THE INTERVIEW

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KW: During production, do you get to talk with some of the other voice actors?

Kim: I never really have an opportunity to speak with any of the other voice actors in the studio. We all do our parts independently. However, I do sometimes talk with other voice actors while we are waiting to go into the studio for various projects. In general, voiceover acting tends to be a fairly small group of the same vo actors over and over. So, we get used to seeing familiar faces wherever we go for auditions or jobs.

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KW: Who has been your favourite KOEI character to voice up till this point, and why? Kim: They are all fun for different reasons. You can check out my animation demo on my website at www.kimstrauss.com to hear for yourself that I have a broad vocal range for all kinds of characters.

Visit Kim's Official Site now!

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KW: What was it like working for KOEI? If asked, would you work for KOEI in the near future?

Kim: It was always fun. However, most likely, I would not be able to work for KOEI in the near future, because I am doing a lot of trailer and promo work from my home studio. That work pays much more, and requires that I be available on a "very short notice" basis. So, I really can't leave my studio to go out to other studios for jobs like that.

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KW: Did you get to pick the characters or did they pick them for you?

Kim: Sometimes I audition for one character, and sometimes I audition for several characters that fit my skills and personality. The director or producer make the final decision about which character(s) I will voice.

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KW: Have you ever played any of KOEI's games, especially the games you voice acted in: Dynasty Warriors 5 and Samurai Warriors?

Kim: No. I'm not a gamer. My son is, and he has played some of the games for which I have voiced characters. However, I really couldn't tell you which ones.

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KW: Did you have to do some research on the character(s) that you were voicing? Kim: No. I have been doing voiceover for so many years, that it is usually very obvious to me what a character should sound like based upon pictures or the breakdown (or character description) that they provide. I just go into the booth and do my work. If the producer or director have any preferences that differ from what I deliver on my own, then they let me know and I adjust my voiceover accordingly.

Hattori Hanzo (Samurai Warriors)

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KW: Which character would you compare yourself to the most? Hattori Hanzo, Cao Pi or Xu Huang?

Kim: Hattori Hanzo, because he is ferocious in battle and also extremely loyal.

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KW: Can you describe an average days work of a VA?

Kim: An average day should include LOTS of auditions. If you don't audition, you can't get the job. Of course, we all hope that an average day also includes plenty of work. Sometimes that's true, and sometimes it isn't. More than any other business I know, this business has a constant ebb and flow of work. A voiceover person has to be prepared to weather the slow times as well as the times when business is booming. The only guarantee in this business is that up will turn to down, and down will turn to up sometime in the near future.

Thank you!