AGDC08: The Screen Actors Guild wants you to hear its game voice(s)

by Kevin Kelly { Sep 17th 2008 at 6:30PM }

We've seen the Screen Actor's Guild booth at a lot of gaming and interactive events recently, from SXSW to GDC in San Francisco, so we finally decided to stop by and see what they're doing there. Normally, when you think about video game development, SAG isn't the first thing that springs to mind. It turns out that they have contracts that will allow developers with every type of budget to work with their stable of professional actors.

So, rather than having Bob from Accounting (sorry, Bob) record the lines of Beelzebub the Destroyer for your new MMO, you can hire someone who can really sound like something from the depths of hell. We sat down with actors David Sobolov and David Anthony Pizzuto and director of new media for SAG, Mark Friedlander, to find out what why SAG has been appearing at gaming events. Plus, the guys do some of their many voices. Check out the highlights, see a video of a typical day in the booth, and listen to the audio of the interview after the break.

Games are becoming more and more cinematic, and as a result the voices need to sound more and more professional. According to David Anthony Pizzuto, "We close the gap to breathe more life into their vision."
David Sobolov has been brought in on three different games where they had to throw out all of the voice-over work and start from scratch with actual actors.
The actors frequently don't have much time to work on their characters, and are often hired to do several voices. So, they have to be quick on their toes and be able to shift from a Minotaur to a Nerd at a moment's notice.
It's a male-heavy business, so girls ... you need to get in there and kick some butt.
Actors who haven't trained to do voice-overs for games can come in for a full session and burn their voices out quickly.
The two Davids don't game on their own, despite having been in iconic games like Call of Duty 4 and The Chronicles of Riddick.
You might be able to hire these guys for a hundred bucks and a bag of donuts.

Check out the full audio below, and if you're thinking about a career in game voice-overs, you might start gargling glass and smoking to lower your register. These guys have a pretty amazing range.

Tags: agdc, agdc-08, agdc-2008, agdc08, agdc2008, audio, Austin, SAG, Screen-Actors-Guild, voice, voiceover

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

AKBlade13 @ Sep 17th 2008 7:06PM

No offense, but suggesting smoking?

Uncool.

Though I am looking into the VA business and I would like to know the tech they use for video VA vs anime/cartoon VA.

AKBlade13

Gehodra @ Sep 17th 2008 7:34PM

You take issue with smoking, but don't mind the glass gargling?

AKBlade13 @ Sep 17th 2008 8:25PM

@Gehodra

I thought they automatically said water.

And yes I do take offense to gargling glass also.

AKBlade13

Negativecool @ Sep 17th 2008 11:24PM

Yea, seriously. Haven't you seen all the truth ads out with people getting in the face of the big glass corporations...I swear those conglomerates have no souls...second hand glass cancer is the worst.

Space_Butler @ Sep 17th 2008 7:20PM

The problem is SAG is going to very quickly start demanding royalties and residuals for artists that do work on these games. That's why a lot of SAG voice actors have to work on projects that wouldn't include residuals using pseudonyms. Cam Clarke is one of the biggest examples, with hundreds of series and games under his belt, but a good chunk of them aren't credited directly to Cam Clarke. If SAG were to stipulate that video games can negotiate on royalties on a case by case basis, or that royalties are unneeded, I wouldn't mind them working on it. In the meantime, SAG has shown itself to be a very controlling group, at least in the leadership and what they demand.

Ubiqutous Oxymoron @ Sep 17th 2008 7:28PM

the dude in the middle looks like Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall from the Uk, an advocate of organic food etc, he's a bit nifty in the kitchen, makes programs called 'riverside cottage' etc.

Juno @ Sep 17th 2008 9:12PM

Im going to side step the whole royalties issue because in this digital age every thing seems really grey.

What I want to say is awesome audio! I love it when you guys post audio clips. I agree with them to the point where voice acting can make or break a game. As bad as turok played Ron Perlman kept me going!

Negativecool @ Sep 17th 2008 11:26PM

I suppose they can't be called "screen" actors if they work on video games now can they? I mean, it's an entirely different medium, involving NO screen! Maybe the "voice" actors guild or the "videogame" actors guild...

No?...ok :(

Ben Hobbs @ Sep 18th 2008 12:55AM

I don't understand the comment, surely all video games are played on a screen?

I can't wait till we are all paying $20 more per game to pay for all the residuals for this voice 'talent'.

Negativecool @ Sep 18th 2008 1:14AM

I was thinking movie screen...touche.

Blank-Mage @ Sep 18th 2008 12:05AM

I support these guys for no other reason than this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAtC1SzWSXg

Personally, my I heart Vic Mignogna (AKA The Full Metal Alchemist). Seriously, he even managed to make Project Slypheed.... well.... no, I guess that game still blew. But it was a valiant effort.

Cal @ Sep 18th 2008 3:21AM

I prefer the Film Actors Guild

Dirty @ Sep 18th 2008 10:43AM

Matt Daemon....

v2micca @ Sep 18th 2008 5:09AM

I agree with Space_butler on this one. Inviting SAG into the industry is a long term recipe for disaster. The fact is, there is enough non-SAG voice talent out there to keep the industry going for quite a while. I see no reason to do a deal with these guys and start carving up a piece of the pie for them.