Syncopation: putting it into practice
OK, so we can syncopate awareness to make characters seem slow, expert, noobish, cunning, and desperate, fine. How does that translate to more compelling vocal and physical performances? How would that work for a games script? Particularly one where the scene just isn’t written as a predicament where one character is ahead/on/behind the beat?
Here’s the thing: all those little modulations of rhythm, delivery, awareness, intent, they all work to make performances more specific (and thus more believable and persuasive) even when the scenes and lines are pretty much gibberish. Honest, they do.
I’ve written and recorded a lot of multiplayer combat bark VO. And the thing about MP VO is that anything can happen at any time, you have zero control over timing. It’s not a written scene in any meaningful way, the players are just triggering lines you’ve written and recorded nearly at random.
And yet you can use syncopation of awareness and intent to produce a range of VO barks that end up much more convincing and immersive than just Everybody Shouting. You get differences in timbre and texture. You get variety, and intelligence, and evidence of human life.
Let’s take our most idiotic game VO lines. Dear old friends such as…
“Enemy Spotted!”
“Grenade!”
“Reloading!”
“Medic!”
Yep, the lines are what they are. They’re the videogames equivalent of recording the directions for a GPS SatNav. Sometimes you really do just have to say “Left Turn Ahead”. We could direct them badly and read them dully. They could come over as “Well, I’m in a game and this is what I’m saying, apparently”.
And we’re going to need dozens of these lines. And there are only so many ways of changing the words. Trust me, I’ve tried.
So let’s change the intention and the predicament. Let’s put the character on the back foot, behind the beat. Let’s make everything a surprise.
“Enemy Spotted!” [What they fuck are THEY doing here?!]
“Grenade!” [They have GRENADES?]
“Reloading!” [I’m out of ammo ALREADY?!]
“Medic!” [They fucking shot me!]
Suddenly the reads become more specific. Not just something a character says, but something this character is saying, right now.
Let’s put this character right in the moment, on the beat
“Enemy Spotted.” [Fuck. Or even sudden realisation “Wait a minute, those guys are fakes”]
“Grenade.” [Not the end of the world but you need to know]
“Reloading.” [so fucking cover me, OK?]
“Medic!” [My comrades need to know this]
Don’t they suddenly sound more expert, more authoritative?
Now, put them ahead of the beat.
“Enemy Spotted.” [What took them so long? / And so it begins]
“Grenade.” [Just as we expected]
“Reloading.” [So now you guys cover me, like we practiced]
“Medic!” [Ah well, it happens]
Again, a total gear change. They’re not necessarily in control of everything, but they’re anticipating events, they sound like they know what they’re doing.
What Can We Steal?
When you need a lot of different lines, do different reads not re-wordings.
Different energy and rhythm give you better, smarter, more specific reads.
If you’re stuck for a new read, syncopate your character’s awareness.
