frequently asked questions

How long have you been voice acting, and how did you get started?
I started voice acting in spring of 2004, when I was a junior in high school. (To be honest, I was TERRIBLE at it when I first started auditioning---it's a skill that can be learned, so don't tell yourself "I don't have a voice for voice acting"; you can train your voice to make it do what you want!) I had always liked doing things with my voice, and when I was 11-12 ish I thought it would be cool to "talk" for Sora from Digimon or Misty from Pokemon, but I never really thought about/attempted voice acting until age 16 when I got into anime and video games. A friend from the DDR community I was a part of introduced me to the amateur voice acting community online, and that's how I got started.

Can you give me tips on voice acting?
I, as well as others in the Voice Acting Club community, have put together lots of handy reference guides for people looking to get started, or improve their skills. You can also audition for projects there if you're interested in voice acting!

What kind of microphone do you use?
I use a Samson C01U, which is a USB condenser microphone (I got mine for about $100 total, IIRC.) If you're just getting started and don't want to spend a lot of money, any USB microphone such as Logitech or even a Rock Band mic will be decent enough for the majority of online work. However, I don't recommend a headset as they make it difficult to record shouting lines without peaking or excess noise. For software, I use Audacity, which is FREE (just make sure you get the mp3 plugin as mp3 is pretty standard for delivering finished voice files!)

Do I have to pay you to voice act for my project?
If you're doing a Newgrounds/YouTube animation, student project, pony fan work or other non-profit project, then no. If you're not making any money off your project, I don't expect to either---and volunteering is a great way for me to get practice and exposure. However, if you are working on a commercial project with a budget or something else that you will be receiving substantial revenue from, a donation would be very much appreciated.

Can you find an animator/artist/other voice actors for me?
Generally speaking, no. Although I am in contact with animators here and there, most of them would not be willing to animate for free, especially for someone they do not know. Your best bet is to look around for animators that do commissions. As for finding other voice actors, I will assist with casting/VO direction for exceptional and established projects such as XBLA indie games, but your best bet is to post auditions at the Voice Acting Club.

How did you get into doing professional voiceover work?
I moved to the Los Angeles area (you pretty much HAVE to be where the work is if you want to get into official projects), took classes, sent out demos, the usual. I'm still working on it!

How long will you take to do lines?
When you e-mail me, please specify what kind of deadline you are under so I can prioritize accordingly. At any given time I have an average of 20-30 projects on my to-do list and if I know up front how soon you need the lines, it will be a huge help (and also will help me know whether I am able to take on the role due to the time commitment required.) I'm human and lose track of things sometimes, so if it's been a couple weeks and you haven't received recordings from me yet, feel free to send a reminder.

Do you use messenger services or other chat?
Not really. My Skype name is reserved for very close friends and established producers who require live direction. Please realize - I am not trying to be stuck up or snobby by not doing chat---it's simply that if I did, I wouldn't be able to get any recording done! You are more than welcome to connect with me via e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter. :)

So...you're a gamer, right? What kind of games are you into?
Competitively, I started with Super Smash Bros. I used to attend tournaments for Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, and Pokemon, but since I moved back to L.A. I haven't had as much time to play video games. Casually, I love the Ace Attorney series and that sort of thing...I'll almost always end up playing and enjoying the games I voice act for, too. I tried briefly to get into CoD and Starcraft, but I'm terrible at them so that didn't last long! If you asked me to pick my two absolute favorite games of all time, I'd say Super Smash Brothers Melee and Guilty Gear Accent Core. (Yes, my e-mail address is a tribute to Dizzy.)

If you could voice act for any type of project, what would it be?
A fighting game! That's why I was so excited to get the part of Marie in Skullgirls (now if only she was playable!!) Aside from that, I would absolutely love to voice for "unique" projects such as toys/plushes, arcade games, & other projects. A girl can dream, right?

What does the name Rina-chan mean?
Honestly? It doesn't mean anything! It was something I came up with randomly years ago. FYI, my username on the Voice Acting Alliance is "Haushinka", which is taken from a Green Day song about a girl with that name.

Do you actually voice act for your job?
I wish! I've done paid projects here and there, but it's definitely not how I make my living. I am a waitress for my "day job", and before that I worked as a barista.