George Spanos has published a new interesting article at his website Game Sound Design, covering several points about Directing Actor Sessions.
Voice direction is definitely not a task for the under-prepared. It requires a lot of patience, empathy, and as much experience as possible to get it right. Some of the best voice directors out there, be it for film, television, or games, possess a firm grasp of the techniques and toolset that are required to communicate effectively with actors. Quite often voice directors are under a lot of pressure to coax the best performance possible out of the talent in the recording booth. After all, top notch talent can be very expensive. Add to this the cost of the recording studio and staff like engineers and assistants and you can wind up with a very expensive bill at the end of the day.
In order to compete with major hollywood films it is imperative that video games employ well written and detailed voices. Gamers demand it. Just like gamers demand a superior surround sound immersive gaming experience, the voice acting in today’s games is of the utmost importance.
In addition to this, video games are increasingly featuring well known and sought after actors to play lead voice roles. And for good reason too. Not only can these actors deliver a familiar voice but they also sell more games. Publishers are realizing that employing a famous actor in their game may very well sell many additional copies just on the weight of the actor’s name.
So what are some of the best techniques and tools out there that can help to you achieve a winning performance? In this article I’ll let you in on over 10 years of experience in the studio. I’ve recorded probably close to 700 unique actors as well as had my fair share in directing sessions and casting auditions. Even if you are not the one that will be directing the talent for your studio’s next project the guidelines below will definitely help you to get a leg up on the often hidden world of voice direction. Read on!