"Dig This": A Halo 3 Machinima
Project Overview
What is This?
"Dig This" is a Machinima project set in the video game Halo 3. The story takes place after the Human-Covenant War. The UNSC Aegis Fate is tasked to revisit the Ark and send research teams to study it. One of these researchers is Dr. Charlie Hudson: a renowned scientist that is stationed at a strange location deep in the desert wastelands. He is accompanied by an AI named Palooka and later by a soldier named Private Xander Iroquois. Together they are working to solve the mystery of the cryptic runes, and find out the true purpose of this ancient place, and why they were stationed out here in the first place. But there may be more than just sand and stone to worry about in this strange alien world...
Requirements:Since this is a project that I am funding out of my own pocket: a significant level of technical and performance quality is going to be expected. Please ensure that your microphone is capable of recording your performance without picking up overwhelming background noises or excessive peaking/clipping. Though there won't be too many instances of this, you will be required to use excessive volume if the scene requires it. Also, feel free to ad lib for each role you audition for. What's important is that you get the feel of the character accurately.
Payment:Payment is going to be on a per episode basis: you will be paid for each episode your role appears in. It won't be very much, but I'm willing to invest at least a little in order for this project to come to life.
Contact:If you have any questions, you can message me here or on Discord where I am more active (BoMac9149, #7726). Good luck and have fun!
When you are logged in, you can comment, add submissions, create projects, upvote, search open roles, and way more. Login here.
Charlie was a brilliant scientist despite the dramatic events of the war. So much so that the UNSC assigned him to an expedition to the Ark shortly after the war's end. Despite the rest of the research teams being entire groups of scientists, the Charon-class frigate Aegis Fate decided to send him on his own with an AI called Palooka. He is antisocial and does not work at his best with others in the mix. If he is, he likes to bust people’s chops, being snarky or poking fun at them for his own amusement. However, he can be easily annoyed, often wanting to retreat somewhere else where he isn’t disturbed, or finding ways to send them away from him. Although he acts rude and thoughtless towards others, there is more to him than he lets on.
- english
- noir
- Sarcastic
- male adult
"Now there might be wild parades going on in New Paris or in Old Silicon Valley, but for the rest of us, winning the war this late has its complications. The colonies are in worse shape than my cooking, and most aren’t properly suitable for life-- also like my cooking. This means there are countless refugees who can’t exactly go back home, and I’m one of them. There are only two unscathed planets to our name: Mars and Earth. And you can guess where the grass is greener."
"Before you do that, I’d like you to get to know everyone: me, myself, and I. Who would you like to interview first?"
"It was no accident. I requested it. I don’t need anyone else, and Brass decided to agree with me for once. I couldn’t get rid of you, but that’s the best deal I could’ve gotten. Anywho, I’m not good at introductions. Or socializing in general. Get used to that. It’ll be a recurring theme here."
Palooka is an AI assigned to Charlie to assist him with his mission, to Charlie’s inconvenience. He is calm and collected, primarily focused on technical and statistical information. His interactions with Charlie bring him out of that mindset, leading him into thinking processes other than what he was programmed for. Palooka possesses a few handicaps. One main handicap is that certain actions require authorization from an approved officer. The other main handicap is personalization. For example, Charlie makes use of this and gives him the name Palooka. Despite his limitations, he is still a powerful asset. He is used to communicate with the crew of the Aegis Fate and other research teams since the Ark is such a vast installation, and regular radios don’t have the range necessary. He is also useful in processing vast quantities of data that Charlie can’t do as fast on his own, bringing Charlie to need his services reluctantly and not wanting to admit so.
- artificial intelligence (ai)
"In the event of a more substantial threat, the Aegis Fate will be utilizing the Web Doctrine. The frigate will be orbiting over the central point of the Ark. If a research team calls for military support, the frigate will arrive personally to provide extra firepower and reinforcements."
"Doctor Hudson, this is the first day I have spoken to you in any capacity. I’m surprised you feel this way so quickly. I have only the purest of intentions. My task is to assist you by any means with your mission. You’re fortunate enough as it is to have only me. If we are to be efficient together, we need to achieve some semblance of synergy."
