A. The main instruction that was given to me from Dave Anthony was to emphasize the human quality of David Mason. They did not want just another action hero without the depth of emotion. The father-son type of relationship between Woods and David depended on my success in making Davids humanity apparent.
2. What was the process like in the studio for the motion and facial capture process for David?
A. Well, once you got comfortable wearing your black fuzzy wet suit and spent the time getting the reflective dots put on your face, you had to wake yourself back up again. One can fall asleep in the make-up chair while they are meticulously drawing guidelines and then pasting the dots on, so I needed to jump around a bit to make sure was energized enough for the scenes. But once we got going, it was nothing but pure fun. The ability to create so much of your surrounding with your imagination was such a blast and quite freeing as well. The others actors were amazing and a pleasure to work with, and I was completely immersed in the world of David Mason once the scenes started with these professionals..... intensity, exhilaration, happiness, sadness... All of it came out of that volume(where the scenes were shot.)
A. I think it's incredibly important that David captures Menendez in order to render him powerless and feel that justice was served. To execute Mendez would only make him a martyr and would allow him to maintain power.
4. David's character is quite unique in certain aspects: He's the first Call of Duty character to be the son of another playable character, he's the first character that's really been delved into his personal life, including his childhood, story with Menendez, Alex Mason & Frank Woods and hanging out with his friends in the army, as well as being the only main character in Black Ops II who isn't scripted to die at all. How does it feel to be known for voicing a character like this?
A. I am really honored that I was given the opportunity to play such a high profile character that was also at the forefront of video game character development. Having the emotional depth built into the script as well as having a full character story to work with only made it easier for me to identify with David Mason. The writers were genius in their creation of David's character as nothing felt out of place or unjustified when playing the role. I think the depth of the characters in Black Ops is what makes this game so popular.
A. The name Section came about as a result of David almost being kicked out of the military... or being given a Section 8 dismissal. The writers did not disclose why he was almost let go, but I chose to play it as a result of David's underlying rage for losing his father unjustly. By 2025 David has learned to control this rage and use it to his advantage.
6. Based on some of David's quotes, he seems to use phrases you would you expect someone younger to use. An obvious example is "How ya doin'..." when David says that to Alex. Would you say that was intentional by the writers or was it purely coincidental?
A. Most of what was said was scripted, but there were times when improvisation played through. The other actors were so easy to work with in creating a complete world that improvisation was not uncommon.
7. What advice would you give to any aspiring actors and voice-actors?
A. I would say to follow your dreams with a driving force that can't be beat down by anyone else. Study and refine your technique and make sure your are making progress within the business. If you don't love it 100% then find another occupation, but if the desire is there, make it happen and be open to direction.
Loving these interviews. Keep them up!
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