FEEL THE POWER OF YOUR VOICE!
Today, the opportunities for content creation are truly endless. With seemingly unlimited platforms and channels and new technologies available to anyone, creators of all backgrounds are free to share their talents and connect with audiences from around the world.
We recently had the pleasure of speaking with one of these talented creators, Sethimus, who channels his creativity through virtual reality and voice acting to create videos on YouTube. We got to pick his brain to explore the intricacies of creating virtual reality content and how voice acting helps shape his identity on his platform.
Whether you’re an inspiring creator, already have an established platform, or you’re just a fan of Sethimus, keep reading for a behind the scenes look at virtual reality, voice acting, and the content creation process.
VM: Hey Sethimus! Can you give us a little introduction about yourself?
Sethimus: Hi there! I’m Seth, better known on YouTube as Sethimus! My content is all about voice impressions, horror, and comedy! I only operate on YouTube at the moment, but big things are in motion for my debut on Twitch and I’m super excited about it!
I’m currently based in California where the weather is not great for a boiling-hot VR headset to be strapped to your face for hours at a time! All hail the mighty air conditioner!
VM: Tell us a bit about what you do and how you got into content creation!
Sethimus: Since 2018, I’ve been running things in a virtual reality game called VRChat! I pick a character, learn their voice, and find an avatar in-game to represent them! After all that, I goof around in public lobbies and get reactions from other players for my videos!
As for my background, I’ve been all over the place creatively! From over 10 years on YouTube to creative writing to digital illustration, I pride myself on my creativity and willingness to try as many mediums as possible to express myself!
It’s hard to place the exact moment I decided to start making videos, but I was very young and VERY inspired by all of the early creators on the platform, and I immediately fell in love with the idea of making videos of my favorite games! This became my focus from around 2012-2013 and I haven’t looked back since!
VM: Can you tell us how you got into creating virtual reality content specifically? What drew you to this type of content creation?
Sethimus: Sure! So as a small voice acting channel at the time, I was on the hunt for a game that could take my performance to the next level. When I saw that VRChat allowed you to take on the appearance of any character you wanted, I just KNEW it was the change I was looking for!
VM: What do you think are some of the unique challenges and opportunities that come with creating VR content, compared to other forms of content?
Sethimus: I could go on and on about the complicated process of actually getting things working and looking good for VR content, but as for opportunities, I think VR can instantly transform any average or mundane experience into the most chaotic and entertaining adventure. This is all due to the immersion the forced perspective and interactivity brings…maybe I’ll take better advantage of that in the future! 😉
VM: How do you think virtual reality will continue to evolve in the coming years?
Sethimus: I keep a close eye on the VR industry, and I don’t think we’re ready for the insanity that’s coming our way! Within the next decade, I fully expect Ready Player One style deep-dive VR to be on the horizon. From haptic gloves that let you feel the game to technology that lets you control extra limbs with your brain waves (yes that’s real), VR is going to be absolutely unbelievable in the future! Can’t wait!
VM: Let’s talk about your work in voice acting. How did you first get interested in this field and what do you enjoy most about it?
Sethimus: In my younger years, my friends and I would ALWAYS imitate characters…I remember our Beavis and Butthead impressions plaguing the school’s halls at the time, I know…very mature! From The Predator to Chewbacca, I always loved mimicking my favorite characters…looking back, I can see how it slowly became a career for me!
In early 2017, I decided to share this side of me with everyone and upload a video of myself doing an impression of Reaper in Overwatch. Well, the rest is history! I’ve been doing voice acting content ever since!
VM: What are some key skills you need to be a successful voice actor?
Sethimus: If you want to be a good voice actor, you need to know your strengths and weaknesses. It’s okay to not be great at everything! Knowing what you aren’t good at yet can teach you what you can do to improve! I think a self-analytical lens and a level of self-awareness is important! That being said, ALWAYS be kind to yourself and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get things right the first time around. Practice has and always will make perfect!
VM: How do you incorporate your voice acting skills into your content creation?
Sethimus: Whenever I plan my videos and settle on a character I’d like to impersonate, I sit with those characters for a long time and do a lot of research on them! What they do, who they are, what fans like about them, etc. and I try to find a healthy middle-ground between accuracy and entertainment! I always prefer to put the comedy and energy before the voice’s accuracy when it comes to YouTube videos.
