Side: ‘Studios must consider their actors early’

Published as part of Develop’s ongoing Audio Special, Side’s creative director has provided an in-depth guide to working with actors to ensure better voice work.

In the feature, Andy Emery looks at how those involved in audio can achieve ‘cinematic quality’ results.

"One of the biggest factors in achieving this leap in quality is ensuring voice work is more than just a post-production process left to the end of the development cycle," suggested Emery. "Making character performances an integral part of the pre- and main production stages opens up a whole range of opportunities to improve the final quality."

Offering advice on casting, working with actors, directing and recording, Emery’s guide also looks forward to the future with a warning for audio designers.

"With an increasing number of quality performances in games, players will become less forgiving of bad scripts and poor acting," concludes Emery.

"As narrative designers become more adept at delivering a compelling story in ways less obtrusive to game play, the distinction between story dialogue and ‘world filling’ dialogue will continue to blur. The challenge will be to ensure that all acting in games is believable, from in-game greetings, to death cries, to the epic monologue."

To read the full story, click here.