(Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vancouverfilmschool/3650728107/ Creative Commons, attribution required license. )

Some helpful links about voice-acting in videogames, more after the jump…..

People behind the Video game actors (Unreality Magazine)
 
5 video game voice actors (Edmonton Journal)
 
Faces behind the Videogame voices (Meodia)

Voices of Video game (Montreal Gazette)

 Behind the Voice Actors (Great website for matching up characters with their voices)

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Some more technical articles discussing production and legal concerns
 
 Article on blog discussing dubbing versus subtitling (Dubbing versus subtitling)
 
http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2009/08/95_podcast_resources_for_voice_actors.html
Resources for voice actors
 
http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2008/12/voice_overs_tough_legal_questions_answered.html
Great post from this online voice blog; legal questions answered… dated… but still very specific and useful.

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Personal commentary… if you add a voice actor instead of static graphics or word overlays, then you have an additional person to pay, as well as probably another Non-disclosure Agreement(NDA).  It all depends upon your budget; and if you must have voice actors supervised or work live with another voice actor; you should probably have an appendix to your employment agreement stipulating the range of dates you might require from him/her.

Jay Moffitt is a Tennessee attorney. This blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only and does not consitute legal advice or create an attorney/client relationship. Jay Moffitt is not certified as a specialist in this area by Tennessee and Tennessee does not certify specialists in this practice area. All comments will be answered promptly and courteously as long as they are germane to the discussion and do not contain specific game names or incidents.

Here is the Viewpoint from Hollywood Actor Prep, a Website run by voice-actress Dana Kaminski.

Link of the story from an industry perspective: Story of AFTRA being approved; while SAG turned down

SAG members not ratifying contract.

Maybe a little unrelated – but describes a weird conflict -Product integration and conflict (voice-acting) Okay, I’ll admit it, linked mainly because it mentions David Hasselhoff.

From game-makers perspective
Describes the conflict:

From a voice-actor:

Game magazine’s take on the controversy:

And the requisite how-to: Video games and Voiceover

Here are some more precise figures about how much the Talent actually makes:

From Voice.com
SAG rate sheets
And lastly on this story: another salary study

Jay Moffitt is a Tennessee attorney. This blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only and does not consitute legal advice or create an attorney/client relationship. Jay Moffitt is not certified as a specialist in this area by Tennessee and Tennessee does not certify specialists in this practice area. All comments will be answered promptly and courteously as long as they are germane to the discussion and do not contain specific game names or incidents.

This is an article that gives a great insight into the audio portion of the video game process. Every developer should read this to determine if and when a lawyer should be involved in the negotiations. My favorite point is “Often, it’s not what’s in the contract that hurts you down the line. It’s what is unspoken or assumed. Informality of this sort almost always favors the party with more power and resources.”

Very functional general paper about the Function of Sound in Games by a “couple of chaps who run a sound company” (their description, not mine). Covering all the bases, it talks about music both from an entertainment persepective in the game as well as to progress the game forward. My favorite statement is “with advances in technology and greater emphasis being placed on sound effects and their importance, Sound Design has evolved into a wholly separate discipline (much like it is in film).”

Very good article on Gamestudies.org that discusses audio’s importance in World of Warcraft. An insightful point is that “The primary argument is that game audio is tightly integrated with gameplay in this game setting, not only as an information system and a support for gameplay, but also by providing an understanding for how the game should be played, and how to behave in a specific in-game context.”

Voice Actors Discuss Challenges in the Video Game Industry. Something pointed out I hadn’t considered before was, “Another actor talked about a typical day in the industry, saying that they get the “basic gist” of the story, but they’re mostly concentrating on “short snippets of dialogue”.

These hardworking professionals are starting to get more rights. Actors Union votes for Videogame Contract. It was reported by Gamesindustry.biz that “Hollywood union AFTRA (The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) has voted in favour of an extension of its videogame contract, which has now been forwarded to members to be ratified.” Terms were “a 2.5 per cent pay rise and a 0.2 per cent rise in pension and health contributions. A new performance category will also be created, entitled “atmospheric performer”. ”

Older article, but well thought-out about the overall process of audio in games. Laboring to Compete by Jesse Harlin gives a great broad-spectrum look at planning and executing the audio in next-gen games. My favorite quote is ” the arrival of live recording to game music introduced a question that film composers have been wrestling with for years: is it a union-date or not? The answer has almost exclusively been “non-union” due to budgetary restraints and a union interactive media contract that doesn’t keep pace with the evolving technology of our industry.” If you’re a developer (or just curious as to the audio parts of video-games) you should visit the blog and read his other articles as well.

