[DMFA Radio] - Radio Series Project - RoDP work-in-progress Jun 2013

[Tapewolf]

I was kinda going on the assumption that the poll would be an actual forum poll.  Was this an incorrect assumption?

It's what we did with Dr. Ink, and it's what I was going to do this time.

Pitch shifting = teh evil!
For the Chibi-Dan voice in this strip specifically, I don't think pitch shifting will improve it any. The point (portraying Dan as a petulant child) was already made by James's acting.

Yeah, I guess I just wanted to make it even more obvious.  It worked well on Aary when she was turned into a poodle, though 

I liked the voice. It has a light, youthful quality that I prefer for Abel.

Yes.  I liked it.  The delivery as you say was lacking something, although personally I thought it was acceptable.

I've got a link from Hazmat to his version of Abel.  I rather like it but I can't provide it without his permission.  Forum rules, y'know.  So far he hasn't responded and he's missed the 1am deadline, so I'll have to add it in the morning...

[RushFox]

Ah, I see we are getting to the end of this. Fortunately, it hasn't ended yet, which is great since I'm going to do more recordings soon. I know it's been awhile, so I might be a little rusty. I'll update this post later when I have something substanstial up, by that I mean possibly a third take on Abel's Story, among other things. I've done 424-426 to DEATH, but if you want me to put in another attempt on that, I will.



In the meantime, if anyone wants to check my work so far, click on the little link in my sig and that will bring you to my public box on Box.net.

The important files for Abel are located in "Abel Recordings" and is where I'll be updating anything new, in terms of Abel voicings. These are the ones you should look at first.

My older recordings are in "Abel Recordings 2" folder (due to a screw-up on my end allocating files).

My second attempt at Abel's Story is in "Abel's Story Recordings" (which I still want to save).

Also, I have tried other characters, mainly for fun, which I put in "DMFA General Recordings". It's all Biggs-related recordings right now, but I might add others later if I feel up to it.

Sorry, if it seems like I'm advertising myself, but I just wanted to let you guys know I was still alive. 

InsaneKaosX: Hey, you're still recording! I'm quite surprised you came back with some recordings for us to listen to. I'm looking forward to hearing your take on Abel's emotional breakdown among other things in this storyline. Welcome back, err, for now I guess... 

[insanekaosx]

InsaneKaosX: Hey, you're still recording! I'm quite surprised you came back with some recordings for us to listen to. I'm looking forward to hearing your take on Abel's emotional breakdown among other things in this storyline. Welcome back, err, for now I guess... 

not still, again, like i said, my microphone fell into view, and i just had an urge. I'm looking forward to how i can do a breakdown as well, but i don't think i'll have by this week.

My gums are not healing up these holes as easily as i'd hoped. Sorry <<

[Kamunt]

I haven't heard it yet, because it's on some horrible streaming thing which kills WMP, and I'm not visiting FurAffinity at work   

Eheh... My bad. I didn't really feel like trying to screw around with anything new, so I just posted them the two main places I upload my actual music. It's fairly understandable why you wouldn't want to access FA at work, though, for some odd reason.

I liked the voice. It has a light, youthful quality that I prefer for Abel.

Aw, thank you. I'm still pretty 'youthful' myself, so I suppose that might have something to do with it.

The recording quality was pretty good. The noise was low and regular--easily removed. There was some light popping (mostly on H's), but nothing serious. In the future, it might also be a good idea to normalize files before posting them so that people don't have to fiddle with the volume before playback.

That's about on par what I thought was going down with my recording, so it's good to see I was on-target with what I thought of it. I know, I hated those popped Hs, but it happened so randomly whenever recording that I just had to try and find the least-popped lines. And...sorry about the volume.   I knew that was coming. I've got experience in the realm of music production, so I could tell it might've been an issue. But I remembered Grey saying to just put up just something that was usable and not necessarily totally smooth technically, so that's more or less what I did.

The delivery, however, was flat and overpronounced, which gave many parts an almost robotic feel (most obvious in the roommate line). Relax. Try to visualize a conversation partner instead of focusing on the mic or the lines.

Really, it was that obvious? D'oh. I thought I was nervous when recording it all, but damn, LOL. I will remember this for next time, if there will be one. Thank you for the feedback, it's much appreciated; again, this is my first time attempting voice-acting, so I'm honestly just excited with my demo being even remotely like. In case it's worth noting, I reeeaally hated the way I did the 'roomate' line literally everytime I did it.

