DragonMaster2010
Don't Let the Fall of America be Your Fall
This was an interview from shogun gamer.org
http://www.shogungamer.com/news/15220/interview-actor-tim-phillipps-dante-dmc-devil-may-cry
nterview With Actor Tim Phillipps (Dante in DmC: Devil May Cry)
Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 01/22/2013 - 09:46
Posted in
Just like any other medium of entertainment there’s often a connection between a gamer and the characters they control. Perhaps forged deeper due to the interactive nature of video games, we often love the characters we interact with or control since the writing and acting in games far surpasses what we experienced fifteen years ago.
The intense love we have of video game characters also comes with an attitude of not wanting things to change. In some cases change can be good, but when a character we’ve known for nearly a decade is suddenly revamped into something entirely new then there may be a feeling of being cheated, if not pushed aside as if it was nothing.
When Capcom announced that they were rebooting the Devil May Cry franchise in a drastically different iteration there was a lot of concern over what would happen to our favorite cocky demon hunter: Dante. The initial premier trailer for DmC definitely showed a version of Dante that looked odd to say the least, but thankfully the final realization of the character may be different from what we’re used to but he’s nonetheless has the same core of trash talking that we’ve loved since the series premiered in 2001.
Helping to usher in a new version of Dante to gamers is actor Tim Phillipps. Making his debut in the world of video games, Tim provides a performance in DmC that definitely has a unique flavor but it never strays too far from the core essence of the character.
Tim discusses the basis of Dante and his work in a rather large video game production in this exclusive interview with Shogun Gamer.
Tim Phillipps: I am an Actor born and raised in Adelaide, Australia. I took my first acting class when I was 15 because I was looking for a part time job. I went to a modeling agency and they told me that I was too short but said that I should go visit the acting school around the corner. It was like I found my calling. I was never the one to be picked first for the sport team or get top marks in class but when I went to acting class I felt at home.
Once the course finished I moved to Melbourne and worked as an actor for 3 years on a range of different shows and networks before my agent and I decided it was time to check out the L.A. scene. I moved to L.A. three years ago and plan to stay there to continue working in the entertainment industry. DmC was the second job I ever booked in L.A.
Tim: The first time I learned of DmC was when I was sent the casting brief. I had been to see the casting director a week prior for another project but then they brought me in for DmC. After the first round audition for DmC I was brought in for the ‘call back’ phase and in the room I met Tameem Antoniades. He and I had a very similar vision for Dante by this point and so the audition was quite relaxed. Tameem is a very considered man so he gave me some notes and I took them on board and brought my personality to the table. A few days later the role was offered to me and a table read was scheduled with the whole cast.
Ian: Prior to entering the world of DmC were you familiar with the franchise and in general are you much of a gamer?
Tim: I didn’t actually know of DmC before the project surfaced, I think sometimes as an actor its easier if you are detached from a project otherwise you’re excitement can cloud the task at hand which is to book the job. Once the part is yours then its ok to get excited and trust me I did because I certainly am a gamer.
One of my favorite pass times is gaming and since I live in a different country to all of my old friends one of the best ways of catching up with them and socializing is by playing games online. It’s such a bummer for me DmC isn’t an online game. I’d have a lot of fun putting on my Dante voice to people online, I think I’d get a real kick out of that! I might have to do it on other games, see who’s paying attention!
Ian: The character of Dante has been known to be a wise cracking warrior who doesn’t mind showing his attitude to others. Did the rather carefree attitude of Dante allow you to provide some ad-libs and help expand on certain character traits or was the direction of Dante pretty much locked down once filming began?
Tim: First of all I love Dante’s attitude. I think there is a big part of me that can relate to Dante and his wise cracking nature. He is the guy that says whatever he thinks without a care for the consequences. I enjoyed releasing that part of my personality…because I could! There was room to ad-lib and try different things on different takes. The freedom that Motion Capture provides meant that we could try all sorts of things until we found a balance that worked.
Ian: When DmC was first announced there was a lot of feedback from fans and gamers who were a bit taken aback by the direction things seemed to be going towards. As an actor do you ever look at feedback such as that and try to take it positively in respect to helping mold your performance or do you prefer not to delve too deeply into such matters since you know that the finished product will be better than what people were expecting?
Tim: During shooting and since then, I have heard what some of the reactions are to this franchise reboot. When making such drastic changes to a game that already has such a massive following there will always be fans that are upset so I didn’t take onboard any of the negativity. Besides it doesn’t effect my job at the end of the day so it is best just to leave people to their thoughts and opinions and for me to do what I need to do to in order to give Ninja theory and Capcom the Dante that they want.
