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 additionsKirsty’s journey from games industry newbie to BAFTA BreakthroughHonest 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 GillmoreWhether 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 style00:08:56 – 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 300:19:16 – 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 up00:33:23 – 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 DutyAlien: Isolation (Official) Andrea Deck (voice actor, Alien: Isolation)The Game AwardsCyberpunk 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 GillmoreEnjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to:Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube for full episodes and clipsLeave 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 3Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom WarriorsEpisode 3: Damien Goodwin on directing Returnal, Helldivers 2 and moreEpisode 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: @readyaimfirestudioTikTok: @readyaimfirestudioTwitter/X: @rdymfrLinkedIn: ReadyAimFireBluesky: readyaimfire.bsky.social New episodes drop every other week.Subscribe now and discover the stories behind games you love.Listen to ReadyAimFire Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire