How to Direct Your Game’s Voice Actors
Guest writer and experienced voice director Nicholas Kraak breaks down what you should and shouldn't do when directing voice actors.
You’ve finishing your script, cast some amazing actors, and now it’s time to step into the recording studio. How do you direct your professional voice actors to get the performances you want?
My name is Nicholas Kraak, and I’m a writer and voice director. In this guest post, I’ll be talking about working with voice talent, and the dos and don’ts of directing.
How To Prepare for the Recording Session
One mistake a lot of new directors make is they don’t do any script analysis before they step into the booth. It makes sense: you know your script from back to front, so why would you need to analyse it? But analysing your script as a director is a whole other skill than analysing it as a writer.
When I look at a scene, I start by asking myself what the scene objective is for each character. When doing this, I like to put myself in their shoes and think in first person. Lets say we have a scene where a character has messed up at work and their boss has just found out. Putting myself in their shoes, I might say my scene objective is to “keep my job.” Or maybe we have a scene where a character has been asked on a date by someone they aren’t interested in. Putting myself in their shoes, my scene objective might be to “let them down, without hurting their feelings.”
The goal here is to create playable objectives. You’ll want to do this with every character, in every scene in your script.
How To Talk To Voice Actors
The single most important thing you can do as a director is create a safe space for your actors. This isn’t just for their benefit, it’s also for yours. If you’re asking your performers to dig into some pretty uncomfortable emotions, you’ll want them to feel safe and that they can do no wrong. Because if they feel insecure or unsafe, they’ll likely be guarded, and ultimately deliver a less truthful performance. Safe actors are great actors!
Spend a few minutes before a recording session talking with them about the character and how you’d like to run the session. Ask if they have any questions or any concerns, and most importantly: listen.
Before each scene, I like to give my performers a small amount of context. Maybe this involves talking where this scene takes place within the story and what’s happened leading up to it. Maybe it involves painting a picture of the setting (we’ve all played video games that are set in LOUD environments but the characters in the scene are using their inside voices). But importantly: don’t overload them.
Personally, outside of some context, I avoid giving direction before the first take. Having your actors surprise you is a wonderful experience. So many times they’ll come in with a different interpretation of a scene than you had, and frequently that interpretation is better. If you give notes before the first take, you risk ruining it.
Then, after recording a take, thank them (and mean it). And now, it’s time to give some notes.
Bad Notes
There’s a world of difference between good notes and bad notes. The biggest mistake you can make is to resort to result orientated direction. Avoid this like the plague.
Result orientated direction involves giving your actors the end result you’re looking for. Things like “make it funny,” “more energy,” or “be angry.” These are bad notes, because you’re giving your actors outcomes rather than intentions.
Likewise, giving line readings (“Can you say it like this”) is detrimental, because you’ll get stuck in their head, and likely get a really stilted, untruthful delivery.
Finally, overloading your actors with too many notes or notes that are too specific (“lets try half way between take 2 and take 4”) is unhelpful because you’ll get your actors fixated on your notes rather than on their performance.
Good Notes
So if those are bad notes, then what’s a good note?
1) Suggest Verbs
Remember those scene objectives you figured out during your thorough script analysis? Now’s the time to use them. This may take the form of talking to an actor about their character’s objective for the scene, or it might take an even simpler form: verbs.
Verbs are a director’s best friend, because they’re playable words. Telling an actor to “be scary” is unhelpful, but suggesting they “intimidate” another character gives them an objective. Telling an actor “to comfort”, “to scould”, “to tease”, “to flirt” or “to confess” are all simple directing notes that won’t risk overloading your actor, and allows them to discover new possibities within the scene.
2) Present Facts and Ask Questions
Another tool I like to use is to identify facts about the scene. In an early scene in Cook Serve Forever, Brie has to tell her partner Nori that they’re being evicted from their apartment. When directing the scene, I discussed with Brie’s actor (Maya Aoki Tuttle) some facts we both knew about the scene: this apartment is where Nori grew up; her mother is now diseased; and life has been hard for Nori lately. These facts all pointed to how challenging this news would be for Nori to hear, and how careful Brie would need to be delivering it. What followed was an incredibly beautiful, sensitive performance.
This technique can often go hand-in-hand with asking your actor questions. “You’re about to tell Nori she’s being evicted from her childhood home. What are you afraid is going to happen?” What’s wonderful about this technique is sometimes the answers you get will be different to your own, and often they’ll be things you haven’t even considered.
3) Propose "As Ifs"
Another tool that can be useful is giving actors “As Ifs.” This is a helpful technique in that it allows you to transpose imagery or alternative scenarios onto your scenes. For instance, during a speech, you might ask your voice artist to play it “as if you’re leading your troops into battle.” If you have a scene where a character is reconsidering something and you want it played pretty big, you might ask your actor to play it “as if you’re about to have your leg amputated and you’re having second thoughts about it.”
As Ifs are fun because they allow you to conjure up powerful images for your actors, communicate the intention, and convey the tone.
4) Speak Collaboratively
Regardless of the tool, it’s important to create a voice recording space where actors feel free to try things without fear of failure. With this in mind, I always aim to use language of permission when giving notes. Use phrases like “I was wondering if we could try…” or “What do you think about the idea of…” to remind your actors that this is a collaborative effort, and there’s nothing wrong with trying something that doesn’t work.
And That's a Wrap
Voice acting is a brilliant tool that can help elevate your video game's story, but not all voice work is created equal. With careful script analysis and character work, and by working with your actors to focus on the emotions within the scene, you’ll be able to unlock far more nuanced performances that will resonate with audiences and bring your scene to life. Good luck!
 | A guest post by
|