Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1524863
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 63 I would hear rumblings about Ratchet & Clank, and it would make me a little sad. At lunch one day, they said, "Would you like to direct Ratchet & Clank?" I squeaked. I actually squeaked I was so excited. Then I found out that Insomniac's California team had never used an outside director before myself. So that was just thrilling. EM: Ryan Payton was incredibly inspiring to me when I was coming out of school. Back when he was on the Kojima Productions team, he used to record this podcast, The Kojima Productions Report, and I remember he interviewed you in around 2006 or 2007 on it. He was such a pioneer and a great interviewer. KZS: He is a go-getter. Don't tell that man no, 'cause he'll find a way. EM: It's great to hear you're still working together all these years later on so many projects. If you could write a video game yourself, you could cast the actors and direct it, what would it be about? KZS: I'm an avid equestrian, so I think it would be interesting to find a way to incorporate something with a lot of content with horses. I think that would actually be really fun. EM: There were horses in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, right? KZS: I'm talking more like a competition game. An equestrian competition game, where they go from the different levels, and different-sized jumps, and things like that. The end result is you could end up being an Olympic champion. Something like that would be fun. EM: You've seen so many transitions occur in the gaming industry and in game audio over the course of your career. What do you hope the future holds for games, and for game dialogue in the years to come? KZS: Real actors. I don't want to get too much into the AI situation, but I'm sickened by it. And scared, 'cause if that happens, I don't have a job. There's no humanity. You want to listen to Siri in your games all the time? EM: No. I mean, that's what made Metal Gear Solid so special, was the deep humanity! It jumped off the screen. KZS: Yeah. I can't believe that it's still touching so many peoples' hearts and souls. EM: What advice would you give to aspiring voice actors who might be coming out of school and want to follow in your footsteps? KZS: Study regular acting. Take your voice-over classes for sure, but you have to know scene study. You really should take a theater class, a theater workshop. Or study with someone who has weekly classes. It is an acting job. It's not a reading job. It's fast acting, but it all comes down to the heart and soul of the character, the heart and soul of the scene. EM: Kris, you've been such an inspiration to me over the course of my career. Thank you so much for your time today. KZS: Oh, thank you. Thank you for having me. Voice and casting director Kris Zimmerman Salter with Eric Marks, Vice President of the Motion Picture Sound Editors. Photo by Megan Williams.