Mirrored. That's his original multi-take version (renamed but unprocessed). There wasn't all that much difference between takes.

h-Why, thank you, good sir for the alternate hosting. The two separate takes were actually just the long one split into two with the 'extras' left out altogether. Because I read too late that Tape just wanted them short.

I liked the voice. It has a light, youthful quality that I prefer for Abel.

Yes.  I liked it.  The delivery as you say was lacking something, although personally I thought it was acceptable.

Woo, I'm glad you like it, too. I'll be sure to relax more for next time, now that I've done a recording and gotten fairly positive feedback from it.

Pitch shifting = teh evil!
For the Chibi-Dan voice in this strip specifically, I don't think pitch shifting will improve it any. The point (portraying Dan as a petulant child) was already made by James's acting.

Yeah, I guess I just wanted to make it even more obvious.  It worked well on Aary when she was turned into a poodle, though 

Heheh, that made me laugh for some reason, just reading that.

[Tezkat]

not still, again, like i said, my microphone fell into view, and i just had an urge. I'm looking forward to how i can do a breakdown as well, but i don't think i'll have by this week.

My gums are not healing up these holes as easily as i'd hoped. Sorry <<

Dude... seriously... you just had surgery. Rest up and don't worry about us.

That's about on par what I thought was going down with my recording, so it's good to see I was on-target with what I thought of it. I know, I hated those popped Hs, but it happened so randomly whenever recording that I just had to try and find the least-popped lines. And...sorry about the volume.   I knew that was coming. I've got experience in the realm of music production, so I could tell it might've been an issue. But I remembered Grey saying to just put up just something that was usable and not necessarily totally smooth technically, so that's more or less what I did.

If you haven't already, there are lots of little tricks you can do to reduce popping (turning the mic to an angle so you talk across it instead of into it, making a pop filter out of pantyhose, holding up a finger like you're trying to shush someone...).

Really, it was that obvious? D'oh. I thought I was nervous when recording it all, but damn, LOL. I will remember this for next time, if there will be one. Thank you for the feedback, it's much appreciated; again, this is my first time attempting voice-acting, so I'm honestly just excited with my demo being even remotely like. In case it's worth noting, I reeeaally hated the way I did the 'roomate' line literally everytime I did it.

When people start out, they get all anxious about their performance, and it ends up sounding like they're just reading off the page instead of acting the role. We see that all the time with newbie VAs. I'm sure you can act--you just weren't doing enough of it because you were nervous. (They often speak too quickly as well. You didn't have that problem, but it's something to watch out for.)


Some things that help...

Memorize the lines so you don't have a page to worry about and can concentrate on recording.

Pretend you're talking to somebody instead of to a mic. Maybe pin up a picture of Fa'Lina or your mom or whoever above the mic while you deliver the lines. Heck, if you have a real person you can trust to keep quiet while you record, park them next to your recording station and chat in character.

If you have the time, read through this thread for more tips. The new thread started about the same time that the Abel role opened up, so pretty much the entire thing is commentary on everyone's Abel auditions. (For instance, Abel's last comment in 424 was a dig at Fa'Lina, so the emphasis should be "Just because I look cuter in skirts.")

[Tapewolf]

Heeerrrrre's HazMat:

http://rapidshare.com/files/37260704/424-426.wav.html

I don't have the downloaded copy to hand and I'd rather not go through RabidShare again if I can avoid it.  He sounded similar to Kamunt as I recall, but running through the lines slightly fast.

[xHaZxMaTx]

I could do it again, if you like.

[Kamunt]

That's about on par what I thought was going down with my recording, so it's good to see I was blahbidy-bloobidy-BLECK.

If you haven't already, there are lots of little tricks you can do to reduce popping (turning the mic to an angle so you talk across it instead of into it, making a pop filter out of pantyhose, holding up a finger like you're trying to shush someone...).

Honestly...I have to say that I'm quite positive I don't have a single pair of pantyhose anywhere in my wardrobe, for some odd reason. And, I somehow think that neither my younger sister nor my mother would want me playing around with their pantyhose. No matter what the reason. LOL!

Really, it was that obvious? D'oh. I thought I was nervous when recording it all, but /emo /emo /emo.

