I had the idea for this project in 2018. When I came across this Japanese Drama Series, it was only in Japanese, with no other languages dubbed.
As the creative director on an independent English dub project, I managed script adaptation, voice casting, performance direction, and promotional design. I oversaw production workflows, coordinated talent through CastingCallClub, and prepared content for convention and online distribution, demonstrating end-to-end creative and project management skills.
This was my main image used when trying to recruit voice actors for the roles that needed to be filled.
Recruiting VAs
Using CastingCallClub, I had created a project meant to recruit those who wanted to audition.
With over 14 roles needed for the project, I had over 100 auditions to choose from.
For each role, I needed to grab a screenshot of each character and pick out 3 lines I wanted to hear during the voice actors' audition.
With over 14 roles needed for the project, I had over 100 auditions to choose from.
For each role, I needed to grab a screenshot of each character and pick out 3 lines I wanted to hear during the voice actors' audition.
Making The Music
Once I had my team picked and scripts figured out, I had a big obstacle to tackle to avoid any legal trouble.
The series is already copyrighted and trademarked by Masakazu Katsura and SkyPerfecTV, and I knew I couldn't make any commercial transactions or trades. Which was not a concern.
However, when it came to the original intro music for the show, it would get flagged during upload due to the track being listed in the USA. ("Yesterdays" by Migiwa Takezawa)
The series is already copyrighted and trademarked by Masakazu Katsura and SkyPerfecTV, and I knew I couldn't make any commercial transactions or trades. Which was not a concern.
However, when it came to the original intro music for the show, it would get flagged during upload due to the track being listed in the USA. ("Yesterdays" by Migiwa Takezawa)
To get past this, I needed a different track, one that won't get flagged or tagged. Coincidentally, I have been working on creating original music and short tracks for a few years, using Ableton Live.
There were a few genres I could go with, pop, classical, and dubstep, but I chose more of a tropical-house style.
I obtained vocals from a studio Dropgun Samples, and needed to get the instruments and drum beats to feel like they would belong in this show.
I saw the intro was nearly 1 minute and 20 seconds long, and I was able to create a track that was that length.
But, another issue appeared... With the original audio removed from the intro, and I'm just replacing it, the cuts and transitions DO NOT match up at all. Now I have to go through the intro video and slice it up to match my music.
That was quite fun. I easily found the BPM (beats per minute) of the original track, paced it to mine, while also moving over some cue points in the video to line up with certain transitions.
There were a few genres I could go with, pop, classical, and dubstep, but I chose more of a tropical-house style.
I obtained vocals from a studio Dropgun Samples, and needed to get the instruments and drum beats to feel like they would belong in this show.
I saw the intro was nearly 1 minute and 20 seconds long, and I was able to create a track that was that length.
But, another issue appeared... With the original audio removed from the intro, and I'm just replacing it, the cuts and transitions DO NOT match up at all. Now I have to go through the intro video and slice it up to match my music.
That was quite fun. I easily found the BPM (beats per minute) of the original track, paced it to mine, while also moving over some cue points in the video to line up with certain transitions.
The following video is my completed version of the intro, using my music and having proper timing.
"Breathe" By Jagged Jason
Creating The Cover Title
Before I would upload the videos to YouTube, I would need a thumbnail or cover image.
I wanted to make each episode its own image, rather than reuse the same background and just update the episode number.
I wanted to make each episode its own image, rather than reuse the same background and just update the episode number.
I would go through the episode being worked on and find a frame that I thought would work.
I knew the logo and text would take up the middle of the image, so I needed a frame that could stay out of the way of the logo and text, and make them work together.
For the font, I wanted to find a font that complemented or resembled the I"s logo. Seeing how it had a handwritten/drawing feel to it, I thought that Vanilla Pancake would be a good font that had the same feel with a white stroke, just like the logo had.
I knew the logo and text would take up the middle of the image, so I needed a frame that could stay out of the way of the logo and text, and make them work together.
For the font, I wanted to find a font that complemented or resembled the I"s logo. Seeing how it had a handwritten/drawing feel to it, I thought that Vanilla Pancake would be a good font that had the same feel with a white stroke, just like the logo had.
Creating The Credits
I took screenshots of the credits of the Japanese series, which were displayed in Japanese text. And had to go to the internet to translate the words into the English alphabet.
A task I had to do was remove the Japanese words and replace them with the alphabet. It wasn't too difficult, but it required some creativity.
A task I had to do was remove the Japanese words and replace them with the alphabet. It wasn't too difficult, but it required some creativity.
An example of the credits in Japanese
It's hard to explain what I did.
But I would go frame by frame until I found a section of the shot with no text. Screenshot as an image, and cycle through the clip until another patch of the screen is free of text, and use that image over the text.
The shot with no text would look like this.
But I would go frame by frame until I found a section of the shot with no text. Screenshot as an image, and cycle through the clip until another patch of the screen is free of text, and use that image over the text.
The shot with no text would look like this.
After I had these "moving pictures" with no text shown in the scene, I would put in my own credits.
Either of the voice cast I recruited, or put in the translated credits to show the crew with their names spelled using the alphabet.
