Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
A good voice director or studio will have the right actor contacts to suit
the type of work involved in recording for a game. It is important that the
actors understand that games are an important, developing medium and give
as good a performance as if they were in a stage, film or television produc-
tion. I have known quality actors who have never done game voices before,
but once they understood the richness and variety they thoroughly enjoyed
the process and really entered into the spirit of it and enhanced their roles.
The voice director should encourage the interest in the game's scenes.
How the characters interact with one another and progress through the game
should be emphasised where appropriate.
In the studio
If you are in the studio during recording, there are a number of things you
should be able to do.
The first is to follow the scripts on your master copy and be sure that they
get every line down. It is easy for an actor to misplace pages or to turn over
more than they realise because he or she is concentrating on the perfor-
mance. Some lines are almost duplicated with subtle variations that actors
may miss, thinking they have just recorded them. Notes should be taken at
all times where relevant about alterations, odd pronunciation, and so forth.
You should support the voice director by listening to the delivery of the
line and be mindful of the tone in case there are times when the context of
the scene has been misunderstood. Be very diplomatic - the director should
be running the show in the studio and interruptions should be kept to a
minimum. However, the director is unlikely to know the game's story and
dialogue like you and will probably appreciate any enrichment that you can
give to the actors, but always ensure that instructions to the actors is passed
through the director.
You must be able to resolve problems on the spot. Sometimes, for
example, a line looks fine on paper but when the actors speak it out loud it
does not sit well. Re-writing the line, often with the aid of the actor and
director, is something you must be prepared for. Because good actors really
get into their roles, I have actually known them to spot inconsistencies that
testing has missed. Fortunately this has only happened a few times and all
have been minor and easily fixed, but it shows how you must be aware of the
whole preparation and recording process.
The studio engineer will ensure that each line is recording at the correct
level and in a proper fashion. It is important that everyone involved under-
