Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
are then expected to work magic on the game late in the cycle—often too
late.
As I hope I've made clear throughout this topic, close and efective col-
laboration between story experts and most other team members is essen-
tial to a positive narrative outcome—but some collaborations are more key
than others. Narrative and Audio harmony can be absolutely crucial.
Voiceover (VO)
The most obvious intersection between Narrative and Audio is their shared
responsibility for the creation and integration of voice actor lines into a
game that will feature VO. So tightly interwoven is this process that it can
sometimes be difficult to clearly define where one side's role ends and the
other's begins.
In my experience, it's best to try to define boundaries and responsibilities
as much as possible up front, but to not get overly hung up on areas of
overlap that will inevitably be revealed during development. It's very likely
that at one point or another, you will step on each other's toes. And when
that happens, it will be a lot easier to handle if a good working relationship
has already been established.
From the Page to the Stage
Once a VO line has been written and approved, there are generally five
distinct phases of getting that line recorded, finalized, and integrated into
the game:
1. Casting
2. Performance/recording
3. Takes selection
4. Post-production
5. Implementation
The first three steps merit a closer look from the perspective of Narrat-
ive/Audio cooperation.
