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Hey, Answerman: Under Pressure


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Sokol



Joined: 27 Dec 2006
Posts: 19
Location: Toronto
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:24 am Reply with quote
I have been around for a while, however I rarely find free time to post.

I have to admit that "Hey Answerman" is very good with this October column, it gave me a good read and some personal food for thoughts.

Well done indeed, as for the jerk (literally) on the party, I would pay him another visit and "express" my gratitude for the blog.

/cheers.
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CCSYueh



Joined: 03 Jul 2004
Posts: 2707
Location: San Diego, CA
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:36 am Reply with quote
ikillchicken wrote:

I was expecting either Yaoi or Vic Mignogna since thats what the last awnserman topic ended up going off on. Not that that isn't an equally annoying topic.


Nyah!

No, after this he can be officially sick of the anime press if he isn't already in the same way many of us are of our day-in/day-out. Ok, not necessarily sick of it, but bogged down in the day-to-day drudgery.

Never bothered with podcasts, but I've seen the blog thing. Really even most reviews I've seen on so-called impartial places (Whoever the hell Siskel & Ebert are this month. Roeper? I haven't paid much attention since we lost Siskel. Or was it Ebert?)-they all are usually just giving an opinion & that opinion is rarely impartial. If Critic A hates robots, he is pre-disposed to hate Transformers. If Critic B prefers live-action, he may be looking for everything he can to pick apart the animated flick he has to review. I've decided half the "confusing" & "jumbled story" reviews is secret code for the critic spending more time in the popcorn line or restroom than in the seat watching the movie.
It's probably tough. It's not like one has a serious job--"Ooo, you watch movies for a living?" "Wow, you talk about anime for a living?" It's probably easy to get a bit of a "What are you going to do when you grow up"-complex. A lot of people probably figure it's a cushy job, but there really aren't a lot of those out there. Not nearly enough for the number of people out here who want a big fat paycheck for doing as little as possible.
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daveriley



Joined: 12 Aug 2003
Posts: 117
Location: Philadelphia
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:36 am Reply with quote
Viga_of_stars wrote:
A couple of folks....podcasters at Otakon. *Viga plays the guessing game* I wont bomb 'em out here though.


Whoever you think it is, you're probably wrong.

CCSYueh wrote:
Never bothered with podcasts, but I've seen the blog thing. Really even most reviews I've seen on so-called impartial places (Whoever the hell Siskel & Ebert are this month. Roeper? I haven't paid much attention since we lost Siskel. Or was it Ebert?)-they all are usually just giving an opinion & that opinion is rarely impartial. If Critic A hates robots, he is pre-disposed to hate Transformers. If Critic B prefers live-action, he may be looking for everything he can to pick apart the animated flick he has to review. I've decided half the "confusing" & "jumbled story" reviews is secret code for the critic spending more time in the popcorn line or restroom than in the seat watching the movie.


Sounds like you don't want a reviewer so much as you want someone that agrees with your view entirely.

Here's a hint: reviews are opinionated, and objective reviews are a myth. You wouldn't want them anyway. The whole point of a review is to get someone's opinion on something, and if you read/listen/watch enough of their stuff then you get a feel for what they like and you can compare it to what YOU like. Don't like how they reviewed Transformers? Find a reviewer that LIKES robot movies and see what they thought of it.

There's nothing I hate more than so-called "objective reviews" spitting out the plot of the first three episodes of an anime show without giving any insight into what makes it work or not. If I wanted to know what the show was about, I'd read a plot summary. I want to know how people REACTED to it.


Last edited by daveriley on Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:43 am; edited 1 time in total
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief


Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 1684
Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:36 am Reply with quote
snl67 wrote:
Yes, although you will see folks appear in dubs done in different states, such as Jennifer Sekiguchi in the Ah my Goddess 2 dub done by NYAV Post in New York, or even Vic Mignona (sorry for bringing him up Zac! Rolling Eyes) who is in Bleach - a dub done in California, while Vic works primarily in Texas. As far as the money, it sounds right to me as this is paid as independent contractors, meaning no tax withholding, benefits, etc. that an employee gets. What would be interesting to know is the average amount of hours a VA works on a typical show.


