Cake And Iron

How Video Game Design Taught Me About Patriarchy. | JC Brazil Get more from JC Brazil on Patreon

#videogames #society #patriarchy #life

Today I checked my very dusty, cobweb laden business checking account and realized…there was money in there. . Money from a VERY long time ago of articles I’ve penned on sites like Medium and Quora. When I started writing, it was truly to advertise my podcast, comic and voice acting work. This nugget of wisdom came from my corporate experience on, believe it or not, honest advertisement through maintaining a blog; even in the world of IG and the Tik Toks. . Little did I know that my readership would hit 721k. Yeah. Thousand. Without nurturing the reader base. . I didn’t even notice, nor did I check until writing this today. I just wrote what I felt, made sure I had clean edits and went about my day. . It was a pleasant surprise and encouraging to know that I wasn’t just howling in the digital wind. . So why should you care about this? I could make all the typical bullet points and explanations, but that is boring. Just write, My Guy/Gurl/Gentlethey. . Get an account on Quora or Medium or where ever and write what you know, monetize if you can and hammer at your craft elsewhere. . Someone will read it. Hell, all I write about is strange ass fan fiction, cats, anime, rollerskating and horror video games. Somebody(ies) paid for it so someone will pay for yours, too. . Don’t give up. Love you. . #writing #blogging #writer #quora #medium #articles #voiceover #voiceacting #voiceactor #seattle

Don’t give up. Love you.
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#writing #blogging #writer #quora #medium #articles #voiceover #voiceacting #voiceactor #seattle

https://tinyurl.com/yujtmchu

Sorry. I used AI...but I didn't really know how to get this across.
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I'm not nervous or anything...just....surprised.
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Surprised that someone waited 20 years to express their feelings...even after a divorce.
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Weird.

#romance #missedconnections #voiceactor #voiceover #confessions #love #smut

The Story of O: Rough | JC Brazil Get more from JC Brazil on Patreon

I was in bed and did this rough take on my phone. This is by no means a final, but I was just tossing it around to get a feeling about the characters and such. Mistakes and a fan.
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#storyofo #erotica #audiobooks #booktok #voiceacting #voicover #voiceactor #narrator

So; I'd like to tell you the joys of VO that actually, weirdly, wonderfully work out in your favor. . Remember that gig I crossed my finger for? The one that was nationwide for a large brand? . Well. I got it. . I signed the paperwork. Did the takes. Delivered the files as asked and waited for feedback. . But I had a contingency; I, like most VO artists these days, have a home studio. I record and mix from my lil' apartment. Have done so for, wow, a decade now. . Holy Smokes. . Anyway, there is construction happening at all hours around my place and I told the directors that of they needed to give me feedback, I could only take it via Audio File, not live on Zoom since I didn't know when things would get loud, ruining the quality of the session. Note: In exchange, I waived the revision count and offered to give them as many takes as needed once instruction was delivered. . Well. I waited. And waited. Days passed. No response. Then, they just paid me anyway, and that was that. . Now, some artist would be sour pout and want to know if their voice would be used. NOT ME, MAN. I've done this long enough. They got the files, and I got the skrill. I circled back to be sure because 'quality', child. No response, so I sat on mah lovely and watched anime. . Sometimes, studios/directors don't use your work. . That's fine as long as they pay you for your time. . #vo #voice #voiceover #voiceactor #voiceacting #voiceoverartist #actor #Seattle

It's been months...
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But could there be a possibility of a NATIONAL TV AD in the works?
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FROM A KNOWN NAME BRAND?
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Negotiations are on. Let's see what happens. I'm just as shocked as you are.
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#voiceover #voiceactor #voiceacting #television #actor #seattle #bigthings