Ian: Was it a bit daunting to step into DmC considering that it already has this level of established lore and expectations due to the previous games? And as an actor did you take into consideration certain traits of the old Dante or did you go into things with a clean slate perspective?
Tim: It wasn’t daunting stepping into this role. To be honest I was flying blind at the start and it wasn’t until the table read that I got to lay eyes on the script for the first time. Through the dialogue and action the outline of Dante was very clear so I didn’t actually want to taint my perspective by playing the older games. Since this is a prequel I thought it would make more sense to focus on the script that was in my hands and let the actors and creatives around me help portray the new, younger Dante.
Ian: Besides assuming the role of a character unlike anything you’ve portrayed before, DmC also presented the foreign element of acting via performance capture. For you what was it like to assume the role of Dante and bring that character to life through performance capture? Was the process easy all together or did it take awhile to get accustomed to acting in a very stripped down setting?
Tim: Acting in a performance capture environment was one of the most liberating acting experiences of my life. On the motion capture stage there were a few obvious shapes mapped out by rubber and wire to give the actors a guide of where key elements are in the virtual world were but aside from that everything else was left to our imagination. I really enjoy that aspect and hope to do more work in this environment again.
Ian: If we’re lucky to see DmC continue in a series of new games what element of Dante would you like to see expanded upon? Would you be interested in further exploring the inner conflict that resides within Dante due to his Angelic/Demonic heritage, his relationship with Vergil, or is there something else you would be keen to explore from an acting perspective?
Tim: There are two very powerful sides to Dante. He has a lot of anger inside of him but just as equally has heart. I guess that can simply be traced back to his Angelic/Demonic heritage. I want to be able to take this further to delve deeper into who Dante is as a person, investigate this anger and find out what he can do with the good inside.
Ian: Your lips may be sealed ever so slightly as to not spoil anything, but what element of DmC stood out the most for you? Was the creative process itself something you found to be thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding or were you surprised to see how a certain scene was brought to life once the team at Ninja Theory finalized the visuals and cinematography?
Tim: We had concept art to work from sometimes but before each scene Tameem clearly explained our environment and what was happening so we were pretty well educated with what was supposed to be happening. We were actually able to shoot the cinematics in chronological order so filming DmC was actually a very unique experience. There was no restrictions to location, weather or time.
Ian: DmC is the latest in a long line of games which offers a rather stylized yet effectively narrative to people which just so happens to be interactive. Working on DmC were your eyes opened in a way to how immersive and deep the narratives of video games can be, almost eclipsing what movies and TV shows are capable of offering?
Tim: I have always enjoyed getting lost in the storytelling of a game. The biggest reason for me to play a story or campaign is to feel what it is like to be the character in the world that has been created. Everyone who wants to feel like a hero will at some point pick up a video game for this very immersive experience. People can watch movies and TV for the same reason but there is something way more powerful when you can actually control the character, it creates a very serious and real feeling. Something other mediums can not compete with.
Ian: Looking back at your time working on DmC and the creative process that surrounded it (the acting, art direction, game design), do you think that video games could become the main medium that creative figures are interested in exploring due to the freedom it provides? Or do you think that games will merely merge closer with the world of films, much like how Andy Serkis previously worked with Ninja Theory as an actor/director?
Tim: I am not sure if games will become the main medium but I certainly do think that the game experience will continue to get closer and closer to movies and the line will blur even further. There are two very big markets for games and Movies and it is definitely going to be an exciting space to watch. The introduction of motion capture to video games means that we are at the start of something big.
Ian: Besides your role in DmC do you have any upcoming projects you want people to scope out when they have the chance?
Tim: I have three movies coming out this year all of which I must be somewhat tight lipped about, but when they are out I would love everyone to check them out. One in particular revolves around me investigating a demonic presence so that could be interesting for the DmC fans to check out. For any updates or questions hit me up@timphillipps
http://www.shogungamer.com/news/15220/interview-actor-tim-phillipps-dante-dmc-devil-may-cry
nterview With Actor Tim Phillipps (Dante in DmC: Devil May Cry)
Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 01/22/2013 - 09:46
Posted in
- actor interview
- Capcom
- Devil May Cry
- DmC
- Ninja Theory
- Playstation 3
- Tim Phillipps
- Xbox 360
- Exclusive Interview
- PC Games
Just like any other medium of entertainment there’s often a connection between a gamer and the characters they control. Perhaps forged deeper due to the interactive nature of video games, we often love the characters we interact with or control since the writing and acting in games far surpasses what we experienced fifteen years ago.
