Life is simply unfair, don't you think?
Zero Time Dilemma was the third and final installment in the Zero Escape Series, released in 2016. Due to the previous games being a commercial failure in Japan, ZTD was postponed indefinitely until a group of dedicated Zero Escape fans created Project Bluebird in hopes of getting a proper conclusion to the series. While Zero Time Dilemma is a great game, it is significantly the weakest game in the series in terms of writing, art, and overall execution of its brilliant ideas, mainly due to it's lack of a proper budget. While, I don't have the skills to improve Zero Time Dilemma's animation, I wanted to see what I was able to do to improve the story by making revisions to the script. Thus, Zero Time Dilemma: Second SHIFT was born.
Since July, I have been hard at work transcribing and revising ZTD's script. I am currently around 35% done with my revisions and have decided that it is time to create the casting call for the project. I am putting my heart and soul into this project and I am very excited to share it and work with others! My main goal for the revisions is to make the dialogue less stiff and awkward and to make plot points seem less sudden and rushed (as well as throwing in some jokes to amuse myself because it's not Zero Escape without some humor). My intentions for this project are not "I could've done better at creating ZTD" but rather "How can I, personally, build upon Kotaro Uchikoshi's work?" I wanted to put my own spin on a game I love and that is why I'm making this project.
You do not need to be familiar with Zero Escape or Zero Time Dilemma to audition for this project! I have divided the cast into two groups: "Spoiler Characters" and "Spoiler Free Characters". The Spoiler Characters are the main characters of the game, and thus, contain the most spoilers for the plot. I recommend only auditioning for them if you have already played Zero Escape so you not only don't spoil the plot for yourself, but also are familiar with the character. The Spoiler Free Characters are characters whose presence either contains no spoilers or minor out of context spoilers. While these characters are more minor compared to the main cast, they are still very important. I recommend auditioning for them if you want to be a part of this project but are unfamiliar with Zero Escape. I will say what group a character belongs to in the role's description. Spoiler characters will be the first ten roles while the rest will be spoiler free!
Zero Time Dilemma handles a lot of heavy topics, especially in the areas of death and trauma. If a role involves a character who experiences these topics, I will say so in the role's description. I will also specify the topic(s) that involve said character. The more spoiler free a character is, the less likely they deal with heavy topics.
While I prefer if you have a good mic, there are a few roles that I may let poor mic quality slide on. Some roles are characters speaking through a radio or PA system and don't need to sound 100% clean (in fact, I will most likely edit the audio clips to make the quality of them sound rougher). I will have these roles marked as such in their descriptions.
Communication for the project will be done through Discord, so please leave your Discord tag in the description of your audition! If you do not have Discord but still want to audition, please leave some other means of contact instead!
Feel free to audition for as many or as few roles as you want! I may even ask you to audition for another role if I want to hear how you sound as that character (but doing so is completely optional!) I will also try to give feedback to as many auditions as I can and I might ask you to redo your audition if I want to hear a line delivered in a different way! I also highly suggest that if you are auditioning for any main characters that you audition for at least one minor character as well!
The script and character lines will not be set in stone! This is a revision after all, so change is highly encouraged! If you feel like a line feels weird to say, change it! I encourage creativity! I am not only looking for actors who can deliver lines, but actors who understand their characters! Have fun with the auditions! This is as much your project as it is mine!
The lead roles will require a lot of focus as they have a lot of lines to record. Even after lines have been submitted, I may ask you to make changes while I am editing the project together. If you want to be a part of the project, but don't think you'll have the time to handle a lead role, audition for one of the more minor roles!
The voice acting will be edited into the cut scenes from Zero Time Dilemma and posted to YouTube.
*Akane is not listed because I will be voicing her
Spoiler Character
***This character deals with the topics of manipulation and death ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
Zero is the main antagonist. He is a masked individual who kidnapped 9 people and forced them to risk their lives in The Decision Game. While disguising himself as Zero, he uses a voice modulator, but for this audition, I would like to hear you voice him without any effects. Act out these lines as you would Delta, as this is an audition for him as well! I am looking for a rough and deep voice with a condescending tone.
