I was really surprised. Did he had to get used to getting back into character again with his villain? I can't imagine David Warner still sounding the same back when he was in his late 50s.
@Kaliesto said: "Did he had to get used to getting back into character again with his villain?"
It took awhile--for a long period of the game's development we didn't know if we were going to get him or not and had to write alternate scenarios that would set BG2EE up without him.
He did have some difficulty performing the character, not so much because he had to get used to getting back in Irenicus' head so much (though there was a little of that), but because it's a difficult voice for him to sustain over a several hour recording session (Kevin Michael Richardson also ripped his throat apart doing Sarevok, I felt really sorry for making him do the relatively few lines he had.)
If anyone's interested, David was an absolute delight to work with. Everyone in the office, but especially me, were kind of in awe/borderline terrified of him, but he was just the sweetest guy, with a great sense of humour. I'd given him some notes for a pick-up session, asking for him to pull back on the emotion in a specific line, to do a more "Spock-like" delivery.
"I'm just curious what you mean by this note, what is 'Spock-like'?"
I've worked with him (remotely, he was in London, we were in a studio here in Edmonton, but still) for four hours now, but he's still DAVID FREAKIN' WARNER, and this is the first time we've talked in a few months, so I say, "Uh, well, Spock was this character in Star Trek who spoke in a measured, emotional tone--"
"Yes I know about Star Trek, I've only done three of them. I just wanted to make sure--you don't want me to do a Leonard [Nimoy] impression, do you?" And then he started chuckling.
He was TOTALLY yanking my chain. Thinking about it now I still smile, but at the time I felt like he could see me turn a deep shade of horrifically embarrassed red even though we were an ocean apart. Telling David Warner what Star Trek is... What the hell was I thinking?
(I was thinking, "David Warner. I'm working with David freakin' Warner. Stay cool, Andrew, stay cool, you're a professional, this is just another day at the office, just be cool GOD I LOVE THIS JOB")
It took awhile--for a long period of the game's development we didn't know if we were going to get him or not and had to write alternate scenarios that would set BG2EE up without him.
Alright, now I am curious ... what would the story have been if you wouldn't have gotten him or at least a proper replacement? (Also, I am cackling about the part where you ask him about Star Trek :'D )
It took awhile--for a long period of the game's development we didn't know if we were going to get him or not and had to write alternate scenarios that would set BG2EE up without him.
Alright, now I am curious ... what would the story have been if you wouldn't have gotten him or at least a proper replacement? (Also, I am cackling about the part where you ask him about Star Trek :'D )
Alright, now I am curious ... what would the story have been if you wouldn't have gotten him or at least a proper replacement?
For quite awhile we had someone traveling with Pfaug who claimed to be a former priest of Bhaal before taking up another profession when his divine powers failed. He was actually going to be an agent of you-know-who tasked with pushing Charname to test the limits of their power. There was another agent in Caelar's army doing the same thing to her, but we couldn't come up with a non-clunky way to convey it.
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Do you even realize their potential?
It took awhile--for a long period of the game's development we didn't know if we were going to get him or not and had to write alternate scenarios that would set BG2EE up without him.
He did have some difficulty performing the character, not so much because he had to get used to getting back in Irenicus' head so much (though there was a little of that), but because it's a difficult voice for him to sustain over a several hour recording session (Kevin Michael Richardson also ripped his throat apart doing Sarevok, I felt really sorry for making him do the relatively few lines he had.)
If anyone's interested, David was an absolute delight to work with. Everyone in the office, but especially me, were kind of in awe/borderline terrified of him, but he was just the sweetest guy, with a great sense of humour. I'd given him some notes for a pick-up session, asking for him to pull back on the emotion in a specific line, to do a more "Spock-like" delivery.
"I'm just curious what you mean by this note, what is 'Spock-like'?"
I've worked with him (remotely, he was in London, we were in a studio here in Edmonton, but still) for four hours now, but he's still DAVID FREAKIN' WARNER, and this is the first time we've talked in a few months, so I say, "Uh, well, Spock was this character in Star Trek who spoke in a measured, emotional tone--"
"Yes I know about Star Trek, I've only done three of them. I just wanted to make sure--you don't want me to do a Leonard [Nimoy] impression, do you?" And then he started chuckling.
He was TOTALLY yanking my chain. Thinking about it now I still smile, but at the time I felt like he could see me turn a deep shade of horrifically embarrassed red even though we were an ocean apart. Telling David Warner what Star Trek is... What the hell was I thinking?
(I was thinking, "David Warner. I'm working with David freakin' Warner. Stay cool, Andrew, stay cool, you're a professional, this is just another day at the office, just be cool GOD I LOVE THIS JOB")
I've always loved David Warner's villain work, and I am glad you were able to get him back for SoD.