I'll be 45 in a few weeks. . And I am glad I've learned two lessons early aka: 'Not in my 60s'. . 1. The only way to be a success in America is to either: Sell Something or Invest Something. Though I did not invest as early as I would have liked, I did it enough, with selling on the side, to not have to worry about where I will be when I am old (Though, I pray, I am still acting and writing for life). . 2. Do not confuse Fascination with Friendship. This was a hard lesson for me to grasp, but now I got it. I have truly experienced what real friendship is like; the rare friendship....the 'hardtimes friendship' . Some folks get fascinated with a person, but they don't really want them....they want their energy, labor, association, clout. They want the drama because it gives temporary purpose. But it fizzles. The Real Ones are stalwart. . When I quit my gig, I actually had a friend drop off a chromebook (since my laptop bricked) and told me to chill and watch anime in bed. Another came by with gifts and offered plans of revenge. Not because I asked, but to seek honest justice. . I think of the people who helped me move, who fed me through my divorce, who was there during lockdown and such. We don't talk much, but we know we are there if need be. . Nothing crazy, I'm just happy that I didn't close my ears to my inner voice and my eyes to life's lessons. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes and celebrate this knowledge. . #lifelessons

This is just an educational moment for new producers who make honest mistakes and ignorant producers who do not respect their talent out the gate. . There is no such thing as an: "African American Accent'. . I am going to clean up your dog whistle; what you are asking for is 'Poverty Pidgin', and you assume that all Black Americans speak like this. News flash, we don't. . But I want to break this down further: 'Poverty Pidgin' or 'Ghetto' is socioeconomic. An Asian, White American or Latin American can speak 'ghetto' if that's the environment they grew up in and the speech they were inundated with. . How can this information help you avoid honest embarrassment or asshole red flags? Simple. Ask for regional accents: Southern, New Yorker, Cajun, Broken Japanese, Oligarch Russian. You'd be amazed how many people who can do certain voices do not appear as they sound. . When you look for an artist and then racially profile them, you, the producer, is losing out, not them. . That's my Ted Talk. Be better. . #voiceover #voiceactor #voiceacting #narrator #vo #actor #audiobooks #Seattle #racialprofiling

When I was a teenager, I watched this anime. It impacted me profusely to the point where I rarely go to concerts with the exception of the symphony. . Strange ass topic, but bare with me. If you are curious about energy exchange, you should watch this anime. It went WAY over my head as a teenager, but I watched it, and Macross Plus, again with some very, very profound thoughts. . No matter your religion or creed, a person has to confide in themselves that we are all fleshy batteries searching for energy exchange with friends, lovers, etc. It doesn't matter if it is in person or through a distant medium; we are looking for that exchange to verify our existence. One way or the other. . So what does this have to do with concerts, live performances, etc. ? If you watch Key: The Metal Idol, it is very obvious. Just a note; I am not saying all performers are purely narcissistic (because I am one), but all performers crave an energy exchange that is above average versus the average person. This is why social media is on the rise: there are a lot of people who want the energy without perfecting their craft. . So what does this have to do with you? Well, nothing really, if you want to keep it logical. But, if you want to delve into the spiritual: do you yearn for another person's energy, or do you wish to willing give it so you have artificial purpose. Are you a siphon or a donated? . Watch the anime. Unless I find the artist with pure intent, I refuse to be a tributary for their energy grab. Remember, A List performers take your energy from you twice: through currency (which is energy) and through attention (which is energy). . Spend your energy well. Invest in yourself before you gush into others. . #esoteric #energy #spirituality

Where energy goes, energy flows.

I ate late ight BBQ with strippers on a Sunday and I'm not even mad about it.
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This is 2025. And I'm gonna live.

Kouldelka (PS1: 1991) . One of those rare games where all of the cast had theatrical training and the voice acting was as fulfilling as a movie. . But, because of the drama between the EP and the game team, no one played it. He wanted the battle system one way; the team wanted it another way. Thus, the battle system was a mess, despite the rich and satisfying esoteric lore. . Koudelka was the first in the Vagrant Story series. Unsung. A Cult Classic, yet never forgotten. One of the first games on PS1 I destroyed with both endings. . #koudelka #ps1 #Playstation #vagrantstory #videogames #seattle

9½ Weeks is a 1986 American erotic romantic drama. The screenplay is adapted from the 1978 memoir name by author Ingeborg Day, under the pseudonym "Elizabeth McNeill".
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#relationships #seattle #voiceover #voiceactor #actor #voiceacting #voiceoverartist #books #narrator #smut

