Ryan Drummond Almost Returned

[Mauro Fonseca]

And that makes it right?

Yep. I'm sorry, but it's a simple rule of business. Words mean shit, the only thing that matters is what's on the contract. Which from what we've been told never existed, exactly because it would've implied Ryan leaving union.

SEGA told Ryan he had the job... and he refused the offer because it wasn't a good one. Key difference there.

Someone in SEGA told Ryan he was hired. Then someone presumably up high-er put a restriction, and Ryan was offered the job in exchange of a specific set of conditions he refused. No injustice going around here. People are hating over a sense of "honor" that once the guy at SEGA told him "you're hired" they had to keep their word.

[WarioBone]

Both of those lines are very cheesy (Rogers even more so).

Mkay. :|

Also, no. Drummond's deliver was cheesier than Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. But that's not why we're here, so whatever.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Playboy Billionaire Wario

[Nepenthe]

Well, let's assume that Sega's side of the story is indeed as thus: that they're afraid of union action and strikes crippling some of their business actions in dealing with their actors. That's understandable, even if it was still a deal breaker for Ryan. But why would they ask him on top of quitting his union to supposedly avoid any legal hassles to also "do tons of work for no compensation?" The offer that Ryan states he was given does not simply sound as if Sega doesn't want to tangle up with any unions, but that they really just don't like paying their voice actors all that much.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Nepenthe

[Kiovle]

So take one gig that he was fired from in the first place, or loose all matter of your primary income.

Gee, that's a tough choice :V

...Your point? Sega didn't "lie" about him not having the job.

[Scar]

Well, let's assume that Sega's side of the story is indeed as thus: that they're afraid of union action and strikes crippling some of their business actions in dealing with their actors. That's understandable, even if it was still a deal breaker for Ryan. But why would they ask him on top of quitting his union to supposedly avoid any legal hassles to also "do tons of work for no compensation?" The offer that Ryan states he was given does not simply sound as if Sega doesn't want to tangle up with any unions, but that they really just don't like paying their voice actors all that much.

There's a good point, but we still don't know the details of the event.

"do tons of work for no compensation", could literally mean anything depending on your perspective. All we have his an interview to go off of.

[GenesisCodeX]

To avoid starting a punch on, this may have just been crap direction, but to me Ryan always sounded a bit sissy to be Sonic. I always pictured him having a more mature 'cool' voice, and boy did Roger deliver. Hell yeah!

[Wentos]

Martin Burke beats all.

[Shane]

I'm probably the closest to the original story seeing as I have contacts that were directly involved.

SEGA told Ryan he was hired. They knew he was union. They later screwed him over again.

[Nepenthe]

There's a good point, but we still don't know the details of the event.

"do tons of work for no compensation", could literally mean anything depending on your perspective. All we have his an interview to go off of.

While the severity of that statement depends on what "tons of work" refers to, which you're right- we don't really know considering our limited sources- I still think it's inherently clear that it means Sega wanted him to do some things for them without paying him anything or very little. Again, it's not bad in and of itself, but on top of asking him to quit the union, the two terms taken together, along with others Ryan alluded to, just don't paint a pretty light in Sega's favor. Had he merely said, "They asked me to quit my union and I couldn't do that because I rely on it. Sucks, but that's how business works" without any further elaboration on other terms of the deal, the defense of Sega's actions as "being wary of powerful unions" would hold far more weight.

SEGA told Ryan he was hired. They knew he was union.

Wat??? :|........

Edited September 9, 2012 by Nepenthe

[Scar]

I don't really think anyone's issue is that they "lied"

The problem is that they enjoyed his performance to great extent. Both Sega branches adored it according to what was said in this thread. They spent all that money just talking about the union when they could have spent that money on hiring him. Why go through all of this trouble just to cheap out in the end?

What do you mean cheap out?

SEGA loved his performance so they gave him an offer. Ryan refused because he didn't like the conditions. Now aside from the fact that he was told to quit his union, we don't actually know what those conditions were. We probably never will know.

SEGA told Ryan he was hired.

Where was the contract? Did he sign the contract?

They knew he was union.

Yes, so they asked him to leave his union.

They later screwed him over again.

How? They offered him the job with seemingly harsh conditions yes, but he was in no way screwed over? Its not like they had made contractual commitments and then dropped him. Geez.

While the severity of that statement depends on what "tons of work" refers to, which you're right- we don't really know considering our limited sources- I still think it's inherently clear that it means Sega wanted him to do some things for them without paying him anything or very little. Again, it's not bad in and of itself, but on top of asking him to quit the union, the two terms taken together, along with others Ryan alluded to, just don't paint a pretty light in Sega's favor. Had he merely said, "They asked me to quit my union and I couldn't do that because I rely on it. Sucks, but that's how business works" without any further elaboration on other terms of the deal, the defense of Sega's actions as "being wary of powerful unions" would hold far more weight.

No, you're absolutely right about that. I just don't want to jump to conclusions. I know SEGA is rough with their VA's that was pretty clear with Shadow's game, but at the same time the conditions are unclear. A "ton" could mean anything, "no compensation" could either be taken literally or as hyperbole, We don't know.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Scar

[Vertekins]

Martin Burke beats all.

Change that to "Junichi Kanemaru" and I'd be in full agreement.