Feel free to adlib some lines as well! Get in some c o m p l e x m o t i v e s and m i n d h a c k s. Really let me see what you can do with the character!
“Let us begin. This is the Decision Game. A game of fate. The lives of you, me, and the human race hang in the balance.”
“I can only assume you are here because you are searching for something. If you’d like to learn their whereabouts, do as I say.”
"Life is simply unfair, don't you think?"
Spoiler Character
***This character deals with the topics of manipulation, death, and swearing ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
Carlos is the leader and protagonist of C Team. He is a firefighter with great instincts. He is more or less the 'older brother' of the group, always giving others advice and doing whatever he can to help his little sister who is in a coma. Carlos is almost always confident in his decisions and tries to make the most logical choices. I am looking for a tough and deep voice that is also strong and caring.
Feel free to adlib some lines as well! Throw in a "I won't die" if you want! Really let me see what you can do with the character!
"Let me tell you something, Junpei. Say what you need to, while there’s still time to say it. If you have something to say, say it while you’re alive."
“You know, this’s been on my mind for awhile, but… What exactly is Junpei to you, Akane? It’s hard to believe that you two just went to grade school together.”
“Dammit! Why did this have to happen… All I wanted was to get that five hundred thousand dollars… I want to save her… Just... save Maria… That’s all I wanted! And now…”
Spoiler Character
***This character deals with the topics of death, trauma, alcoholism, suicide, and swearing ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
Junpei is a 22 year old who is very snarky. He loves to make jokes and is often very sarcastic, but is also very pessimistic and traumatized. He always assumes the most negative outcome will occur and plans to counter it accordingly. In his own way, he is very selfless towards the people he cares about, but often sacrifices his own well being to protect them. I am looking for a medium-low voice with a snarky tone.
Feel free to adlib some lines as well! Be emo, sing Welcome to the Black Parade. Really let me see what you can do with the character!
"You should know better, Akane… Just because we stuck to our plan, doesn’t mean it’ll work. Hell, we don’t even know if our note reached the other teams or not. And even if it did, there’s no guarantee they did what we asked."
“How 'bout we toss in some ketchup and pickles too. Maybe when he comes back he’ll become a hot dog.”
“I’ve seen people die. Horrible, cruel deaths I never wanted to see… So many… What’s scarier is I’m becoming numb to it.”
Spoiler Character
***This character deals with the topics of death, abuse, alcoholism, suicide, swearing, and suggestive themes ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
Diana is a nurse and the leader of D Team. She has a proper tone to her voice but is also very hesitant, as if she's not confident in what she is going to say. She is very sweet and kind to the point where people say it is a fault of hers. I am looking for a very soft and calming voice that can be very powerful when angry.
Feel free to adlib some lines as well! Go ahead and talk about blue birds! Really let me see what you can do with the character!
“Oh, you mean when he was saying all that stuff about how mankind is going to be destroyed? What…exactly does that mean? Could you explain?”
“Sigma, listen please! Yes, Zero said we had three minutes...! But he never said what would happen once those three minutes were up! Please believe, Sigma. Believe in the other teams…”
“PLEASE! OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN IT! Why are you doing this to us?! You can hear me, can’t you Zero?! I know you’re hiding somewhere just watching us! You could at least tell us why! ZERO! ZEROOO!”
Spoiler Character
***This character deals with the topics of death, suicide, and swearing ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
Phi, much like Junpei, is very snarky, but in contrast to him, is more logical than emotional. She likes to try to figure things out on her own and is more on the quiet side. She does like to make side comment and banter with Sigma, but for the most part she only says what's important. I am looking for a low and quiet voice with a hint of sass.
Feel free to adlib some lines as well! Bring out the sass! Really let me see what you can do with the character!
“For every one person who dies, one password will be revealed… Why don’t you try dying once, Sigma?”
“Sorry, but I highly doubt it. We’re supposed to be simulating an actual Mars mission, remember? The Dcom staff can’t even communicate with us right now. They have no clue we’re missing.”