When people start out, they get all anxious about their performance, and it ends up sounding like they're just reading off the page instead of acting the role. We see that all the time with newbie VAs. I'm sure you can act--you just weren't doing enough of it because you were nervous. (They often speak too quickly as well. You didn't have that problem, but it's something to watch out for.)

Heh, I'll bet that's a common problem...one I got owned by, as well. I'm glad I didn't speak too quickly, at least, I made it a point to avoid doing so at the beginning of the whole process.

Memorize the lines so you don't have a page to worry about and can concentrate on recording.

Now, you'd think that that would just seem basic for any form of acting. I was wondering if I should've done something like that or not. That should've probably been a "No duh!"-thing, since it's not like this would be the first time I've had to memorize something, LOL.

Pretend you're talking to somebody instead of to a mic. Maybe pin up a picture of Fa'Lina or your mom or whoever above the mic while you deliver the lines. Heck, if you have a real person you can trust to keep quiet while you record, park them next to your recording station and chat in character.

...It's not that I don't have someone I trust to be quiet while I read.... It's just that, I really don't think I have anyone I could trust to keep a straight face and to, you know, not go "....ZA?!?" after I say, "Hey now, just because I look cuter in skirts...". 'Cause...really, who wouldn't be a bit weirded out hearing a guy say that (relatively) non-jokingly? ...Aside from us, knowing the full context of the line? On top of that, I'm not really sure what anyone would think seeing a picture of Fa'Lina right there near my computer, as well, because knowing me, I'd definitely leave it there by accident... That's one (or more) potential trainwreck(s) I hope to avoid, LOL. I'll at least try and imagine it, though, and see if it helps. I'll try the picture, if my imagination fails me for some reason, and if I do I'll try not to forget the picture, as well....I can totally picture Father, as well, haha...

If you have the time, read through this thread for more tips. The new thread started about the same time that the Abel role opened up, so pretty much the entire thing is commentary on everyone's Abel auditions. (For instance, Abel's last comment in 424 was a dig at Fa'Lina, so the emphasis should be "Just because I look cuter in skirts.")

Will do, Cap'n! Gonna learn Abel inside and out, because I can and I luv him!! want to make sure I can be even better for next time, if there is a next time.

[Tezkat]

I could do it again, if you like.

It was actually a pretty low voice for Abel (not as low as Goatmon's, but still...).

You were speaking too fast, but then that's already been mentioned. If you're rerecording, you might want to take note of the general comments we've been making these lines. (e.g. The muffin line needs a "where" added, and there are notes on emphasis like the one I mentioned a few posts up.)

Another thing... I noticed a lot of clicks (mouth noises) in that take. Unlike a lot of recording problems, those can be edited out by hand, but it's time consuming and a pain in the ass. The problem is caused by lack of proper hydration. Drink a lot of water before and during recording. A lot of pro VAs also swear by green apples (to the point they're practically a required element of one's kit when heading out to the studio).

Honestly...I have to say that I'm quite positive I don't have a single pair of pantyhose anywhere in my wardrobe, for some odd reason. And, I somehow think that neither my younger sister nor my mother would want me playing around with their pantyhose. No matter what the reason. LOL!

Heh. You could always pick up a pair at Walmart or whatever. They're only a buck or two.

Now, you'd think that that would just seem basic for any form of acting. I was wondering if I should've done something like that or not. That should've probably been a "No duh!"-thing, since it's not like this would be the first time I've had to memorize something, LOL.

Actually, it's somewhat unusual for VAs to memorize their lines. They usually get their copy upon arriving at the studio and thus have only minutes to prepare before they record. Plus it's one of the few acting mediums in which you can actually get away with reading straight off of the script. Still... memorization helps if you can manage it, especially if you're still fiddling with the character.

[RushFox]

Okay. I actually have some new material this time. All of it is Abel, of course...

1. 424-426 7th Try- This is the first attempt with the different computer, so there is no RF noise here. Yay! 

2. 506-509 SAIA Arc- I know I've done this already on RushFox Test Recordings, but that was just a test of the system I was working with.

