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Cortana Works For Scale Wages
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting on local theater folks who do voice-work in videogames. One of the article's examples is that of Jen Taylor, who plays the voice of Master Chief's synthetic partner in crime, the AI Cortana. From the article: "Cortana, an artificial intelligence that is pretty much in charge of things in 'Halo' 1 and 2, is played by Book-It Repertory Theatre regular Jen Taylor. Cortana, of course, is a necessary factor in 'Halo 3,' which is in the process of development. Taylor is in Australia working in a Seattle Children's Theatre co-production ... A recurring role commands extra money. For 'Halo 1' Taylor got about $500 for a four-hour session. For 'Halo 2' she got twice that. "But the technicians had gotten so good at what they were doing," Taylor notes with some regret, 'that they got twice the amount of work done in half the time. So my actual pay was about the same.' When actors do voiceover work, they are represented by AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). The union contract stipulates a fee of $600 for most four-hour recording sessions."
Nah. I'm sure they're pinching their pennies so that they can properly reward their programming team. Like all the other giant game companies. That savings will definitely end up in the pockets of the little guy.
further updates as this shocking story progresses!
there is no need to sign your posts. this isn't usenet. your username is right there above your post. stop it.
Presumably, she can refuse to do the work for Halo 3 and ask them to raise her wage (and quite frankly she should). However, if they refuse to pay her the amount she thinks she's worth .. they can get an alternate (and suffer the consequences?). Just because they are making millions "off her voice" doesnt mean they ripped her off. That's like saying an olympic athlete is ripping off the grocery store by paying 75 cents for a banana when he's getting paid millions in endorsements of the nutrition provided by the banana.
Ok, I confess I made this entire posting cause I wanted to make a banana analogy.
"I did the voice acting for Road Runner"
"you mean 'Meep, meep'?"
"Actually they just paid for one 'meep' and doubled it up on the soundtrack. Cheap bastards."
"When the atomic bomb goes off there's devastation...but when the atomic bong goes off there's celebraaaaation!"
You have reache-Puny SACK of meet?-have reached nine seven five three t-t-t-two six fooooooooour. Leave your mes-mes-mes-message CONTEMPTABLE message and I (*bursts of gunfire in the background*) wi-i-i-i-i-ll get back (*hideous scream*) to you back to back to you.
Yeah. That one's gonna go down REAL well.
No way. She's way too opaque.
-Eric
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.