The Brave New Borderless World
of Voice Acting Points to Dubbing
By Rudy Gaskins, June 30, 2024
The global voiceover community is uniting through dubbing, creating a borderless network of talent and expertise. In recognition of this vital sector, the That’s Voiceover Career Expo, the longest-running voiceover conference in the world, is highlighting dubbing at its upcoming event. Scheduled for December 5-7 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott, the conference will bring together top voiceover stars and directors from Prime, Netflix, and Disney. Attendees looking to break into this exciting field will have a unique opportunity to delve into the inner workings of the industry, gaining invaluable insights from leading global professionals.
As the world becomes more connected, the demand for accessible global content has surged, notably impacting the voice acting industry. Dubbing, particularly into English, has emerged as a significant opportunity for voice actors, largely fueled by major streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max. These platforms are keen on bringing international content to the U.S. audience, transforming dubbing from a niche skill to a mainstream necessity. “Currently, over 7 million minutes of Netflix’s content is dubbed into another language and, according to the streaming giant, viewers of dubbed content increased by 120% between 2020 and 2021.”
Dubbing involves replacing the original dialogue in a film or television show with another language, ensuring that the performance aligns with the lip movements and expressions of the on-screen actors. This process is not just about translation but about adapting cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions to maintain the original tone and style of the content. The categories of dubbing are as diverse as the content itself, ranging from dramas and comedies to documentaries and musicals. Each genre presents unique challenges and requires a specific set of skills from voice actors.
For instance, dubbing a drama often involves conveying complex emotions and subtleties of tone to match the intensity or subtlety of the original performance. Comedy, on the other hand, may require a great sense of timing and the ability to deliver culturally relevant humor that resonates with the target audience. Documentaries demand a clear, authoritative voice that can handle dense informational content, while musicals are perhaps the most challenging, requiring actors to match their voice pitch and timing with the music and original singing performances.
Fabiola Stevenson, a bilingual, award-winning voice actor dubbing director, and producer shared the following: “New technology has increased production time significantly, and there is an increasing interest in localized content. The dubbed “one-size-fits-all” projects are outdated. Audiences crave culturally aware experiences. I would expect to see localized productions tailored to regional dialects, slang, and humor. Plus, it’s evident that global audiences are expressing a growing appetite for content in their native languages, leading to an increased demand for dubbing and voice-over services.”
The skills required to excel in dubbing are rigorous. Voice actors need impeccable linguistic abilities, not just in English but often in the original language of the content to better understand context and nuance. They must possess acute listening skills, emotional intelligence to interpret and convey the right feelings, and excellent timing to sync their spoken words with the characters’ lip movements. Moreover, adaptability is crucial as actors might need to alter their vocal delivery to match different characters or styles within the same project.
From Society of Voice Arts and Sciences
Enter the Voice Arts Awards Here
Article continues…
The revenue from dubbed content has seen a robust increase in 2023, with the market expanding as global viewership patterns shift. Streaming giants are investing heavily in this area, recognizing dubbed content as a key strategy to engage broader audiences. Executives from Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max, and Disney have underscored the importance of dubbing in their global expansion strategies. Clearly, dubbing is no longer just an option; it’s an essential part of their content strategy to make storytelling truly borderless.
From the voice actors and directors, I have spoken to, there’s a pronounced preference for human voices over synthetic ones in the dubbing industry. Despite advances in AI and machine learning, the subtlety and emotional range of the human voice remain irreplaceable. A senior producer from HBO mentioned, “While technology helps us streamline many processes, the human voice carries the essence of humanity—something indispensable for storytelling.”
For voice actors, the growing field of dubbing offers a promising avenue for steady employment. It’s not just about having a job; it’s about being part of a larger movement that brings diverse cultures and stories to a global audience. Of course, there is enormous work to be done to combat the use and misuse of AI, and the SAG AFTRA dubbing contract could go further to increase the pay scale to a level commensurate with expertise required for this very intricate and emotionally taxing work.
Whether you’re already in the voice acting field or aspiring to break in, dubbing is a skill worth developing. With streaming services continuously expanding their international content libraries, the opportunities in this area are bound to increase, making it a lucrative and fulfilling career path.
This burgeoning sector promises not only employment but also the chance to be at the forefront of a dynamic intersection of technology, language, and art. If you’re seeking a vibrant, impactful career, dubbing could be your gateway to the global stage. ♦♦♦
Rudy Gaskins is the CEO and co-founder of the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS), a nonprofit organization in support of the global community of voice actors as well as the associated craft professionals that comprise the voice acting community. He is the co-creator of That’s Voiceover! Career Expo and the Voice Arts® Awards. Rudy is an Emmy Award-winning TV producer and branding expert who has developed creative and branding services for global brands such as American Express, Lexus, NBC Sports, Delta Air Lines, Costco, Food Network, BET, and TV One. He has won dozens of marketing and creative awards across the media spectrum.
Leave a Reply