Last week, I had the pleasure of recording a few sessions at OMUK, one of the UK's leading providers of voice and performance capture.
Working there on a few projects over the last 12 months has been a real personal achievement, as it was one of my first dreams when starting out in voice acting in 2017.
I'm not playing any major parts or leading any franchises. But I'm getting the opportunity to do my stuff.
So to mark that, I thought I'd point out three things they do really well and how that's helpful to a performer.
𝟭) 𝗜𝗻-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
The 'wonders' of the internet mean that anyone can submit an audition within the space if a few hours, allowing voice providers to offer clients a vast range of options. But after an initial shortlisting process, being able to work in a room together for a recall audition has become a luxury rather than the norm.
There's still nothing like sharing a studio with the rest of the team, getting live feedback and being able to adjust and play to see if the fit is right. You have far more room to show what you're capable of and there's less guessing in the dark.
I'd love it if more games casting even held remote live auditions to ensure the fit was perfect.
𝟮) 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀.
The studio have long been famed for their use of head-mounted mics. This means that rather than having to be constantly mindful of mic proximity while performing, an actor is almost totally free to use their entire body in the space. They can even use props readily available to help them embody the character.
This unquestionably helps get a better, more realistic end result and places the focus purely on play by removing a significant technical limitation. It still boggles my mind other studios haven't pursued this more.
𝟯) 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀
An increasing number of studios are doing this, but it begs repeating just because of the difference it makes. Getting directors who have first hand experience of performing (or directing in different mediums as well as games) is almost guaranteed to make a recording session run smoother.
There is an immediate shorthand that can be drawn upon, they're more likely to understand how an actor may be feeling prior to a session and what information they need quickly to give their best.
So yeah. In short - more in person auditions, greater use of tech to facilitate rather than replace + more directors with a proper performance background would be lovely.
My wonderful director Thomas Mitchells half joked about me making a LinkedIn post during our session, so I didn't want to disappoint! 😉
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By Christopher Tester, British Male Voice Actor
