Creature Speakers: The art of voicing monsters

The Evolution of Creature Sounds in Film and Video Games

From King Kong's roar to Godzilla's iconic screech, this podcast episode explores the evolution of creature sounds in film and video games. Beginning with silent films like Nosferatu, the introduction of sound in the late 1920s brought terrifying creatures to life through innovative sound design techniques. Examples include King Kong's roar created by mixing animal growls, and Godzilla's unique roar produced by sliding a glove across bass strings. The podcast also highlights the inventive sound design behind monsters in movies like 'The Thing' and 'The Lord of the Rings', utilizing unconventional sources such as bird calls, pig squeals, and even celery and lettuce. In video games, voice actors often perform creature sounds, utilizing intense energy and vocal strain to bring these characters to life. Voice actors share their favorite days on the job, which involve creating monster sounds that are immensely fun yet significantly more demanding than typical voice acting. The podcast showcases voice actor techniques, including extreme vocalization and metal singing approaches to create monstrous sounds without straining vocal cords. From metal singing to fitness equipment, voice actors employ an array of unconventional tools and techniques to simulate creature sounds, like using resistance bands for struggle sounds and Jello for gory, choking effects. Throughout the episode, the importance of sound design in crafting immersive gaming experiences is emphasized, with examples from games like 'Slay the Spire' and 'Monster Train'. Sound designer Jordan Chin explains the blending of human voice recordings with animal sounds, creative effects, and meticulous processing to create unique creature sounds for games. The ultimate goal of voice actors and sound designers is to enhance the player's gaming experience and bring the characters and story to life.