The intense love we have of video game characters also comes with an attitude of not wanting things to change. In some cases change can be good, but when a character we’ve known for nearly a decade is suddenly revamped into something entirely new then there may be a feeling of being cheated, if not pushed aside as if it was nothing.
When Capcom announced that they were rebooting the Devil May Cry franchise in a drastically different iteration there was a lot of concern over what would happen to our favorite cocky demon hunter: Dante. The initial premier trailer for DmC definitely showed a version of Dante that looked odd to say the least, but thankfully the final realization of the character may be different from what we’re used to but he’s nonetheless has the same core of trash talking that we’ve loved since the series premiered in 2001.
Helping to usher in a new version of Dante to gamers is actor Tim Phillipps. Making his debut in the world of video games, Tim provides a performance in DmC that definitely has a unique flavor but it never strays too far from the core essence of the character.
Tim discusses the basis of Dante and his work in a rather large video game production in this exclusive interview with Shogun Gamer.
______
Ian Fisher: Right now a lot of gamers are seeing your talents as an actor thanks to your portrayal of Dante in DmC. So with this being your debut to the gaming audience can you tell us a bit about yourself and what made you want to go on the journey of an actor?Tim Phillipps: I am an Actor born and raised in Adelaide, Australia. I took my first acting class when I was 15 because I was looking for a part time job. I went to a modeling agency and they told me that I was too short but said that I should go visit the acting school around the corner. It was like I found my calling. I was never the one to be picked first for the sport team or get top marks in class but when I went to acting class I felt at home.
Once the course finished I moved to Melbourne and worked as an actor for 3 years on a range of different shows and networks before my agent and I decided it was time to check out the L.A. scene. I moved to L.A. three years ago and plan to stay there to continue working in the entertainment industry. DmC was the second job I ever booked in L.A.
Ian: Can you talk about how you first learned about DmC and what the audition process was like? Considering that this was a fairly substantial project for Capcom and Ninja Theory was the audition process like that of other projects you’ve done, such as Secret Circle, or was it considerably longer?Tim: The first time I learned of DmC was when I was sent the casting brief. I had been to see the casting director a week prior for another project but then they brought me in for DmC. After the first round audition for DmC I was brought in for the ‘call back’ phase and in the room I met Tameem Antoniades. He and I had a very similar vision for Dante by this point and so the audition was quite relaxed. Tameem is a very considered man so he gave me some notes and I took them on board and brought my personality to the table. A few days later the role was offered to me and a table read was scheduled with the whole cast.
A clip of Tim on the TV show The Secret Circle
Ian: Prior to entering the world of DmC were you familiar with the franchise and in general are you much of a gamer?
Tim: I didn’t actually know of DmC before the project surfaced, I think sometimes as an actor its easier if you are detached from a project otherwise you’re excitement can cloud the task at hand which is to book the job. Once the part is yours then its ok to get excited and trust me I did because I certainly am a gamer.
One of my favorite pass times is gaming and since I live in a different country to all of my old friends one of the best ways of catching up with them and socializing is by playing games online. It’s such a bummer for me DmC isn’t an online game. I’d have a lot of fun putting on my Dante voice to people online, I think I’d get a real kick out of that! I might have to do it on other games, see who’s paying attention!
Ian: The character of Dante has been known to be a wise cracking warrior who doesn’t mind showing his attitude to others. Did the rather carefree attitude of Dante allow you to provide some ad-libs and help expand on certain character traits or was the direction of Dante pretty much locked down once filming began?
Tim: First of all I love Dante’s attitude. I think there is a big part of me that can relate to Dante and his wise cracking nature. He is the guy that says whatever he thinks without a care for the consequences. I enjoyed releasing that part of my personality…because I could! There was room to ad-lib and try different things on different takes. The freedom that Motion Capture provides meant that we could try all sorts of things until we found a balance that worked.
Ian: When DmC was first announced there was a lot of feedback from fans and gamers who were a bit taken aback by the direction things seemed to be going towards. As an actor do you ever look at feedback such as that and try to take it positively in respect to helping mold your performance or do you prefer not to delve too deeply into such matters since you know that the finished product will be better than what people were expecting?
