If you’re an actor wondering if there’s a difference between voiceover for animation and voiceover for video games, let me start by saying yes, there is. More than one! But, before we get into the differences between them, let me give you a quick run-down of what you should know about these two mediums.
First off, I’m sure you know what an animated voice sounds like. We all watched cartoons on Saturday mornings when we were teeny tiny kidlets and we now watch animated features with our kids or nieces and nephews. Heck, who am I kidding, most of the time, I watch them on my own! Let’s talk about video games in comparison. Most, if not all of you, have played video games and if you haven’t, you should start. Especially if you want to break into this exponentially growing VO medium. Gaming is new to most actors so first I’ll explain how these voices are recorded and performed.
The lead characters that you see in the cinematic parts of the game (the stuff that looks like film) are performed by one actor using performance capture (P-Cap). I’m sure you’ve seen those crazy-looking skin-tight suits with the green balls all over them? That’s what I’m talking about here. An actor performs both the voice and motion of the character using facial capture along with that crazy mocap suit. The whole performance.
Then we have NPC roles (non-player characters). I’ll concentrate on these since they are VO-specific. An NPC role in a video game is a character that the player won’t verbally interact with but will flesh out the world itself. Almost like a bit player in a feature film. NPC characters are filmed in the same environment as the leads but use only motion capture which means that they’re wearing the crazy suit but the voice will be recorded later by another actor.
Now that we’ve reviewed these two mediums, let’s look at the differences between them that are essential for actors to understand.
1. Put On Versus Real Voices
In animation, the casting specs we get lately almost always fall into two categories: cartoony or realistic. The easiest way to distinguish between them is to compare them to Disney or Pixar. When you think of Disney, you think of Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck. These types of cartoony voices are “put on” and the actor is creating a voice-based on what the character looks like. Conversely, Pixar brings Woody and Buzz Lightyear (played by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen respectively) to mind, actors using their real voices and heightening their personality and performance.
How To Become a Voice ActorFor gaming, the actor may be asked to do an accent but, for the most part, the character’s voice will be exactly the same as the actor’s natural voice and there’s a reason for this. The record sessions are arduous because actors are required to perform efforts and combat barks so if they’re “putting on” a voice, it may be impossible to sustain during a full record session because these sounds are hard on the voice itself. As an example, you can’t sustain a bassy textured voice through a full session if it isn’t within your natural range.
2. Audience
For animation, the performance should reflect the target age of the audience. It can range from something gentle and reassuring for preschoolers to energetic and zany for pre-teens to grounded and realistic or completely off the rails for adult viewers. When you’re auditioning for an animated role, if the audience isn’t on the breakdown and it isn’t an existing show you can easily research, try to figure it out on your own. It’s important to fit into the vibe of the world they’re trying to create.
In gaming, your audience is the player. They’re your whole audience. You may be speaking directly to them (and not expecting a response because they can’t interact with you verbally), having a short conversation with another NPC that the player will overhear as they walk by, or speaking to yourself. All of these different conversations may happen in a very calm setting or could occur in combat so the volume will be adjusted accordingly.
3. Context
For animation, the context is pretty easy to figure out since you either have a scene or two when you’re auditioning or a full script if you’re doing a final record. You can see where your character is in relation to other characters and whether they’re moving or standing still. Your performance should reflect that info and the voice director can also help you out.
The opposite holds true for gaming. Typically, there is little to no context written on the script. Hopefully, for auditions, they’ll give you a parenthetical to help you out but you may be on your own. Keep in mind that each line is its own scene so don’t try to string them together. For the final record, you may receive the script the day before or just before you walk into the booth which means that you’ll rely heavily on the voice director to give you context. Being a great sight reader is a huge plus in this scenario.
As you can see, there really are some big differences between animation and gaming VO to keep in mind for the next time you’re auditioning or recording. I’m betting that this knowledge will up your booking percentage, big time!
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