Both can be found here: http://www.box.net/shared/zl36nzt1am#1:6708588

3. Abel's Story 25-28- I have a little intro before my lines stating my feelings on doing this again. I will do the entire thing up to the present, eventually. I just wanted to know if you guys wanted to hear anything specific FIRST. I'm doing the whole arc pretty much for myself, but if you want me to do, say, the "emotional breakdown" or the "Cindy Funeral" scene first, let me know.

This one and any new Abel's Story recordings can be found here: http://www.box.net/shared/pcc3837aed

That should be about it. Other recordings are in my sig at the bottom. That's it for now! Bye! 

[Tapewolf]

Okay, I've decided to go with strip 506 for the auditions.
So far I have recordings of this from:
Insane, Goatmon, Rabidfox, Rushfox and Raist.  Is there anyone I've missed?
Hazmat and Kamunt, is there any chance you could do this as well?  I can put up your 424 recordings instead if need be but it would be nicer if everyone was doing the same lines 

How long should we let the vote run for?  IIRC we did a fortnight for the Ink casting.

[Tezkat]

Hmm... interesting choice of audition strip. Meh... may as well toss my hat into the ring for the heck of it.

Two weeks sounds reasonable to me. At any rate, I don't see any need to run them much longer than that. Certainly no less than a week.


Anyways... here are those Jyrras lines you wanted (for the Disasters arc). I just noticed that I made a tiny mistake in one of the 316 lines, but I'm too tired to fix it right now. Maybe later.

[xHaZxMaTx]

Hazmat and Kamunt, is there any chance you could do this as well?

I've decided to drop out of the auditions, but thanks, anyway.

[RushFox]

Okay, I've decided to go with strip 506 for the auditions.
So far I have recordings of this from:
Insane, Goatmon, Rabidfox, Rushfox and Raist.  Is there anyone I've missed?
Hazmat and Kamunt, is there any chance you could do this as well?  I can put up your 424 recordings instead if need be but it would be nicer if everyone was doing the same lines 

How long should we let the vote run for?  IIRC we did a fortnight for the Ink casting.

Whew, thanks man... That 424-426 was giving me a headache! It probably had something to do with that first line... 

As for 506 for the decider, I'm a little worried. If it's possible, I would like to do several takes for this later and send as an AUP file. That way, you can choose the best sounding from the bunch, and I don't feel like I undershot my chance. If that's too much of a pain, don't worry about it. 

Other than that, a fortnight sounds about right!

[Brunhidden]

Where was the briefing of the audition procedure? i may be able to give this thing a shot but i have time restrictions so i need to know if i should even bother.

The day I give a crap is the day I get a bullet to the brain, so I'm in no hurry.

[Kamunt]

Okay, I've decided to go with strip 506 for the auditions.
So far I have recordings of this from:
Insane, Goatmon, Rabidfox, Rushfox and Raist.  Is there anyone I've missed?
Hazmat and Kamunt, is there any chance you could do this as well?  I can put up your 424 recordings instead if need be but it would be nicer if everyone was doing the same lines 

With bells on my *gets shanked* SHURK!! Gladly. With any luck, I could have something workable done by tomorrow night. With any luck, of course. No later than Wednesday, definitely, don't want to disadvantage myself any further. Might even do another, better-quality 424-6 if I have time.

[Tezkat]

By the way... if you have the tools at your disposal, JP...

A lot of AVA group producers who run public "Who should we cast?" polls will string together all the audition lines into a little YouTube video or flash animation that displays who's speaking (usually identified by number instead of name, actually). With more than half a dozen hopefuls from which to choose, the visual cue makes it much easier for voters to keep track of the entries. Just an idea.

As for 506 for the decider, I'm a little worried. If it's possible, I would like to do several takes for this later and send as an AUP file. That way, you can choose the best sounding from the bunch, and I don't feel like I undershot my chance. If that's too much of a pain, don't worry about it. 

Just so you know... AUP files have no particular benefit over WAV (or any other uncompressed format) in a recording without multiple tracks. Indeed, as that 424-426 mix file demonstrated, there are all sorts of compatibility issues and whatnot to worry about (not to mention the extra junk that Audacity sometimes leaves lying around when you delete stuff). It would be better just to save as WAV files like you've been doing.

As for submitting multiple takes for the poll... I think that's a good idea, if you can get them done in time. Just don't go overboard.

Where was the briefing of the audition procedure? i may be able to give this thing a shot but i have time restrictions so i need to know if i should even bother.

