Working: Voice Actor Erika Ishii on Video Game Roles and Motion Capture

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Slate Podcasts

Arts, Tv & Film, Music

4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 15 May 2022

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, host Karen Han talks to voice actor and performer Erika Ishii, whose very long resume includes video games, animated series, and live action projects. In the interview, Erika explains their process of bringing video game characters to life–characters like Valkyrie in the game Apex Legends. Then Erika discusses diversity among both characters and performers in the gaming industry and the ability to say no to projects that aren’t the right fit. After the interview, Karen and co-host Isaac Butler talk about diversity in entertainment and the progress that has yet to be made. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Erika lists some of the voice acting that has inspired them over the years. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected] or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Mum. Dad. Uncle, I'llister.
0:03.2	Mental health is declined in almost 40% of school children.
0:06.6	What's in our mind can be the hardest subject, so ask us what's on ours.
0:10.9	Help us with a different kind of homework.
0:13.4	A proper chat that can help ease our stress and reduce our anxiety.
0:17.6	To start a conversation tonight with our world mental health day homework.
0:21.9	To find out more, search ITV, Britain, get talking.
0:26.5	Supported by mind and young minds. ITV.
0:40.2	A lot of people, I think, when they think of voice acting,
0:43.6	they think of the voice part of it and not as much as the acting part.
0:47.4	And that's not necessarily done with accents or with pitch changes,
0:52.9	but just with changing the character.
1:00.2	Welcome back to Working. I'm your host, Isaac Butler.
1:03.4	And I'm your other host, Karen Han.
1:05.6	Karen, it is so nice to be co-hosting with you again.
1:09.3	Before we get into the episode, who's voice do we hear at the top of the show
1:13.2	and where are some places we have probably heard her voice before?
1:16.8	That was Erica Ishi. She is a prolific actor and voice-over artist whose voice you may have
1:22.0	heard in games such as Horizon For Bidden West, Halo Infinite, Death Loop, Psychonauts 2,
1:27.6	Apex Legends, Young Justice, the list goes on and on. You have probably heard her in something.
1:33.3	You know, as soon as I'm done with Elden Ring, I'm on the final boss right now and I just need a friend
1:37.6	to help me beat him or them, I guess. I'm going to be playing Horizon For Bidden West,
	...

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