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How Baldur’s Gate Broke Through – Kirsty Gillmore on Empathy, Safe Spaces and Directing Magic in the Studio
How do you combine the technical disciplines of music, theatre and video games – to help create immersive experiences like Baldur’s Gate 3 that not only thrill, but truly move us?
In this episode of ReadyAimFire, join hosts Kezia Burrows and Tom Stacey as they sit down with Kirsty Gillmore: New Zealand-born sound engineer turned acclaimed voice and performance director for some of the industry’s most celebrated titles, including Call of Duty, Valorant and The First Descendant. Discover the winding creative path that led Kirsty from acting and post-production to shaping unforgettable characters and championing emotional safety on set.
You’ll hear:
- Kirsty's personal tips for crafting great performances: from trusting her actors to the essential question that can transform a session
- The challenges of directing games over a process of sometimes years, from handling developer disagreements to last-minute character additions
- Kirsty’s journey from games industry newbie to BAFTA Breakthrough
- Honest reflections on creating safe spaces, advocating for representation, and knowing when to walk away from a project.
"I want my actors to feel safe physically and I want them to feel safe emotionally as well. Because…safe actors and happy actors will do better work. That’s just a thing, isn’t it?" - Kirsty Gillmore
Whether you’re a fan of Baldur’s Gate 3 – or a gamer, actor or director interested in the craft behind great games performances, this episode is as heartfelt and honest as it is insightful. Jump on in and press play.
🧭 Timestamps:
00:00:41 – Kirsty’s leap from New Zealand to UK games
00:02:56 – Discovering game direction as a career path
00:04:36 – Kirsty’s advice: immerse yourself, learn from workshops
00:05:42 – How her sound background shapes directing style
00:08:56 – Creating safety for actors in mocap volumes
00:10:01 – Why asking “How are you?” transforms a session
00:14:14 – The unexpected impact of Baldur’s Gate 3 performances
00:16:37 – Relatability and diversity in Baldur’s Gate 3
00:19:16 – Trusting actors’ instincts—letting them lead character journeys
00:20:11 – Navigating direction, line reads, and actor autonomy
00:22:37 – Working with high-profile or celebrity actors in games
00:26:28 – Disagreeing with game directors—when to speak up
00:33:23 – Casting do’s and don’ts: bring choices, be flexible
00:35:09 – The importance of respecting games as an art form
00:39:19 – Becoming BAFTA Breakthrough—breaking new ground as a director
00:47:45 – Proud moments: directing difficult, truthful indie game stories
👤 Guest Info:
Kirsty Gillmore is an acclaimed creative freelance Voice & Performance Director and Casting Director for multi-award winning games, animation and audio drama projects. In 2021 she was selected for the prestigious BAFTA Breakthrough UK programme as a Voice Director for Games.
🌐IMDb 📸 Instagram
🔗 Resources & Mentions:🔗 Resources & Mentions:
(chronological order of appearance)
- BBC
- D&D / Dungeons & Dragons
- Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3 developer)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Official)
- Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Call of Duty
- Alien: Isolation (Official)
- Andrea Deck (voice actor, Alien: Isolation)
- The Game Awards
- Cyberpunk 2077
- BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts – Game Awards)
- Samantha Béart (actor, Baldur’s Gate 3)
- Jennifer English (actor, Baldur’s Gate 3)
- Insomniac Games
- GameSoundCon (conference)
- Silver Script Games (developer of The Quiet Things)
- Dave Jones (actor, Baldur’s Gate 3: Halsin)
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (game)
💬 Quotes:
“Baldur's Gate 3 took everybody a little bit by surprise. And I had people coming up to me, like musicians and designers and coders and all sorts of people going: ‘I've sunk 200 hours in Baldur's Gate 3, the performances are amazing’.”
– Kirsty Gillmore
"There have definitely been times when I've worked with actors…who just don't really want to be there…they just want to get it done and they leave. And that's tricky.”
– Kirsty Gillmore
Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to:
- Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
- Subscribe on YouTube for full episodes and clips
- Leave a review and let us know who you want featured next!
🎧 Check Out More ReadyAimFire Episodes:
- Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel and Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom Warriors
- Episode 3: Damien Goodwin on directing Returnal, Helldivers 2 and more
- Episode 4: Doug Cockle on D&D love and voicing Geralt in the Witcher
- Episode 5: Tom McKay & Luke Dale on Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
🔗 Listen & Subscribe:
🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio
🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv
📱 Follow ReadyAimFire:Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio
TikTok: @readyaimfirestudio
Twitter/X: @rdymfr
LinkedIn: ReadyAimFire
Bluesky: readyaimfire.bsky.social
New episodes drop every other week.
Subscribe now and discover the stories behind games you love.
