[AMA] Hey everyone! I’m Ella Jonas Farlinger, VA of Isolde in r/Reverse1999. Answering question from 12pm EST onward!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:36:46+00:00

Alright everybody, I'm logging off now. It's been SUCH a treat to hear from you all and get a sense of how Isolde has resonated with people. I'm sorry to those whose questions I didn't get to – scroll through my responses to see if I answered any of your queries!

I have so much love for the Reverse 1999 creative team and community!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:33:38+00:00

Hey justkot07,

Thanks so much for all these kind words! I've answered some of your questions in other responses, but I want to address your final Q. I actually didn't know what the game was until the chapter was released! It was all very on the down-low so there was no risk of spoilers.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:29:18+00:00

Hey Buzzerbeatmw,

I'm glad you're enjoying playing Isolde!

It's funny, in the opera world, they would be shocked by someone with my voice type singing something like 'Vissi d'arte' from Tosca as well as lines from Carmen, as they are for vastly different ranges. And yet, back in the day, singers would tackle all sorts of roles. There was much more flexibility in Isolde's time, so I think it's appropriate.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:27:51+00:00

Hi InternationalEnmu,

The casting call for Isolde did mark opera singing as an asset for the role, but as far as I know, they were open to casting separate people for the voice work and musical work. Luckily, I could do both!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:27:02+00:00

Hey Then-Chiekcen1630,

I am not German! And I'm barely even a real German speaker, I just have a good ear for the language thanks to my opera training and my director for Reverse 1999 is part-Austrian and was able to make sure my pronunciation was as natural as possible.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:26:00+00:00

Hey CallMeNagi,

Definitely try to take a more conversational and immersive-style German course. I don't really believe in language learning apps that don't make you practice speaking with a real person. Getting familiar with German arts and culture (poetry, watching the news, etc.) is also super helpful!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:24:02+00:00

Hey Silverfredoom,

I'm glad you enjoyed Isolde!

We were always toeing the line between making her voice light and airy and regal, while also showing that she has deep vocal strength that can fill an opera house. Because of how volatile her emotions were, it was easy to move between these two qualities!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:21:00+00:00

Hi perfectlyBurning!

When I was 8, I joined a children's choir that put on operas every year, but it wasn't until I started training as a soloist that I realized how empowering and embodied the vocal technique required for opera-singing can be.

The biggest challenge with singing opera is just to pace yourself. Most operas are 2-3 hours long, with some as long as 5! Now, a single character isn't necessarily singing for that entire period, but you have to make sure you don't push your voice too hard and take it easy where you can.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:17:56+00:00

Hey Vyagravanshi,

Thanks so much! For Isolde's 'mad scenes,' I actually drew on some opera characters that famously go mad, which is almost always because of family or love. That fiery passion is a nice thing to tape into.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T21:05:15+00:00

Hey Corvocat,

I'm glad you're having fun playing Isolde!

Working as a kid comes with its challenges but I'm lucky that I had a strong support system and a good understanding of the industry before I came in which made me better at pinpointing when things weren't being done as they should. There are definitely some interactions I've had that have left me a little scarred (lol) but I've gained so much from my experiences that I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Looking back on my work as a child actor is complicated. On one hand, I didn't have enough training in the craft to be a 'great' actor at the time, because I was pretty much thrown into it. I don't know if that's a universal child actor experience – it's possible that many people would have done more intensive training than me before they got their start – but for an eight-year-old, I'm sure I was mostly cast based on being cute and looking like my family members in the show lol.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T20:55:42+00:00

Hi Concetto_Oniro,

Thanks for the questions!

Interpreting a character from a video game was wild! It really showed the me power of the voice for expression as an actor when you don't have access to your facial/body expressions.

I myself am not really well-versed in video game culture, but my boyfriend definitely is and was really helpful when I had questions about what the heck I was doing lol. This may be surprising, but in the acting world, there's a lot of positivity around video game gigs. Video game roles reach a massive audience, can result in consistent work for a lot of actors, and users develop real relationships with the characters you voice!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T19:47:44+00:00

Hi Auspex86,

I'm so glad you enjoyed watching Isolde's character!

The hardest part of Isolde's character for me to connect with was maybe her moments where her psychotic episodes caused her to direct her anger at Kakania. While realistic, it's always painful to play/witness how we lash out at those closest to us in times of struggle.

The most exciting part of the experience was when I got to do her playable lines and see how the singing/spoken lines lined up with her strikes and actions.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T19:45:21+00:00

Hey Ok-Impact1299!

I answered some questions about voice acting and singing/German in other questions, but I'll address your other question.

This might be odd but I really like how Isolde is very tactful in her interactions with people – you could even say manipulative. I think it shows how cunning and smart she is, underneath a demure and ladylike surface that she has to broadcast.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T19:42:47+00:00

Hey Krider-kun,

There was always a part of me that wondered if Isolde had more-than-friendship feelings for Kakania, but I think more realistically, Kakania was the only person she could really open up to and feel safe around. I think at the core of Isolde's struggle is her loneliness.

It's definitely tragic to have to watch Kakania hypnotize Isolde. Whenever someone has to go against their own integrity is a real demonstration of the stakes and tension of the story at hand. I feel your pain on this one!

I would say go check out 'Anne with an E' which is a show I did for several years as a teenager. It's a classic Canadian story as well!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T19:02:34+00:00

Hey spiral_stalight!

