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Exclusive video: SnitchSeeker & Phelps twins talk Deathly Hallows: Part I video game
SnitchSeeker German correspondent Claus1221 got the chance to speak to actors James and Oliver Phelps, who play Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter series, earlier today at Gamescom. The twins, who also lent their voices for Fred and George in the first of the Deathly Hallows video games, out in November, tested the game with the new Kinect technology; a video of that can be found here.
Claus spoke to the twins about their participation in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I video game, including their biggest challenges with lending their voices to the game, and how that differed from playing Fred and George on-screen. The twins gave a few teasers about the video game itself, noting that there will be a lot more scenes involving Harry's Invisibility Cloak as a means to hide from enemies and Death Eaters. The video can be seen here; the transcript can be read below.
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During your voice over session, which scene was the most challenging?
Oliver: There’s a few different pronunciations of some of the spells and some of the character names, so I think those were the most challenging bits. It was still quite cool ‘cause most of it was done through the radio – Wireless Network – so that was fun.
James: There was a problem. We had to do a lot of different variations of shouting and I shouted too loud on the one and lost my voice. So I blew it, out it went, which was really challenging to speak after that.
What’s the most difficult challenge overall to lending your voice?
Oliver:The pronunciation is the main thing.
James: I think it’s because when kind of like when you’re using green screen or blue screen because you can’t see anything. It’s just your imagination, but when it’s your voice, you’re only acting with your voice. You’re not facial or anything, it’s just your voice, so I guess that’s the most challenging.
What did you like most about the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince game?
Oliver: The Wii version of it was great. With the fighting and everything, and I really enjoyed that truly.
James: I think mine was that you could actually explore the whole of Hogwarts – that was something that you couldn’t do before. So being able to do that all over was great. I think that’s what completely sets aside the Deathly Hallows, Part One completely away from all the others is because you’re no longer in Hogwarts. Like that bit that we were doing with the Kinect - that was completely different, but fun.
What new features can fans expect in the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 game?
Oliver: The main thing that I’ve noticed of it is the graphics. It’s developed for hi-def gaming now. So whereas, for example, the last game you have five light variations per shot, now you’ve got something like 1,200 - so, big difference there. So when you cast a spell, you can see the light change and everything. So that’s the main difference that I’ve noticed.
What are you looking forward to most in the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 game?
James: There’s so much game play in it and everything, it’s incredible. I think the fact that you can use the Invisibility Cloak a lot more in this one. And so you sneak up behind Death Eaters and Snatchers and then cast a spell on them in that way. And that brings a whole new element to the game. As opposed to instead of just like in the Half-Blood Prince you were making potions and mixing them. In this game you’re throwing potions and all that kind of stuff. So yeah, that different element.
Oliver: The thing I’m looking forward to is just being able to play more on the Kinect software . That was so different, so unique. I’d like to play on that more. For a game like Harry Potter fits perfectly with it.
How long did it take to record your voices?
James: About three or four days in total. It shouldn’t have been that long, but I lost my voice. I didn’t realize I’d done it until like we did all the screaming and I had a couple of lines to do after that, but my voice was just like, “Ehhh, ehhhh.” It was weird. So that’s why it took longer than it should have done. But I don’t think a lot of people were complaining that I couldn’t speak afterwards.
How many hours per day were there?
James: About seven or eight. We had breaks in between, obviously. But, yeah, about seven or eight hours.
How does it feel now, having done the characters with your voices, knowing that thousands of kids will play the game?
Oliver: It feels to me like the same as when you’ve made the film. You know a lot of people are going to watch it but you don’t know suspect how many or what it’s going to be. But we’ve had a great insight in doing these games as to how games are developed and made. It’s fantastic – so excited to be able to do it.
You’ve been to Germany before, to promote the Half-Blood Prince video game. How do you like it?
Oliver: Yeah, good! It’s cool to be in a different city, as well. Leipzig was cool and it was a different place to where we probably would’ve probably gone to, but they were really nice there. It’s good to be over here in Cologne - had a good look around the other day. It’s nice. It’s always cool coming to Germany because there’s such a cool Harry Potter fan base there. It’s really good.
Which is your favorite Harry Potter videogame from EA so far?
James: I think this one, to be honest with you, simply because it’s no longer passive. It’s a proper third-person action game, which is a lot more my kind of game in general. There’s a lot more thinking you’re way around it. I’d say this one.
Oliver: Yeah, I’d have to say the same thing. Before that, if you go right back to the beginning, one of the games was the Quidditch World Cup.. That was great fun, that was really fun.
EA Games also sent SnitchSeeker a couple of official photos of the twins from Gamescom this week, which can be found in our galleries.
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James and Oliver Phelps (who we’re sure you recognise as Fred and George Weasley from the Harry Potter films) joined us at Gamescom in Germany to showcase the ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1’ videogame.
James and Oliver also participated in a press conference at Gamescom, where they spoke about a variety of subjects ranging from their work in film series, antics behind-the-scenes, and Harry Potter video games. That can be viewed below.
The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 video game is set to be released on November 9, 2010 in the U.S. and November 19 in the UK. It can be pre-ordered via the following links:
The HP games are pretty good, and I am picky about movie adaptations being made into games. I love the twins and am glad to hear they'll be voiceacting in the final games!