Writers in the Recording Studio - Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing - page 112

with a quote from Stanislavski. “In the creative process there is the father, the author
of the play; the mother, the actor pregnant with the part; and the child, the role to
be born.�
11.9 Exercises
1. Pick two or three characters from a book, a movie, or a game and create casting
specs that will explain the characters to actors auditioning for the part. You'll
need to include basics like sex, age, and accent as well specifics like point of
view and personality. It should be no longer than five sentences.
2. Find a game (or movie or animated film) that you believe has bad voice acting.
Pick out a particularly egregious character and write down directions you feel
would help the actor adjust their performance. Be concrete and specific. Find
the language and those metaphors that will illustrate what you're looking for
and get your point across. This is exactly what you need to do when you're in
the studio.
3. Take one of the script samples in the appendices and create a breakdown for
a voiceover recording session. List all the characters in the script. Then list
the number of actors you'll need to play those characters. (Remember that
SAG/AFTRA actors can play up to three characters for the same fee.) Figure
out how many lines each character has and create a rough recording schedule.
4. Bonus: Go to http://www.voicebank.com and find actors for the roles in Exer-
cise 3. (You'll need to pick actors who can play multiple parts.) Select House
Reels, click on an agency, and listen to voiceover demos. Make a list of actors
you feel would be perfect to play those particular characters.