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Hellena Taylor (Voice of Bayonetta) Describes How She was Offered only $4,000 USD to Voice Her Again in Bayonetta 3.

TheInfamousKira

Reseterror Resettler


Hale is kind of her own brand of exceptional, but she's intelligent, well promoted, and good at conducting public business. I can't recall any super egregious gaffes on her part, beside having a touch of crazy old progressive grandma who's TOTALLY hanging with the homies because she GETS IT, and Trump smells funny.

Was especially fond of the subtle legalese approved shade thrown at (I can't even remember her name and it's in the topic title) this chick. Like "Please keep in mind that this game is the creation of hundreds of people, and if you Asked For anything silly like a boycott over one voice actor, you're [allegedly] kind of a tool, and should suck start a chainsaw. All the love and respect, J. Hale,"

Good shit.
 

Neff

Member
If doing voice acting is a hit and miss career where making a stable living out of it is tough to do, then she should do something else in life.

I agree. And she probably does, considering she hasn't done VA work for 8 years. In fact the way she worded her statements back when she implied she wasn't doing Bayo 3 sounded like she didn't have time to do it because she was doing other stuff.

You'd be surprised if you knew how many people have a long dry spell in their lives and yet, nobody cares about them.

Not really. I've gone without work for long periods myself. In that regard, I know how tough it can be.

She's literally the most prolific female VA; like actually #1

Until now I assumed it was Laura Bailey but yeah, it's clear Hale has done more work.
 
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ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
A big 🙄🙄🙄 at REE.

From supporting her despite the “not the full picture” post about her VO thing now suddenly digging her old posts that she’s suddenly a TERF or something.

REE definitely has morality issues.
 
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SSfox

Member
I dont know who Jennifer Hale is but googled her and she's in a shit load of games.

Compared to Hellena Taylor, Hale is like a major league pro and Taylor is a AA minor leaguer. I dont know how up to date her bio is, but if it's true, Taylor hasnt done voice work since Bayonetta in various games in 2014.

Click on each link and use your mouse to scroll down, or if youre on your phone swipe down. Hale's career is literally 20x more. You'll be scrolling forever.

Helenna Taylor Bio

Jennifer Hale Bio
Jennifer is awesome, loved her specially for Naomi MGS1, but Helena voice for Bayonetta has more personality and fits much better. And speaking for Jennifer i doubt she got paid 4000$ for the role, which make PG looks really ugly in this situation.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
One of these voice actors does not turn down roles and by being constantly willing and available she builds a reputation as of of "The to go to" people when casting.

The other hasn't worked for 8 years.

Back in the day when I was out of work due to redundancy I signed on with a temp agency. Not one of those jobs paid me what I was "Worth" but earning anything was better than just sitting at home running up my utilities bills and earning nothing. I didn't turn down any job offered (Except call centre work, I did it once and it was hell) I'd deliver leaflets to houses, stock room work at retail, post sorting, data entry, reception. Which led to me gaining a rep with the agency as a reliable worker, which then go me in a position where I was offered the higher paying or more desirable longer term placement jobs first.

Eventually I did get a non agency job that paid me what I was "Worth" but I wasn't too proud to turn down work when I needed it.
After I graduated undergrad I did almost a year's worth of shitty jobs getting paid up to $12-15/hr depending on the campaign. I worked at third party marketing companies driving a van giving out new candy, protein bars, and what ever other marketing campaign shit the company signed up for. Gaffers, you know those guys who stand on street corners and busy intersections giving out free stuff wearing a corporate T-shirt in the summer heat? That was me.

I even had to drive in downtown gridlock and one way streets to drop off promotional supplies to office buildings. Driving a van downtown all day is not for the faint of heart unless someone is used to it. I'm surprised I didn't crash. Gas and parking was paid for. But I didn't even get to expense lunch even though I was on the road. Only time I went to head office was to fill the van with more boxes of stuff or be told what the new campaign was (each campaign was 2-4 weeks long). Some even required driving a few hours out of town each way where I'd do sessions and then come home.

It wasnt a great job at all. But hey, it was the only job I got offered till I landed a decent starting office job at a big company.

If she hasnt done VA for 8 years, it goes to show she's either shit at her job, asking for too much money, not taking VA jobs seriously (hustle) or a combo of them. If she thinks she's that established to be paid more than Hollywood rates, it sure doesn't seem like it.
 