The above pisses me off. It's a grift. Pure and simple. . I will be honest with you: you CAN NOT TEACH VOICE ACTING. . Now, you can teach audio engineering, which you will need. You can teach acting, WHICH YOU WILL NEED. . Let me say this again: YOU CAN NOT VOICE ACT IF YOU CAN NOT ACT. . Note: I am a Method AND a Shakespearean trained actor. I did YEARS of theatrical work, television, and MOVIES before I transitioned to voice. I can rock a black box, fam. I don't need a mic to be a performer. . That dude will not teach you anything you could not Google yourself. He is right....VO is changing, but if you do your research and get your portfolio up, it's not changing much. . Save your money. Do the work. . Here is what I will give you for free: AI is taking over INITIALLY, but it can not give human warmth, inflection, and cadence. Quality is human. Read books, post them online, and keep your skills high. They always come back. . #grift #vo #voiceover #voiceactor #voiceacting #Seattle #audiobooks #narrator #actor

You can not learn voice acting for two McDonald's meals. That's just silly.

If you are an actor starting out, please don't do this. . NEVER accept any project with a flat price. NEVER. . Please understand that you will probably be recording on your own equipment, and the director will have a perfectionist hair up their ass and make you do MULTIPLE TAKES over MULTIPLE DAYS. In their mind, they are paying you, and you, the artist, are just meat for their vision. . ALWAYS, unless you are Union and/or have an Agent, go by WORD COUNT. I make that piddlly 250 in 5 minutes, 2 takes, and 10 minutes of editing time. If someone wants to direct, I DEMAND 500 USD per hour with a minimum 1 hour minimum, on top of word count. . Do not sell your talent short, and do not waste your time, especially for audiobooks. The average audiobook that is over 30k words (for 1 actor/producer) is a minimum 10k and 2 months' time. . No hate to Backstage, but the company placing the ad is looking for suckers. Do not take the bait. . Remember: Word Count is King. Negotiation is Queen. . #VO #voiceover #voiceactor #voiceacting #narrator #audiobooks #actor #seattle

BL Can Save The World! Boy Love Knows What A Girl Needs...

medium.com/@cakeniron/b...

You are so right. . AI is cheaper. . Please use it for your audiobook. . Here is a sample of what AI offers: . https://youtu.be/zFcIe7XWqPY?si=iz-k6w66XRF6zl1X . Also, read the comments. People will know, sooner or later, from the cadence, tone, pronunciation, and tension. They will know a dry, boring read, and they will not continue to listen to your book. . Audiobooks are expensive for a reason. It contains theater. The producer not only reads, but has to edit it themselves, run it by you, and submit to the portal of your choice. If there is an error, the producer will have to fix it. . Of course, of course. Please read it yourself. I welcome it. If you would like another example, please check out the narration between Tim Curry and Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. That is a great contrast of an author reading their work versus a thespian reading their work. . I wish you luck with your autobiography. I truly thank you for stopping by and talking with me. Good luck again. . #ai #artificialintelligence #audiobooks #voiceover #voiceactor #narrator #actor #Seattle

It started with a commercial for a @nytimes podcast. That was my very first professional gig, where I had a producer and learned the ropes to be a professional news announcer. I was rough around the edges, being self-taught, but I was easy to work with and inexpensive. I heard my voice on a professional platform for the very first time. . No weird Nigerian church commercials or twisted fetish work. It was THE NY Times. . A few months later, @gusky.art hired me, through @fiverr , to do various sports for @cptvnews_ , a subsidiary of PBS in Connecticut. We worked together for years before he retired. I fulfilled a dream: . "....and for Viewers Like You..." . I got to say that. As a child of Sesame Street, Square One, Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego and Bill Nye: The Science Guy...I finally, as an adult, had the chance to thank the very station that educated, enlightened and delighted me. . After Bill retired, I was picked up by various NPR stations across the country to read their headers, intros, and the like. But my professional work let me go to gigs on the radio the world over. Movies. Television. Concerts. Audiobooks. Video games. . All without an agent. . I was nourished by PBS all over again. The weird stubborn Midwestern Girl who left Texas in shambles, left the tech industry in Los Angeles / Seattle only to be placed on the path I desired: to be a voice that told a story. @PBS and @npr did that for me. That establishment allowed me to follow my dreams in voice acting. . And now...they are gone. . My former employer...is gone. . #npr #PBS #voiceover #voiceacting #actor #radio #seattle #voiceactor #radioannouncer

