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Game voice actors underpaid?
Michael Hollick, who provided the voice of Niko Bellic in GTA IV has complained that he doesn't earn any royalties on the game. Even though Rockstar has made more than 0 million in sales, Hollick earns nothing beyond the original 0k he was paid.
If this was television, film or radio, Hollick and the other actors involved would have made millions by now through royalties, even through getting only a tiny cut of the profits.
I don't blame Rockstar. I blame our union for not having the agreements in place to protect the creative people who drive the sales of these games. Yes, the technology is important, but it's the human performances within them that people really connect to, and I hope actors will get more respect for the work they do within those technologies.
Is it time for video game actors to be treated the same as other actors? Or should they just be paid one-off for the work they do? Let us know what you think in our forums.
Wow. That's pretty bad. Especially considering the fact the gameplay was dissapointing, the best parts were probably the sound. Rockstar earnt so much of this, I think they should hand out extra money as a thank you at least. Still 0 K is quite a bit and he did get to help make the biggest game in history (Sales wise)
In a job that destroyed my right shoulder, both wrists, & was constantly exposed to dangerous conditions I made about
k a year. I also had 2 years out of work, got screwed on my workman's comp settlement & never got the treatment
for my shoulder or wrists. I got lucky & found a state contracting deal, but I'm still having a hard time feeling sorry for
him.
He should try that for a while. Or he can enjoy the easy money & the doors opened by his stint as Niko.
People like that should try the normal life, working for minimal wage before they start complaining for being underpaid for easy-ass voice acting.
How long did it take him to record all of his voicing?
About 15 months (I think, according to link in Gerard's original topic).
If I were him, I would have asked for more before signing on. Shouldn't he have known that he was voicing the main character to one of the most anticipated games of all time?
When he was a nobody, 0k looked a lot bigger than it does now. He probably would have taken less at the time.
As far as we know, Hollick only voiced Niko for one game. Main character or not, it was only for one job. Now if he was providing the voice of the main character of very popular TV series that will spawn a few movies and videogames, then I might see him getting royalties.
As far as we know, Hollick only voiced Niko for one game. Main character or not, it was only for one job. Now if he was providing the voice of the main character of very popular TV series that will spawn a few movies and videogames, then I might see him getting royalties.
Full point, you summed it up perfectly.
if you havent seen/heard the interwiew you should know that in the beginning he didnt even know what he was doing it for, that might be why he havent thought about it.
^ They only realised he'd be awesome for the part when they heard his mock Serbian accent, allegedly.
he realy didnt know it. at first he was only ment to do some movement and stuff for the character, and when he then got hired for voicing he was first told about 3 weeks in to the recording!
so the sure have kept it quiet R*
That is awful. The man should receive royaltys for the work provided as Niko. He deserves much more money than he received. I think video game actors should be payed the same as actors. Same Job. Animation films have actors, these actors make millions of animated films. A video game is the same as an animated movie when it comes to actors.
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