I think he can cuz he's a professional. The Bay clip is bay's proof as to why he didn't use Frank, so I can't totally count on that. He could have pulled the absolute worst of Frank work just to prove his point.

The game and the Walmart DVD are obviously rushed products. So I don't really put faith in them either. I think (that Frank being arrogant) didn't prepare for the movie (being that maybe he heard Cullen was in and assumed it would be the same for him), AND Bay didn't like him.

But then again, it has been 20 plus years, and people seem to think to BE a badass, you have to SOUND badass. I like the whiny rapsy Megs, and he could have made it a little younger and fresher. I mean Mike Tyson sounds like a cross dresser, but you wouldn't F with him. I think it would have been cool to have this whiny old bastard kicking everyones butt.

But in honesty Fwiffo, you do have more concrete proof. I just don't believe in your sources.

 

I'm thinking the same. I also loved the high-pitched and sly voice of G1 Starscream. But G1 Starscream was also not among the most powerful decepticons. Movie Starscream kicked Autobot asses, damaging Bumblebee,Ratchet and Ironhide without getting a scratch.
Movie Starscream has also a completely different design, much more powerful. So a darker voice indeed suits this design better.

 

Yes, I did mean Chris Latta. Sorry, brainfart, I mixed the names up. As I stated before, having the whiny-sneaky Starscream back would be fun for nostalgia's sake, but this Starscream is more of a badass second in command (or at least seems it, based on what we saw in the first film and what's being stated for the sequel), so the raspier but more authoritative version by CHARLIE ADLER (ha, I got it right this time!) seems to fit.

One idea, getting back to Megatron, that has crossed my mind...with Megatron dying in the first film but on his way back somehow in the second...what if Hugo Weaving couldn't/declines to come back for a sequel, would Michael Bay turn back to Frank Welker and ask him to reprise the character, rationalizing it as 'Megatron died, and now that he's back, he's different and the change in voice symbolizes that' while also trying to please G1 fans ('I'll throw you the Frank Welker bone so you can't bitch when I do something else you don't like')? I have no idea if Hugo Weaving's even been confirmed to return for the sequel (I would assume he'll be back but I don't recall hearing anything definite by now), so this could be completely irrelevant. Either way, it is something that crossed my mind the past few months.

 

I dunno. Changing voice actors in any medium just feels awkward to me. It'd feel like Season 3 all over again.... and I know nobody wants Welker in place of Nimoy there!

 

That would have defeated the purpose of having him on the project in the first place.

 

The best place to hear Franks Megatron voice without the added fx is on some of the old toy commercials. I think that they could have had him sounding the same.

 

I've always have though Welker would've sounded fine once his voice underwent the amount of processing Weaving's did, which I think probably would've happened anyway.

But here's hoping that he'll at least be voicing Soundwave again.

 

I'd think David Kaye would be the best choice, if we were going back to old VA's. Hell, he did Megatron's voice three times as long as Frank ever did.

And Ceasar, just a point of order... I realize that Frank has recently done Scooby-Doo's voice, but the definitive Scooby is, of course, Don Messick (who sadly is no longer with us.)

Ceasar, I think your evaluation of the Welker Megatron voice is no more authoritative or provable than any of the rest of ours. Yours simply is colored with nostalgia and your own personal predilections, as are ours, so there's really no possible way for any of us to be completely objective about it.

I would point out, though, that to argue that "his voice would sound fine after the computer work and flanging are done" is a horribly flimsy argument and actually tends to detract from your point rather than add to it.

And as for Soundwave...once again, anybody with a sinus infection and a vocoder can do that voice.

On a side note, appropo of nothing, if Bay ever puts Hound in one of these movies, I'd shit my pants if I heard R. Lee Ermey's voice coming from him. I can hear it now: "You little scumbag! I got your name! I got your ass! You will not laugh! You will not cry! You will learn by the numbers. I will teach you! Now get up! Get on your feet! You had best unfuck yourself or I will unscrew your head and shit down your neck!"