Heh... The audition procedures are kinda scattered all over this thread. We really should write a FAQ or something to link to whenever people ask that. Anyways... to audition for Abel:

1. Hook up your mic and try to make the room as quiet as you can.

2. If you don't have a mic, go get one and return to Step 1.

3. Grab a copy of Audacity if you don't already have a commercial sound editing software (Hint: Windows Sound Recorder is not adequate).

4. Set your sample rate to 44.1 KHz.

6. Record Abel's lines for strip 506.

7. You're just reading off the page. It happens to all the newbies. Pretend you're actually talking to Dan and act the part. Remember: You are Abel. Now go do it again.

8. Now you're probably nervous and speaking too quickly. Take a deep breath, relax, and try again.

9. Stay hydrated. A glass of water near your recording station helps. (When you're dehydrated, mouth noises will turn up as clicking sounds in your recording.)

10. Speaking of recording noises, there are a number of common recording problems that can make a take unusable. Clipping is one of them. In Audacity, it looks like this:



It happens when your voice is too loud for the recording levels (and you can see the waveform touch the edges). When you play it back, you'll notice ugly distortion sounds. To fix it, turn down the gain (recording volume) on your mic.

Popping is another common problem. That's what happens when the bursts of air from consonants like P hit the mic and cause a popping noise. There are tips on how to deal with that in Tapewolf's HOWTO.

There will probably be some noise from your computer fans and stuff. You can't really do much about that without rearranging your recording studio, but we can usually clean it up on our end unless it's really bad. Leave a second or so of dead air after you say your lines so we can sample the room noise.

11. Once you have a take your happy with, export the file as a WAV or MP3 (128 Kbps or higher, please).

12. Upload the file to your web site or a file sharing service like Box.net.

13. Post the link here.

14. Tapewolf will make a poll with all the entries, and your fate will be in the hands of the great unwashed masses of forumites.

15. ?

16. Profit!


I don't know when Tapewolf is going to start the poll. Basically, if he puts it up any later than tonight, the poll will close during Anthrocon (assuming it runs a fortnight). Then again, those going to AC (which includes a lot of the forumites who might be interested voting) might be stressing over that in the week beforehand, especially if they have artz to hawk or other special preparations to make. So we'll really only have the next week or so to count on people paying attention to us anyway. We might be better off waiting until after AC to give everyone a chance to submit their perfect takes, but that somehow seems like a long delay...

Either way, we need a hard deadline for submissions to close so that people may schedule their lives accordingly.

[Tapewolf]

As for 506 for the decider, I'm a little worried. If it's possible, I would like to do several takes for this later and send as an AUP file.

I was hoping to kick off the poll last night, but I guess it can wait a little longer 

Please do not submit AUP files unless you really know what you're doing!  They do not contain the audio data, just the locations of where it can be found and in what order.  Either dump it to a WAV, or if you must provide an AUP, zip up the appropriate data directory as well.

By the way... if you have the tools at your disposal, a lot of AVA group producers who run public "Who should we cast?" polls will string together all the audition lines into a little YouTube video or flash animation that displays who's speaking

Unfortunately I don't.  Actually there might be something to do it on this 'ere Mac, but I wouldn't know what and it would probably come out in QT format.

Anyroad, I'll check out your (Tezkat's) take and add it to the pot.  To be honest it sounds a bit too much like Jyrras - I'd kind of like to avoid the National Theatre of Brent situation ("Why do you not answer?  Because I'm playing both parts!") 

[Tezkat]

Anyroad, I'll check out your (Tezkat's) take and add it to the pot.  To be honest it sounds a bit too much like Jyrras - I'd kind of like to avoid the National Theatre of Brent situation ("Why do you not answer?  Because I'm playing both parts!") 

Really? The two voices are kinda... um... diametrically opposed when it comes to vocal production. I thought they got along rather well together when I did those "Life is Wonderful" strips last year...

Best. Jy. Lines. Evar. (#631-633)
They really do have a card for everything. (#639)
I made an outtake of an outtake. How sad is that? (#648)
(If you don't know what they're talking about, clicky.)

Hmm... actually... listening to those again next to the one I did yesterday, it's painfully apparent that I pitched Abel too high for #506. Serves me right for not bothering to listen to a reference of a character I haven't done in ages.

