#i71 | Insomnia Meets: Neil Newbon

hi there it's Claire here and welcome to insomnia the gaming Festival these are our job interviews we are interviewing our lovely guests as themselves and as their characters to see if they're fit to walk through the gates of insomnia I-71 this September and in this episode I'm very happy to welcome he plays a Starion in Baldur's Gate 3 amongst many other roles it's the wonderful Neil nibon hi Neil uh thank you very much for joining us again for insomnia the gaming Festival this is not your first rodeo you're back again how are you feeling do you know that's not my first radio thank you um I'm really excited to be back and it's really nice of insomnia Chris Duggins to ask me back and to hang out with all of you so very excited you and I get up to all kinds of shenanigans and insomnia which I really respect and enjoy immensely so really looking forward to coming there meeting some fans of Baldur's Gate talking about the character talking about the work doing some signings and some panels uh hopefully and uh yeah hanging out and getting to meet all of you now let's talk about Boulder's Gate three because why not it's gone slightly mad I mean you worked berserk it's going crazy I mean I had an inkling myself as a gamer that it would be very well received but does it still shock you when our game gets released you've been working on it for so long and then you get all of this praise and all of this feedback what's it been like for you yeah um it's the only game I think it literally is the only game I've ever been like nervous excited or no I've always been excited about releases of games but I've never been like nervous and excited about a release of the game I've always been like okay cool well I did my job I really enjoyed that project great it's going to be fine this is like the first time I've ever gone oh my God if it's bad no one didn't like it what if I didn't get it what did they do get me you know it's gonna be like that so I really freaked I didn't freak out at all I'm a professional dammit um but I I definitely I was definitely very nervous about like you know and really because we just put so much passion and love uh not just the cast of which is 300 strong but also the mocap devs um the technicians at Pit Stop um the audio uh Dev sorry the audio crew at Pit Stop everybody at Larry and swen um you know the head of departments like Jason Latino Greg lidstone um uh who else Fieri Alex you know from from Marion Ghent like all these and all these amazing human beings that weren't pushed towards making this incredible project in five or six different countries like Kuala Lumpur Quebec um I think there's also again there's also Buffalo I mean it's insane and Guilford as well so it's insane how many people have just thrown themselves over the last eight years I think it is in from conception to now um so yeah I was I was genuinely nervous like but it was and and equally overwhelmed when everybody loved it so like I'm absolutely flabbergasted it's great I'm so happy I mean of course you mentioned you're professional but you're also a nerd um like OG from when it first released the very I got to play it when it came out uh it was like man Baldur's Gate three Baldur's Gate one and two you know the whole the whole franchise massive nerd did you was there a moment as an actor as a Storyteller when you were making Baldur's Gate 3 specifically and and you kind of thought to yourself oh my goodness I'm doing this like did you have like a pinch me moment was there a specific time or was it a general feeling um yeah and I don't think it was weirdly I don't think it was straight away I always have this like weird compunction this feeling that I'm gonna get fired immediately I don't know why it's so stupid I never am but I guess it's like I don't really have nerves per se even though I was nervously sure but I was never never nervous in the work but I always have this like this stupid like it's almost like like a starion-esque Neil on my shoulder going they're going to fire you they're going to find out that you're not very good um and it's stupid because I am good and I know what I'm doing and they hired me because they think I'm good but it's just like an old hang up from when I was a younger actor or anything and you just go uh-huh shut up just like carry on with the work um there's definitely a pinch me moment I think probably about a good few months into the work when I settled into the character and the storyline started coming through and I I I'm pretty sure I even had a moment where I literally turned to the director and the audio crew and the mocap technicians went this is gonna be amazing um and it was one of those moments of like oh wow this is d d this is Baldur's Gate this is a character that I found out only after I started working uh with him that he was a companion character um yeah it hit me like a few months into the project and especially because we realized how long it was going to take at one point it was like wow this is amazing this is a gift so yeah I definitely had a pension moment in terms of like you know reading people's reactions because it's been out for a little while now not that long but a little while and you get to read tweets and see