NYAV records in both NYC and LA (Mike Sinterniklaas is bi-coastal, and they also use this nifty internet program to do recording sessions over long distances). Sometimes the producer will want a certain talent for a show and fly them out for a few days to record, though that's becoming quite rare these days. Other times, voice actors who are very serious about getting cast will often fly or drive themselves over (at considerable expense). I don't know how they make money doing this, but for a dub director, who's he to argue? (This does make doing retakes later very hard, tho.)
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Viga_of_stars



Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Posts: 1240
Location: Washington D.C. in the Anime Atelier
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:40 am Reply with quote
Rutilcaper wrote:
Viga_of_stars wrote:
A couple of folks....podcasters at Otakon. *Viga plays the guessing game* I wont bomb 'em out here though.


Whoever you think it is, you're probably wrong.
I haven't started to search yet. I'm just sayin' I wouldn't bomb em' out if I found out or not.
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chrisb
Subscriber



Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 614
Location: USA
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:16 pm Reply with quote
jsevakis wrote:
snl67 wrote:
Yes, although you will see folks appear in dubs done in different states, such as Jennifer Sekiguchi in the Ah my Goddess 2 dub done by NYAV Post in New York, or even Vic Mignona (sorry for bringing him up Zac! Rolling Eyes) who is in Bleach - a dub done in California, while Vic works primarily in Texas. As far as the money, it sounds right to me as this is paid as independent contractors, meaning no tax withholding, benefits, etc. that an employee gets. What would be interesting to know is the average amount of hours a VA works on a typical show.


NYAV records in both NYC and LA (Mike Sinterniklaas is bi-coastal, and they also use this nifty internet program to do recording sessions over long distances). Sometimes the producer will want a certain talent for a show and fly them out for a few days to record, though that's becoming quite rare these days. Other times, voice actors who are very serious about getting cast will often fly or drive themselves over (at considerable expense). I don't know how they make money doing this, but for a dub director, who's he to argue? (This does make doing retakes later very hard, tho.)


I always thought that companies would hire talent from another state and so the voice actors would just do their voice acting in their usual recording spot then the recording is sent to the main company for it to be edited in with the rest of the show.
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irishninja



Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 344
Location: Seattle-ish
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:38 pm Reply with quote
Unholy_Nny wrote:
Good job on this weeks Hey, Answerman!, btw. I seem to be liking these ones dedicated to specific topics, very informative.


I agree completely. These specific columns of yours are great. Smile

jetz wrote:
Anime Career: Since I’m having trouble with college right now (not sure if I should be taking law or not) I thought of the things I like doing and how I should make a living out of that. One of my major hobbies right now is watching anime, so I thought that maybe I should pick a career that will allow me to enjoy anime, but then I thought I wouldn’t make enough money to cover living expenses. After reading this week’s column, I think I should reconsider that, since Answerman’s reply gave me ideas.


Make sure you have a back-up plan or two. Those jobs undoubtedly have many applicants, so competition will be very high. Also, be prepared to not like anime nearly as much after you start working with it for a living.
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belligerent



Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 49
Location: NC
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:45 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Anime Career: Since I’m having trouble with college right now (not sure if I should be taking law or not) I thought of the things I like doing and how I should make a living out of that. One of my major hobbies right now is watching anime, so I thought that maybe I should pick a career that will allow me to enjoy anime, but then I thought I wouldn’t make enough money to cover living expenses. After reading this week’s column, I think I should reconsider that, since Answerman’s reply gave me ideas.


Do something that will make you money enough to afford a decent living, not just something anime-related. These two things are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but the odds of somebody getting into an anime-related career that makes them money, just because they like watching anime, are pretty slim. Think about how many other people enjoy watching anime. Now think about how many of those people are going to apply when a money position pops up. Let's say you're a qualified applicant...and then let's say that 100 other people are also qualified. Not lottery odds, but not exactly odds I'd bet on.

