Writers in the Recording Studio - Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing - page 103

want the voices to match the artwork. But remember that these are voiceover actors:
they don't have to look the part and, in fact, rarely do. Young can play older, old can
play younger, women can play boys, and men can play women. The only limit is
your imagination.
Since you know the script, you know which characters interact with each other
(something the casting director may not be cognizant of ). You don't want to cast an
actor in two roles where he has to perform against himself. Occasionally, because of
logistics, there's no way around it. Hopefully, the actor's various voices are different
enough, but this is never an optimal situation. Also, ideally you don't want the same
actor playing different characters in contiguous scenes.
So how do you choose who to use in the end? If your casting or voice director has
worked with the actor in question and recommends them for their professionalism
and talent, I would take their advice. In the end, it's all subjective, a gut decision.
Just as you have to trust your gut when you're writing, you have to trust your gut in
terms of casting and acting. Do they feel right? Do you believe them? When you
close your eyes, do you see the character you imagined in your mind's eye? Or maybe
the voice talent is doing something far different from what you imagined, but much,
much better. Be open to that as well. In the final analysis, it's a leap of faith. When
you've had more experience, it's less of a leap, but casting is not an exact science.
Until you're in the recording studio, all bets are off.
11.4 Creating Scripts for Voiceover Actors
Most contemporary game writers/designers work in Microsoft Excel to create their
scripts. Every line has its own specific code number, to facilitate placement by pro-
grammers and the audio team.
Some developers have their own proprietary software for creating game scripts.
BioWare uses a conversation scripting tool that keeps audio tracks of all the thousands
of words they use in their NPC conversations. They're in the form of dialog trees
and allow comments that delineate the character's emotional state. The Neverwinter
Nights toolset also allows for the creation of dialog.
Voice actors will need their own version of the script. It should be in a format
actors are more comfortable with. The script should be clear, simple, and easy to
read. It's possible to reformat an Excel script and enlarge it to make it more actor
friendly. The IGDA Game Writing SIG has a sample of how to do this and still keep
the script in Excel. It's included in Appendix A, and for more discussion of this topic,
see Chapter 2.
For cinematic scripts, many writers use a commercial screenwriting program such
as Final Draft or Screenwriter. Whatever format is used, the point is to make the
recording process easier for the voiceover actor. The recording session will move
faster, saving both time and money. This script is also intended to facilitate the voice
director's job. There should be areas where the director, the audio engineer, and the
writer can make notes on each take.