But yeah, Kanemaru beats every single english VA anyway by a combination of raw acting ability, consistency (He's always been Modern Sonic's VA since '98 except for Werehog form, who's voiced by Tomokazu Seki, another damn fine VA) and appropriate tone, something none of the English VA's have in combination IMO.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Vertekins

[Soniman]

I prefer knowing what my VAs are saying.

[Shane]

How? They offered him the job with seemingly harsh conditions yes, but he was in no way screwed over? Its not like they had made contractual commitments and then dropped him. Geez.

They didn't tell him about these conditions until long after they had him thinking he was Sonic again. It's just not ethical to treat people like this no matter what the conditions are.

[Vertekins]

And I say that language difference have nothing to do with being able to recognize a great VA, an appropriate tone and the ability to appreciate a sense of consistency.

[Chaos Warp]

I like Junichi........when there's english subtitles at the bottom of the screen.

[GenesisCodeX]

And I say that language difference have nothing to do with being able to recognize a great VA, an appropriate tone and the ability to appreciate a sense of consistency.

It has at least a little bit to do with it. Wouldn't it be natural to hear foreign speakers as sounding 'better' since we like the unusual?

[Voyant]

Had he merely said-

Normally when people are upset about something they don't put much effort in to trying to make the other side innocent in anyway.

Like I said before we are hearing info from one side...it easy for people to sympathize with him because people connect with the guy, he is indeed in the hearts of many (including mine), but personally?

I would have kept something like this to myself. There was no need to bring something like this to public notion.

To me right now the guy is playing the role as victim and is wanting to look for some sympathy...there nothing wrong with that, but I'd like to see what the "bad guys" have to say first and since we might never hear that..I'm not harping about it.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Voyant

[Nepenthe]

I prefer knowing what my VAs are saying.

I prefer the absolute best acting and voice direction for a character, which a ton of the Japanese VAs have over their American counterparts.

[Soniman]

And I say the VAs being in a language I can understand makes the VA and the character more relatable, even if it is of a lesser quality.

[Scar]

They didn't tell him about these conditions until long after they had him thinking he was Sonic again. It's just not ethical to treat people like this no matter what the conditions are.

Unethical? No, not by a longshot.

[Mauro Fonseca]

They didn't tell him about these conditions until long after they had him thinking he was Sonic again. It's just not ethical to treat people like this no matter what the conditions are.

Look, I'm sorry, but if he is a professional he knows damn well that it's in the contract or its worth nothing.

EDIT: I mean, yeah he feels upset. Good for him, I can agree. He thought he was gonna get a job but didn't. That's always a bummer.

Not SEGA's fault, though.

Edited September 9, 2012 by The KKM

[WarioBone]

I prefer the absolute best acting and voice direction for a character, which a ton of the Japanese VAs have over their American counterparts.

So being Japanese automatically makes you a better VA? I'm sure there are plenty of American VAs who outdo their Japanese counterparts just as well.

[Wraith]

I gotta go with Soniman on this one. Emotion is nice, yes, but what good is it if you don't know what the hell they're saying, therefore you don't even know what emotion they're supposed to convey?

[Nepenthe]

So being Japanese automatically makes you a better VA? I'm sure there are plenty of American VAs who outdo their Japanese counterparts just as well.

My statement means exactly what it says: I prefer the best acting out of a character, and a ton of Sonic Japanese VAs serve this point better than their American counterparts. This does not mean I believe all of them do (case in point: Don't like Silver's Japanese VA for that role at all), or that merely being Japanese gives you some kind of hidden talent for this thing that Americans don't possess. Contrary to what the avatar implies, I'm not a weaboo.

Normally when people are upset about something they don't put much effort in to trying to make the other side innocent in anyway.

Maybe sometimes the other side isn't all that innocent. Sometimes people are genuinely screwed over; this has been reiterated numerous times throughout this topic in the form of "Well, that's life" or "He should've expected this because the industry is always like this." Indeed, if we all believe in the notion that the VA industry is brutal, that implies some element of screwing over and guilt on part of the industry, does it not?

Regardless, considering all we have to go on, it is just as likely that Sega dealt him a really shitty hand after delving out false promises as it is that Ryan is whining and bitching because he didn't get his dream job.

I would have kept something like this to myself. There was no need to bring something like this to public notion.

To me right now the guy is playing the role as victim and is wanting to look for some sympathy.

He was asked the question about returning to the franchise; I don't know why he would let the story of a recent re-audition escape his answer when it was extremely relevant. Subsequently at the end of his response, he says "I'd love to be Sonic again, but I can't, and I have other work to keep me busy anyway." This does not sound like a persecution complex, especially when it's not even a majority of what the actual article talks about.

And on another note, I feel like I'm the only one who read said article. xP

Edited September 9, 2012 by Nepenthe

[Vertekins]

Because the ability to perceive emotion is universal. It's not so much the words as it is the tone that puts across a character's feelings a lot of the time. And it just so happens that Junichi is better at doing this than any other VA. Besides, with the exception of the two Adventure games (Which went out of their way to rewrite script and had commonly bad translation) and Colours' frequently very different script from english, the script is nowhere near different enough to make characters characterizations and lines vastly different or hard to pick up on.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Vertekins