News

A superlative preview at gaminglives.com.

German developer KingArt have created an Adventure Game classic, but the English version has an interesting tale. When we were invited to create it we wanted to demonstrate to the publisher the value of allowing us to localise the title the way we think games SHOULD be localised, so we requested free reign. The publisher agreed and gave us full access to all game assets and the freedom to do what we felt best with the script, casting and recording. Of course we had a finite budget and a deadline to keep to but neither were unrealistic. This is the result. Go play.

Mark Estdale is speaking at the Drama Centre in London on Wed 07 Sept 2011 with renowned game writer Steve Ince on "Games: the tension between performance and design." This should be an interesting and thought provoking session.

OM are exhibiting at the leading European games exhibition, Gamescom this year. It’s two years since we were last in Colgone and we’re excited to be meeting up with all our European clients and partners again. If you’d like to meet up while the show is on please get in touch at info@omuk.com or come along to Hall 4.2 Stand J051a.

Mark Estdale spoke at the July Develop conference in Brighton with fellow director Laurence Bouvard.  The practical workshop entitled ‘Keys to unlock believable performance’, showed dev teams how to get the best out of the actors on their production. The session was very well received and saw audio directors for Microsoft and Naughty Dog demonstrating their own considerable acting abilities!

We always enjoy working on movies and as fans of  Luc Besson we were doubly delighted to be working with Sam Douglas on a spot of ADR for Besson’s latest venture Columbiana, starring Zoe Saldana and directed by Olivier Megaton. See the Trailer on youtube.

Outsource Media began life in 1996 bringing film and TV dialogue production values and practice to game development.  “At the time outsourcing for games was embryonic and a pertinent ID for us but as outsourcing has evolved to be associated more with art and the Far East we felt it time to make a change.  Our production teams are known as OM London and OM Los Angeles so we’ve decided to simplify and become just OM. As voice and performance specialists we are leading a revolution in how dialogue is recorded for games, so no more art requests please. Come to OM for dialogue script writing, voice casting and recording.  Our passion is for empowering truthful performance not drawing.”

Mark will be speaking at this year’s Develop Conference in Brighton (19 to 21 July 2011):

The Keys To Unlock Believable Performance. 

"Mark Estdale, veteran casting and voice director leads OMUK, one of the industry’s most experienced game dialogue teams. He’s recently added characters to SOCOM 4, and completed work on Driver: San Francisco, TV Superstars and the English version of the critically acclaimed adventure The Book of Unwritten Tales. Based in London and Los Angeles, his production team is leading a revolution in how dialogue is recorded for games. His passion is empowering truthful performance. He coaches professional actors, lectures in voice work for games and roasts spectacular coffee. Credited on over 130 titles his clients have included Microsoft, Sony, Konami, Atari, Electronic Arts, Sega, Ubisoft, Namco and UK developers Climax, Revolution Software, Relentless, Blitz, Rebellion, Frontier Developments, Reflections and Rare."

http://bit.ly/mt1ICU

"Voice & Casting Director Mark Estdale teams up with US actor/director Laurence Bouvard (TBC) to give a no-holds-barred, hands-on practical workshop on getting the best from actors. For both actor and director, connection is the key that unlocks engaging, truthful and believable performances. This session will unpack the actors tool box from Stanislavsky to Method and Meisner – and share the keys that help dialogue stand out. Using practical exercises and examples from a selection of recent titles, Estdale will get under the skin of how to get savvy with improving performances."

http://bit.ly/lNax37

We’ve just taken a weighty delivery of a magical selection of green coffee beans. From the world famous Balmaadi Kopi Luwak, just for the curious, to the wonderful Malawi Panwamba AAA for those wanting to lose their soul to the divine. The new season stock includes the best from El Salvador, Guatamala, Costa Rica, Kenya, Brazil, Sumatra, Columbia & Mexico. Come and celebrate with us we’ve pleny to roast and savour. Roasting is a daily event.

It’s good getting the word out about working with actors for video games but the quote of throwing a producer out of the studio for having a laptop is not Mark’s big mouth but a misquote. Game producers with laptops can rest easy! See the full article next month online at Audiomedia.com or go buy the latest issue of Audio Media Magazine from a good newsagent.

We’re going to be at the GDC and have signed up for Game Connection in San Francisco 1-3 March 2011.  Follow the link from the image to set up a meeting or email the team at info@omuk.com