- Messages
- 154
Just curious about the actors' involvement in writing, if any. Did they have much or any room to improv their lines? Did you re-write anything after an actor had been cast to better suit their voice? Similarly, did any of them have any ideas that you decided to write in? And, lastly, (I know this isn't strictly a writing quesiton but maybe you know) were the character designs locked before the actors came onboard, or did any of them change to fit the actors?
So usually what happens is, I write the scripts, create the characters, decide what I want them to look like and then either create the faces myself, or write a description, find reference images, then hand the task off to someone with more talent. I believe a fair number of main quest faces not made by me were created by VaultGirl. (Someone correct me if wrong)
Some NPC face examples...
Jake: VaultGirl (beta version by me)
Mansfield: VaultGirl
The Ron: Tweaked by Me (but inherited from an old first draft)
Algernon: Me
Berman: Me
Hubert: Me
Stodge: Me
Cassandra: VaultGirl
Lupe: Me
Wise: Me
Theresa: Me
Usually if I'm struggling with a face, I'll hand it off to someone who's better at making them.
Then once we have a script and a face, these will be handed over to Khobis (our voice director) who'll find a VA with a voice that matches. Most VA's will read the scripts as is, but we do encourage improvs, and sometimes an improved line will make it in instead of the original! But for the main quest, I've never had to rewrite anything post VA being cast. Khobis has always done a great job at finding the right voice pretty much right away!
I don't believe any major character traits have been created from our VA's, but for some I have found it easier to write for their character after hearing their voice. Theresa (Kemi Haydee Stanton) and Berman (Jeff Wong) come to mind. Their VA's give such good performances, I hear them in my head clear as day as I write for those characters. And of course, Tom Schalk who voices Jake nails how I want the lines read so well, I could swear he was cheating somehow.
Off the top of my head, I only recall one face being changed post casting of VA, and that was for Ellis from the Nightingales quest-line. His original face looked a bit too old I think, so I was asked to age it down.
So, to try and sum things up!
1. What's the actors' involvement in writing?
None really, but I am inspired by their performances.
2. Did they have much or any room to improv their lines?
They do, and we sometimes use improved lines. But they'll always give us a take of how it's written on the page as well, allowing us to pick which we like best.
3. Did you re-write anything after an actor had been cast to better suit their voice?
Nope! But we have had VA's re-record to better get the voice we want. (Ungaged Elk was kind enough to do this for all of Mansfield's Chapter 1 lines)
4. Did any of them have any ideas that you decided to write in?
A few odd lines, mostly swearing and curse words funnily enough...
5. Were the character designs locked before the actors came onboard, or did any of them change to fit the actors?
Usually locked in, but there has been at least one exception to that.