Backstory: Games and voices

By: Lea Salonga
Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 11, 2012 | 9:11 pm

Over the last few weeks since coming home, I’ve rekindled my on-and-off love affair with video games—most notably, my Xbox 360 and what has become my favorite game, “Batman: Arkham City” (as well as its predecessor, “Batman: Arkham Asylum”).

One of the best features of the game is that after a long and arduous lump of time spent playing, you get a cut scene that brings you to your next mission. It can resemble an action-only sequence, or a full-on scene with drama and dialogue, with some excellent acting. I put my controller down and just drown myself in those deep, well-placed vocal stylings the way I would when watching a movie.

I would expect the same could be said of full-length films or television series where, for at least a half hour, amidst amazing, hand-drawn or computer-generated animated images, your ears are treated to some incredible performances.

I have often found myself so engrossed in those portrayals that I’ve headed to IMDb.com (while I’m playing or watching) to see just who those actors are. Some names are unknown to the world at large, but others are of the Juilliard-trained, movie star variety.

That’s when, in the way a superhero takes off his mask, I discover that Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars”) is the voice behind the homicidal maniac that is the Joker. But I’m sad that Hamill said “Arkham City” would be his Joker’s swan song.

I’m presuming that, since video games are themselves works of animation, the process in creating them is similar: The vocals are recorded first with sketches and story boards as inspiration for the actors, then the cleaned-up animations come later. Unless, of course, it’s a redub for a previously created work from another country (for example, the English or Tagalog dubs for “Voltes V” or “Mazinger Z”). I’ve been involved in both kinds, and they have been nothing but fun.

Unique thrill

One afternoon gave me a very unique thrill. I got a call to do a few lines on the Cartoon Network series, “Johnny Bravo.” Once I arrived at the studio, I met JB’s creator, Van Partible (unbeknownst to me, Van is Filipino, so that was thrill No. 1).

Then, after I did my solo bits (they wanted a Disney princess-type sound, and I was only too happy to oblige), I was in the same room as two out of the three ladies who voiced the Powerpuff Girls, also for the Cartoon Network: Tara Strong (Buttercup) and Catherine Cavadini (Blossom).

Also in the room were Jeff Bennett (Johnny Bravo himself) and Tom Wilson (Biff in the “Back to the Future” films, here doing various voices). I’m surprised I didn’t just geek out on everyone, as I was familiar with their voice work (I’m also a huge cartoon freak).

I gained renewed respect for them all because, as I found out, doing a cartoon voice is not easy. Oh, the singing thing was old hat to me after “Aladdin” and “Mulan,” but just speaking a character took a bit more than I thought.

But how fun it all was! And since this was a series, they got everything done in record time. I remember it all going by like a blur, it was over so fast. And the best part? You can do it all, literally, in your pajamas. Nice!

Silent scream

Seeing the finished product can be something of an interesting experience, too. At the work-in-progress screening for “Aladdin,” I brought along a few friends and family to come watch with me. When “A Whole New World” came to the screen, I couldn’t stop silently screaming. I was holding the hand of one friend, all the while whispering, “This is unbelievable”—not only because I could hear my voice coming from the speakers, but also because it was coming out of another form. I felt disembodied.

So, as I fiddle with my controller late at night trying to fight a host of bad guys in combat, seeking secrets in a cave, or gliding high above Gotham City, my brain starts to think about the forces behind those voices—sitting in a recording studio with script in hand, creating some of the most memorable characters that I’ll ever hear.