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How were the voice actors for Sam and Max chosen?

doom saberdoom saber
edited August 2011 in Sam & Max
Before I start, this topic isn't about how the old lucasart voice actors are superior to the Telltale ones (I am satisfy with the new voices), but rather I am curious on how you chose the voices for the telltale games.

What I mean is when you had ppl auditioned the roles of our favorite canine and rabbit thingy, did you tell them to play Sam like Humphrey Bogard or did you use samples of the the hit the road game for them to mimic? I am curious on the process since you guys, Steve, or the voice director can choose a different sounding voice if you wanted to; like how the cartoon show voice for Sam sounds completey different the Hit the Road and the telltale s&m games.

Comments

  • TaleTale
    edited March 2007
    They threw knives at applicants. The ones that didn't die got the job.
  • TelltaleToolTelltaleTool
    edited March 2007
    We put all the actors on a big wheel, and spin it for each role. The hardest part is keeping them from falling off when we spin it.
  • Hero1Hero1
    edited March 2007
    I heard that they dipped 100 voice actors in molten lava and those that survived got the job
  • Sp0ttedSp0tted
    edited March 2007
    What's sad is I think everyone who opened this thread had a similair idea as to how to make a witty response... only to find someone else has.

    I think I may cry myself to sleep now.
  • TelltaleToolTelltaleTool
    edited March 2007
    Well, seriously, I think it's the same way most people cast actors... listen to auditions and pick our favorites. And maybe some dart-throwing.
  • doom saberdoom saber
    edited March 2007
    tabacco wrote: »
    Well, seriously, I think it's the same way most people cast actors... listen to auditions and pick our favorites. And maybe some dart-throwing.

    I guess I worded it wrong, but how they get Sam and Max sound similar to the original as oppose to sounding something else like the tv series? I am either thinking they played a sampe for them to mimic or the director told them to do an impression of some famous icon like Humphrey Bogard.
  • Hero1Hero1
    edited March 2007
    Sp0tted wrote: »
    What's sad is I think everyone who opened this thread had a similair idea as to how to make a witty response... only to find someone else has.

    I think I may cry myself to sleep now.

    :D :D :D :D
  • MelMel
    edited March 2007
    tabacco wrote: »
    We put all the actors on a big wheel, and spin it for each role. The hardest part is keeping them from falling off when we spin it.

    That reminded me of the Futurama episode where Kif (sp?) gets pregnant and they have to figure out who contributed the DNA. :)
  • TaleTale
    edited March 2007
    Sp0tted wrote: »
    What's sad is I think everyone who opened this thread had a similair idea as to how to make a witty response... only to find someone else has.

    I think I may cry myself to sleep now.

    Not me. I was first.
  • BrendanBrendan Telltale Alumni
    edited March 2007
    In the case of Sam and Max, prospective actors were given descriptions of the characters written by Steve Purcell, as well as samples of the voices from the previous Sam & Max game. We listened to one set of auditions in which actors tried to mimic the sound fairly closely, and another where we encouraged them to try something to give it a fresh spin. For some of the actors, we asked them to audition again, with some more specific direction to help them hone in on the character's style.

    In the case of newly created characters, we typically write up a brief summary of the character's personality, as well as some possible similar voices. For some, we have a fairly specific idea of the voice in mind. For example, Mr. Featherly the chicken actor was supposed to be reminiscent of Don Knotts on-camera, and someone like Patrick Stewart off.
  • sigh blushsigh blush
    edited March 2007
    Don't listen to Brendan... It was knives.

    :)
  • DangerzoneDangerzone
    edited March 2007
    they put the voice actors in a steel cage to duke it out and they must also read a script while perforing the mexican hat dance while the telltale staff fires nailguns, flame throwers, and potato guns at them loaded with various blunt objects and and have a 500 pound bouncer named bruno wacking away with a steel pipe, and those who sur- *erm* i mean complete the reading get a call in a week or two if they got the part
  • fhqwhgadsfhqwhgads
    edited March 2007
    Speaking of voices:

    Is it just me, or did the voice actor for the 'bug' change in episode 4? I'm sure the credits showed a different name...

    ;)
  • KiwiKiwi
    edited March 2007
    sigh blush wrote: »
    Don't listen to Brendan... It was knives.

    :)

    No, actually it was 4 darts, 1 knife and 1 ax. They throw it all in one shot, just like Sam did in the original version.
  • JakeJake Telltale Alumni
    edited March 2007
    fhqwhgads wrote: »
    Is it just me, or did the voice actor for the 'bug' change in episode 4? I'm sure the credits showed a different name...

    The bug's voice actor operates under many names.
  • CertifiableCertifiable
    edited March 2007
    I could imagine new actors were a wise choice in money terms for a start. I'd bet that wasn't to make money to line 24k gold suits though. More to help start TTG without maxing out the spending (no pun intended).

    The old actors are also doing quite well for themselves. From what I read, Nick "Max" Jameson got Lucas-related work with Senator Palpatine in the SW cartoons.
    Bill "Sam" Farmer is still working in the games voice-over industry with recent classics such as "Destroy all humans!", and as a double-sider, he also has the roles of Goofy and Pluto to look after for any future Disney projects, which includes the Kingdom Hearts games.

    Besides, aside from both the actors gaining 14 years since Hit The Road now, they'd still sound different even if they got the part, despite their training. The human voice is always subtly changing, even if only slightly. It's why singers and voice actors always practice to keep "in shape".
  • UdvarnokyUdvarnoky
    edited March 2007
    Judging from a PC Zone interview from... a long time ago, not getting the old guys could have had to do with availability rather than money. Since Farmer and Jameson are busy guys these days it might not have been possible to get them to commit to the whole season. I imagine that doing one big game would have meant a few closely scheduled recording sessions but because of the episodic nature of these games the actors have to get called back repeatedly throughout the entire production, including those of future seasons should they exist. Selecting Bay Area folk ensures actors that can stay on for the long haul.
  • Comrade PantsComrade Pants
    edited August 2011
    THREAD NECRO'D

    They weren't chosen, but were instead grown in a vat for this one job and summarily disposed of for being hacks.
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