We must remember in a world of AI, that the tech can not replicate the echoes of the soul a d the human experience.
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Please ask our AI MASTERS if they can replicate a sutra or a hymn.
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They can't.
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#voiceover #voiceoverartist #voiceactor #sutra #chant #buddha #buddhism #seattle #actor #voice

#actor #voiceover #voiceactor #voiceacting #voiceoverartist #theatre #seattle

Omg. . Look. This is a big deal; WAITING FOR GODOT is one of the hardest plays to perform. Also, no women are allowed to perform this due to Beckett's estate, as it deals with the male psyche and experience. . Why am I excited about this? . Because,simply, this is a chance to see if Keanu Reeves can TRULY act. I'm not tripping about Alex Winter, because I know he has chops, but for Black Box Rats like myself, Wait for Gadot is a testament of any actor's skill, because Beckett's script pulls NO PUNCHES. . I was in London when I saw Bradley Cooper's version of the Elephant Man and a small company 2 hours outside of London's version of the same performance. Cooper's was terrible in comparison, BUT, that is another difficult play that will show you how good an actor really is; A-List or not. . I do not thank my Biological Mother for much, but I will give her this: she was a fanatical theatre patron and she had EXCELLENT taste when it came to Theatre, Broadway On or Off. . If you are in New York and get to see this play, tell me how it is. Waiting for Godot is one of my Top 5, and if Bill and Ted can do it justice, Reeves earned my theatrical respect. To be clear, I never downed his drive for action movies and training, but Beckett is a WHOLE different animal, and of you don't get the prose, it WILL eat you alive. . #theatre #Broadway #beckett #billandted #keanureeves #alexwinter

Any project, large or small, is a beautiful thing. . Nicholls Nichols is my hero. A gentleman who adores Star Trek allowed me to honor her over a four year project. Said dude was amazing, as he included Black History in his project. . So what does this mean? I'm holding out over AI. TRUE, it seems a solution now, but there are people who will want art, skill, and passion. I will wait for those folks and Gove them my best. . Thank you, Nichelle, for kissing my tears and telling me I'm almost there. I am honored to honor you and give a client their dream to hear you again. . May we meet in space as dust and glory. . #ai #artificialintelligence #voiceover #voiceacting #actor #startrek #uhura #nichellenichols #Seattle #voiceactor

Talk about Tech from personal experience to cranked up fledgling engineers riding high on their Ivy league degrees and watch them LOSE THEIR MINDS. . Look, man. The answers are: Bubbles. Wall Street. . Simple. . Some new fad happened. Billionaires wanted to jump on that fad. They over- hired because F500 has never learned that throwing money at a problem will not fix it, produce results faster, nor will it make it better. . The end results are like anything else leaders in tech produce: mediocre and flaccid. So instead of telling Wall Street that they really shouldn't have went public and the really overspent, they just fire a bunch of people and do something else. . Old people: remember when Windows 95 came out and everyone was making apps for it, only to go bust when the internet /web development? . Tech rides on Bubbles, man. I don't know why LinkedIn is pushing this narrative on their site so heavy. . I thought we all knew this. The only companies that have survived this long is either some type of useful infrastructure, ad revenue or both. . Ai has NO functional use. NO standard infrastructure that can be replicated in a major scale and NO way to bring in money. It is a BUBBLE. Anyone over 40 in tech knows AI is a joke and useless. That's what search engines are for. . #ai #artificialintelligence #bubble #90s #useless #fads #layoffs