reactions and maybe people will tag you and things what are the Gen what are people generally seeing and has anything surprised you now that's been out for a little bit uh I haven't dealt with the content of the game nothing surprises me in life anymore to be honest Claire there's no surprises left I pretty much done everything you could possibly do in life in this game um yeah no I I don't I don't read as much as I think maybe other people do to be perfectly honest I think it's healthier for my sanity and ego but obviously I've seen stuff and obviously I do read messages um when I can I've got a lot of work on all the time so it's just it's very difficult to spend a lot of time doing that um but I think it's really just overwhelming to see the appreciation the love uh the understanding of what we were trying to do and our characters and storylines etc etc um I think that was really it wasn't surprising because I think once we I I thought it was going to be great I was just nervous that people wouldn't get it um but then seeing how how well received was that's that was the surprise I think that that people not only got it but they really got it they really understood what it is we were trying to do and the characters and I think that was the surprising thing that that not only did people relate to it and especially I've had a very nice messages tagging me about starion's Journey a lot of personal stuff as well which is incredibly touching um from people that deal a kinship with him in many ways depending on which story you play obviously of his um you know again that's really touching not surprising because obviously the material is such but but it's really touching to see that and um yeah it's just I think it's been it's been a real trip it's been a real trip for the last few weeks and it's quite exciting and quite I wouldn't say new but it's definitely this scale of of How It's been received is new I think in some ways that it's just mind-blowing how how how generous people are being to the cast The devs and the game itself so yeah that was the surprising element it was like how well it was receiving yeah well what surprised me was a news story that popped up about um Bulger Skate 3 and it was a romance scene with a bear yes the um the small matter of um of uh being banned from Tick Tock and uh crashing steam because of it and suddenly the sales were audited yes I'm aware of the instant um the pleasurable incident yes I'm aware of this what do you make of all that people's sort of obsession with the romance season and the Ridiculousness it was hysterical I thought it was really funny and very very much like most adult um d d role play sessions at some point in the campaign I think I think the point was that um I mean listen bottom line folks housing is human it's not like he's actually an animal he's a furry at best you know uh so it's well within the Realms of of what is appropriate I feel uh I just think it was hysterical it was done really well first and foremost it was also done very honestly um Dave Jones is a brilliant actor and he played the situation in the moments for his character incredibly truthfully and earnestly uh without the hint of any kind of like vanity actually I think he just did it like this is the truth of my character right now I'm going to play completely I was really impressed the reason I also know about that is because I directed him um I think not maybe you know all of the the sequence but ninety percent of that moment is me directing it so so it was weird that they well not weird it was very funny that they chose a Starion for that um and thank you very much Lauren by the way uh for that moment because I was like I directed him in yes and now he's doing this with my character what fun uh so you had I known that and if I had known that like a good like four or five months ago I may have made some extra decisions that uh would be more playful with certain moments but I'm glad I didn't I'm glad I'm glad we just kept it very honest and truthful and very beautiful actually in a way because it's like you know I think the message of Baldur's Gate three one of the messages of bills get three is be who you are love who you love uh identify how you identify and choose your life the way that you want it which is incredibly powerful um you know it's not a block it's not just a blockbuster game it's a blockbuster film if in a in a game if that makes sense or it's a TV series really I guess in that way and it's all it's I I would say it's absolutely as high level as any fantastic well-written well-acted uh TV series out at the moment or in the past I think it's um I think it's almost gone beyond a game in that way it's it's a real story and a really really gripping set of characters and and also identifiable as well which is amazing so the inclusion of it is is cool um and I think the fact that Dave even furries are included you know what I mean so yeah that moment was really funny it was really fun and obviously I will predicted that the audience would definitely take us there so well done audience um no it's off this is a lovely day week but you know we have to talk to a Starion um because we're not unleash him on The View oh well he's here already well I like I like uh I