When Ellen Dubin is asked to describe her profession, it sounds like an anything-goes performance of the lungs B次元官网网址� guttural, deeper-than-the-ocean grunts, cackling shrieking squeals, and blood-curdling screams.

B次元官网网址淚 actually pulled my groin during a voice job,B次元官网网址� says the veteran multi-award nominated voice actress, referring to her video game gigs. B次元官网网址淰oice work is physical work B次元官网网址� If IB次元官网网址檓 not doing the action, itB次元官网网址檚 just not going to work.B次元官网网址�

With recent credits that extend from films like B次元官网网址淒uneB次元官网网址� to massively popular game titles such as B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址婤次元官网网址婼kyrim - The Elder ScrollsB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淔allout 4,B次元官网网址� Dubin says video games have a unique measure of difficulty for performers. ItB次元官网网址檚 the only place where on a given day, sheB次元官网网址檒l be chasing a zombie or acting out an injury in a single session.

B次元官网网址淭hese worlds can take you to some crazy places,B次元官网网址� says Dubin who sips on some throat-soothing lavender tea in Toronto just days after straining her voice in a demon role. B次元官网网址淎side from one, IB次元官网网址檇 say that every single game IB次元官网网址檝e worked on has had some kind of vocal strain.B次元官网网址�

In a recently published survey conducted by the Toronto chapter of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) in June 2021, video games were quoted as being the most vocally difficult and potentially hazardous area of work a voice performer can take on. Of the 264 respondents who have done voice work, 73 per cent felt video game sessions involved extreme vocal work, with 38 per cent experiencing fatigue. Nearly 20 per cent reported finding it hard to recover normal vocal quality after a video game job.

Voice acting is considered an essential human component of an industry thatB次元官网网址檚 projected to earn $204 billion by 2025, according to a market report by Lucintel. As advances in photo realism continue to turn non-human characters into a growing phenomenon, Canadian performers say they are being asked to adapt, often juggling multiple personalities that cover both humans and creatures alike.

B次元官网网址淲atch us in a booth, and youB次元官网网址檒l catch us moving like idiots,B次元官网网址� adds Dubin. B次元官网网址淚f IB次元官网网址檓 a lizard or queen, I become them physically and later, IB次元官网网址檓 usually exiting these booths sweating.B次元官网网址�

DB次元官网网址橝rcy Smith, a former actor, and current dialect, voice, and communication coach for active performers likens it to exercise.

B次元官网网址淪inging requires things like agility and control while video games require bursts of aggressive activity,B次元官网网址� says Smith. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the difference between a marathon runner and a weightlifter.B次元官网网址�

Vocal experts such as Smith make sure performers are in the position to do what they do well on set. This includes pre-emptive coaching about the demands of vocal extremes, the nuances of how a particular action should sound from a performerB次元官网网址檚 diaphragm, and the best methods for recovery, whether it be rest or bodily exercises.

Ivan Sherry, a voice actor who has worked closely with both Smith and Ubisoft Montreal, says he might be expected to perform between 60 to 100 lines per hour depending on the job B次元官网网址� often cold reads, which doesnB次元官网网址檛 allow for much preparation.

B次元官网网址淎 voice director once told me that 50 per cent was a rough estimate of actors who canB次元官网网址檛 get through a session,B次元官网网址� says Sherry. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 either the challenge or their voice that canB次元官网网址檛 make it through.B次元官网网址�

Dubin adds that the idea that performers can work on lines in advance is often a misconception. Game developers, concerned with protecting their intellectual property, will often ask performers to sign non-disclosure agreements, which puts voice performers in the precarious situation of taking on scripts that are given to them at the very time of the job. While this is frequently common with various other forms of entertainment, it presents specific challenges when the extreme vocal demands of video games are taken into consideration.

B次元官网网址淵ou have to do a full-fledged emotional performance in one or two takes,B次元官网网址� says Dubin. B次元官网网址淭here are sometimes hundreds of lines, and they donB次元官网网址檛 have time to wait for you to learn how to act.B次元官网网址�

In the case of younger performers without as much brand recognition to their names, this pace puts an added amount of pressure to keep on working even when their vocal health may be put at risk. Still, according to the survey, nearly 28 per cent of respondents considered turning down a session over the impacts on their voice.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of us have just wanted to please,B次元官网网址� says Sherry, who like every voice performer interviewed, loves the work in a way that far outweighs the shortcomings. B次元官网网址淵oung actors want to keep their jobs, so thereB次元官网网址檚 always a danger in believing that they can keep going without issue.B次元官网网址�

Industry group Entertainment Software Association of Canada is aware of ACTRAB次元官网网址檚 survey and its findings, said Paul Fogolin, vice president, policy & government affairs, in an email. While unable to provide an official statement, he said B次元官网网址渢he health and wellness of their employees and contractorsB次元官网网址� is always top of mind for gaming companies the group represents.

ACTRA says working with the industry and the employers is key to moving forward.

B次元官网网址淯ltimately, ACTRA Toronto is eager to create an industry consensus around these best practices to protect performers from injury, extend their careers and reduce workforce attrition,B次元官网网址� said Karl Pruner, director of communications at ACTRA Toronto in an email. B次元官网网址淲e want to encourage the industry to see video game performers as a valuable resource that should be managed sustainably through best practices.B次元官网网址�

Some of those best practices include providing at least a 10-minute break for each hour of vocal stunt work; engaging a voice coach for actors new to this type of work; and for an actor, not booking sessions within 48 hours of each other.

B次元官网网址淚 just think everyone needs to educate themselves about what this job actually is and we need to advocate for ourselves,B次元官网网址� says Sherry. B次元官网网址淵ou run for four hours, your legs are going to tire just like your lungs. These are our muscles, and we need to respect them and treat them just as well.B次元官网网址�

Noel Ransome, The Canadian Press

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