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Stunning and brave
What? No it's not. Taking a non-position and wishing the best for all involved while using an NDA as cover is not stunning or brave. To be clear, I don't think she needed to make a statement at all and I have nothing against the statement in question. In fact, I think she very smartly addresses the issue's existence in a non-confrontational way. But it's not stunning nor is it brave.
 

jakinov

Member
Her arguments for why she deserves more money suck. First she tries to make it seem like a big deal because the game grossed $450M across multiple releases, dozens of companies and hundreds (possibly thousands) of people working many years and with stakeholders who actually took risk not paid for a job. Then she just goes off about her education/training. Vast majority of jobs don't care about your education after entry-level. In the entertainment bussiness, shit ton of actors don't have formal education and it's nevere expected. Her "debunking" the scheduling conflict from Platinum by boasting about how free she is hurts her case as she's basically showing she's not that desirable.

I don't know how much work Bayonetta 3 would have been for $4000 or what the average market rate is but she could have made way better arguments.
 

Jaybe

Member
hilarious how REEE has turned on a dime after finding out that she didn't pledge full allegiance to trans mafia back in 2019.

A big 🙄🙄🙄 at REE.

From supporting her despite the “not the full picture” post about her VO thing now suddenly digging her old posts that she’s suddenly a TERF or something.

REE definitely has morality issues.
It’s glorious when the purple hive mind gets caught in an infinite loop
 
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e0n

Member
Jennifer Hale just shot herself in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about voice actor culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in Japan where you can become successful by playing yet another anime character. If you screw someone over in voice acting, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.
What this means is the many gamers, after hearing about this, are not going to want to purchase Bayonetta 3, nor will they purchase any more from PlatinumGames. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but she has alienated an entire market with this move.

Jennifer Hale, publicly apologize and give the role back to Hellena Taylor or you can kiss your business goodbye.
 

Nico_D

Member
Oh dear, martyrdom and the modern trend of victimhood is very strong with this one.

If you get paid less than you think you deserve, you say no thank you and walk away. You may feel hurt, you have every right for that, but you don't go to Twitter and ask people to boycott a product because you feel you got slighted. Or for gods sake, you don't undermine your colleague. That's even worse.

And then they get Jennifer Hale which should inform everyone that it really wasn't sbout money.
 
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Oh dear, martyrdom and the modern trend of victimhood is very strong with this one.

If you get paid less than you think you deserve, you say no thank you and walk away. You may feel hurt, you have every right for that, but you don't go to Twitter and ask people to boycott a product because you feel you got slighted. Or for gods sake, you don't undermine your colleague. That's even worse.

And then they get Jennifer Hale which should inform everyone that it really wasn't sbout money.


That person is smart... they know that a army of man children's would support this bs...


Mfs don't give a fuck how much people make at their favorite Starbucks/Tim Horton's xD nor their care about how much professors make in schools, but they sure are the first to jump the gun as soon the new "cancel this thing" trend happens in the videogame world.
 
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Kamina

Golden Boy
hilarious how REEE has turned on a dime after finding out that she didn't pledge full allegiance to trans mafia back in 2019.
A big 🙄🙄🙄 at REE.

From supporting her despite the “not the full picture” post about her VO thing now suddenly digging her old posts that she’s suddenly a TERF or something.

REE definitely has morality issues.
These types of people (REEE) are simply evil and rotten to the core.
Witch-hunts, celebrating peoples deaths, destroying peoples livelihoods, all just because the targets dont fit their agenda or hold other opinions.
Malicious devils.
 
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supernova8

Banned
The company definitely is not going to say "due to wages she will not be reprising her role". They just look crappy if they did that. Scheduling issues is a common reason given.
Yeah of course but on the flipside if they say "scheduling issues" then you could make the argument that it makes Taylor look crappy in that she wasn't interested in reprising her role.

This doesn't seem to be like when Kojima replaced Hayter with Sutherland (I would assume Sutherland asked for more than Hayter was asking for, just a presumption). If they low-balled her on purpose to get her off the role because they wanted someone else then that's a bit of a dick-move but shit happens.

All boils down to whether she was actually asking for a "reasonable" amount taking everything into account, and we'll never know until we find out what she was getting paid previously.

Also, re-watching her three-part twitter video thread, I'd say the first two videos were just filler. I don't really care where she went to school. Her time/money invested in XYZ school does not mean companies are obliged to pay X amount for her services.

The third part is key. If someone low-balled me and then put out a press release saying I wouldn't be taking the job because of "scheduling issues" I would be absolutely livid.
 
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Arachnid

Member
A big 🙄🙄🙄 at REE.

From supporting her despite the “not the full picture” post about her VO thing now suddenly digging her old posts that she’s suddenly a TERF or something.

REE definitely has morality issues.
They were already flipping when they found out she's a trump supporter lol. One second, they're all about morality. Next second, some politics makes them completely flip the script and go full keyboard warrior.

I thank CHRIST the real world isn't anything like that echo chamber of retards and autists. I always wonder if it ever gets frustrating screaming into the void and ultimately changing nothing. They make themselves look like jokes.


I'm Commander Shepard, and I approve this message.
 
