Knowledge isn't ALL power.

How much do you NEED to know?

While listening to The Campaign Podcast’s Gaming Summit episode last week, I was very interested by the question of whether you needed to be a ‘GAMER’ in order to collaborate with the gaming scene effectively.

On the one hand, ex-Formula E gaming director Kieran Holmes-Darby stressed the huge benefits that existed in his being a gamer himself and how he was able to engage in detail with the community.

But on the other hand, Leah Mates (of the British Heart Foundation) - a self professed NON gamer - gave several excellent examples of how BHF had collaborated with Twitch streamers on a variety of campaigns.

This whole discussion reminded me of the role of a voice actor.

In the same day, I might be narrating a detailed medical explainer video, then a documentary about ancient Rome, followed by a voicing a totally original character in a new IP. I cannot be an expert on all these subjects, equally. And I’m never going to possess the same degree of knowledge as the writers I’m working with. So a lot of my job boils down to information synthesis.

Most voice jobs are on a fast turnaround. So rather than asking LOTS of questions, it’s about knowing the RIGHT questions to ask and letting your storytelling instincts come to the fore.

I might not understand all the science in a medical video, but I can understand why it’s important and which are the most significant points to stress. I might not be an expert on ancient Rome, but I can appreciate how the history is being framed to highlight a particular narrative. And I might be totally unfamiliar with the game my character belongs to, but I can quickly identify their objectives, status and the role they play.

Does this mean I don’t do research?

Of course not. I’ll always do prep work for each job so I’m totally in control of why I’m saying what I’m saying. But it’s a timely reminder that knowing where to dig is so vital as a creative.

Voice Acting tip of the week:

Be a problem solver!

Just occasionally, I’ll read something in a script and not be sure if it’s a mistake.

Now, in a directed session, you can just ask your director to be safe. But even then, quite often you’re not actually working with the writer, so might not be able to make a definitive conclusion.

This is when voice actors and directors need to be proactive about embracing ‘alt takes’. In other words, taking the time to record ‘alternate’ versions of a line or paragraph for safety purposes.

It’s a process that is much easier to do mid-session when you’re immersed in a project than via a cold pick up weeks later. So knowing when to do it and how to do it is a skill. I go into my approach a little more in the video below:

Behind The Scenes project of the week:

Last week I mentioned how I’d been putting the finishing touches to my new gaming demo with the help and guidance of Adele Cutting at SoundCuts.

I actually recorded the demo from my home studio with Adele directing remotely, and I also captured the video. I thought it might be interesting to show how a sound designer splices together the takes to get the final product as well as give a sense of all the great audio touches that were added to really sell the narrative. Check out an excerpt below:

@chrisnaturallyrp

EMET SELCH. Footage from my latest gaming demo recording #emetselch #emetselchfanclub #finalfantasy14 #finalfantasyxiv #finalfantasyxivtok... See more

Media Recommendations:

Every week, I share three podcasts, articles or interviews that I’d strongly recommend. This week…

1. Is a Tiktok ban on the Bill?

   The real possibility of Tiktok being banned in the US is a timely reminder that being dependent on just one platform for most of your brand building is a dangerous game.

2. Can big games break even?

   This is a fascinating piece by Tessa Kaur looking at the rising cost of game production and whether it’s actually feasible for many of the biggest titles to break even.

3. The writing behind All of Us Strangers

   Andrew Haigh’s film totally blew me away, and this podcast chat about the writing process, approach to adaptation and use of popular music is a great listen.

Favourite Writing of the week: Stephen King

I’m ashamed to have admitted that I thought Stephen King wrote exclusively in the horror genre, so was delighted to encounter this piece of writing from his novella ‘The Body’.

@chrisnaturallyrp

‘The Most Important Things..’ from THE BODY by Stephen King #stephenking #stephenkingbooks #stephenkingnovel #stephenkingthebody #stephenk... See more

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A workshop exploring social media for voice actors

Thanks again for reading, and until next week Honey and I wish you a wonderful week!