Pinball Productions is not only dedicated to making great work but also being a company you are proud to collaborate and engage with. In short, this means, whatever is the right thing to do, that’s what we’re going to do. A few examples thus far:

1. Pay – Currently as an independent company, we have paid $20,000 into the voice acting community. However, this is at discounted rates artists have been generous enough to work for as we grow. When projects receive larger distribution, Pinball begins making ad revenue, and other financial compensation is received by Pinball, we will be backfilling the fees of actors to match the level their projects have risen to. In addition, we are committed to giving profit participation percentages to lead actors. We believe the work actors do in sizable roles in projects contributes to the DNA of those projects and they would not be the same without them. What those percentages will be exactly is yet to be determined but whatever is fair, that’s what we will do.

2. Only using real actors – We believe that use of AI technology will have positive effects in the entertainment industry in terms of lowering costs in tv and film in special effects and other areas and bringing down costs to allow for more production and storytelling. However, the core of Pinball’s work is great writing and great acting and the alchemy that happens between them. We are not interested in using AI to replace actors and it is not part of the commitment to excellence we have as artists. In full transparency, there have been two instances in which Pinball has used AI voices in limited ways. One actor was a child when the pilot for “Become” was recorded, then his voice changed by the time we did the rest of the first season. With the actor and his parent’s consent, we used his original recording to generate a few extra scenes of dialogue and then sent it to them for approval which they granted. He will then perform as himself in the rest of the series. In another instance, there were, again, children’s voices that were needed in one scene in “Ghost Town” and we felt it was better to create the voices rather than cast child actors. These types of situations are particular and we are committed to continuing to learn exactly how to handle AI ethically when they arise. But the overwhelming message we have to send to you is we are not going to involve AI voices. We want real, human authenticity. Period. This also goes for protections against AI using your voice in any way from our work. We unfortunately cannot help if someone takes something from the internet and uses it somehow. But, when instances arise where we learn a platform is doing something we can prevent, we will take whatever steps we can to protect our work and yours.

3. Artistic Growth – We want Pinball to not only be a company that makes great work but fosters artistry and spiritual growth. In the coming months, we will be rolling out a number of resources for actors and writers to learn from. These will include videos, podcasts, webinars and other ways we can help you grow as an artist.

4. A commitment to equality and spiritual health – We are committed to not working with anyone who expresses racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or any other kind of hate. We will block all offenders on all social platforms and delete them from our email list. We also reserve the right to fire and even replace an artist in a project that expresses views that are not in keeping with our values. Pinball is about making great work in a fun, peaceful, and equal environment where everyone can contribute.  

I’m a writer and an artist. My goals with Pinball are the same as they are with each script I write. I want to make something special that lights people up and makes them feel something. And that’s exactly what we’re building here. I encourage you to follow along and please listen to our work and tell people about us. The more we grow, the more we can provide to the community of great artists that make this all possible.

Adam Zopf

Founder

Pinball Productions