On Gamezone there is an indepth interview about audio direction for the game Everquest II. One staggering statement was “so far we have already recorded over 200 actors. We have been recording non-stop for the last 3 months and have accumulated hundreds of hours of voice recording.”

Of course, I can’t finish without a theoretical paper to ponder. Reference as Sounds and Sources in Sacred Kristine JørgensenPh.D. student Division of Film & Media Studies Copenhagen University kristinej@hum.ku.dk.

Here are several helpful starting points for clearing audio and music for your video games.

A pianist named Steven Cravis has a very helpful site.

The Harry Fox Agency is a great Website for your research of what you need to clear your songs.

At the site Video Game voice talent they have a wonderful Guide “How to Hire Voicetalent“. I don’t know anything about the organization, but it looks well-run.

3 For the B.

#1. If you’re planning a game, put the audio portion in the budget, and do it realistically.

#2. Clear your music and your voice-talent early. They are called “talent” for a reason (don’t talk directly to the talent, I’m the agent, etc.). You know that putting together a “team” for a project always involves many disparate time-sinks, don’t let this be one.

#3. Remember the user, your customer, will remember the audio as long as he/she remembers the graphics. Be giving in as much “ambience” and “textual-clues” from the game sounds as you can.

Jay Moffitt is a Tennessee attorney. This blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only and does not consitute legal advice or create an attorney/client relationship. Jay Moffitt is not certified as a specialist in this area by Tennessee and Tennessee does not certify specialists in this practice area. All comments will be answered promptly and courteously as long as they are germane to the discussion and do not contain specific game names or incidents.

Think about it. When there is a movement for “people’s rights”, who is it that makes the money? The politicians.

And whenever someone in Hollywood makes a movie that is “for the people”, who rakes in the profits? The movie-maker.

So today is the first of a regular feature that focuses on the people (publishers, artists, voice-over talent, and developers) who make all the gamers happy.

The Players are Wrong but Listen Anyway This article by a game developer goes into detail as to what type of feedback to gather from the users during the game-making process. This frankly doesn’t rise to the level of a legal duty, but more of a moral duty… that is from a game developer with a sincere wish to make as fair and as entertaining of a game as possible. If you are strictly looking for a legal viewpoint, maybe you could use the forums and feedbacks as a sort of “testing ground” to determine if the beta testers feel the game is working out as a fair and even playing field, depending upon the user’s choice of character, etc. But the developer does a great job of noting these opinions must be taken in the context that most of these early users have an “axe to grind” or may be overly skeptical types that over-critique a supposedly fun experience. A great read for developers or anyone.

Raising Startup Financing This list has a more general feel, as it would apply towards anyone raising money for a financial project. But for a developer with a great idea and some resources to start, the list is a great jumping-off point to investigate financing options.

Developer Links This is an incredible A-to-Z list of links of use to a game developer. Mostly the destinations are esoteric and specific to a developer’s needs, but there are some that might be good general reading. If you have an interest in developing games or even being a beta tester, you should browse the list and spend a couple of minutes to add to your knowledge.

SAG and AFTRA renegotiate their contract structure with Developers Gamasutra has an excellent story about the renegotiation of voice-actor talent. You may have noticed that voice-acting is getting better, and the voice talent are getting paid. And plus they are in a stronger negotiating position than artists, graphic designers, and programmers; who get 100% of their work from the game studios. For the voice-over talent there is always animation, film work, radio, and commercials. Thus they are more of a varying expense than those talents who are specific to the video game industry alone.

Three for the B(usiness). #1 If you don’t get legal advice at the beginning of a large financial venture(oh, but it’s just a video-game), then at least have some resources who can advise you WHEN to get an attorney. There are attorneys who deal specifically with financing, video games, talent agents…. but just make sure you have resources available for when you need them.

#2 Keep an open mind during the alpha, beta, and “gold” process for game dynamics. Listen to the critics, the testers, and the programmers, but most of all listen to your heart. Only you know what kind of game you are trying to write, and just like some books are not for everyone, maybe your beta testers should be playing something else, and upon release your dream will find its “true audience”.

#3 Game talent takes many forms. Keep an eye (and an ear) out for people that will help your final product. Set expectations on salary, benefits, accolades on the team you assemble, and under-promise and over-deliver. You may lose a few at the beginning of the process, but you can build a strong core of people that hopefully continue forward with you, and as any HR professional will tell you, it’s a lot cheaper to keep a good employee than to find one.

Jay Moffitt is a TN attorney. The words do not constitute legal advice, and no attorney/client relationship is created. Jay Moffitt does not claim a certification in this specialty, and TN does not offer a certification in this specialty. Copyright October 3, 2009. Comments will be answered in a timely fashion and with courtesy.