Nolan North had no idea what he was in for when video game developer Naughty Dog called him in for an audition. He probably just figured that his prolific voice acting career in video games just landed him yet another role, where he would sit in a booth with a microphone and record lines for yet another grizzled space marine. He had no idea that he was auditioning to be a part of the critically-praised "Uncharted" series of games, and to witness the birth of a revolution in game design.
In most video games, the scripts are read by voice actors in a microphone booth, body actors go through motion capture to record the animations (characters falling down, firing a gun, ect.), and the programmers put it all together. Since the people doing the voice work aren't the same people doing the body work, the finished product can sometimes look a bit unnatural.
Naughty Dog inspired a great deal of change by having the voice actors provide the physical motion capture at the same time as they recorded the lines. The actors wear motion capture suits, and go through the scenes like they're shooting a movie. The dialogue is recorded at the same time as the motion capture, which adds a tremendous amount of realism to the performances.
So, what does this mean for voice actors? Other game companies have taken notice of Naughty Dog's approach and success, but does this indicate a possible radical change in the way that voice actors do their jobs? Perhaps all games will eventually be made this way, but what's next after that? Will voice actors starring in animated television shows be asked to provide motion capture for their characters? Will Brad Pitt don the mo-cap suit for his next big film?
What do you think?
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