The Boy (2016) Audio Drama
Project Overview
Hello once again to all my fellow voice actors and creators! I saw this movie when it first came out in 2016 and didn't much care for it, but for some reason, it floated to the front of my thoughts earlier last year, and next thing I knew, it was one of my favorite films (I even toured two of the castles where the movie was shot last December!). At first, I was in complete denial about it, but I've since come to accept that yes, I love this movie, and yes I love the main character. I initially had no plans to turn this particular story into an audio drama, but because I'm who I am and I just can't help myself, well, I changed my mind. This fandom isn't nearly as popular as the last few projects I've posted, so I'm curious to see if I still get the same amount of reception. Either way, I'm excited to see where it goes! Please be warned, there are MASSIVE spoilers ahead, so if you haven't seen this movie yet, I'm about to give away the twist ending.
SUMMARY:
About one month after the events of the movie, Adalyn stumbles upon the Heelshire mansion in the midst of a vacation-gone-seriously-wrong. At first, it seems like she has found herself inside an abandoned and haunted mansion, but she quickly learns that it is not haunted, and it's definitely not abandoned.
Brahms Heelshire, the mysterious resident of the mansion who lives inside the walls, saves Adalyn but he also refuses to let her leave. Adalyn now must play Brahms's game and appease the grown man who acts similar to a young child while she figures out how to survive and escape before she becomes his next victim.
DETAILS:
1. I generally give about one month to record lines. While I am always willing to be flexible with deadlines as I understand real life has to come first, I also won't wait around forever and will recast if you prove to be unreliable.
2. Give me emotion and feeling in your audition! I have always leaned more towards voice actors who exhibit true passion in their voice.
3. Please be open to the idea of accepting a role you did not originally audition for.
Link to story: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13886830/1/Connection
Link to channel where finished product will be posted: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvoOZh2cwT8_xzfV-SfH9yw
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The narrator of the story. Because this role carries much of the project, your voice should be smooth and pleasant to listen to. It is your job to keep readers engaged, so give life to the words. As a director's choice, do not sound monotone but add many varying levels. Narrate as if you are watching the action unfold right in front of you. Tell me a story.
This is a 26k+ story and a good chunk of it is narration, so please be prepared to record a lot of dialogue.
I am looking specifically for a female narrator.
Adalyn slowly opened her eyes. Almost immediately, she wished she hadn’t. The ignorance of unconsciousness had been a blissful existence. Now she was forced to face her terrifying reality.
The alarm beeped on the bedside table and Adalyn groaned. In a house where she was being held against her will, her captor decided not to kill her and instead had her waking up at 6:30 in the morning. She wasn’t sure which was worse.
She knew that no matter where she lived or who she dated or what she did with her life, a huge part of her was forever connected to him. She would never be able to forget him or turn her back on him or pretend that those five days of her life never happened.
Adalyn is a beautiful and intelligent young woman who becomes the object of Brahms's affections when he saves her life from three attackers on her vacation in the UK. While terrified and traumatized, she quickly learns how to keep Brahms satisfied, and successfully manages to make a phone call to her mother discreetly asking for help. While she waits for it to come, she follows Brahms's set schedule and rules and does what she can to prevent him from hurting her. As she learns more about Brahms, she feels sympathy for his situation and how he's gotten to this point in his life, and she becomes fairly comfortable around him when she sees that he mainly longs for company.
At the end of the story, Brahms has been sent to a mental institution and Adalyn promises to continue visiting him because five days of living in the mansion have now connected her to him.
Age: 26
Voice: confident, kind, sympathetic, medium-high
(soft whimper) Please don't hurt me.
Hm, I didn’t know people even used powder detergent anymore, or maybe I just need more friends.
It was by chance that I happened to stumble across the mansion. He let me in the house, and he…saved me from them in his own questionable way. Maybe if I’d stayed there for another day or two, I might feel differently, but if I had to choose between those three guys and him, the answer would always be him
At the age of eight, Brahms was caught in a house fire and allegedly died. However, in The Boy, Brahms is living in the walls of the mansion while living vicariously through a porcelain doll of himself from when he was eight. His parents brought potential nannies in to take care of the doll who were all completely unaware of the doll's true nature. Eventually, he was happy with Greta, but after Greta discovered the truth behind the doll, she stabbed Brahms with a screwdriver and escaped the house. Brahms had an unhealthy obsession with Greta which stemmed from severe limited contact with other people over the course of 20 years. He wears a porcelain mask that resembles the doll version of himself in order to hide the horrible burn scars he received in the house fire.
