Well, now that the demo for PSA is right round the corner! I can announce that Jett Barker is playing the role of the ethereal Felher! I'm so honored I got to work with Jett again for this project, on this project? You get my point. I'm honored. Jett is a phenomenal actor I think that kind of goes without saying. You can just look at their performance as DeLuna and now Felher and see that they have an incredible range. I kind of don't know that many people would pick up on that, and sure maybe part of that is the writing, that certainly helps. But ultimately it speaks to the ability of the actor and the control they have over their voice to be able to create more than one distinct voice and act with that voice. And sure I could have put out a casting call for Felher, but I wanted to keep her as a surprise for as long as I could. I didn't want every character to have a public reveal, I wanted players or- readers to be able to meet some characters for the first time within the game. And in these instances, it's really much easier to hire an actor you know vs putting out a cattle call and then just kind of hoping it doesn't get spoiled. Like this is a project with few eyes on it so, of course, that's a low risk anyways, but the point is there is an element of that. That being said Jett still was the perfect choice for the role that I'm kind of shocked I didn't think of sooner. Honestly, if they hadn't made a joke about playing a Galadriel-esque elf character on Twitter (I'm not calling it X that's dumb) I might never have. But once I read that tweet (again I refuse to acknowledge the rebrand) I was like, "wait- I have the perfect character for them right here." I never expect actors to work with me a second time, I never plan on it happening I'm completely fine with a one-and-done. All the ones who have worked with me sort of put their faith in a project that they have no guarantee will see the light of day; on top of it having a small budget since it's funded by a single person and their 9-5 who's also the sole provider for their home. Like- it's not really a small ask which is why I'm always straightforward about each role. I say all this to give some context, and give I guess nuance? To the situation. Like I had no idea whether Jett would be interested is what I'm trying to say. Which is why I'm so honored they said yes because again they were perfect for the role. And you don't need to take my word for it the demo will be out soon and peoplea are already playing early access versions with their! Voicelines in it. I think Jett was perfect for this role because beyond just- yes the character fits in their range, but because Felher very obviously is this sort of love letter to Tolkien's Lord of The Rings and Peter Jackson's adaptations. Not in any direct sense, like there are no narrative similarities like she doesn't have some sort of pre-existing counterpart. But to me, the way she carries herself and speaks is very much influenced by that IP. And so Jett being a fan of that IP I think can easily recognize that and play the character to the fullest. I don't really have to break down how she should sound, or say things, Jett already knows just based on the character's backstory. Aside from guidance on a couple of words which honestly I decided upon based on Jett's own suggestions I didn't have to say much more. Like they just got it and that's always for me- a sign that the casting was the perfect choice. And again Jett's performance as Felher is just a testament to their skill with DeLuna they really had free range, but with Felher there was a box they had to stay within. I think with the former it was Jett saying, "this is DeLuna." And fleshing out this character more than my words on a page could have done on their own. And I think with Felher it was more like a test to see if my writing or dialogue achieved what I had hoped with would with this character. I don't know that there's much else to say other than I'm grateful I got to work with Jett again and that their performance is perfection. Felher sounds how you'd expect an immortal, ethereal, elf to sound. And in a way that makes it very apparent that she is not like the other elves at PSA, and I don't believe that's something dialogue alone could have done; I think that's all Jett and what they brought to the role. So anyways, without any further delay, Jett Barker welcome back once more to Pleasant Sparkle Academy.
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