Interview with ‘DELA’

Meet Kira Lauren, the voice actress who landed the lead role of “Dela” for Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.  A lot of people wonder what it’s like to be a voice actor and how to get into the industry, so we thought it would be interesting to post a question and answer session with Kira here.  Enjoy!


(And here’s a little sound snippet of “Dela” from the game.)
Dela – Tiger Eye

1.       What’s your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of any acting job, voice, tv, film or stage, is the chance to be something I’m not.  I find that especially with voice acting, where what you look like doesn’t matter at all, you can stretch yourself in so many different directions and become people you have no chance of being in real life.  Getting to voice a tall, buxom, blonde bombshell, for example, when in reality I’m a bit of a mouse, standing just under five feet tall, is kind of exciting.  Or reliving my childhood by voicing a whiny child is so much fun.

2.       What’s the most challenging voice character you’ve ever had to perform?

My first voice acting job ever was a video game.  I was playing the lead and hadn’t seen the script beforehand.  I showed up at the studio and basically had one take on each line – and the lines were out of context.  I only saw what I had to say, not what was being said to me before or after.  It was total on the job training!  There I was trying to cold read each line in one take and actually try to figure out in the split second before I read the line exactly why i was saying what I was saying!

3.       As a voice actor, do you do certain exercises or lead a certain type of lifestyle that keeps your voice in good shape?

I started off as a singer, before becoming an actor and then a voice actor, so yes, my lifestyle very much revolves around keeping my “instrument” healthy.  Singers notoriously carry two things with them at all times:  a water bottle, and a scarf – and I’m no exception.  When I’m working, I do a vocal warm up every day, and when I’m not, I usually do some kind of vocal work or singing a few times per week.  I also try to squeeze in a singing lesson at least once or twice a month.

4.       What are some differences between voice acting and stage acting?  Do you find one more challenging than the other?

The main difference between the two is subtlety.  With stage work, you can show so much more through means other than your voice.  Your eyes, your posture, your costume even, can add so much to what you are expressing.  With voice work, you have your voice, and that is all.  Every nuance in your voice counts, every detail.  I once had a director tell me that he wanted to hear more optimism in my voice.  He said that on a scale of 1-100, I was at a 6, and he needed me at a 7.  That’s how subtle it can be.  And of course, with stage acting, you are always limited by what you look like – with voice there is much more scope for possibility.  However, much like with film and tv vs. theatre, voice work lacks the adrenaline linked with live performace – something I just love about live theatre.  In that way they are very different crafts – one is much more about responding in the moment whilst the other is more about perfecting your creation.

5.       Any general thoughts on being the voice of DELA for Tiger Eye?

I’m thrilled to voice someone so well developed, who is both sexy, smart, sassy and vulnerable – it’s a gift to an actor to play someone so three dimensional.  I will also never forget recording all the love scenes with the producer, Melissa.  That was hilarious.

6.       It seems like a ton of people think they can voice act, but once they give it a try, it’s much, much harder than they thought.  What is some of the training you’ve had to go through to get where you are today?  What are some of the challenges voice actors face?

I’ve been extremely lucky when it comes to voice acting.  I was literally in the right place at the right time when my career really took off.  I did take a few classes, but most of my voice acting training was “on the job”.  I have also found that my background in singing has helped immensely – I’m very in tune (no pun intended) with how to work my vocal tone and where to place things in order to create different sounds.  Voice acting becomes a lot like finding the right notes to speak.  I think the main challenge voice artists face at the moment is an oversaturation in the market.  It’s a fantastic industry – talent is treated really well – and everyone wants a piece of that.  I don’t blame them. The hardest part is making yourself stand out in the crowd.

7.       Do you have any tips for people who’d like to get into voice acting for games?

I started my career in London, and over there it is a lot more complicated to get started as you have to really market yourself with a gimmick – something that sets you apart.  It involved a lot of cold calling which wasn’t fun at all.  But here in the USA it seems fairly more clear cut.  Cut a good voice demo – something that really shows off all you can do – and get yourself an agent.  It’s also worth calling smaller game companies to let them know you are out there and send over your demo.  You never know.  From there it is really just about whether you are right for the job or not.  That is one of the greatest parts of this aspect of the industry – it is so rarely personal.  With voice work your sound is either right or it’s not – there is rarely an in between.

One Response to “Interview with ‘DELA’”

1. Kimi says:

   December 26, 2009 at 4:31 pm

   Voice acting is a blast. Thanks for the interview. If you ever need an actress for another part please feel free to contact me. ;)

   Reply