For my voice cast, I added their logo or avatar that they chose to provide for their credit name. I put them in their own turquoise circle and made sure they lined up with each other.
The credits screen was created using Photoshop, and I saved the PNG image and imported it into Adobe Premiere, rather than loading all the images and text into Premiere individually.
Either of the voice cast I recruited, or put in the translated credits to show the crew with their names spelled using the alphabet.
For my voice cast, I added their logo or avatar that they chose to provide for their credit name. I put them in their own turquoise circle and made sure they lined up with each other.
The credits screen was created using Photoshop, and I saved the PNG image and imported it into Adobe Premiere, rather than loading all the images and text into Premiere individually.
Putting It Together
This was clearly the hardest part.
Voice actors had their own roles, each role having anywhere between 44 words and 844 words.
I would have some voice actors give me multiple takes of each line.
Gathering each voice actor's audio and putting it in the project, done using Ableton Live as well.
The reason I used Ableton was that it made moving certain audio markers to where I wanted, and it could speed up or slow down the audio and make the voice match the mouth movements better.
Keep in mind, I am working on one episode at a time, and each episode is just over 50 minutes long.
Voice actors had their own roles, each role having anywhere between 44 words and 844 words.
I would have some voice actors give me multiple takes of each line.
Gathering each voice actor's audio and putting it in the project, done using Ableton Live as well.
The reason I used Ableton was that it made moving certain audio markers to where I wanted, and it could speed up or slow down the audio and make the voice match the mouth movements better.
Keep in mind, I am working on one episode at a time, and each episode is just over 50 minutes long.
Screenshot of Episode 1's Ableton file.
After the first episode was uploaded, I took some notes on things I rushed and needed to keep an eye on for future episodes.
- Correct some voice actors' pronunciations.
- I needed to scout for replacement voice actors for a few roles that just didn't match the characters.
- Be more accountable for missing lines. (There were a few lines that had the subtitles up, but no audio)
- & Be more mindful of the audio levels. (Since there were loud parts and sections where the volume was too low)
- I needed to scout for replacement voice actors for a few roles that just didn't match the characters.
- Be more accountable for missing lines. (There were a few lines that had the subtitles up, but no audio)
- & Be more mindful of the audio levels. (Since there were loud parts and sections where the volume was too low)
Screenshot of Episode 2's Ableton file.
Where's The Project at Now?
As of January 2026, we are currently working on Episode 3.
What I am currently doing, while waiting for audio files, is preparing for future roles to get filled. There are more characters that are introduced in future episodes, so I didn't focus on filling those roles and letting the cast wait around for months until their episode was announced.
So on Casting Call Club, I created a new audition link. This link featured the 8 characters that will be introduced in upcoming episodes. But one thing I did differently was create reference clips.
I went through the episodes in Japanese and searched out lines I would want the potential VAs to audition with.
Because these clips were going to be posted on YouTube, I needed to create Icon Images. So, I created a template, made sure to use the same fonts, and image placements for each character.
What I am currently doing, while waiting for audio files, is preparing for future roles to get filled. There are more characters that are introduced in future episodes, so I didn't focus on filling those roles and letting the cast wait around for months until their episode was announced.
So on Casting Call Club, I created a new audition link. This link featured the 8 characters that will be introduced in upcoming episodes. But one thing I did differently was create reference clips.
I went through the episodes in Japanese and searched out lines I would want the potential VAs to audition with.
Because these clips were going to be posted on YouTube, I needed to create Icon Images. So, I created a template, made sure to use the same fonts, and image placements for each character.
Advertising
With episodes being made and uploaded to YouTube, there wasn't much of a way to share the completion of the project. We could post on Discord, Reddit, and on Casting Call Club. But with the number of posts every hour, our posts would get buried and lost. Casting Call Club does offer ad space for anything related to the site, such as projects.
The ads need to be square and either a still image or a GIF, I liked the GIF idea.
I opened up photoshop and created a few different layouts. I thought about what I"s was about and who the main characters were. Clearly the main character, Ichitaka, and his 4 love interests. So I need a square ad, with 5 sections for the 5 characters. But I also have the logo and call to action, so that made it easier, 6 spaces inside a square.
This was my first concept.
The ads need to be square and either a still image or a GIF, I liked the GIF idea.
I opened up photoshop and created a few different layouts. I thought about what I"s was about and who the main characters were. Clearly the main character, Ichitaka, and his 4 love interests. So I need a square ad, with 5 sections for the 5 characters. But I also have the logo and call to action, so that made it easier, 6 spaces inside a square.
This was my first concept.
First square advertisement concept
It felt fine, but something was wrong, the two characters on the bottom haven't been introduced yet, why am I showing them?
But I kept the idea of the corners being the moving character sections, getting rid of the middle character space, and made a few variations.
But I kept the idea of the corners being the moving character sections, getting rid of the middle character space, and made a few variations.
I was happy with the final result. I added the YouTube logo in the space, as well as added a mouse cursor to "click" on the icon. I also kept the I"s logo in the natural color, rather than disturb the eyes more by having a gradient rainbow moving.