 

Do you really think the fanboys wouldn't have thrown a shit-fit over that? I can hear the crying about how Bay made Welker sound different now.

 

Ummm no. All the voices are processed and editted, so that's a perfectly valid point. I've recorded music in some 2nd rate studios, and even in there, with a half competent editor, anything is possible. My point was that Bay threw out Welker's vocal unaltered, and that's not how they would have sounded if recorded for the actual movie. It proved his point... but that's like telling somebody to taste a raw Thanksgiving turkey. Same product, different preparation.

I just thought that given the opportunity to have the "man of 1000 voices" a multi decade voice acting legend, or Hugo Weaving, who is not a professional voice actor on par with Frank (and has had no previous experience with the series or character), Frank would have made more sense and did a better job. But it's water under the bridge now.

He asked Cullen to voice Prime differently(deeper). He could have asked Frank to do Megs younger and less raspy. Course that could have backfired into him sounding like S3 Galvatron...  

 

Weaving was wasted in the first movie. His voice was very appropriate for movie Megatron, he brought sophistication to the character. Unfortunately he had very littles to say besides the growling and ALLSPARGGZ.

Weaving for Megatron all the way, but Welker for Soundwave because I think to this date no one has done a better job with the vocoder. AEC Soundwave is shit and Animated Soundwave is decent but quite inaudible.

I think Ceasar121 has a good point though. The clips that we heard of Welker's movie Megatron voice were completely unedited. ALL the voice actors of the movie had their voices edited to sound more mechanical and also amplified to match the size of the bots. Welker's voice was untouched. It is an unfair comparison to be fair to Welker though I like Weaving.

 

Not to jump on the band wagon or anything but what your saying is not logical. I have every respect for Frank Welker and his impressive body of work. However, based on the examples you have given, Bay is a jerk because he let Frank audition but didn't run his voice through a bunch of filters and coach him him to get the voice he wanted. Thats silly. Directors have a vision of characters in their minds. When they hold auditions the look for actors hitting close to that vision and go from there.

Frank Welker does not have any more right to the role of Megatron then all the guys who have played James bond. Welker didn't make the cut and Cullen did, can't we just be happy with that and move forward without dissing a man who made a extremely successful movie out of a toy line.

 

I dont get this line of logic either of course Welker's auditions weren't edited why would they waste the time and effort to do that for the guy who didn't get the part. What you guys are forgetting is none of the people who were chosen would have had their voices edited during the auditions that got their part.

Even with out any editing Hugo's voice is stronger and deaper then Frank's. 25 Years ago Franks Megatron was a raspy old man. What makes you think he could play young and powerful now?

 

Well of course any half-ass who knows how to use Pro-Tools can alter a voice. That's sort of my point. Most directors (and record labels, to use your point) look for the actor whom they LEAST have to monkey around with to make their vocals sound right. After all, if you were signing a musician to your label, wouldn't you try to find one who could hit the notes the closest without having to run it through a bunch of filters first? The point is that Hugo was closest to Mike Bay's vision of how Megatron would sound.

By the way, Peter Cullen's audition tape wasn't given the additional sound effects either.

You don't have to alter a voice to tell it's not right for what you're looking for. The point I was making earlier is that if you DO have to alter it, then it's probably pretty definite that it's not what you're looking for. Besides, if the casting director wanted samples of Welker's Megatron, there are DVDs full of the original cartoons that could be listened to. You're just letting nostalgia get you all indignant.

Actually I think it was Mel Blanc who was called the man of 1000 voices. Not to diss Frank, of course, because his body of work speaks for itself. I do take issue with your statement that Hugo's not a professional voice actor, as the man has VA gigs that date back through the 1990s. He may or may not be on par with Frank, but he is a skilled and classically trained actor. Ask any casting director which they would rather have cast: a skilled stage actor or a journeyman VA. They will ALWAYS pick the skilled stage and screen actor, because they already have the acting chops built in. It takes skill in acting to bring a voiced character to another level, rather than just being lines regurgitated, albeit with careful enunciation. This is why animated major motion pictures use a lot of high powered STARS in their animated films--it's not just because of the attraction to their names.

