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Be more Swen.
Chris Tester
March 26, 2024
Be more Swen.
Last week saw GDC (Game Developers Conference) take place in San Francisco, inviting some of the biggest game developers to discuss their work and projects.
The soundbite that jumped out for me was from Swen Vincke, CEO and Founder of Larian Studios, currently one of the most lauded game developer’s in the wake of Baldurs Gate 3.
He didn’t mince his words…
As the gaming industry continues to announce more redundancies, it feels significant that poor practice be called out consistently. It might not lead to a quick resolution, but we can all hope for greater awareness at the very least.
Voice Acting tip of the week:
Be happy to share!
In a live directed session, clients sometimes like to hear back takes so they can check all is okay before moving on to the next section.
I always check with a client in advance if they want playback, because if so, I’ll often hire an audio engineer to handle this on my behalf so I can focus on the performance. But sometimes the decision only comes last minute - or indeed in the middle of a session - and that’s why I have a playback system in place.
Despite the audio quality not being amazing, so many directed sessions are still held through Zoom. So knowing how to route your audio through it for playback can be a lifesaver. Below is the video I found on Youtube a few years ago to clarify the process.
For producers and directors working with talent, always think about whether playback is necessary for a recording session and let the talent know. This will lead to a smoothly run session where the VO talent is very clear on their responsibilities from the start.
Behind The Scenes project of the week:
Being able to build a home studio affordably is the single greatest development that has changed the voice over landscape in the last two decades. So it’s fascinating to see how developments in tech are making other services far more accessible too.
Animator Onur Erdurak reached out to me about experimenting with some facial capture tech and the below video shows the results. All I had to do was download a free app (Live Link Face) to my phone, film myself acting and then send it to him, and Onur had all the data he needed to animate a digital ‘rig’ on top of my performance.
@chrisnaturallyrp GHAZGHKULL MAG URUK THRAKA - ‘WAAAGH’. Animation & FX @Blendreams. Give them a follow! #ghazghkull #ghazghkullthraka #ghazghkullmagurukthr... See more
While custom built motion capture studios aren’t going anywhere soon, it certainly demonstrates how smaller projects might be able to achieve greater performance fidelity on a budget.
Media Recommendations:
Every week, I share three podcasts, articles or interviews that I’d strongly recommend. This week…
Patsy Rodenburg is one of the most significant voice teachers in the world, so definitely check out her new podcast discussing the importance of craft in acting and creative life.
I tend to get a bit cynical when people talk about the importance of ‘vulnerability’ in the context of their personal brand, but this chat between host Chris Do and Jordan Rogers is great about exploring your uniqueness as a means of crafting opportunity.
In the most recent episode of Audiobooks with Ana, Ana Clements talks with Adam Fritiz, CEO of Pozotron, about their software that allows narrators and editors to proof recordings at rapid speed.
Favourite Writing of the week: God of War
The God Of War franchise’s transformation from bloody hack and slash-athon to meditation on the nature of parenthood and identity is pretty profound. In one franchise, it demonstrates how video games have embraced more cinematic and nuanced storytelling. So I had to include this speech where the protagonist, Kratos, addresses his former self.
@chrisnaturallyrp ‘GOD OF HOPE’ from God of War Ragnorock #godofwar #godofwarragnarok #kratos #kratosgodofwar #kratosgodofwarragnarok #godofwarvalhalla #gow... See more
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Thanks again for reading, and until next week Honey and I wish you a wonderful week!