General folly of me adding another main character to my workload aside, I am genuinely curious to know what people think of my interpretation of Abel. I took the character in a rather different direction than most of the people auditioning, and I don't get much feedback on my own work...

[CameronCN]

General folly of me adding another main character to my workload aside, I am genuinely curious to know what people think of my interpretation of Abel. I took the character in a rather different direction than most of the people auditioning, and I don't get much feedback on my own work...

I'd be happy to oblige you. Now I think the voice itself sounds good for Abel, but the way you acted him seemed off. No doubt this is because you wanted to take it a different direction from everyone else, but he just sounds too... how to say it... buoyant. He sounds like Mr. Happy-Guy. Which would be fine, of course, but it doesn't match his facial expressions or the way he acts in the comics at all. We expect Abel to sound all sardonic all the time for a reason... because he is. 
The recording sounded great, though.

[RushFox]

Okay, I've recording three re-takes for my version of Abel.

I have them saved here: http://www.box.net/files#0:f:6708588

I guess I'll stand back and leave it up to you guys... 

[Brunhidden]

3. Grab a copy of Audacity if you don't already have a commercial sound editing software (Hint: Windows Sound Recorder is not adequate).

This would be my hurdle, i will get back to you on that.... wife set the computer so i have no admin privileges, meaning i cannot download or install just about anything.

Trust is a noble and rare thing that only suckers have.

[Tezkat]

I'd be happy to oblige you. Now I think the voice itself sounds good for Abel, but the way you acted him seemed off. No doubt this is because you wanted to take it a different direction from everyone else, but he just sounds too... how to say it... buoyant. He sounds like Mr. Happy-Guy. Which would be fine, of course, but it doesn't match his facial expressions or the way he acts in the comics at all. We expect Abel to sound all sardonic all the time for a reason... because he is. 
The recording sounded great, though.

Thank you. I've actually heard something to that effect before (nice voice but not edgy enough for Abel).

This would be my hurdle, i will get back to you on that.... wife set the computer so i have no admin privileges, meaning i cannot download or install just about anything.

You don't actually need to "install" Audacity in order to run it. For windows, grab the "zip" package off of the download page. That should work unless your user permissions are so restrictive that you can't even unzip and run an executable.

If that doesn't work, I suppose you could try using the built in sound recorder as a last resort. Just remember to use decent recording settings (16-bit or higher, 44.1 KHz. Mono).

[Fuyudenki]

I actually talked to Brun earlier today, and he said he'd gotten it done.

This post is short, so I didn't really know if I should make it.

And it's after 9:00 PM, here.  I'm not supposed to post things this late...

[Kamunt]

Grr...this is frustrating. I can't myself to do the last panel in a way that sounds totally natural, and I'm popping like, every other sentence with consistency. I must just still be getting nervous about this whole thing. Kweh. At least I've been working on actually speaking to Dan, and I think that that's coming along much better, at least. Gotta keep trying, 'cause I'll never get better unless I do, right? Although...my throat and ears were still very sore after being forced-but-not-really to go to a Sense Fail (+1 other band?) concert, some Zumiez Couch Tour with skateboarding, blah blah... It could very well just've been I was tired. *shrugs* This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way), and hopefully things'll go better and I'll get less frustrated at myself.
/rockthemic

[insanekaosx]

i'm gettin much better here, only took ibuprofen twice today. so i think i can get recording now. and by that, I mean i might redo 506 since i have time. I dunno. i rather like mine... if I don't update with another one, you can assume i was happy with my current one

[Netrogo]

Figured for the hell of it I'd do an audition for Abel too. Took a few takes but I think I got a decent one.

http://rapidshare.com/files/38766178/Final_Abel_Audition.wav.html

[Brunhidden]

Audition recorded

quality- mediocre, but what do you expect? i think i got the last panel dead on 'abel' personality

problem- java is being a poopiehead and not letting me put it on that box share thingy, and files.bz is under matinence so i sit on my hands until one decides to like me.

Its always the same, hurry up and wait.

[Tapewolf]

problem- java is being a poopiehead and not letting me put it on that box share thingy, and files.bz is under matinence so i sit on my hands until one decides to like me.

Do you want to email it to me?

[Brunhidden]

Done, although i would have preffered a public file allowing all to heckle me.

if i would be better suited for a different voice let me know

To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.