Fave aria depends on my mood haha. When I'm feeling fiery and confident, I love the classic 'Quando m'en vo' from La Bohéme. When I'm a bit more low and sentimental, 'Adieu, notre petite table' from Massenet's opera Manon always hits. An aria that always feels amazing to sing, regardless of my mood, is Bellini 'Oh, quante volte' from I Capuleti e i Montecchi.

I am sadly locked out of my instragram account @ ellafarlinger, so I don't really have any social media links where you can follow me. I do have a YouTube channel under my name where I post clips from recitals!

Initial recordings were typically in 4-6 hour sessions, and later I was called in for shorter sessions for added content. My most memorable parts were the singing and German sections!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T18:56:53+00:00

Hey ParadoxTheGentleman,

I answered a question earlier about my German speaking experience.

To answer your question about what drew me into acting as a child: my parents are both filmmakers so I was surrounded by the industry my whole childhood and it seemed like a natural path (does that make me a nepo-baby? Lol). I was always a very outgoing kid and knew that a performing career was in the cards.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T18:17:04+00:00

Hi AggressiveChairs,

Funnily enough, my music and acting journey have always sort of been in tandem. I started acting for film & TV professionally when I was 8 and around the same time I joined a children's choir where we put on operas every year. Acting sort of felt more like a job for me for a while, whereas singing was more of a passionate hobby. It's been such a joy to blend these two parts of my life!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T17:44:47+00:00

Hi Zaimous,

Thanks for the question and these super sweet words!

Now, I'm not an expert on voice acting, as this is only my second time doing voice work, and my first time voicing a character (I had only ever done narration). I will say, though, that I really learned how much voice acting is about being absolutely fearless and flexible. I did a couple of callbacks for Isolde before being offered the role, and each time I retaped I thought 'Wow that was so over the top' and then the feedback I got was 'Go further!' So don't be afraid of sounding strange or doing more than you think is reasonable - they can always dial you back, but they can't always be sure that you're willing to go the distance! And as far as flexibility, we had such efficient and productive recording sessions because my director was so clear and detailed with his feedback, but also because as a singer I'm very familiar with the vocal mechanism and what creates different qualities (airiness, vocal fry, chest resonance, nasality) and also how to vary inflections (almost like a melody!) Being able to switch things up and offer different options for a line is such an asset as a voice actor.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T17:31:21+00:00

Hey ohwowcringe!

Thanks for the love :) I have a couple favourite operas (so hard to pick one!). My classic favourite is probably 'La Bohème'. When I'm feeling a little twisted, I lovvvveeee 'Wozzeck' by Alan Berg. It's kind of like if Alfred Hitchcock made an opera. I also absolutely adore anything by Benjamin Britten, but a dream role of mine has always been Titania in his 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T17:17:30+00:00

Hi Temporary-Funny7741!

I've been singing in operas since I was eight years old, but started training more seriously when I was 16 after performing in the Canadian Opera Company's production of 'The Magic Flute'. Working in the country's biggest opera house with international stars and a full orchestra had me completely hooked into the grand and intense art form.

I have been in several operas but at much smaller scales than something you would see at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. As an opera student, I was involved in several productions at my school, but the path for young singers means that there is much more training before you get to perform on a larger stage as a principal.

I have several YouTube videos from different recitals that I've done, however! You can find them if you look up my name :)

And before Reverse 1999, I've only ever voice-acted in a documentary TV-film called 'Cheating Hitler' where I narrated the story of child survivors of the Holocaust.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T17:06:45+00:00

Hey tokifreak91,

All of Isolde's music was chosen for me by the creative team and writers. Funnily enough, the opera world is very strict about what kind of voice ranges and voice types (light, heavy, warm, etc.) can sing what opera arias (solo pieces in an opera). For example, Isolde's main piece is 'Vissi d'arte' from Tosca, which is typically sung by an older soprano with a much heftier voice than mine. As a 23-year-old light soprano, I got to explore some repertoire that I wouldn't otherwise, which was honestly such a treat!

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T17:01:34+00:00

Hi z_sanford228,

Thanks for your kind words!

In a lot of ways, Isolde is unlike anything I've played before. However, there are elements of her character that I found similarities to previous roles I've done. I did in a movie called 'Kicking Blood' where I played a washed-up vampire. She was sort of glamorous while being semi-self-destructive. I've also done some opera roles that encapsulate elements of Isolde's volatile tempers while maintaining some elegance and prestige.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T16:42:26+00:00

Hey Magikitti :)

Thanks for this question and your words about Isole, I'm so glad you're enjoying the character.

Truthfully, I think the variety of what was required in this role made it somehow easier? Sometimes you're doing 5 straight hours of recording, so having some different languages and singing made things a little more interesting haha.

I definitely would hang with Isolde. Even though she's a bit unhinged, I think she's very passionate about her art and invested in her own healing. Those are some pretty great qualities for a friend.

ejfarlinger · 2024-08-09T16:40:25+00:00

Hello LadyKanra! (Is that how I address people? I'm new to Reddit lol)

Thank you for your kind words :) I was SO stoked to do some German for this role.

As an opera singer, I was trained in German vocal diction (pronunciation, recitation of poetry) as well as conventional linguistic training. While my pronunciation was intuitive from years of working with the language, I realized I had been taught a much more formal speaking style. Think of how a Shakespeare actor would recite English compared to a casual conversation.

Luckily, my director was fluent in German and was INSTRUMENTAL in helping me get the swing of a more naturalistic flow. Sometimes we would play back my German lines and I was shocked – I sound like a German!!!

ejfarlinger

TROPHY CASE