The match between voice and character
An animated character has a personality all of its own. A tough, somewhat lazy bear simply sounds completely different from a hyperactive squirrel that’s had just a bit too much coffee. When casting, make sure the voice actor can immediately grasp the essence of the character.
Ideally, ask the voice actor to record a short demo based on a sketch or a brief description of the character. That way, you’ll immediately hear whether the tone of voice feels natural alongside the visual image. Sometimes an actor will surprise you with a unique interpretation you hadn’t thought of yourself, which only serves to enrich the character.
Vocal flexibility and the voice actor’s range
Animated films often call for extreme emotions: from overjoyed and hyperactive to deeply sad or terrifyingly mean. A good voice actor for animated films has a wide vocal range and can switch effortlessly between different emotions and voices.
Sometimes a single actor even plays multiple roles in the same production to save on budget. When making your choice, therefore, be sure to look out for the following qualities:
- The ability to alter the voice without losing intelligibility.
- Excellent breath control, which is essential for action scenes, sighs or prolonged bursts of laughter.
- Consistency: can the actor maintain exactly the same voice for hours on end during recording sessions?
The art of lip-syncing (dubbing)
When dubbing an animated film, particularly when translating an existing foreign production into Dutch, lip-syncing is of crucial importance. The voice actor must be able to perfectly match the timing of the original mouth movements on screen. This requires a great deal of precision and acting experience.
You should therefore choose a professional with experience in this technique. An experienced actor has an unerring feel for the rhythm of the footage and can time their lines so that the words naturally coincide with the lip movements. This saves you a great deal of valuable time during post-production.
Recording quality and a professional studio
As well as the voice actor’s acting skills, the technical quality of the recording is also crucial to the final result. A crackling microphone, too much reverb or subtle background noise will immediately pull the viewer out of the story.
Ensure that the voice actor works from a professionally equipped home studio, or book an external recording studio where a sound engineer can oversee the session. This guarantees a flawless recording that’s ready to be edited into the animation straight away, without the need for complicated audio corrections afterwards.
The power of improvisation and the joy of acting
Cartoons are all about fun, dynamism and imagination. The best results come when a voice actor is given the freedom to improvise and add extra life to the character. A spontaneous laugh, a silly sigh or an unexpected accent can give a scene that little bit of extra magic.
During the casting, pay attention to the candidate’s energy and enjoyment of the role. That spark of enthusiasm is immediately evident in the final film, and it helps the audience connect with your characters more quickly.