Empty Pages (Storyboard Reel)

Project Overview

In 1957, a stray dog from the streets of Moscow became the first living creature to go into orbit. Sadly, her mission was a one-way trip, as there was no way to bring her home at the time. This is her story re-imagined.

In this version, Laika lives in an anthropomorphic animal society as a steel factory worker in Soviet Russia. The film, as I envision it being someday, explores Laika's hopes and dreams against the backdrop of the Cold War, her training for the mission that'll immortalize her in the history books, and the conflict between Soviet government officials who have to hide the mission's true nature from her until it's too late.

With the script basically ready, my goal is to have the entire thing storyboarded from front to back, then edited together into a fully voice acted demo reel version of the entire film. I've been working on making that a reality for almost a full year now, handling all the art, character designs, editing, music, and sound design all on my own. Things have gotten far enough along that I think scouting for voice talents is becoming a necessity. If things go the way I hope they will, the finished demo reel could lay the foundations for a fully produced animated film someday. Until then, I'll be fighting like hell to make this demo reel as good as it can be.

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Latest Updates

  • Update #1

    I want to give a special thanks to everyone who's submitted auditions so far! The turnout for this thing has been beyond my wildest expectations, and it's given me a much-needed shot in the arm of hope and resolve. I don't know exactly how much longer I should keep all the voice roles open for, but I already sense some keepers in here. I'll probably get in contact through DMs with some of the actors/actresses in the next few days or so, and things should progress from there. I can't thank you all enough, and I'm more excited than ever to see where everything goes!

    -Anthony

Project Roles: Voice Actor Voice Actor Voice Actor Voice Actor Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
open
Paid: Hourly 20 USD

Lead role for Laika Belsky, a 26 year old anthro dog woman who works as a steel factory worker in Moscow circa 1957. She's an eternal optimist, easily excitable, and has a hopeful outlook on the Cold War someday ending with peace. She loves studying the stars and outer space, so the launch of Sputnik in particular shoots her optimism to an all-time high. She's somewhat naive, and her fierce loyalty and patriotism to the Soviet Union leaves her vulnerable to exploitation from government forces. At the same time, Laika is also lonely and insecure about her place in the world, stemming from being orphaned during World War II. The trauma of losing her parents never really left her, and she wants nothing more than to be guided towards an ultimate purpose.

Language:
  • english
Voice description:
  • generic russian
  • female young adult
  • animation
  • storyboard demo
  • film
  • russian (moscow)
  • russian english
  • standard russian

  • Being a speck in the universe is no reason to be insignificant. It could even make you the most valuable thing in it.

  • I've always wanted to write a book comparing everyday life here to everyday life in America. I suspect we're not as different as we want to think sometimes, and I want to learn for sure.

  • I don't know why they won't see the value in Sputnik. For all of time, a mammal-made object being put into the stars could only happen on the pages of science fiction stories. Now we've turned it into our reality. This is an extension of the revolution itself, yet those who hold it in the highest regard act as if this is its downfall.

Favorite role Save Role for Later Total Submissions Toggle 9 Submissions Apply / Audition
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
open
Paid: Hourly 20 USD

Major role for Aleksandr Galkin, a 63 year old anthro Siberian husky man who works as a professor at a university in Moscow, circa 1957. He's very reserved, shy and tends to keep to himself. He's like this because his son, Ivan, died in World War II during an aerial dogfight, and he blames himself for it. That was on top of his wife dying years beforehand, after she was taken to a Soviet gulag which proved to be fatal. Aleksandr goes out of his way to hide his trauma from anyone he doesn't deeply trust, hoping to appear like he's just focused on his work all the time. He tries to cope with feeling like he's lost his purpose in life, to incredibly mixed results. Once Aleksandr gets involved with the mission to launch Sputnik 2, he's assigned to be Laika's instructor to help guide her through the training she'll endure for it. Long-repressed feelings of guilt and regret start to re-surface, and it threatens to derail the entire mission if he's not careful.

Voice description:
  • russian english
  • standard russian
  • generic russian
  • adult
  • male adult
  • animation
  • russian (moscow)
  • film

  • From the day he learned to speak, he was obsessed with airplanes and flight. His first memory was when I took him to visit a museum with planes from the first World War in them. The look on his face when he got to see those propellers up close, aha! I'll never forget it as long as I live.

  • Sergei, please, we have to take an honest look at ourselves. We're sacrificing a civilian's life for the sake of a rocket test!

  • I'm insignificant without him. I'm nothing. I'm one speck of dust in a world of dust.