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Banjo64

cumsessed
So she herself said Bayo 2 took her 4 separate 4 hour sessions, and 16 hours in total. $250 per hour, union guidelines are just less than $1k for 4 hours work. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be outraged by here. Apart from the fact that you can earn $4k for 16 hours work.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member

Jennifer Hale should send Hellena Taylor a thank you card. That tweet Hale did is as safe and courteous as can be which makes her look even better to hire. Compare that to Taylor's weird videos (I skimmed each one skipping ahead or back to see what she's gabbing about) and one of them was like she was quoting bible verses like a creepy priest. Who the hell would hire this person.
 
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StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
So she herself said Bayo 2 took her 4 separate 4 hour sessions, and 16 hours in total. $250 per hour, union guidelines are just less than $1k for 4 hours work. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be outraged by here. Apart from the fact that you can earn $4k for 16 hours work.
Who knew rates were that high? I didn't. Recording lines someone else wrote with some adlibbing sounds like a fun job. And if you screw up some lines, just re-do them in 10 seconds.

The published rate card seems a blessing and curse. One on hand, it helps bench warmers get paid a good wage for minimal work by setting a wage floor. On the other hand, it gives the hiring company a guideline to take the easy way out and just offer the same pay the card says instead of going through the motions everyone does negotiating pay where no two people get the same pay. It's no different than the fast food minimum age of $10/hr (or whatever the city policy mandates). For bottom of the barrel roles, companies will just look at the minimum wage chart and just go by that as a starting point. And unless someone is so awesome at making burgers and fries, the wage they get offer will be pretty darn close to min wage because they know a ton of people can sub in and do the job.

All the while the R&D lab guy getting newly hired is going back and forth with HR on pay. There's no stated pay to go on, but internally there's a range the company is willing to pay the guy, which might be $85,000-$105,000. Depending how good the candidate is, he'll skew closer to the high end where both sides can wiggle to an agreement.
 
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zombrex

Member
Nintendo is being disgustingly cheap. This is the one case I would actually support a boycott.
Saying she was busy added insult to injury and is likely what made her go public.
They are saying she is not even worth 150 sold copies of the game when the series sells millions. That is accounting for retailer margin.
 
What? No it's not. Taking a non-position and wishing the best for all involved while using an NDA as cover is not stunning or brave. To be clear, I don't think she needed to make a statement at all and I have nothing against the statement in question. In fact, I think she very smartly addresses the issue's existence in a non-confrontational way. But it's not stunning nor is it brave.
Glad you're paying attention ;)

 
I love Bayonetta, but this person was never the reason I bought the games. She is simply a voice and thousands of people can emulate it with little issue. She was paid the industry standard rates. She isn't a big name actress, she isn't part of a massive franchise (sorry, but Bayo is NOT a massive franchise and never was) - she isn't beholden to having higher pay.

That is exactly what I am saying. I am not bothered by it at all and clearly most people don't seem to give a flying shit given the game continues to sell increasingly well since this "Scandal" came out. If you want to make an argument that the industry is underpaying voice actors, then that is certainly a good discussion to have. However, nothing here is a surprise to anyone with half a brain cell. If she was paid *under* industry standard rates and not given the standard rate after negotiations (an every day tactic for ANY contract worker who isn't a big name), then people may have room to stand here. But that isn't what happened.


You are correct, however this actress didn't have a unique spin or voice. She isn't a Mark Hamill Joker. She isn't a David Hayter Snake, her performance can be done by literally thousands of others without missing a beat and something that clearly can be shown in the trailers for Bayo 3 with Hale.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. All assumptions. All opinions if yours. But you'll keep thinking you're right. Just because people are still buying the game doesn't mean that they aren't disappointed about the voice switch.

All these comments saying the people complaining were never going to buy the game in the first place. Where is the logic behind that assumption? Yet that is used almost every time people complain about a game. Saw that same line over the Last of Us Remake as a response to complaints over the price. It's like backwards logic at its best. The people most "upset" are the people most invested and passionate about something.

Again from a gamers perspective this is about a company not being willing to spend more than $4000 to have consistency across their series and to bring back a well liked characters voice. Every time this happens there are many upset fans hence the controversy that erupts. If her voice was so replaceable nobody would care but that ain't what's happening yet you say the opposite because you don't think people should complain
 

ssringo

Member
Really? Hmm that's not the direction I thought theyd take on this
As soon as some wannabe sleuth found an old tweet that didn't toe the line it was inevitable.


VQIchOB.jpg
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
Who knew rates were that high? I didn't. Recording lines someone else wrote with some adlibbing sounds like a fun job. And if you screw up some lines, just re-do them in 10 seconds.