Anyway, as you stated, it's water under the bridge, but unlike you I completely believe that Frank had as good a chance as Peter to get in on the production. He just didn't make the cut. Hell, even Charlie Adler had the chance, so you can't say that original VAs aren't represented!

Asking him to do Megatron radically different would've defeated the purpose of him being there to begin with.

 

actually initially Cullen did not make the cut. Why doesnt anyone remember that?

There was fan outrage and petitions and some of the people in the production were pushing for it ( Don Murphy I believe ) and the pressure was to much to early for the fans to not win out. That was Bay throwing us a bone because at the same time leaks were coming out of the characters and everyone was in an uproar over the direction of the movie.

The Tape leaked for the audition was actually interesting to me because it sounded like someone mixed it but to make it sound bad. It was tinny and flat which would take all sorts of range and familiarity out of the voice. I can take a recording of any of your voices and pick out the most weak part of your speech and make you sound totally lame its pretty easy.

See this doesnt make sense if you ask me because as a voice actor, and one who can work from home I might add, Frank would have better equipment to record and audition one would think right ? Since this has been a propaganda game from the beginning for Bay to turn our TF's it into a Michael Bay film in hopes to rejuvenate his career I dont doubt he just made the tape sound like crap leaked it so he can get an A-list actor to work with in Weaving and since most of the general public beleives what ever person spoke first there is no dissension because "hey they got proof"

Which also if anyone is expecting soundwave to have a voice like the original character I would just get ready to be dissapointed. I just think to Bay if a Decepticon doesnt sound like they could meltdown a buss of nuns them eat then they are autobots.

And to think this is me holding back on the topic of Welker  

 

Can you provide a link that proves that? I don't recall that. All I recall was that there were other people being considered, which happens a lot in casting.

Not everyone.

Now I've heard it all. Claiming that Bay actually intentionally sabotaged the audition??? That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. You're hearing things, bud.

Sure. Nowhere in all of Paramount's studios are there recording equipment that would match the superior quality of Frank's home set. Right.

Wait, was Michael Bay's career failing?? Sorry, I was under the impression that he'd made several blockbuster films that turned huge profits. I didn't know until you told me that he was living in a one-bedroom apartment, hooked on heroin, and needing that one film for his major comeback. Thanks for letting me know.

You show me yours, I'll show you mine. That Bay would have to sabotage a cartoon VA's tape in order to attract talent is the biggest leap in logic I've ever heard. Gosh, I hope that tin-foil hat isn't getting too tight. Bay could've not auditioned anyone and still got Hugo to do the part. (Given the high profile nature of the project, I'm sure he could've got Morgan Freeman to do it, if he'd been so inclined.)

Actually, I think that's how the majority of us think a Decepticon should sound like, unless you figure on Megatron rescuing kittens from out of trees or something.

But you go ahead and work that disappointment, because I'm sure there's nothing at this point that could deter you from your nursed-with-vinegar and weaned-on-pickles demeanor as regards the movie franchise.

 

Movie Megatron looks like a beast and should sound like one so Hugo's voice is the best for that design.

But Welker can still do his G1 Megatron voice, he showed it off in an interview last year, that interview had a short audio recording of the interview in which Welker slips into the voice of Megatron and explains what he can do with it.

I'll post a link as soon as I find it.

 

WOW really???? Michael Bay doesn't have to justify shit to anybody because his movie based of his decisions was a success. Their was no propaganda game because Dreamworks didn't even realize there was this many hostile nerds out on the internet. Directors and studios have been using well known actors instead of voice actors in animated movies for years. Deal with it.

 

Thank you. I was close to boiling over when I read his mistake there.

 

Hugo Weaving is actually not bad to voice Megatron. His voice makes Megatron, giant, dangerous and Evil.