Credit: IMDB and NetEase Games/Joker Studio
With the recent AI situation causing a dark cloud to loom over the Identity V community for almost two months now, it’s been a rough time for players and fans of the game. Thankfully, there has been those who remain or have recently joined the community to lift spirits up and spread some positivity.
From idvlogic, an unofficial IDV news account, who worked painstakingly hard to bring attention to various IDV artists to voice actors like Jonathan C Fernández, Matador’s VA, who has been a positive and warm voice in a time where negativity abounds, it is immensely relieving to see the community not break under such a difficult time.
With that said, I felt it was a need more than ever to highlight the creative individuals who bring to life the characters and story that made us fall in love with the game in the first place. While it’s fantastic that artists are being recognized, voice actors also fulfill that role as well. Seeing how active and engaging some VAs have been on Twitter inspired me to create this new series.
The first one I decided to write on is Miss Clarissa Jaye (also known professionally as Clarissa Jacobson). She only just joined Twitter recently and has been doing her best to follow those who follow her while also engaging with the community who have welcomed her with open arms.
But who exactly is Clarissa Jaye? Well, I will tell you, dear stranger. Take a seat and get comfortable.
More Than Just a Voice Artist
Miss Clarissa Jacobson. Photo by Jeffrey Fiterman Photography. Credit: IMDB.
I am assuming that if you’re reading this post, you know that Miss Jaye is the voice for Cléo Decroux (Mime Artist) and Anne or Annie Lester (Toy Merchant). This was confirmed by her on Twitter and her portfolio website. Yet, she is so much more than a vocal artist.
Miss Jaye is originally from Minnesota and grew up writing short stories before realizing her dreams of wanting to become an actress. She graduated with a B.A. in theatre from Indiana University and received training at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy.
Then, through a series of events, she met Joe Bratcher, the founder of Twin Bridges Screenwriting Salon, who gave her a free class as a wedding gift. This led her to seriously consider taking the path as a writer over being an actress.
While it was a difficult decision as she had spent all this time and money into putting her all into becoming an actress, Miss Clarissa Jaye decided to take the leap and focus fully on screenwriting.
And it really shows in her portfolio. Her most notable work is Lunch Ladies which is an 18 minute comedy horror short film following the story about two Johnny Depp obsessed fraternal twin sisters who work as lunch ladies at a high school. Facing humiliation and bullying day after day, they decide to do whatever it takes to become Johnny Depp’s personal chefs to escape their hellish high school town until one cheerleader steps in and shatters their plans.
The film broke the ceiling with various accolades and positive reviews. It was shown in over 100 festivals including Clermont-Ferrand’s international short film festival which is the biggest short film festival in the world. It has won 46 awards and earned over 80 positive reviews. As recently as November of last year, another milestone was achieved when it began streaming on American Airlines up until April 30th of this year.
Due to the success of Lunch Ladies and wanting to share her experience making her first short film, Miss Clarissa Jaye wrote a book titled, “I Made A Short Film WTF Do I Do With It (a guide to film festivals, promotion, and surviving the ride).” It has been translated into Indonesian with a Spanish translation coming out soon as well.
Unfortunately, to keep this article brief I can’t go into too much detail, but Miss Clarissa Jaye did a 28 minute interview with the International Screenwriters’ Association where she delves into her journey from actress to screenwriter, the process behind writing and producing Lunch Ladies, meeting the right people and writing partner, and more. I would also recommend viewing the official Lunch Ladies website for more details and giggles.
Clarissa Jaye’s interview with The International Screenwriters’ Association. It’s worth the watch!
Rebel Minx: A Screenwriting Duo Not to be Trifled With
Screenwriters, filmmakers,, and good pals, Clarissa and Shayna create thought-provoking, smart genre content that is unique, fun, has heart, is pro-woman AND pro-man, and is oftentimes fuckin’ irreverent.
Credit: Rebel Minx
It would be amiss not to at least include a mention of Rebel Minx which is the screenwriting and filmmaking duo made up of Miss Clarissa Jaye and Miss Shayna Weber.