Listen to ReadyAimFire
Copyright 2025 ReadyAimFire
View all episodes
By ReadyAimFireHow do you combine the technical disciplines of music, theatre and video games – to help create immersive experiences like Baldur’s Gate 3 that not only thrill, but truly move us?
In this episode of ReadyAimFire, join hosts Kezia Burrows and Tom Stacey as they sit down with Kirsty Gillmore: New Zealand-born sound engineer turned acclaimed voice and performance director for some of the industry’s most celebrated titles, including Call of Duty, Valorant and The First Descendant. Discover the winding creative path that led Kirsty from acting and post-production to shaping unforgettable characters and championing emotional safety on set.
You’ll hear:
- Kirsty's personal tips for crafting great performances: from trusting her actors to the essential question that can transform a session
- The challenges of directing games over a process of sometimes years, from handling developer disagreements to last-minute character additions
- Kirsty’s journey from games industry newbie to BAFTA Breakthrough
- Honest reflections on creating safe spaces, advocating for representation, and knowing when to walk away from a project.
"I want my actors to feel safe physically and I want them to feel safe emotionally as well. Because…safe actors and happy actors will do better work. That’s just a thing, isn’t it?" - Kirsty Gillmore
Whether you’re a fan of Baldur’s Gate 3 – or a gamer, actor or director interested in the craft behind great games performances, this episode is as heartfelt and honest as it is insightful. Jump on in and press play.
🧭 Timestamps:
00:00:41 – Kirsty’s leap from New Zealand to UK games
00:02:56 – Discovering game direction as a career path
00:04:36 – Kirsty’s advice: immerse yourself, learn from workshops
00:05:42 – How her sound background shapes directing style
00:08:56 – Creating safety for actors in mocap volumes
00:10:01 – Why asking “How are you?” transforms a session
00:14:14 – The unexpected impact of Baldur’s Gate 3 performances
00:16:37 – Relatability and diversity in Baldur’s Gate 3
00:19:16 – Trusting actors’ instincts—letting them lead character journeys
00:20:11 – Navigating direction, line reads, and actor autonomy
00:22:37 – Working with high-profile or celebrity actors in games
00:26:28 – Disagreeing with game directors—when to speak up
00:33:23 – Casting do’s and don’ts: bring choices, be flexible
00:35:09 – The importance of respecting games as an art form
00:39:19 – Becoming BAFTA Breakthrough—breaking new ground as a director
00:47:45 – Proud moments: directing difficult, truthful indie game stories
👤 Guest Info:
Kirsty Gillmore is an acclaimed creative freelance Voice & Performance Director and Casting Director for multi-award winning games, animation and audio drama projects. In 2021 she was selected for the prestigious BAFTA Breakthrough UK programme as a Voice Director for Games.
🌐IMDb 📸 Instagram
🔗 Resources & Mentions:🔗 Resources & Mentions:
(chronological order of appearance)
- BBC
- D&D / Dungeons & Dragons
- Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3 developer)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Official)
- Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Call of Duty
- Alien: Isolation (Official)
- Andrea Deck (voice actor, Alien: Isolation)
- The Game Awards
- Cyberpunk 2077
- BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts – Game Awards)
- Samantha Béart (actor, Baldur’s Gate 3)
- Jennifer English (actor, Baldur’s Gate 3)
- Insomniac Games
- GameSoundCon (conference)
- Silver Script Games (developer of The Quiet Things)
- Dave Jones (actor, Baldur’s Gate 3: Halsin)
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (game)
💬 Quotes:
“Baldur's Gate 3 took everybody a little bit by surprise. And I had people coming up to me, like musicians and designers and coders and all sorts of people going: ‘I've sunk 200 hours in Baldur's Gate 3, the performances are amazing’.”
– Kirsty Gillmore
"There have definitely been times when I've worked with actors…who just don't really want to be there…they just want to get it done and they leave. And that's tricky.”
– Kirsty Gillmore
Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to:
- Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
- Subscribe on YouTube for full episodes and clips
- Leave a review and let us know who you want featured next!
🎧 Check Out More ReadyAimFire Episodes:
- Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel and Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom Warriors
- Episode 3: Damien Goodwin on directing Returnal, Helldivers 2 and more
- Episode 4: Doug Cockle on D&D love and voicing Geralt in the Witcher
- Episode 5: Tom McKay & Luke Dale on Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
🔗 Listen & Subscribe:
🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio
🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv
📱 Follow ReadyAimFire:Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio
TikTok: @readyaimfirestudio
Twitter/X: @rdymfr
LinkedIn: ReadyAimFire
Bluesky: readyaimfire.bsky.social
New episodes drop every other week.
Subscribe now and discover the stories behind games you love.
Listen to ReadyAimFire
Copyright 2025 ReadyAimFire