At PAX 2011 today, Irrational Games and the two lead actors in BioShock: Infinite gave us another good look at what goes into the voice acting of parts in a virtual medium that has such a complicated story.
It’t not enough to understand that your character has amazing powers that defy the laws of space and time. As these outtakes remind, there’s also frightening confusion that attends such a gift, and a resentment of those who have even less understanding of it. To create those feelings, actor Troy Baker (Booker DeWitt) had to berate, out-of-script, his counterpart Courtnee Draper (Elizabeth), to the point of tears.
It’s extreme but not unusual. When Kotaku’s Kirk Hamilton spoke with Mass Effect 3 voice actor Jennifer Hale, she reflected on how much she enjoyed a similar process working in the same sound booth with David Hayter on Metal Gear Solid 4.
The clip above gives great insight into the character relationships that the two forged. The clip below shows how it comes together in a key sequence of the game.
Jake
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 12:46 PMTroy Baker? Isnt that that awesome voice actor from Catherine/FF13/Persona 4?
Sesshomaru
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 4:21 PMAlso Yuri in Tales of Vesperia, Harvey Dent/Two Face in the new Batman and Yamato Tenzo in Naruto
Reoh
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 2:35 PMThat made me laugh,
then it made me sad;
then I laughed some more.
Interesting to see the process going on behind the scenes, thanks!
Chazz
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 8:50 PMNow that’s how it’s done. It’s no different to film actors. If you don’t feel it, then it doesn’t work. This shows exactly why recent game such as DXHR fail terribly in the voice-acting department. Anyone can read lines but it takes talent, passion and emotion to properly convey what those lines mean.
Gorram it, I can not wait to get my hands on this game!
Thom
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 10:30 PMI thought the voice acting was good myself – especially Jensen, who very much invokes a withdrawn Phillip Marlowe.
Chazz
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 8:35 AMI would describe jense more as a poor man’s Solid Snake or Snake Plisken.
wooktree
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 5:50 AMshame the emotion in the facial expressions don’t travel well in the game :/ Wait, they don’t travel there at all it seems!
spelling Nazi
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 7:38 AM“It’t not enough”
proof read! Lessen 101 in writing school.
Farkanoid
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 10:46 AM@spelling Nazi
“Lessen”
Proof-read! Lesson 101 in writing school.
Prometheus
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 1:58 PMPriceless.
Chazz
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 4:33 PMThe “s” in your name should be capitalised.
As for your fragment sentence “proof-read!” It should be “Proofread!”.