The published rate card seems a blessing and curse. One on hand, it helps bench warmers get paid a good wage for minimal work by setting a wage floor. On the other hand, it gives the hiring company a guideline to take the easy way out and just offer the same pay the card says instead of going through the motions everyone does negotiating pay where no two people get the same pay. It's no different than the fast food minimum age of $10/hr (or whatever the city policy mandates). For bottom of the barrel roles, companies will just look at the minimum wage chart and just go by that as a starting point. And unless someone is so awesome at making burgers and fries, the wage they get offer will be pretty darn close to min wage because they know a ton of people can sub in and do the job.

All the while the R&D lab guy getting newly hired is going back and forth with HR on pay. There's no stated pay to go on, but internally there's a range the company is willing to pay the guy, which might be $85,000-$105,000. Depending how good the candidate is, he'll skew closer to the high end where both sides can wiggle to an agreement.
If VA's were pulling 40 hours a week at 250 an hour and took two weeks off without pay for vacation they would be pulling down half a million bucks a year. They only need to work 20% as much as that R&D lab guy to make the same 100K.

People rattling on that VA's don't get paid enough are weird.
 

brian0057

Banned
If VA's were pulling 40 hours a week at 250 an hour and took two weeks off without pay for vacation they would be pulling down half a million bucks a year. They only need to work 20% as much as that R&D lab guy to make the same 100K.

People rattling on that VA's don't get paid enough are weird.
It's wine-drinking bourgeoisies cosplaying as working class folk accusing the working class folk of being wine-drinking bourgeoisies.
 
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If VA's were pulling 40 hours a week at 250 an hour and took two weeks off without pay for vacation they would be pulling down half a million bucks a year. They only need to work 20% as much as that R&D lab guy to make the same 100K.

People rattling on that VA's don't get paid enough are weird.
It's a freelance job. The actual recording usually takes only a couple of hours per day because they can't risk damaging the voice. Research, auditions and marketing take most of their time.

Many game voices are provided by people who are usually in commercials. Nomad from Crysis and the older protagonist from the Game of Thrones RPG come to mind. Beautiful voices but I don't think the Crysis guy is in any other game.
 
These types of people (REEE) are simply evil and rotten to the core.
Witch-hunts, celebrating peoples deaths, destroying peoples livelihoods, all just because the targets dont fit their agenda or hold other opinions.
Malicious devils.
Hurt people hurt people, and I think they think they were hurt first. Didn't The Last of Us Part 2 teach us all that vengeance is empty or even detrimental and forgiveness is the way forward? You failed, Druckman (lol)
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
It's a freelance job. The actual recording usually takes only a couple of hours per day because they can't risk damaging the voice. Research, auditions and marketing take most of their time.

Many game voices are provided by people who are usually in commercials. Nomad from Crysis and the older protagonist from the Game of Thrones RPG come to mind. Beautiful voices but I don't think the Crysis guy is in any other game.
We all have to put in time outside of work to maintain our ability to keep working. Nobody ever paid me to go interview for a job or to gain skills to keep myself relevant. These are risks freelancers assume when they choose to be freelancers. Seems like their hourly rate more than covers the time they spend auditioning.
 
For real?
https://www.resetera.com/threads/hellena-taylor-breaks-nda-to-explain-why-she’s-not-back-for-bayonetta-3-was-only-offered-a-4k-buyout-for-vo-work-after-renegotiating-from-even-less.643764/page-93
Yep sadly
Just read the last 5 or 10 page's
The accused her that she supports Trump or people who like Trump I think
And she's transphobic
Poor women 😢
Now all the garbage videogames media will cancel her too
I really hope bayonetta 3 will sell like shit
So theses cunts on reeeee will cry and triggered more
 
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daclynk

Member
Nintendo is being disgustingly cheap. This is the one case I would actually support a boycott.
Saying she was busy added insult to injury and is likely what made her go public.
They are saying she is not even worth 150 sold copies of the game when the series sells millions. That is accounting for retailer margin.
This has Nothing to do with Nintendo. shee some people here
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
If you want to earn more you have to have leverage to negotiate for more. She did not have that leverage because the company was happy paying some one else to do the job. And they probably paid the replacement more money than they offered the original just because they didn't want to be beholden to the original actor. Movies and TV shows replace people regularly too. In entertainment there must be a reason to pay a person more than the standard rate. If the person adds value to the marketing then they demand a premium. That is why Tom Cruise can earn what he does, because his name in the billing is worth X dollars to any movie he is attached to. Dave Chapel used his leverage to get Netflix to stop showing his content until Comedy Central paid him, and he said he did it, because he could. He has leverage.

If you told me Nintendo hired a new voice actor for Mario in the next game, I would be sad to see Charles Martine not there, but I am still buying the Mario game, as it is more important to me than the actor. I didn't care that David Hayter wasn't in the Phantom Pain, but Hayter cared. I bought and played and enjoyed TPP without issue.
 
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