Keep at the college thing. If you're interested in breaking into an industry, guide (or shove) your hobby along those lines...WHILE you are in college for a job to make you money in case your anime industry dreams don't work out. Want to be a writer? Start a blog. Start submitting to writing contests. Want to be an artist? Start a webcomic, etc. Want to be a voice actor? Start stage acting in community or college stuff and start working your way up.

These things will not get you overnight success, but they will get you experience, which is one thing employers are looking at and can give you the edge over that other guy. Not only does it say that you have experience in what you're trying to get hired for, but it also tells prospective employers that you're serious about something.

Also remember that there's more to the industry than just reviewing things. Anime companies need lawyers, for example, to go after all the people who are downloading stuff illegally... Maybe it isn't "being paid to watch anime" but lots of people want that job and you'll have to fight them for it. It could happen; it also couldn't. The thing is to prepare yourself for either outcome.
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ichido reichan





PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:55 pm Reply with quote
"yeaaahhh free badges at teh convention"

now let me tell you about that.

yep I got a free badge, I helped funimation promote various anime titles including Origins (I gave free seeds to the people to rebuild the future) also Beck (the guitar giveaway) and others, I was with a hat of mokona at anime expo 2008 and sincerely, it drain my life force away.. the hours were so slow and it seems it was never going to end, I got my free badge doing that, I love the access that little badge had but working for it wasnt the paradise I thought it was going to be.

if you want a free badge, try to do volunteer work for companies and see how cool you are with that
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CCSYueh



Joined: 03 Jul 2004
Posts: 2707
Location: San Diego, CA
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:57 pm Reply with quote
Rutilcaper wrote:


Sounds like you don't want a reviewer so much as you want someone that agrees with your view entirely.


Wrong

My idea of a perfect review would be closer to your nightmare, I guess, which would run more like "people who loved Metropolis would like this" or "This appears to be aimed at the FMA crowd".

The problem with a lot of name-brand critic is people start tuning in/reading to see them tear apart a show. If someone agrees with you, you're less likely to write a letter. If the critic tears a show you loved apart, you're more likely to write a "You blithering idiot" letter which shows you're reaching people. (Did Cleveland Amory like more than 3 shows a year in the old TV Guides? Got lots of letters disagreeing with him, didn't he?)

I've learned to ignore most reviews & decide for myself. Most of my anime collection is pre-ordered long before a lot of reviews are run so I have to decide on whatever I've read about a title here or in Newtype plus my own personal method (number of good voice actors/subject matter/author). I pre-ordered Demon Prince Enma for it being Go Nagai. I pre-ordered Super Robot Wars for the number of great VA's in it. Never saw a second of Saiunkoku before I pre-ordered it. Somehow I'm rarely completely disappointed. (I'm still in the "Support yaoi by buying everything mode so some is ok, but others great & bishie boys are bishie boys)

If I listened to critics I'd never see anything good. Our local critics tore apart Nightmare Before Christmas back in '92 or '93. I took my daughter 5 times.
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erinfinnegan
ANN Columnist


Joined: 31 Jan 2005
Posts: 598
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:50 pm Reply with quote
Viga_of_stars wrote:
Rutilcaper wrote:
Viga_of_stars wrote:
A couple of folks....podcasters at Otakon. *Viga plays the guessing game* I wont bomb 'em out here though.
Whoever you think it is, you're probably wrong.
I haven't started to search yet. I'm just sayin' I wouldn't bomb em' out if I found out or not.
Well... I'm not going to mention the name of my podcast here, as Zac didn't mention it.

I frequently violate the 4th deadly sin of podcasting, although I still have 430 listeners compared to Fast Karate's 187. They update 3 times a week or so, and we only update once a month, at irregular intervals.

