For the IG folks - Celeb Voice Acting

[laforzadimente]

I was curious if any of you had ever come across or knew anyone in another company that was in a situation when TV personalities or even A-list celebs were approached for voice acting? Not a plug for BSI, but I was wondering if they are approached in the same manor as a movie deal where they get a full script, if they go through anything to get in character for their lines, if they have a different rate than for their movies, etc.


I just finished Mass Effect 2 which had Martin Sheen, Seth Green, Carrie Ann-Moss (surprisingly small role for a big name), and Claudia Black (she's been in a few games now). I remember Fallout 3 having Liam Neeson. Kiefer Southerland and 50 cent have also been in the COD series and Max von Sydow is narrating Elder Scrolls Skyrim. I'm sure there are others I've missed (Vin Diesel, Samuel L Jackson) but as high tide seems to be coming in with this new line of work for them, I was curious if yall had any insight into this?


I'm sure for certain movies like Tobey McGuire in his spidey flicks or Ewan McGreggor in Star Wars, there is a contract where they are tied to video game voiceovers that match their movies but the above cases seem to be independent of that.

[japester]

I'm not an IG person, but since nobody else has taken a stab at this, I thought maybe I could shed a little light. I acted for many years as a hobby and even did a little minor indie work for pay. I wanted to get into voiceovers, but my throat didn't withstand the test of time. Still, I've been on the periphery of the business for a while.


First off, every deal is different. It's always a bit of a power play between the director and the talent. For example, someone like Spielberg or Coppola might not show an actor a script at all due to secrecy. They'll give them a brief verbal description and ask for a commitment. An unproven director trying to get a big star would do just the opposite--provide a full script and possibly some creative control over rewrites. And everything in-between. Sometimes you may only get an excerpt of the script.


Pay rates also vary a lot. Someone with a bankable name (like the people you mentioned) almost always make less for voiceover work compared to an on-screen role. Which makes sense since the schedule is a bit more flexible, the time commitment is typically less, and--most importantly for some--they can show up in their pajamas with no makeup on. LOL. But even though they make less, they will still generally make more than someone who purely does voiceover work (like, for example, Steve Blum). An exception to this rule would be someone like Frank Welker, who is in a class all his own.


Traditionally, an actor gets a description of the character from the director and goes from there. If they are lucky, they may also get some model sheets to look at, to get a feel for the physicality of the character. But as with everything else, there are extremes. If an actor is particularly gifted, the director may encourage him/her to flesh out the character as they see fit, as long as it serves the story.


Contract terms for ancillary projects are generally dictated by the actor more than the director, but that's just my impression. To give you an example, Tom Hanks is a huge name. When he did the Toy Story films, he passed all ancillary work (toys, video games) off to his brother, Jim Hanks. Either the work was beneath him, or his fee was too high (likely the former). In contrast, Larry the Cable Guy is more of a character actor, and he agreed to do pretty much any and all ancillary work they'd give him (games, toys, animated shorts, etc). Margins for goods such as toys and games are largely fixed--unlike a movie, which will keep generating profits as long as people keep going--so bigger names can easily price themselves out of the market for secondary projects.


The new frontier is mo-cap games like L.A. Noire. Games like that straddle the line between screen acting and voice acting, so the pay should be higher than voice-only work. But it's still a somewhat new field.


I hope some of this rambling was helpful. I've never voiced a game, so I may be a bit off. Maybe someone from IG will give us a podcast about the voiceover process between now and launch?

[laforzadimente]

Capital post! Perhaps IG doesn't want to give insight into their internal workings or speak on a celeb's behalf, both of which are understandable I guess.

japester said:The new frontier is mo-cap games like L.A. Noire. Games like that straddle the line between screen acting and voice acting, so the pay should be higher than voice-only work. But it's still a somewhat new field.

This is true. This is why I wonder if the actors are actually involved in the process of getting sensors placed on their bodies and face now. The more they have to do, the more in character they have to be to make it appear valid.

[9ice]

From what little I know, a lot of voiceover artists really bristle when big-name screen actors get voiceover gigs. I remember listening to an interview NPR did with Billy West (Fry on Futurama, among many, many others) who was really not very enthusiastic about screen actors doing voices because they take away gigs from the dedicated voice guys. A lot of voice actors have done some screen work, but a bit part on CSI isn't enough to keep a lot of them going if they keep losing jobs to a studio who hires out to Hollywood talent to do their voice work and it seems now, the mo-cap as well.

[sharpwatermelon]

I've seen Billy West talk about it a few times as well and he's definitely right. These voice only guys can do a dozen voices for one show because that's how they got their start. Doing a dozen voices and keeping cost down. Now you bring in a big celebrity just to sit there and read something in thir own voice and pay them a buttload of money. That's not really voice acting anymore.

[ig.chris]

I think as far as we're concerned, good voice acting is good voice acting. Irrational's games tend to have a lot of voice work, so we end up using a lot of talent for each title. That can come from any number of sources, including occasionally from within the studio.

[IGlegacy_Felonious]

IG.Chris said:

I think as far as we're concerned, good voice acting is good voice acting. Irrational's games tend to have a lot of voice work, so we end up using a lot of talent for each title. That can come from any number of sources, including occasionally from within the studio.

Good to know, if you ever need a New Yorker with a heavy accent, I got that down pat.

[Juan29.Zapata]

IG.Chris said:I think as far as we're concerned, good voice acting is good voice acting. Irrational's games tend to have a lot of voice work, so we end up using a lot of talent for each title. That can come from any number of sources, including occasionally from within the studio.

And you ever need a neutral English accent, I'm always available!


I can do many accents! You name it.

[9ice]

Since we're offering, I call "Joisey Tawk."