GAMES-ELROY (Headbone Interactive)

VOICE CLIP—ELROY:

Elroy – A curious young boy who serves as the central character of the Elroy educational CD-ROM series. Through exploration and interactive adventures, Elroy encourages children to develop reading, language, and problem-solving skills.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES INTERVIEW:

Interviewer: Were the voice projects you did for Headbone Interactive your first voice-over gigs?

David: No, but they were special because the gaming industry had started to gain momentum and I had a long association with that studio—numerous titles, characters, and even some writing.

Interviewer: Let’s start with the first iconic character you created. Elroy. Elroy. Three titles: Elroy Goes Bugzerk, Elroy Hits the Pavement, and Elroy’s Costume Closet

David: Don’t forget Elroy: King of the Jungle.

Interviewer: Never heard of that one.

David: Limited release.

Interviewer: I’ve never seen it. Can you describe that one? What’s it about?

David: It’s Elroy and his trusty dog Blue…in the jungle (laughs)

Interviewer: Gotcha. For those who don’t know. We should mention that Elroy is an 8-year-old boy. It was a totally different character for you. No one would have ever guessed you were behind that. How did you find Elroy and make him believable?

David: The challenge is not sounding like a grown-up doing a kids’ voice. And, well, when I thought of Elroy (or any character) as a real person, it made it easier. Had to go method.

Interviewer: Wasn’t that hard to do vocally?

David: I don’t think so. No more than the titles I did later where I was screaming, fighting, and dying for four plus hours. (Laughs)

Interviewer: And Headbone Interactive games had this irreverent sense of humor. Funny stuff that still holds up.

David: Those games date well. A lot of it was due to Scott Hudson, Headbone’s Creative Director at the time. He was a great CD, visual person, writer, and collaborator, with a great ear for casting.

(Interview excerpt with Mr. Scully used by permission from Inside Voice magazine.)