The two of painstakingly worked hard to create a variety of works. This includes horror thrillers that includes a story about a Gen Z goth who has to contend with a grieving widow trapped in a Victorian perfume bottle.
Yet, if that’s not your cup of tea, they also created an animated kid’s show about a 10-year-old who aspires to be an entomologist who ends up facing every tween fears and perils with her pet lice after they become human-like.
You can check out more of their works on their website, Rebel Minx.
Why the Buck Stops With You
The title of this section is in reference to something Miss Jaye said in her interview with the International Screenwriters’ Association and I quite liked the sentiment. While she was talking about the filmmaking and screenwriting process, I think the notion can be applied to the current situation the IDV community is facing right now.
I have seen so many leaders of the IDV community take charge in the situation with AI in the game from writing up informative tweets and threads to uplifting each other through community initiatives showcasing human-made works. The amount of people who have stepped up and tried to make better a situation that seems hopeless in the face of an uncommunicative company is inspiring and lovely to see. While change is hard to do alone, with a team of people with various connections and knowledge, it feels less so which is another thing I learned from Miss Jaye’s interview that she went through in making her short film which I believe applies here, too.
I personally started this website to not only relate the news but also keep a record of my own lore and character analysis posts that I wrote on Tumblr. I also wish to highlight artists, writers, and other creatives as best as I can. I’m still learning a lot when it comes to writing a “news and lore” site, but there’s nothing wrong with that (I hope).
Just as Miss Clarissa Jaye states towards the end of her interview with the Screenwriters’ Association, “…if you’re stop learning, is it even fun anymore?”
On a personal note, it was a bit emotional listening to her interview and looking back at her work in Identity V. As someone who has dabbled in writing most of her life (I even took a few screenwriting and fiction class in university) but has only recently realized maybe I have an “inkling” of talent in the craft, I haven’t done much with it as I have been far too passive with a lack of confidence that has led to a lot of self-sabotage over the years.
Or maybe I only think I know how to write since I have been at it since my school days (I felt a little called out by Miss Jaye when she said that especially since I still wonder if I can do all this).
In all seriousness though, I do hope learning a bit about the person behind the voice was as pertinent to you as it was to me. It’s always fascinating learning about people from all walks of life.
Miss Clarissa Jaye is proof of that. Yet, she is also proof how much weight a voice can carry. Whether she is voicing a character or talking as herself, it can inspire and move those who are patient enough to listen.
This PV for the Autism Charity Event still makes me tear up a lot. I’m not autistic but I have struggled a lot mentally over the years including feeling like I’m far behind my peers, yet those around me, including my family have been awfully patient with me. I was reminded of that while watching this.
I truly think some of us underestimate just how important a voice can be. As someone who is a nerd for anime and games, I’m used to geeking out over my favorite VAs and hearing their voices. They have helped me through good and bad times. They have brought to life my favorite characters. Sometimes they help thread together stories in a way that I feel no other voice could do. In turn, that enables me to weave together colorful worlds and scenarios just through my imagination alone.
Saying that reminds me of Cléo, encased in a world of her own creation that she wishes to share with others in a desperation to fill the void of loneliness in her heart. While how she goes about it is…not necessarily great, I felt a sort of kinship with her after reading her background story. I think I’m not the only one who relates to her either.
Yet, would I still feel the same if it was someone else voicing her? After reading more about Miss Clarissa Jaye and learning about her through her own words, she’s honestly the best fit for Cléo.
I hope to continue learning more about her fellow voice artists through this series and I hope you, the reader, can also form an appreciation for the voices that carry this game. I always find it a nice surprise when voice artists try their best to engage with this community especially considering how small Identity V is in the West (i.e. the Americas and Europe). Thus, it means a lot to us when they do especially now during a time of conflict and general sadness towards the state of the game.
Still, I will remain hopeful as I hope you do as well. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next part!
For more information on Clarissa Jay, you can find her on the following websites:
Film and TV: Rebel Minx
Voiceover: Clarissa Jaye
General Portfolio: Hey I’m Clarissa Jaye
Socials: Twitter