While a perfect impression is great, an entertainer should always try to deliver the entertainment before all else! I think that’s what gives my content its own fun little twist!
VM: How does Voicemod play into your voice acting?
Sethimus: Voicemod has changed my life on this platform, period. I use Voicemod for most of my voices, even if it’s just to equalize the audio or add a simple echo to my voice. I love having the ability to make my own voice filters in VoiceLab, and I hope to see even more features get added to it! It’s by far my favorite and I use it all the time, even for voices that aren’t heavily modulated!
VM: Can you tell us a bit about your creative process when developing new content?
Sethimus: I spend a lot of time researching other content my audience likes, and I’m always on the hunt to catch up with the media that I know they’ll love! Usually, the ideas start out larger than life and need time to be boiled down a bit for the sake of, you know, ACTUALLY RELEASING THE VIDEOS!
With a bit of practice and a lot of caffeine, I’m able to channel my goofiness into any character I get my hands on! Even though it can take some time to get there, I always love the final product!
VM: Who are some of your biggest inspirations and how have they influenced your platform?
Sethimus: Back in 2018, I was looking to people like Azzerz, soundslikepizza, and Lolathon for inspiration! Since then, I think I’ve developed my own brand of content! I think people can definitely see the early inspiration in my content even now though!
I’d also like to credit everyone’s favorite boy, Dawko, for always keeping me hyped about FNaF and getting me in the mood to record some spooky animatronic voices!
VM: How do you balance the technical aspects of creating virtual reality content with the creative side of things?
Sethimus: It can definitely be a challenge juggling all the different things that go into recording virtual reality content. But I think that VR, while very complicated and uncomfortable at times, opens the door to so many possibilities for unique and creative videos ESPECIALLY in a game like VRChat.
I’ve done some more creative ideas in videos like my old Hide n’ Seek series (which I would love to revive soon)! So VR content is definitely a challenge and is on another level of difficulty compared to normal gaming content, but I just don’t think there’s anything else like it so it’s worth all the effort it takes!
VM: How do you approach engaging with your audience and building a community and your content?
Sethimus: I mostly interact with fans on my Discord server! I see a lot of creative people in the community, and I try to encourage that side of my fans! To encourage this, we host tons of contests and events in the Discord so members can showcase their talent, fans also send in their amazing artwork of me or my characters, and aspiring voice actors even share their talents with me and one another!
I am absolutely honored and blessed to facilitate and inspire this amazing community and all its talented members! Shoutout to all the friendly people I’ve met in-game so far as well!
VM: What piece of content/project are you most proud of and why?
Sethimus: I think the first VRChat video I ever did still sticks out to me due to the overwhelming attention it drew to the channel. In the video, I impersonated Venom from the 2018 movie. It was a spur of the moment decision to make the video, and I put almost no thought into it. I just took a character that I loved and a game I loved, and just had a good time.
My channel was so small at the time and I was getting next to no activity on my videos, then I uploaded a goofy one-off Venom video and BAM! It just showed me that people like what I come up with, that I should trust my instincts, and that I should stay true to myself! I’m very proud of how far we’ve come since then.
VM: Where do you see your platform going? How do you see it evolving over time?
Sethimus: I find myself always questioning my work and trying to integrate more complicated/creative ideas into it. Honestly, I can see my work evolving into something a little more…bold in the future.
I’m already working on a project that I’m terrified of finishing due to how different it is from the normal content I put out. I can’t say much…but just expect something that ticks all of the boxes: voice acting, horror, and comedy. I don’t know when it’s coming, but it’s been in the works for a long time so I hope to have more news in the future!
We want to give a HUGE shoutout to Sethimus for sitting down with us to discuss his experience and process as a digital creator. If you don’t follow him already, be sure to check out his YouTube channel, with +500k subscribers who are all loving his voice acting and hilarious content. And if you haven’t tried Voicemod already, download it for free to see how you can create your own entertaining content online, even if it’s just in your group chats with friends. See you – and your NEW voice – in the Voicemod Discord server 😎
en
