Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
inherent, too. There are plenty of trade-of s. And ultimately, the choice
may not be up to you but made by the producers or others who hold
the purse strings.
Voice Director
A voice director works directly with the talent in the recording studio to
make sure the script is professionally performed and well recorded. They
will sometimes be in the same room with the talent and coach them on
multiple line deliveries as well as making sure the energy of the reads are
consistent from section to section. It is very common for young actors
to use voice directors when working on children's titles. They help keep
the kids focused on the job at hand, they are a friend in need and help to
make sessions run more smoothly and ei ciently. You can think of a voice
director as a translator between the game producer and the voice talent.
They speak both languages and can help both sides to understand each
other. An untrained producer may not know why a line sounds wrong
and may have a hard time explaining to the actor what they would like
them to do. This is where the voice director comes in, because they know
how to help a producer communicate with the performer to achieve a
desired result.
Dialogue Production Basics
What Does a Script Look Like?
Creating well-rounded characters with appropriate dialogue is a
must. The voice-overs need to be an integral part of the video game
developing process, not just an afterthought. We also see that producing
game voice-over is a dif erent experience. So we again experience
dif erences between movies and games. In this case, a voice actor for
interactive media often isn't given a linear script. Instead, actors are
frequently provided with page after page of isolated lines that are built
to work together in the context of the game's interactive structure. The
lines can often be listed as items on a spreadsheet.
Without understanding the narrative structure, voice actors will most
likely be bewildered as to how to create a convincing, seamless character.
In many cases a voice coach and producer will spend the time to provide
the voice-over talent with a complete understanding of the characters
they will be portraying, as well as the game's plot and interactivity.
So what does a game voice-over script look like? Scripts can come in all
shapes and sizes.
