Although we hardly think about the voices behind our favorite video game characters, a lot of work happens behind the scenes on the voice actors' part.
In The Order: 1886, not only did the voice of Sir Galahad, Steve West, have to say his lines correctly, but he also spent a lot of time acting with a green screen, a challenge in and of itself.
In our exclusive interview with West, we asked what it was like to spend so much time creating a character for a video game (although he's worked on TV and in film, this is West's first foray into video game acting), as well as tackle the controversial question about whether video games qualify as art.
It seems that voice acting for video games goes beyond just doing the voices for the character. I understand you spent time in front of a green screen creating the character for The Order: 1886, too. What was that process like?
Yes, we did spend a vast amount of time on the performance capture stage, which is the process for most big budget studio games now I think. This technique is done in order to capture the realism and best possible acting for the games.
It was quite a different experience technically speaking from Mad Men or Seed of Chucky because we were on a massive stage. There were tons of cameras rigged on the perimeter of the stage as well as people holding cameras to get different elements. Plus, I had a camera attached to my head and suit, then in front of my face. I was also covered in green dot sensors that computers would pick up in order to get my exact movements.
Once I got over that, I was pretty much doing what I would do for stage or screen in terms of the script and the scenes we were working on. Also, after forgetting about the technical aspect, I was transported into the world of Victorian England in the 1800s. I just had to use my imagination to immerse myself in it.
After the performance capture was done then I went in to the sound booth and did all the voiceover work. If your character fails you will have to die in ten different ways or more and have numerous fights. So it is quite a demanding medium to work in overall, but fun.
How did you prepare for the role of Sir Galahad?
I prepared pretty much how I would for a movie. I researched the Knights of the Round Table because I was descended from them in the game. I also looked into Greek mythology pertaining to lycans and werewolves to learn more about them. We have characters that are taken from history and placed in the game, so it was a very rich background that was utilized. I talked to the director a lot about the history and where Galahad came from and where we were going with him.
A lot of it was left up to me, though, after reading the script. We had around a 200-page script, so there was a lot of information in there. We would also get a day's rehearsal before we filmed anything so we would always go over the scenes before we actually did them. This helped a lot.
Have you played the game? Do you play video games?
I have to say I haven't played the game yet, but I did just receive my copy of The Order: 1886 and am looking forward to playing it. I don't really play video games but getting this job has opened my eyes to how incredible games have become and how visually stunning the new ones are. Going back to your question, my favorite video game would have to be The Order: 1886. I'm a convert from this whole process. I now understand why the video game industry is growing so much.
Some would argue that video games aren't art. Others state that because games tell stories, they are definitely art. What's your opinion on this, given your experience working on The Order: 1886.
I would say that I believe The Order: 1886 can fall into the art category. The attention to detail is second to none. All the research and creativity that has gone into the game puts it into that category as art.
Like movies, some are just shoot 'em ups and others make you really feel something. I heard from players on Twitter that a few of them actually cried while playing the game: they were moved so much. I think the definition of art is making people feel things and I think we are definitely achieving that with this game.
It was interesting because I spoke to the director and this question was posed in different countries on the tour. France, in particular, was very committed to the idea that The Order: 1886 was art. Culturally speaking, different people view these mediums differently.
Are you working on any future projects and can you talk about them? Would you want to continue voice acting for video games?
I am working on other things, but can't speak about them too much at the moment. I have an animated series coming up that I am recording and possible other things down the line. Specifically voice acting for video games, I absolutely love it. I think video games bring all the elements of film and stage together. As an actor I think it is a brilliant thing to be part of. My hope is The Order continues. I would love to work on other video games.
[Photo Credit: Ready At Dawn]
