Rafael
Serrato, Bitcultures: Your
performance in STASIS was excellent and reflected the dark atmosphere
perfectly. How did you go about preparing for the role of John
Maracheck?
Ryan: The
voice actors
were asked to study scenes from The Last of Us
for an idea of flow between the actors. I saw similarities between Joel
and John too, but there are no conscious influences on how I played
him. I didn’t want John to come across as a lesser imitation of similar
characters. The role was not overly stylised or managed, so I had the
freedom to attack it from a unique perspective and put a lot of myself
into the performance.
This will be obvious
to any serious actor, but it is important to read
the script in its entirety if possible before stepping in front of the
mike – to internalise the character, reflect on the themes of the story
and how the characters attract and oppose each other. Family is the
central theme of Stasis, and all three lead characters symbolise this
in their own way.
John has an arc, which
I look for in characters. It was vital that he
be vulnerable, uncertain and slow to harden to the horror. If the
player can connect with the character, they then consider the
uncomfortable question: how would I cope in this situation? That is the
essence of great horrors, they shine a light on our own lives.
"In
terms of characters, the game is almost entirely carried by John,
masterfully voiced by Ryan Cooper, who perfectly descends into the role
and is able to convey anguish with every sentence he utters."
- Adventure's
Planet (Italy)
Rafael:
John
often discovered the gruesome leftovers of the Groomlake’s crew and,
not to mention, found himself hurt, scared, beaten, bruised and at one
point under a surgical laser. Whether John was screaming in pain or
catching his breath from shock, your voice work captured these heavy
and extreme moments greatly. What can you tell us about your efforts in
helping to create such moments through your voice? Was the voice work
as gruelling, stressing or draining as it sounded within STASIS?
Ryan: The process was
gruelling, but very satisfying. Being the
archetypal every-man, and a husband and father to a young child, John
is an instantly empathetic character. The role represented a great
opportunity because many parts are more fantastical, or inherently not
relatable. I favour roles that I can humanise.
For John, authenticity
was crucial; a less than genuine performance
would distance the character from the player. I produced upwards of ten
disparate takes per line so that John’s tone would be in keeping with
Chris’ vision for the scene. Frustration often got the better of me and
Chris [Bischoff] wound up with a database of my numerous curses, sighs
and lip smacks.
To emulate John
hyperventilating, I sprinted around the block before
recording. I acted in pitch darkness to put the onus on my imagination
and remove visible distractions. John’s tears became my own. When he
screamed out in agony, I recalled the indelible memories of past
injuries. I even threw up for real!
Kim,
1001 Up: Have you played
STASIS? What did you think of it?
Ryan: I was an
early-bug tester and a beta Kickstarter backer, so I
played it a couple of times before release. For a one-man
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development,
STASIS is a minor miracle really, and serves as inspiration to other
small teams. It has been spoken about in the same breath as peers like
SOMA, which had several team members with years of experience between
them. The game has a timeless quality and won’t really age in years to
come. Chris should be very proud of what he has achieved.
Kim:
What was
it like working with The Brotherhood?
Ryan: It was always an open-door working relationship with the Bischoff
brothers. Chris trusted me enough to get on with my performance, which
was liberating. I drip-fed him the lines so he could implement them on
his schedule, and this became an organic way of building the voice work
into the game. If I were compelled to revisit takes, he was more than
happy to receive them.
Kim:
How does
John Maracheck compare to your previous roles?
Ryan: It’s funny. I looked back at my previous work the other day and
John is the only character who actually converses with other
characters. Being mostly narrators, the others address the player
directly. So, the action / reaction dynamic of John’s dialogue is what
sets him aside from my other roles.
I wanted to impart a rawness, a genuineness to John and be satisfied
I’d done all I could to make him sound like a real person in an unreal
situation. If I had screwed up in making John relatable, I don’t think
I could have forgiven myself. There was only $130K+ behind the game and
thousands of expectant backers.
Kim:
Some of
the scenes within STASIS are particularly harrowing. We
have to ask: how did you feel when presented with ‘that’ surgery scene?
What was it like to record?
Ryan: It was the toughest scene for me because it was so hard to
imagine. A character sobbing over all manner of upsetting revelations
is achievable because the actor can draw on their own upsetting
experiences and the tears are real. But performing open spinal surgery
on yourself while you are still awake? Has that ever actually happened?
To prepare, I studied a similar scene in the movie Prometheus, albeit
the character’s motivation is different. Shaw is desperate to remove
her foreign-body from a position of religious and motherly disgust. Her
reaction is natural, and therefore the horror lies more in the
revelation of the creature than in her slicing herself open. John’s
foreign-body is not causing him any immediate consternation, besides
blocking the path to his daughter. The decision is on him – and thus
the player, to push the button knowing full well what’s coming.
I pictured Rebecca [John’s daughter] as I was screaming, as that is the
only way John could get through it without passing out. This is however
a scene I would have recorded differently if I had the time again. It’s
a bit tamer and more inward than I would have liked at points; I should
have just gone hell for leather until I blew my voice box. The sequence
itself though is wonderfully realised in its sheer body horror and
becomes one of the game’s most memorable scenes.
"You
have to clamber into the machine and operate on yourself
in excruciating detail. Props to John's voice actor, who emits many,
many convincingly tortured noises."
- Forbes
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DEVELOPER(S)
