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Performance
Approaching Intimacy in Video Games – Intimacy Coordination to Enhance Storytelling
Currently within the performance for videogame space, the need for and understanding of Intimacy Coordination is not broadly accepted compared to other media industries.
Throughout the course of this talk it is our intention to explain, educate and demystify the process for actors, developers, writers and producers. We will be covering the benefits from an actors and directors perspective on the safety it offers to engage in intimate material. From a project manager’s perspective on how intimacy coordinated sessions can fit into a voice production pipeline. And from the point of view of the Intimacy Coordinator themselves offering insight into their process.
Session Takeaway
- The need and benefits of intimacy coordination for videogame production cycles
- How Intimacy Coordination can fit into a production pipeline
- What a performer can expect and ask for from Intimacy Coordination
Casting Panel - Standing Out for the Right Reasons
With great casting comes great responsibility. Casting is a key aspect of game performance, balancing character design, performer talent and authenticity to find the perfect match for a role.
Our panel of international experts will explore the creative triumphs and challenges they face when casting performances for games across voice, mocap and performance capture.
Session Takeaway
- Get insights into the casting process
- Discover how to approach castings for different performance types
- Find out what goes into authentic casting and what to do (and not do!) to win a job
Keynote: Performance In Games: From Data to Drama
As an award-winning actor with a career spanning theatre film, television, and video games, Jane Perry has been at the forefront of the evolving relationship between performance and interactive storytelling. From embodying characters in the motion capture volume to creating complex and engaging vocal performances, Jane has witnessed firsthand how far the industry has come in supporting truly immersive and collaborative experiences for both the actor, developer and the player.
In this keynote, Jane will explore why celebrating performance in games is more important than ever before. She’ll share insights from her own journey, discuss the challenges and opportunities for actors in this space, and examine what game developers can learn from traditional performance techniques.
Join Jane as she explores the journey from Data to Drama and makes the case for why elevating acting in games is essential for the future of interactive entertainment.
Session Takeaway
- Why understanding the craft of acting is important in the interactive media space
- What are the skills that are required of the actor, and how can the developer best support these needs?
- A brief overview of my own career over the past 15 years, and some thoughts on what we might hope for in the future
Performance Production Panel - How to be an Actor We Love
'You've booked a great gig and want to crush your session! But what does that really mean? What do you bring beyond your voice?
Our veteran panellists will talk about what types of sessions you'll encounter and how to best prepare.
Information about microphone set ups, the different types of scripts you'll see, the different types of session you'll encounter from solo voice sessions, group recording session, facial capture to full performance capture.
Session Takeaway
- What to expect on the day when you turn up to perform in a game
- How to best elevate your performance
- What happens to your voice after you exit the booth
Screaming Between the Lines: Getting Specific About Performing Efforts and Vocal Combat
A deep dive into performing efforts and vocal combat for video games. Actor, director and professional stage combatant Natalie Winter talks through her experiences of reproducing pain for other people’s entertainment, as well as other human (and non-human!) noises commonly asked of actors for games.
This talk will breakdown potential expectations for performers new to working in games, explore ways of taking things further for established professionals, and suggest ways directors and game developers can help look after the actors they work with when doing this intensive work.
Session Takeaway
- A deeper understanding of how different weapons move, and how that affects the body and breath of the wielder
- Practical tips for a performer to develop variance within a batch of emotes, as well as looking out for themselves
- Practical tips for directors and game developers on working with an actor to get exactly what sound you’re after
VO:ICE – Voice Over: Insights into Client Expectations
Pulling back the curtain of the game development side of the glass, Frontier Developments’ Dialogue Manager James Stant dives into the expectations developers hold of you - dearest voice talent - seeking, auditioning-for and delivering our celebrated game acting performance roles.
As the industry becomes more connected than ever, voice talents are expected to have ALL the know-how; to be the self-promoter, the self-engineer, the wearer of many hats. But do you know what you need to equip yourself with to stay competitive in the eyes of a developer? Ultimately, we’re all working towards the same goal. Every person involved wants you to succeed; they want you to be the one that can realise the vision that they’ve spent years pouring their own soul into. But is communication always perfect? Do decisions lie solely in your hands? Maybe not, but there’s a lot you can control.
However, what if things do not go as planned? Rejection will naturally rear its head. We’re talking about confidence-shattering, career-questioning rejection, after all. But it does not have to be the end! How you choose to handle that can define your longevity and resilience in a highly competitive, yet highly community-driven industry. So continue your learning journey with a little perspective… a perspective taken from an oft-disembodied voice on a video call that may not give you much more than a; “Yep we got it, let’s move on”. But don’t you want to know more?
Session Takeaway
- The top five things a client will be looking for when casting for a role
- The recording standards/terms a client will expect you to be familiar with
- An understanding of the bigger picture of developer decision-making
- How rejection is anything but the end
