Leveling Up: Inside BRAVA’s Step into Video Games Masterclass

Carla O'Shaughnessy recording at BRAVA Studios. Credit: BRAVA

One of the standout events in the BRAVA calendar is the annual Step into Video Games Masterclass, led by the renowned Elaine Clark, who travels all the way from San Francisco to Bristol to share her expertise.

Each year brings a fresh and exciting approach to the day. In this piece, BRAVA talent and event attendee Carla O'Shaughnessy shares her experience and key takeaways from this year’s inspiring session:

Step into Videogames: My Day of Discovery, Play, and Creative Expression with BRAVA - by Carla O'Shaughnessy

It was with some trepidation and a mild hangover that I approached the Improv Theatre on Sunday morning for BRAVA’s Step Into Video Games masterclass.

Was the location - Bristol’s home of improvisation - a sign that I would be required to pretend to be a robot lost on a mountain, or a toy searching for its owner? Would I have to get on all fours and bleat like a sheep as I had done at a BRAVA retreat in the past? (If you know, you know).

In reality, it wasn’t like that at all. Our group - a lovely bunch of creative people from different walks of life - introduced ourselves before doing a read through of “Angels in Bristol”, a film noir video game, set in 1950’s Bristol. The script had been written by BRAVA’s characters coach, Elaine Clark, specifically for this masterclass. 

If anyone has been lucky enough to work with Elaine, you’ll know she’s a ball of energy, with a hugely impressive background in coaching, directing and voicing a ton of commercials, narrations, video games and toys.

It was great to hear everyone reading out different parts of the script and listen to Elaine’s reasoning as to why or why not people would be cast in each role. She was very honest with her feedback, often asking us to repeat lines until the delivery was perfect.

A key takeaway was not to overplay a line or make it too dramatic - Elaine explained that in a video game casting, less is more.  You’re not always going to be the lead character so it’s important to think about how you might sound alongside the other voice actors. 

Other valuable advice from Elaine included not to worry if a director ignores you during an audition, this can be a good sign as they might be thinking hard about how to use you. Conversely, if a director is overly positive and effusive at the end of an audition, it’s unlikely you’ve nailed it this time. A director won’t let on if you’ve done well as they won’t want you to try to negotiate a higher fee through your agent. 

Elaine also talked about the importance of mime when voicing video games - when the script calls for it - movements like pointing to where a door might be, or lifting something up, adds authenticity. Likewise, grunts and sighs and other noises, where appropriate, also add naturalism to a character and can help you stand out (for the right reasons!) in an audition.

After the first read through, we were cast into our roles and read through the script again. It was great to see the story coming together and everyone’s confidence growing.

The final part of the session concluded with us all heading back to BRAVA HQ, where we recorded the script in the studio. As you would in a real video game recording, we recorded our lines individually. It will take a few weeks for the edit and then we’ll be able to hear the final recording.

The day flew by, with plenty of chat among the group in between and after recording. It was such a treat to be among like-minded people and have the opportunity to have a glimpse into how a video game would be made.  

Thanks to Elaine for her brilliant writing and coaching, to Melissa and Tabby for all the planning and producing and to the whole group for the good vibes. I’m excited about the 2026 Masterclass already. 

To find out more about working with us, get in touch: info@brava.uk.com