like an interview I turned up early thank you starting um we need to um decide whether you're fit for the gates of insomnia whether we let you through so good for the games yes I think it's their way around darling is insomnia fit for me well we'll see about that star well I'll be the judge of that quite frankly um and we're doing a bit of role play now are we where you pretend to be dominant how exciting oh no I am um so please yes I've heard hopefully is a star in tell me about yourself um where's the Stars a typical small town boy Baldur's Gate major city capital of the entire side of here um uh became uh erudite excelled at school uh became a magistrate um often using the death penalty with a certain amount of like liberality I think that you know um spare the rod and all that you know so uh that was rather wonderful and I had a lot of a lot of parties and Friends uh we're going to see a big lover of theater and Opera um that was fantastic until one night uh little situation altercation with some uh and um hey Presto yours truly is a vampire and that's been interesting okay all right I'm just gonna write down here spare Rod what do you mean yeah spell the wrong um tell me why do you want to work with us at insomnia starring oh I think we established why do you want to work why do I want to work with you um well I think that uh you're all a bit naughty uh you're all easily persuadable manipul and um on top of that I I quite like I I can all things that you do last year's rather fun you had um you had some people pretending to be heroes jumping around throwing dice of people occasionally knocking out a baby are rather exciting so yes uh things like that are the reason I'd like to come along um I also like to meet people people you know meet some of the crowds were possibly in the shadowy signing area no questions asked and disconcerting looks that sort of thing my media get a bite to eat with some of them you know okay well we'll see what your Handler has to say about that if you get through the gates and do you get patted down well depends on the Handler quite frankly doesn't it just doesn't it just tell me about Europe tell me about your greatest achievement my greatest achievement is being well getting rid of that old you know nasty old vampire Cazador uh definitely freedom I would say yes I'm quite free in fact not only that I may be and this is speculation but I think we can all agree the most powerful vampire in all the world okay I'm the most fancy um are you thank you you're welcome um are you a team player a Starion well there's no I in team unless of course you're using the britonian language in which case it's a keep and there is definitely an eye in there um no not really I'm not really interested in the whole team thing don't mind followers servants slaves that sort of thing but team not so much okay well we don't we don't really like calling uh the community insomnia slaves but you know of course not whatever you want to indentured servants is a much nicer term that is a slight Improvement okay um well let me have a look here um we do need someone with your talents we definitely don't have a vampire on the team so I'm gonna say yes you're you're absolutely allowed into insomnia I'll See You in September oh this was the interview yeah people just having a chat oh how funny I hope you enjoyed it it was delightful darling and I look forward to meeting you two as well random question asking for a friend yes um what blood type are you just curious well a lady never gives away her blood type when the first interview so quite right how exciting let's find out shall we uh thank you star and can I speak to Neil again please thank you pleasure he's um he's uh he's just on his knees he's always on his face how do you get puppy good boy gather your party and Venture for darling bye hi there Neil historian's got a character a quick character it's brilliant I love her I love him um okay Neil before we end the interview I want to ask you for the people for the people wanting to come and see you and talk about Baldur's Gate 3 and all your other projects what do you want to say to those people who are coming to insomnia oh I'm really looking forward to hearing your stories uh of your own heroism or diabolism whatever whichever way you chose in uh faerun Builders gay I'd love to hear your thoughts about historian um and yeah tell me about uh what it is about the story that you really get and ask questions as well please I like talking to people about my work so please come along and ask questions and I'll see you at the signing where I'll see you around and we'll see the panels thank you very much Neil and we look forward to seeing you in September we'll see you soon see you soon bye

Channel: Insomnia Gaming Festival

Views: 3,456

Keywords: Insomnia game festival, insomnia gaming festival, insomnia gaming festival 2023, insomnia gaming festival i71, insomnia gaming festival birmingham nec, twitch streamer, gamer, claire lim, wee claire, weeclairehere, wee claire twitch, Astarion, BaldursGate, Baldurs Gate 3, Baldurs Gate III, Heisenberg, Resident Evil Village, Neil Newbon, Newbon, Neil Newborn

Id: ujn47mvWkfY

Length: 16min 11sec (971 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 28 2023