Bayonetta Voice Actor Hellena Taylor Says She Didn't Reprise the Role in Bayonetta 3 as She Was Only Offered $4,000, Demands Fans Boycott

[Deltron]

I'm not keeping up with this situation because I'm not that invested in it (therefore I should honestly not even comment but whatever) but I would think royalty/residuals would be standard in this type of deal. Voice Actors, Artists, Film Actors, Commercial Actors, etc. I've them all mention getting checks for years on end after the gig in residuals. Child actors grow up and talk about how they still get checks when the old episodes get re-run. A deal for a project like Bayonetta that didn't include residuals would be a joke.
I go back to what I said before though; you get what you negotiate, not what you deserve.
I can't imagine the sales of the game suffering behind this but I don't know how passionate the fans are. I like the game a lot but I'm not a die hard fan.

from what I understand from some minor research most VA's don't get residuals

 

[winb83]

This is such a Jennifer Hale type of response. I've had the displeasure of meeting her at a convention.

I know it's supposed to be a helpful tweet, but just makes her look worse when you realize she's a self-absorbed a$$hole.

She used a lot of words just to say no comment but in a way that attempts to elevate herself in the process. She could have just not released that statement.

 

[42 Monks]

She used a lot of words just to say no comment but in a way that attempts to elevate herself in the process. She could have just not released that statement.

nah, she only included herself in all this because taylor put her in it like a jackass - and in the statement she acknowledges that as well as the fact that there's still a whole team of employees besides kamiya and the VAs who put work into a project that don't deserve to be boycotted over petty shyt

 

[GrindtooFilthy]

There has to be a royalty clause if you gonna get paid peanuts. No reason for her not to get at least $0.5-$2 for every copy sold.

 

[The Pledge]

MAGAnetta

 

[Rice N Beans]

She used a lot of words just to say no comment but in a way that attempts to elevate herself in the process. She could have just not released that statement.

I'm not surprised. In my experience, when you talk to Jennifer Hale, you better recognize that soon you'll be taking ABOUT Jennifer Hale.

Just stupid. A tweet made to help someone else, she manages to spin it inwards and make about herself somewhere. It's so spot on for how I remember her, personally.

 

[zerorequiem]

Went from a face to a heel super quick

It wasn't going to stop me from buying the game, but she messed up.

So do VAs not get paid for each game sold also? They just get a flat rate amount up front and that's it?

 

[gtj1982]

Surprise surprise.

The internet is so quick to come to the aid of white women. Especially nerd culture.

Fixed that for you.

 

[FruitOfTheVale]

I'm not keeping up with this situation because I'm not that invested in it (therefore I should honestly not even comment but whatever) but I would think royalty/residuals would be standard in this type of deal. Voice Actors, Artists, Film Actors, Commercial Actors, etc. I've them all mention getting checks for years on end after the gig in residuals. Child actors grow up and talk about how they still get checks when the old episodes get re-run. A deal for a project like Bayonetta that didn't include residuals would be a joke.
I go back to what I said before though; you get what you negotiate, not what you deserve.
I can't imagine the sales of the game suffering behind this but I don't know how passionate the fans are. I like the game a lot but I'm not a die hard fan.

On this note, based on that article I shared earlier, it's commonplace in the videogame industry to "blindfold" videogame VAs on gigs even after they land the part. They literally have them in VA recording sessions delivering lines and don't tell them who's making the game or what they're actually working on beyond key character bio/plot info. They claim it's to protect the IP from leakage and etc. but IMO it's really just to take away the negotiating power of VAs, and to standardize the rates videogame companies get away with offering.

Still, it appears the voice actors are holding out for residual compensation, a fact of life for film and television actors but not for vocal-only talent. The union also wants the producers to reveal the titles of the games, some of them blockbusters, that actors are otherwise blindly voicing. The game makers have kept the titles secret out of competitive concerns.

Imagine being blindfolded after landing the part of Lara Croft in the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot Talmbout "I wonder if this will be a hit" while you're in the vocal booth


..........

Wait... that's almost exactly what happened

'Tomb Raider' actress Camilla Luddington discusses playing the new Lara Croft

'Tomb Raider' actress Camilla Luddington discusses playing the new Lara Croft

ew.com

Three years ago I went in for an audition for something called Cryptids, because it had codename back then. I did three auditions and then when I got it, that’s when they told me it was Tomb Raider and I would be playing Lara Croft in the new game. I think they had told me her name was Sara Something, it’s wasn’t Lara Croft.

If an unknown VA had landed the role, what are the chances they would've thought their character name was Sara until after contract negotiations were done


Again, the VG industry has had no unions whatsoever for 99% of its existence... shytty business practices are the norm.

 

[MrLogic]

On this note, based on that article I shared earlier, it's commonplace in the videogame industry to "blindfold" videogame VAs on gigs even after they land the part. They literally have them in VA recording sessions delivering lines and don't tell them who's making the game or what they're actually working on beyond key character bio/plot info. They claim it's to protect the IP from leakage and etc. but IMO it's really just to take away the negotiating power of VAs, and to standardize the rates videogame companies get away with offering.




Imagine being blindfolded after landing the part of Lara Croft in the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot Talmbout "I wonder if this will be a hit" while you're in the vocal booth


..........

Wait... that's almost exactly what happened

'Tomb Raider' actress Camilla Luddington discusses playing the new Lara Croft

'Tomb Raider' actress Camilla Luddington discusses playing the new Lara Croft

ew.com

If an unknown VA had landed the role, what are the chances they would've thought their character name was Sara until after contract negotiations were done


Again, the VG industry has had no unions whatsoever for 99% of its existence... shytty business practices are the norm.

Seems it's better just be a b list actor and moonlight with VA

if VA is your true passion and by being an "actor" you probaly have more pull when it comes to VA if that makes any sense.

 

[Kornball The Conqueror]

cornball cac

 

[OnFleekTing]

This boycott was always sketch to me
I said from the moment I saw all the right wing culture war dudes circling the wagons on her about a female VA pay issue that they normally would be against
I said something was up and low and behold this lady is alt right and has been capping for a big payday and that's why she wants the whole game tanked and not because she actually wants to continue playing bayonetta

 

[peppe]

Bloomberg: Platinum Games Tried to Hire Bayonetta Voice Actress Hellena Taylor for About US$15,000

Platinum Games: Taylor asked for 6-figure number, residuals on Bayonetta 3

www.animenewsnetwork.com

Bytch was offered 4k for 4 hours that 1k/per hour for a total of 15k but wanted 6 figures AND residuals



Fumbled the bag

 

[Afro]

Bloomberg: Platinum Games Tried to Hire Bayonetta Voice Actress Hellena Taylor for About US$15,000

Platinum Games: Taylor asked for 6-figure number, residuals on Bayonetta 3

www.animenewsnetwork.com

Bytch was offered 4k for 4 hours that 1k/per hour for a total of 15k but wanted 6 figures AND residuals



Fumbled the bag

Folks forget that Bayonetta 2 barely got made because the first game didn't make that much money.
Only after Nintendo stepped in did it get done. She could have said 50k and most likely would have gotten it.

Residuals? Good luck

 

[Afro]

She used a lot of words just to say no comment but in a way that attempts to elevate herself in the process. She could have just not released that statement.

I'm not surprised. In my experience, when you talk to Jennifer Hale, you better recognize that soon you'll be taking ABOUT Jennifer Hale.

Just stupid. A tweet made to help someone else, she manages to spin it inwards and make about herself somewhere. It's so spot on for how I remember her, personally.

Is she really that self-centered? Problem is she is one of the biggest names in Video game VAs so I can kinda see it