Hot Take: The reason why there are so many layoffs in tech is because major corporations over hired for the e-commerce boom during Lock Down, do not want to admit to Wall Street they made a mistake and are pivoting to AI just as they did in with Websites in the 90s. . So what can I, a tech worker, do? . Learn 'AI' platforms with full knowledge that AI (at the moment) is nothing more than a labor intensive, resource guzzling Google search engine. Learn ChatGPT, OpenAI l, etc. knowing full well that self cognitive AI does not exist and, thr moment it does, we as a society will have bigger problems. . Either pivote your skill set to these platforms, or cybersecurity, and prepare yourself for the imminent failures most F500 companies will have trying to chase the AI bubble. . Why is it a bubble? Because we do not, and have NOT figured our clean, long lasting energy consumption and storage protocol. The platforms used now cause to much waste to the environment and is too expensive to maintain. Keep that in mind if you are working on software. If you are leaning to the jardware side, you already know the writing on the wall. . Just a thought. . #Ai #openai #ChatGPT #layoffs #energy #Seattle #opinion

I know y'all like porno and stuff, but I'm a big wormwood fan and I chase after the best herbal liquors while teaching others the joy of Malört and other wormwood brews. #herbs #Malört #wormwood #booze #seattle #gorki #absinthe

Day 2 of ABSOLUTE raunchy VO work. . Some VO actors will tell you they don't do smut, adult, NSFW project, but I do. Not because of the money, but because of the intensity. True actors never choose safe projects; you never hone your craft being safe. . I had a small quorum with a VO actor who specialized in accents and impersonations. Granted, he did get more work than I did, but when it came to serious prose...stuff that needed emotional intelligence and skill....he didn't have that. 'Work is work' , he said. Maybe, I replied, 'But would you rather be known pantamiming the original or being the original?' . I rarely perform accents. I find it honorable not to mimic the original...if a client can't afford the original actor, then they should find a way or think of a better idea. I don't think it's elitist... I feel if you want Morgan Freeman, pay him... not me. . But pay me for my skill, my work, and my talent. I'm the original. Thus, I perform naughty things on my downtime and drink Malört to recover. . This is 2025. We no longer need to put on airs. Staying true to one's passion and self is what will keep you true and paid. . Romance novel commercial tomorrow. . I need more Malört. . #voiceoverartist #voiceover #voiceactor #voiceacting #audiobooks #malort #actor #Seattle

#Malört for life.

Child....
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I just got a check from the naughty audiobooks I narrated YEARS ago as Hazel M Shottz.
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God is good.
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Smut is better....and they even have 4 STARS!
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#voiceoverartist #voiceover #VO #audiobooks #smut #audible #seattle

Even with AI around every corner, Smut/NSFW content is preferred with real human actors, not bots. . When 2020 hit, that was one of the most lucrative VO years I had. Most of it SMUT or BDSM voice play. The other lucrative year was when Biden was gunning for office. . I do not get Adult content frequently, but when I do, it starts off like the above. Then the client FINDS the money somehow and then I work. . Get your finances together. It's going to be a doozy 4 years. . #voiceoverartist #voiceactor #voiceover #NSFW #smut #recession #Seattle

A Recession Is coming....get ready.
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#recession

YouTube video by Traxx Gallery Guitar Battle Scene from "Crossroads" (1986) | Steve Vai

In honor of @steveslovetarot.bsky.social
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The Crossroads Battle.
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Heavy stuff, but needed stuff. Especially coming from first hand experience. . This summer I will be working with The SCCDVASA to bring awareness, and online classes, for those recovering, educating themselves or escaping domestic violence and sexual abuse. . It is not glamorous work, but it is work needed in these dark times. I am honored to be a part of something bigger than myself. . More updates to come. . #voiceover #voiceactor #actor #Seattle #vo #Southcarolina https://www.sccadvasa.org/

I just finished my first Kid's Book. Not bad for your friendly neighborhood smut reader.
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keep a look out for 'Duct Tape Dad' by Binky Wellington in the near future.
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#voiceactor #voiceover #actor #childrensbooks #narrator #audiobooks #seattle