A formal apology is in order. Note that my forum name is my real name, so I'm not hiding behind anonymity like Goku384. Doing a podcast is a lot of work - if you bother to edit at all, as I do. It took me weeks after I got back from Otakon and SDCC to edit the show in question, which was recorded in August. When I finally posted it I gave some fleeting thought to, "Maybe I should've warned Zac about this, or asked permission first..."

snl67 wrote:
And using a conversation at a social event without informing the person it will or might be used in a future podcast is in my opinion unethical and classless.
If anything I have single-handedly put the nail in the coffin of podcasting as yellow journalism. My podcast is not professional and doesn't claim to be, but smearing Zac's name over the internet without permission or fact-checking goes beyond bad journalism and bad blogging and into the realm of bad taste! There's really no excuse for me, as I am the one who's ultimately and technically responsible for this. I knew how to contact Zac, his email address is in every column.

I would like to take this moment to point fingers at my co-host. For our Otakon 2007 show I would have simply mentioned that we met Zac at the party and had a pleasant conversation, but my boyfriend/cohost insisted on dedicating an entire show to responding to Zac's bourbon-fueled opinions about art and AMVs, with no way for Zac to respond or defend himself. Only a total coward would do such a thing, and only his idiot girlfriend would dutifully edit such a hackneyed show and post online months later.

Our podcast lacks journalistic integrity and is hosted by socially retarded film majors. Please accept our sincerest apology! Even if I removed the show in question from our server, it has regrettably been aggregated by several podcasts websites by now and would be impossible to completely remove from the internet.
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FroglarTBGE



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:39 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
I would like to take this moment to point fingers at my co-host. For our Otakon 2007 show I would have simply mentioned that we met Zac at the party and had a pleasant conversation, but my boyfriend/cohost insisted on dedicating an entire show to responding to Zac's bourbon-fueled opinions about art and AMVs, with no way for Zac to respond or defend himself. Only a total coward would do such a thing, and only his idiot girlfriend would dutifully edit such a hackneyed show and post online months later.


I am the aforementioned co-host, and I *am* a coward. I also have a chip on my shoulder.

I did exactly what Answerman claims: I took something he said to me at a party, off the record, included it in my own words on a podcast, without his prior knowledge and gave him no direct opportunity to respond. All of these things are a big no-no, and I can't make any excuses. What little trust I may have earned in that meeting I betrayed, and I did it in what is essentially now the most public forum in existence (by which I mean the internet, of course, not our show, which has a very small listenership... and will hopefully not spike in the near future because of this week's column).

The fact of the matter is that I never considered that what went on our podcast, which I would compare to a discussion amongst close friends, was actually essentially being broadcast in a public forum. I'm sorry for any discomfort we may have caused Zac, who is a professional and whose reputation matters. It was certainly not our intention to do anything more than put out an interesting, entertaining show.

So with that, we ask for forgiveness from Zac, the answerfans, and from other podcasters and anime journalists whose name we have inadvertently tarnished. As fans with a mouthpiece it is doubly important that we act in a dignified manner so as not to give fans as a whole a bad name, and this time we screwed up. From now on, we will be more careful, and take what we say and where we say it more seriously.
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rocklobster



Joined: 22 Jul 2005
Posts: 200
Location: Planet Claire
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:44 pm Reply with quote
What no Halloween-style theme? It is coming up you know.
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Cowboy Cadenza



Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 243
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:14 pm Reply with quote
rocklobster wrote:
What no Halloween-style theme? It is coming up you know.


There's still next week.
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Viga_of_stars



Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Posts: 1240
Location: Washington D.C. in the Anime Atelier
PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:36 pm Reply with quote
Whoa Erin and Froglar. That's admirable stuff that you're saying there. It shows great character to admit mistakes and apoligize. I salute you both as a fan and fellow podcaster.

That term yellow journalism. I never heard of that.

All this talk makes me want to try hard as well, ya know. Very Happy

Cowboy Cadenza wrote:
rocklobster wrote:
What no Halloween-style theme? It is coming up you know.


There's still next week.


True...but how is that going to work? Answering questions concerning horror anime? Adding witty banter and pics after each part like the chicks and explosions column.?(My favorite one!) A cute bunny or kitty with a costume? ( I hope so. Something needs to top king bunny. All hail!)
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