“There has to be a trick to this game. Something nonsensical, illogical maybe…”
Spoiler Character
***This character deals with the topics of death, swearing, and suggestive themes ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
Sigma is very stern and blunt. He says things how they are without proper context which often makes him sound kinda creepy. Nonetheless, he does have everyone's best interest in mind and wants to protect as many people as possible. I am looking for a deep voice that is very strict and authoritative.
Feel free to adlib some lines as well! *insert 18 inch joke here* Really let me see what you can do with the character!
“Okay, then think. Which one of those choices has that result as a possibility? If you don’t pull it at all, one of us will definitely die. If you really want to save both of us... Don’t worry. Just trust me.”
“Hey, excuse me! Can we maybe call a cab? It seems we have a lost child here.”
“It doesn’t have to make sense to you. All that matters is if you believe us…”
Spoiler Character
***This character deals with the topic of death ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT TOPIC***
Sean is an energetic and insightful kid. He is very mature for his age, but he has no memory of who he is. He is clever and logical, but can get excited over little things. He also tends to be very nervous, especially when Eric is angry. I am looking for a nervous voice that sounds young with a lot of energy, but is not childish.
Feel free to adlib some lines as well! Get wholesome! Really let me see what you can do with the character!
“Is that how you two met?! I wanna hear! I wanna hear!”
“Ah. It’s like you’re a completely different person now, Eric. Well, earlier ...you were being… Your face was really scary... It’s okay. You were probably just rattled about what happened to us. I could tell you were a good person under all that! He he.”
“I don’t want you or Mira to get hurt at all… I don’t even want to picture it. To you and the others, I’m the most suspicious person here. I understand why you don’t trust me... But to me, right now, everyone here is all I have. All of you are very important to me! I don’t want to hate anyone, I want to like you! I mean, if I don’t…I’ll be really sad…and... all alone...”
Spoiler Character
***This character deals with the topics of death, abuse, manipulation, trauma, and swearing ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
Eric is very dopey and awkward. He is madly in love with Mira (who is clearly manipulating him) and was raised in an abusive household. He can either be very sweet and caring or extremely angry and violent. I am looking for a medium-high voice that is very nerdy and awkward. I am also looking for a voice that is impactful as both calm and angry.
Feel free to adlib some lines as well! Summon your inner simp! Really let me see what you can do with the character!
“Mira! Where is she?! You didn’t see her…?! Shit. I hope Zero didn’t… I won’t forgive him… I won’t… Mira… Mira is my angel… aaaaugu! Open! Open!”
“Hey, um, I’m…sorry about earlier. Yelling at you, I mean. It’s just like you said, we gotta stay calm, right? Come on, let’s find a way out of here. Will you help me to do that, kiddo?”
“Dad… Dad’s the bad one… H-He said to do it… That’s why I did it… The lake… I put...Chris’s body in...the lake… I can’t... I can’t… I must...keep smiling… Keep smiling… Keep smiling…”
Spoiler Character
***This character deals with the topics of death, manipulation, swearing and suggestive language ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
Mira is very cunning, but is not good with emotions. She is very good at manipulating and tricking people. She has a strong "badass" vibe and does whatever she wants. She also is a sucker for revenge. I am looking for a medium voice that is emotionless, but not flat. Her voice should have power and delivery, but be very cold.
Feel free to adlib some lines as well! Channel your inner baddie Really let me see what you can do with the character!
“Well, at least he’s quiet now. I’ll leave the rest of this up to you. I’m interested to see how you’ll handle this.”
“Oh Eric. Why does he even bother? We already searched through every room when we first woke up. What is he expecting to find this time? Even more of nothing?”
“Damn. I didn’t think he had it in him. You’d probably be fine if we treat you right now, but… Eric, I’m going to kill you. Do you have any last words?”
Spoiler Free Character
A doctor who explains to Carlos that his comatose sister has been diagnosed with Reverie Syndrome. I am not looking for any particular voice for this character, as long as the delivery sounds extremely serious.
