Writers in the Recording Studio - Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing - page 110

and the actor's voice will sound thin, distant, and hollow. The closer on the mike, the
more intimate the sound. The exception to this is when the actor isn't talking directly
to the player but to another character on the screen. If a character is supposed to be
shouting to the player from a distance, they need to back off the mike and turn their
head slightly before they shout. This will create the impression of calling to someone
from a long way off.
They should not position the mike dead center in front of their lips. It needs
be slightly to one side or the other. This helps reduce breathing into the mike and
the dreaded popping of the P's. (It also allows a clear view of the script.) Certain
words that start with a P or a B can create a popping sound. The actors need to be
conscious of this and so does the recording engineer. Some microphones will have
a wind screen to help reduce popping. The actor can move his body all he wants
as long as his mouth stays the same distance from the mike and his head remains
relatively stationary.
Directing Barks without Killing Your Actors
No, I'm not talking about directing the actors to bark like dogs (not that there's any-
thing wrong with that). I'm talking about unit responses in real-time strategy games,
taunts in first-person shooters, or death screams in virtually any game. Those short
interjections like “Attack!� “Pull back!� “Head Shot!� “Enemy spotted!� “Regroup!�
“Arrgggghhh.�
The simple rule for directing barks is this: save your screaming for last. Don't
fry your actor's vocal cords until the end of the session. Do the in-game dialogs
or monologues before you get to the shouting. You can actually record these “barks�
very quickly. Just make sure you identify each one as you proceed. Actually, the audio
engineer should be putting an identifying tag on every take of every line you record.
He or she will be taking notes as to favorite takes, and you should as well. This will
prevent having to listen through every single take from every single session again.
You'll be able to quickly play everyone's favorite takes and then make a decision.
11.6 Editing and Post-Production
Once the recording is finished, the job isn't done. Editing and post-production are
required, and though writers are rarely present for this part of the process, they can
contribute quite a bit. All the best dialog takes have to be chosen and edited for
insertion into the game. Often, two or three different takes can be combined to
create the best take of all. The writer should be there to double-check everything
and make sure no words or dialog is dropped or missing. When you're dealing with
thousands and thousands of recorded lines, it's very easy for something to be lost. If
the character is a machine or some fantastical creature, sometimes dialog needs to be
processed with a special effect. The writer can help determine if this effect adds to
the performance or fits within the overall tone. Even though very few companies will
pay for the writer to be involved in post-production, the writer's presence can end up