Tim: During shooting and since then, I have heard what some of the reactions are to this franchise reboot. When making such drastic changes to a game that already has such a massive following there will always be fans that are upset so I didn’t take onboard any of the negativity. Besides it doesn’t effect my job at the end of the day so it is best just to leave people to their thoughts and opinions and for me to do what I need to do to in order to give Ninja theory and Capcom the Dante that they want.
A cutscene from DmC: Devil May Cry
Ian: Was it a bit daunting to step into DmC considering that it already has this level of established lore and expectations due to the previous games? And as an actor did you take into consideration certain traits of the old Dante or did you go into things with a clean slate perspective?
Tim: It wasn’t daunting stepping into this role. To be honest I was flying blind at the start and it wasn’t until the table read that I got to lay eyes on the script for the first time. Through the dialogue and action the outline of Dante was very clear so I didn’t actually want to taint my perspective by playing the older games. Since this is a prequel I thought it would make more sense to focus on the script that was in my hands and let the actors and creatives around me help portray the new, younger Dante.
Ian: Besides assuming the role of a character unlike anything you’ve portrayed before, DmC also presented the foreign element of acting via performance capture. For you what was it like to assume the role of Dante and bring that character to life through performance capture? Was the process easy all together or did it take awhile to get accustomed to acting in a very stripped down setting?
Tim: Acting in a performance capture environment was one of the most liberating acting experiences of my life. On the motion capture stage there were a few obvious shapes mapped out by rubber and wire to give the actors a guide of where key elements are in the virtual world were but aside from that everything else was left to our imagination. I really enjoy that aspect and hope to do more work in this environment again.
Ian: If we’re lucky to see DmC continue in a series of new games what element of Dante would you like to see expanded upon? Would you be interested in further exploring the inner conflict that resides within Dante due to his Angelic/Demonic heritage, his relationship with Vergil, or is there something else you would be keen to explore from an acting perspective?
Tim: There are two very powerful sides to Dante. He has a lot of anger inside of him but just as equally has heart. I guess that can simply be traced back to his Angelic/Demonic heritage. I want to be able to take this further to delve deeper into who Dante is as a person, investigate this anger and find out what he can do with the good inside.
Ian: Your lips may be sealed ever so slightly as to not spoil anything, but what element of DmC stood out the most for you? Was the creative process itself something you found to be thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding or were you surprised to see how a certain scene was brought to life once the team at Ninja Theory finalized the visuals and cinematography?
Tim: We had concept art to work from sometimes but before each scene Tameem clearly explained our environment and what was happening so we were pretty well educated with what was supposed to be happening. We were actually able to shoot the cinematics in chronological order so filming DmC was actually a very unique experience. There was no restrictions to location, weather or time.
Ian: DmC is the latest in a long line of games which offers a rather stylized yet effectively narrative to people which just so happens to be interactive. Working on DmC were your eyes opened in a way to how immersive and deep the narratives of video games can be, almost eclipsing what movies and TV shows are capable of offering?
Tim: I have always enjoyed getting lost in the storytelling of a game. The biggest reason for me to play a story or campaign is to feel what it is like to be the character in the world that has been created. Everyone who wants to feel like a hero will at some point pick up a video game for this very immersive experience. People can watch movies and TV for the same reason but there is something way more powerful when you can actually control the character, it creates a very serious and real feeling. Something other mediums can not compete with.
Ian: Looking back at your time working on DmC and the creative process that surrounded it (the acting, art direction, game design), do you think that video games could become the main medium that creative figures are interested in exploring due to the freedom it provides? Or do you think that games will merely merge closer with the world of films, much like how Andy Serkis previously worked with Ninja Theory as an actor/director?
Tim: I am not sure if games will become the main medium but I certainly do think that the game experience will continue to get closer and closer to movies and the line will blur even further. There are two very big markets for games and Movies and it is definitely going to be an exciting space to watch. The introduction of motion capture to video games means that we are at the start of something big.
Ian: Besides your role in DmC do you have any upcoming projects you want people to scope out when they have the chance?
Tim: I have three movies coming out this year all of which I must be somewhat tight lipped about, but when they are out I would love everyone to check them out. One in particular revolves around me investigating a demonic presence so that could be interesting for the DmC fans to check out. For any updates or questions hit me up@timphillipps
______
Initially it may have seemed like the Devil May Cry franchise was going to take a turn for the worse, but the performance of Tim Phillipps and the game itself is proof that DmC has what it takes to keep the series going. Tim’s performance especially is something that was a true surprise whilst playing the game since it has the flashy tone we’re used to all while having a nice level of substance to show that Dante in fact has another side to him.