“Reverie Syndrome. A variety of moments flicker in and out of the mind, as if one was constantly dreaming. That’s why it’s called the daydream, or reverie, syndrome."
"There have been no complete recoveries as of yet. However, it seems with recent medical technology, a few cases have had success at relieving the symptoms.”
“Correct. With Maria, her brain and nervous system seem to be perfectly fine. We couldn’t figure out what was wrong until now. Other patients with the same symptoms began appearing recently.”
Spoiler Free Character
Maria is Carlos's little sister who fell into a coma after he rescued her from a fire. She is only heard in flashbacks and when she speaks to Carlos through the Morphogenetic Field. She is said to be around 12 years old, so I am looking for a young female voice.
“Carlos, I’m here! I’m over here!”
“I heard you calling out so I…”
“You know I’ll be waiting for you… I’ll never stop waiting… So…”
Spoiler Free Character
Does not require good mic quality
A staff member of a research facility running an experiment to see how well people would survive on Mars. I have no specific voice in mind for this character, but I would like for them to sound somewhat professional. I may split this role into two separate ones, depending how many auditions the project gets.
“Okay, and here we are. All of you will be living here in the Dcom facility…”
“Hey, can you hear me?! What’s going on?! This is Control, I repeat, this is Control. Please come in! I’m asking you to respond!”
“Oh, thank God! You really had me worried. What’s happening over there?”
Spoiler Free Character
***This character deals with the topics of abuse and death ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
Chris was Eric younger brother. The two were brought up in an abusive household until Chris's death. Chris is said to be around the age of 10, so I am looking for a young male voice.
“No I didn’t! You broke it, Eric!”
“Even you, Mommy? You’ll be happy too?”
“Help...me…Please... It...hurts…”
Spoiler Free Character
***This character deals with the topics of abuse, alcoholism, and swearing ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TOPICS***
The abusive father of Eric and Chris. He used to be caring, but after the death of his wife, he became drunk and hostile towards his children. I am looking for a gruff and hostile male voice. The more loud and pissed off the better.
[caring] "Hey, what about me? Can Daddy get some smiles, too?”
“Shut the hell up! Who said you could fucking cry?!”
“Jesus, Eric! Can’t you even look after your shitty little brother?!”
Spoiler Free Character
***This character deals with the topic of death ONLY AUDITION FOR THEM IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS TOPIC***
The mother of Chris and Eric. A kindhearted individual who loves everyone and everything. She is very optimistic and caring, even towards people she probably shouldn't be. I am looking for a sweet and comforting female voice.
“Hey you two. Mind telling Mommy why you’re crying?”
“Chris, Eric. Listen to me, okay? When painful or sad things happen, people get angry and cry because of them. But even at those times, I want you to never forget to smile.”
“I...forgive you… So...please… Don’t ever do something…so terrible...again… Can you promise me that…?”
Spoiler Free Character
The mother of a child who recovered from an illness. The character is supposed to be cliché and generic, so I am looking for a generic mother voice.
"Sean! You're awake!"
"You look a little out of it... You all right?"
"Food's ready! Make sure to eat up! I made all your favorites today!
Spoiler Free Character
The father of a child who recovered from an illness. The character is supposed to be cliché and generic, so I am looking for a generic father voice.
"I'm so proud of you, Sean."
"What's the matter...?"
"You fought really hard against your illness so you deserve a reward."
Spoiler Free Character
Does not require good mic quality
Role mentions deaths
A recording that announces the death count, X-Passes, rules, etc. for the Decision Game. Since all main characters die at least once, this role will not spoil any cannon character deaths. I am looking for a generic announcement voice. Think Siri or an ATM: emotionless but informative.
“Now announcing...the current casualties… C-Team: Carlos, Akane, Junpei These three are now deceased. As a result...three X-Passes...will be revealed. FIRE… CRASH… FIVE… That is all.”
“The X-Door has been opened...and subsequently closed. The Decision Game has now been concluded. Thank you for participating.”
“Is that...your final decision?”