"Considering the extensive unforgiving wasteland here, the Covenant fleet being decimated, and the cataclysmic event the Halo’s activation caused, in all likelihood they are “sleeping with the fishes” as they say."
Originally part of a guard garrison for one of the other research teams, he was later reassigned to Charlie’s outpost. He is lighthearted, content, and lets most things roll off his back, but is quick to follow orders in his quest to be respected. He introduces a conflict with Charlie due to Xander's eagerness to prove himself and Charlie's antisocial tendencies. As the team encounters threats, he takes on a larger presence in the story. He is the team's only guard unit, and so he has the heavy responsibility of keeping the team safe, on top of everything else.
- english
- male young adult
- male adult
- light-hearted
- warm
"Hold on a minute. Hey buddy! You look a little lost. Need help with something?"
"How does someone steal ALL the coffee? Aren’t there supposed to be security cameras on a ship like this? It’s amazing no one’s found this guy."
"Wow, okay man. Just trying to help."
Private Rodney Jacobs is a squadmate of Xander's. They have been through several severe trials together, and have become close as a result. He will not play as large a role as other characters in the beginning, but his time will come later on. As with the other characters, the marines/ODST's of the Halo franchise are the reference point for his mannerisms and overall voice.
- military
"Man. What crawled up in his suit and died?"
"I had some ONI creep come to me and ask about joining the SPARTAN program. First off: those guys are freaks of nature, they're not normal. So naturally I declined. Second, I don't need a fancy suit and steroids to wipe the floor with the Covenant. You can take that to the bank."
A pilot that transports Epsilon team to their original destination. They will be a recurring character at some capacity through the series. Foxtrot 209 is another marine character in the style of other Pelican pilots found in the Halo series. They are a mostly calm and collected character, but show signs of sarcasm in their interactions with Epsilon, mostly with Charlie.
- military
- monotone
- sarcastic
"Alright, Doctor Hudson. We’ve reached our destination. You’re on your own until the captain gives word. Be sure to set up your comm relay, and don’t get into trouble till then. Happy hunting."
"This is Pelican Foxtrot 209 hailing on all frequencies. Attempting to contact Research Team Epsilon. Can you hear me, Research Team Epsilon?"
The captain of the Aegis Fate is a seasoned veteran, seeing the war come to an end first hand. Though he wasn’t this way at first, as a result he has become cocky, full of himself, and has an unprecedented level of confidence in every decision he makes. When the crew communicates with him, he is not open to criticism or being wrong, often pointing to his own accomplishments as validation for his decisions. He is a gambling man with his units, no longer believing in defeat if the chance of battle should arise. This mindset and philosophy may very well lead to trouble for the crew of the Aegis Fate.
- male senior
- generic german
- posh british
- posh american
"Are you implying that I made a mistake? Do you know who you’re talking to? If you had any idea who you were talking to, you wouldn’t have said that."
"Ahh yes, I remember this place. Quite a battle. Where boys became men, and men became legends. How does it feel standing in such a historic battleground? I might come by on my leave and give you a tour of my victory."
"They didn't make me a captain for no good reason. I've proven my worth. My soldiers witnessed firsthand the end of the war. You're in good hands."
A background character for a particular scene in the first episode. Look at the Halo series' marine characters for reference. There is opportunity for this character/voice actor to make return appearances.
- military
"Is that guy talking to himself? *sigh* Why do we always get the loons?"
A background character for a particular scene in the first episode. Look at the Halo series' marine characters for reference. There is opportunity for this character/voice actor to make return appearances.
- military
"I think you need to take a look in the mirror, big guy. Besides, everyone’s been scarred by the war somehow. I’ve seen crazier folks since I’ve been assigned here, and they’re running this ship."
A background character for a particular scene in the first episode. Look at the Halo series' marine characters for reference. There is opportunity for this character/voice actor to make return appearances.
"No no no. That’s not even fair. MAC rounds are designed for instant contact. If you factor in their sheer power alone, nukes are easily better weapons."
A background character for a particular scene in the first episode. Look at the Halo series' marine characters for reference. There is opportunity for this character/voice actor to make return appearances.
"It doesn’t matter how powerful it is, you dipwad. It’s about the effectiveness of the weapon. That’s taking time and method of delivery out of the equation."