Favorite role Save Role for Later Total Submissions Toggle 6 Submissions Apply / Audition
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
open
Paid: Hourly 20 USD

Major role for Sergei Korolev, a 50 year old anthro bear man who works as the head of the Soviet space program, circa 1957. Based on the historical figure of the same name, Korolev is an imposing, experienced and pragmatic rocket scientist who puts his duties to the state above all else. He's also secretly paranoid about the possibility that the United States might uncover his identity and assassinate him to get ahead in the space race. He's in charge of the Sputnik 2 mission, which plans on being the first satellite to ever put a person into space. But the Soviet government is pressuring him to have it launch in time for the 40th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution, meaning there's no time for a plan on how to get Laika, the test subject, back to Earth alive. He doesn't like this one bit, and he wishes things could be different. But as a gulag survivor, Korolev knows better than to risk defying the government 

Language:
  • english
Voice description:
  • russian english
  • storyboard demo
  • generic russian
  • film
  • male adult
  • russian (moscow)
  • animation
  • adult

  • We've entered a new age. Not since the atomic bomb has science changed our place in the universe so much, and so quickly.

  • I brought you here to remind you that revolution runs through your veins. Just as it ran through his and your grandfather's alike. Don't let your instructor distract you from it.

  • If either of you stay the course, this is who you will be spitting in the face of. Not me, and not the Central Committee. But your fellow proletariat.

Favorite role Save Role for Later Total Submissions Toggle 7 Submissions Apply / Audition
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
open
Paid: Hourly 20 USD

Major role for Vladimir Yazdovsky, a 44 year old anthro deer man who works as a scientist and a surgeon in Soviet Russia, circa 1957. Based on the real life historical figure of the same name, he's extremely smart, skilled, and calculating with his work. Yazdovsky presents himself as a stoic pragmatist, but internally, he's conflicted and uncertain. On one hand, he's helping to make history by being involved with Sputnik 2, the first satellite to ever carry a person on it. But on the other hand, he knows it's a one way trip that Laika, the test subject he has to help train, has no chance of surviving. Yazdovsky tries his best not to get emotionally attached to her, but thanks to one of his colleagues, Aleksandr Galkin, he's thrown into a spot of doubt and hesitancy. He has to decide whether his loyalties belong to the Soviet state that he serves, or to his inner humanity and sense of remorse for this doomed dog.

Language:
  • english
Voice description:
  • generic russian
  • animation
  • film
  • male adult
  • russian (moscow)
  • russian english
  • standard russian
  • storyboard demo

  • With all due respect, you know as well as I do that this is a suicide mission for her. She doesn't have much time left.

  • If we just had another few months, I am positive the team could find a way to bring Laika home safely.

  • Since your scars need time to heal, we won't have you do anything physical for the next week or so.

Favorite role Save Role for Later Total Submissions Toggle 8 Submissions Apply / Audition
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
open
Paid: Hourly 20 USD

Supporting role for Oleg Gazenko, a 39 year old anthro rabbit man who works as a biologist and a supervisor for the Soviet space program, circa 1957. He's very friendly and inviting, sometimes injecting a sense of humor into otherwise tense situations. He becomes an assistant trainer for Laika, the orphaned Soviet dog woman who gets chosen for the one-way trip to space on board Sputnik 2. Like his colleagues, Oleg is troubled and uncertain about being involved with a mission that'll guarantee Laika's death if it succeeds. He's one of the few scientists who's willing to speak with her on a personal level, and helps to calm her nerves during her problems during training. From Oleg's point of view, it's the least he can do considering what he'll soon be complicit in.

Language:
  • english
Voice description:
  • generic russian
  • russian (moscow)
  • standard russian
  • russian english
  • film
  • male adult
  • animation
  • storyboard demo

  • Think of it like this: It's gonna inspire a lot of people when they hear the first person who ever went to space came from such a humble background. To show that any ordinary worker on Earth can get their name in the history books, even without wealth or status. That embodies the spirit of our nation.

  • He knows a thing or two about losing someone he cares about. First his wife to the gulags, then his son to war. The man has been through the wringer.

  • Is this your way of telling me you want to start mopping floors around here?

Favorite role Save Role for Later Total Submissions Toggle 7 Submissions Apply / Audition
Promoted Projects:
Twisted Strings
Twisted Strings
[PAID] The Great Disney Games - story dub, group 2
[PAID] The Great Disney Games - story dub, group 2
Fragments of Tomorrow
Fragments of Tomorrow

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