
"I’m sure. If I wanted a VHS I would’a gotten one, pendejo."
Cloud is a hippie and a vampire. Minor role.
Any range, adult. Could accept Californian accent here as well.
Word Count 260
“The bloodlust gets too strong, brother.”
“I’ll never get used to it. I always thought everything is part of the life cycle. But we’re not natural, are we? We take from the earth, rarely go back into it. Man, I hate it. I hate how people are free. We talk about freedom, but are we really free? What happens to our souls, man? I’m so jealous. I want to be like them, I want to die like them.”
“That’s okay with me. A little fear gets the blood pumping faster.”
“Do you recognize me, little mouse? A bird told us that you were spilling secrets. I don’t mind people having fun in our club, but what happens there, stays there.”
[A roar of attack]
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