Writers in the Recording Studio - Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing - page 105

Beyond the truth, the writer is also the guardian of the tone. What exactly is
the “tone�? It's the story's personality, and it's reflected by everything in the world.
Usually the lead designer, lead artist, and writer will come together to collaborate on
a consistent tone. If the tone changes through the game or movie or book, the effect
is jarring. It pulls the player/audience out of the story and derails the suspension of
disbelief. Consider the tone of F. E . A . R . (Monolith, 2004) compared to the tone of
Serious Sam (Croteam, 2001) or Call of Duty (Infinity Ward, 2003). All three are
first-person shooters, but each has its own specific tone. F. E . A . R . is a supernatural
horror story mixed with a military action plot, while Call of Duty is military action
in a realistic historical setting. Serious Sam is anything but serious. The wild, speedy
gameplay matches the screwy dialog and characters. Your job is to make sure that
each voice actor is playing a consistent part in the same story. If the performances
are getting too maudlin or too broad, too silly or too serious, you need to let the
voice director know. A good voice director should already be on the same page, but
sometimes an actor can be so entertaining and charming that the voice director is
seduced into accepting a performance that doesn't fall within the tone.
As the writer, you are one of the few people keeping the entire equation of the
story in your head. The voice director only knows what you tell him and can never
know the script as intimately as the writer. At all times, you should know what
is happening visually, physically, and emotionally. Since in most cases, you're only
recording one voice talent at a time, the actor needs to know not only who they're
playing against but the intention and emotion of each line. When all the audio
is inserted in the game, you want the characters who are conversing to sound like
they're in the same room...or caveor submarineor rooftop. Theyneed to inhabit
the same physical and emotional space.
It's also important to make sure the characters stay consistent throughout the
length and breadth of the story. Sometimes an actor is playing multiple parts, and it
is easy for them to let their accent slip and become some other character. The voice
director obviously needs to be cognizant of this, but so does the writer.
You also need to be vigilant in the area of relationships between the various char-
acters. All the relationships must make sense and stay as consistent as the individual
characterizations. If Bill hates Sally at the start of the story and always gives her an
attitude and that attitude changes as he learns to respect her, that change needs to be
reflected in the performances. As the writer, you know better than anyone how each
relationship changes and grows, and you need to make sure that it all stays on track.
Every story has its own rhythm and momentum. Excitement builds. Characters
change. They grow braver. Or more cowardly. They pull together. They splinter.
Your job is to make sure that the actors are reflecting the reality of the story as it
progresses. Since most of the dialog is recorded out of sequence, it is easy for everyone
involved to veer off the continuity highway. If that starts to happen, you need to grab
the wheel.
Occasionally, actors will improvise additional lines, and that's to be encouraged.
When actors make the lines their own, they often make them feel more real. This