When Adalyn stumbles into the mansion in an effort to escape from three attackers, Brahms saves her, revealing himself right away. His obsession switches over to Adalyn and he refuses to let her leave again, instead coercing her into taking care of him like Greta had. What he feels for Adalyn is genuine if a little twisted.
At the end of the story, Brahms is now living in a mental institution and comes to understand that how he treated Adalyn was wrong. He apologizes, and Adalyn promises to continue visiting him.
Brahms rarely speaks, and when he does, it is usually in short sentences with the voice of a child (in order to match the doll), but when under duress or when he is angry, he speaks with his normal adult voice. When Adalyn is rescued the police who restrain him, it is the first time Adalyn hears him speak with his normal voice.
Age: 28
Voice: British accent, rough, menacing, medium-low
You LEFT me. You promised you weren’t going to leave me like everyone else! You promised you wouldn’t look at me!
You lied to me! You promised! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you, Adalyn!
(soft, apologetic) Adalyn. What I did…it was wrong, wasn’t it? (a pause) I’m sorry.
At the age of eight, Brahms was caught in a house fire and allegedly died. However, in The Boy, Brahms is living in the walls of the mansion while living vicariously through a porcelain doll of himself from when he was eight. His parents brought potential nannies in to take care of the doll who were all completely unaware of the doll's true nature. Eventually, he was happy with Greta, but after Greta discovered the truth behind the doll, she stabbed Brahms with a screwdriver and escaped the house. Brahms had an unhealthy obsession with Greta which stemmed from severe limited contact with other people over the course of 20 years. He wears a porcelain mask that resembles the doll version of himself in order to hide the horrible burn scars he received in the house fire.
When Adalyn stumbles into the mansion in an effort to escape from three attackers, Brahms saves her, revealing himself right away. His obsession switches over to Adalyn and he refuses to let her leave again, instead coercing her into taking care of him like Greta had. What he feels for Adalyn is genuine if a little twisted.
At the end of the story, Brahms is now living in a mental institution and comes to understand that how he treated Adalyn was wrong. He apologizes, and Adalyn promises to continue visiting him.
Brahms rarely speaks, and when he does, it is usually in short sentences with the voice of a child (in order to match the doll), but when under duress or when he is angry, he speaks with his normal adult voice. When Adalyn is rescued the police who restrain him, it is the first time Adalyn hears him speak with his normal voice.
Age: 28 (but sounds like an eight-year-old)
Voice: British accent, shy, childish, medium-high
Good night, Adalyn.
(when asked if he hurt Greta) I didn't mean to!
Adalyn? Wake up.
Greta Evans is a charming young woman, and the protagonist of the original film. She came to the UK under the impression that she would be taking care of an eight-year-old boy but instead discovered that the Heelshires would be paying her to take care of a doll resembling their deceased eight-year-old son. She took the job because she needed some time and space away from the States after suffering a miscarriage due to her abusive boyfriend, Cole. At first Greta did not take her role seriously, but after coming to believe that the doll may be haunted by the spirit of the deceased little boy, she began to treat the doll as a real child which helped her begin to heal from losing her own child. Over the course of the film, she also grew closer with the charismatic delivery man, Malcolm, and things appeared to be looking up. However, Cole found out where she was and came for her, but then Brahms burst out of the wall revealing himself and killed Cole.
In this story, Greta appears at the end at the mental institution where Brahms is now being held. She is traumatized by the incident, but she has found solace in Malcolm whom she is now dating. She meets Adalyn and the two women discuss both of their interactions with the real Brahms and help fill in the gaps for each other.
Age: 27
Voice: gentle, shaken, medium-high
The Heelshires pay me to play nanny to a doll, so I do even if that’s kind of weird, and then it turns out, oh, just kidding, their dead son is actually alive and has been watching me all this time.
I remember…putting the doll to bed like I was supposed to and lying next to it and pleading the spirit of Brahms to…just help me. If only I’d known what I’d done by asking that.
Adalyn's mother is heard once on the other end of a phone call when Adalyn convinces Brahms to let her call her. She is a protective Mama Bear and the second she realizes Adalyn is in trouble, she keeps a level head and tries to comfort her daughter as best she can. She is the reason that Adalyn is rescued from the mansion.
Age: ~45
Voice: soothing, motherly, medium-low
Adalyn? Where are you calling from? Are you okay?
It’s going to be fine, I promise. You’ll be okay.
Three males will provide vocal effects for Adalyn's attackers, police officers who rescue Adalyn, and workers at the mental institution. A British accent is required for all characters.
It’s going to be okay. I just need you to let her go and we can work this out.
Excuse me, ladies, there was a mix-up at the sign-in desk. The patient isn’t allowed to have two visitors in the same month much less the same day. One of you will have to come back another time.
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