This GIF has the 4 main characters that have been introduced, rather than 5 characters shown in the first concept, where 2 of them weren't seen.
Creating a Flyer
While waiting for the VAs to give me their audio, I wanted to keep busy and work on ways to spread the work to potential viewers, since the only way to spread the series was from the VAs and me sending links to friends.
A fact about "I's" is that it started as a manga (a Japanese comic book), which then turned into a Japanese anime, and is now a Japanese live-action drama series.
So, I figured that advertising it at anime conventions would be the best thing to gain an audience. By the time I would have some episodes ready for viewing, many conventions had their schedules for movies and shows all booked. So I couldn't freely show our work in any of their viewing rooms. But one thing that these conventions allow is fellow goers hanging their own posters (mainly just pieces of printing paper) on the walls all over the public walking areas. So I decided to start creating a flyer that I could hang.
I wanted the print to be larger than typical 8x11-inch paper, something that would help stand out against the other ads on the walls. I went with the 8.5x14-inch layout, knowing the extra 3-inch height might help me convey more information.
I wanted to keep the main image (with the male and 4 female characters together) as the center focus, and thought to have a grided layout in three diffrent rows.
A fact about "I's" is that it started as a manga (a Japanese comic book), which then turned into a Japanese anime, and is now a Japanese live-action drama series.
So, I figured that advertising it at anime conventions would be the best thing to gain an audience. By the time I would have some episodes ready for viewing, many conventions had their schedules for movies and shows all booked. So I couldn't freely show our work in any of their viewing rooms. But one thing that these conventions allow is fellow goers hanging their own posters (mainly just pieces of printing paper) on the walls all over the public walking areas. So I decided to start creating a flyer that I could hang.
I wanted the print to be larger than typical 8x11-inch paper, something that would help stand out against the other ads on the walls. I went with the 8.5x14-inch layout, knowing the extra 3-inch height might help me convey more information.
I wanted to keep the main image (with the male and 4 female characters together) as the center focus, and thought to have a grided layout in three diffrent rows.
Using Adobe Photoshop Elements, this was my first draft.
I saw the empty spaces and knew I was going to be putting text there, but I was not happy with having a plain colored background. Even the white background on the top row didn't feel creative enough for me. I questioned, "What could I put in the bottom row?" And the first thing that came to mind was just a fun screenshot of a scene, or even 6 or 8 screenshots side by side in a 2x3 or 4x2 layout. I tried that. But while I was working on finding screenshots, I knew it would create a large grid that would distract from the turquoise grid I already have laid out on the flyer. I thought about the bigger picture, and decided to make the pictures smaller...
I took the available white space, measured the height and width in pixels, and thought of how many squares I could fit in this space. I came up with 16 squares across and 6 squares down, which would be 96 squares. So, I decided to take 96 screenshots... I thought about what the flyer would be advertising. I would have a QR code linking to the YouTube channel that should have 4 episodes loaded by the time the convention happens. 96screenshots divided by 4 episodes would mean I need 24 screenshots of each episode.
This was my first draft of compiling 96 screenshots together. Filling in the empty spaces in between some spaces was next.
Adding a grid to the layout would be my way of keeping everything neat.
I knew that the grid would not be the centerpiece of the flyer, just a background to the QR code section. So I decided to take the color away from the images and use orange and purple fills to give the section color while also making a pleasant background.
Orange and purple screenshot background
I would then add this background to the flyer layout. While then adding less distracting screenshots from the opening sequence that could help show the story.
Such as the school hallway, meaning a high school teen story.
And the photo collages, showing more than the five shown characters.
Such as the school hallway, meaning a high school teen story.
And the photo collages, showing more than the five shown characters.
First attempt at the flyer.
Looking at my first attempt, I was not happy with the "path" the eyes would take for the text.
By having all the info on the left side, I had two different advertisements stacked on top of each other, while also having the same advertisements in the bottom row, but they were side by side.
What I would need to do is keep each side of the flyer dedicated to the call-to-action below.
I tried many different layouts and different words for the text.
By having all the info on the left side, I had two different advertisements stacked on top of each other, while also having the same advertisements in the bottom row, but they were side by side.
What I would need to do is keep each side of the flyer dedicated to the call-to-action below.
I tried many different layouts and different words for the text.
Attempt 2
Attempt 4
Attmept 5
Attempt 6
Attempt 7
Attempt 9
Attempt 10
Once i thought my 10th attempt was the best I could do, I went to a site to set up printing, but realized that I couldn't read the call-to-actions above the QR codes. I went back into the file to change the font size and make it bold.
Which would bring the flyer to a state that I was happy with.
Which would bring the flyer to a state that I was happy with.
My final draft for the flyer.
As of Feb 10th. 2026.
Next Steps
As of Feb 10th,
We are working on episode 3, as mentioned above.
Many VA files have been sent and we are compiling them into Ableton Live.
The flyer design is still being held off until the convention draws closer, and I know I can make the 4th episode public in time.
We are working on episode 3, as mentioned above.
Many VA files have been sent and we are compiling them into Ableton Live.
The flyer design is still being held off until the convention draws closer, and I know I can make the 4th episode public in time.