The Art of Voice Acting by James R

Automatic Dialogue Replacement

The Art of Voice Acting by James R. Alburger

Exclusive content from the 4th edition

ADR Automatic Dialogue Replacement

JAMES PHILLIPS (Barcelona, Spain) jamesphillips.info

James Phillips has always been fascinated with sound and voice. From childhood nights scanning short wave radio frequencies, absorbing the colors of language, to formal training in radio and television at the CBS affiliate, Brown Institute of Broadcasting. He put his passion to work as an announcer first on FM radio in Miami and then in Barcelona as a voiceover talent, becoming a signature voice in English on premier corporate films, audiovisuals, TV and radio commercials, trailers and documentaries. Combining vocation and experience, he directs voice castings and film dubbing, ADRs for feature films and the original voice soundtracks for animation films.

ADR—Automatic Dialogue Replacement

There is nothing “automatic” about dialogue replacement. Whether replacing dialog lines in post-production for technical reasons (such as mic noise or unwanted background sound), adding background voices and ambience, or dubbing a released movie or series into a new language, ADR is anything but “automatic.” All these processes involve voice acting and, most often, working in a professional studio as an ensemble of actors under a director. A fourth area of voice acting in film and TV involves recording the voices for animation, often prior to the animation itself. My work in voice acting and directing involves these four areas of ADR or “looping,” with a particular focus on full cast dubbing into English of foreign language films and the original English language soundtrack for animation films. Many countries have a long-standing tradition of full cast film dubbing into their local languages. However, while dubbing a foreign language film into English has not been as widespread, the demand is growing particularly for multi-language audio tracks on DVDs and to increase distribution and sale of foreign series and movies in markets where English is a major language. In Spain, for example, where I live and work, more and more live-action and animation films are being produced with English as the original language to facilitate worldwide distribution. The films are then dubbed into Spanish, Catalan, Basque and Galician (the main languages of the country). Examples are Agora (2009, Alejandro Amenábar), Donkey Xote (2007, José Pozo), Fragile (2005, Jaume Balagueró) and My Life Without Me (2003, Isabel Coixet). Often the story in co-productions naturally involves casts that combine Spanish and English speaking actors, such as the TV movies Reflections or The Lost. On supervising the ADRs for Fragile, numerous scenes called for recording the background voices and ambience with children. A main issue in working with children is

Automatic Dialogue Replacement scheduling, around their school hours, and complying with labor legislation. It is fascinating to watch how children often have natural (and excellent) eye-screen contact, which is a must for credible synchronization. However, children develop so fast that locating good child actors is a never-ending quest. When you least expect it, a child who artfully sells you a pastry at a sidewalk stand or does a spontaneous reading in a church service, brings the right nuance to your next ADR session. Donkey Xote is an adventure-comedy animation feature film about Sancho’s donkey that tells the “true story” of Don Quixote. All the voices were recorded without image. A rough soundtrack was then created and the animation drawn to the voices. About two years later, once the animation was completed, ADR sessions were held to accommodate scene changes or to improve the interpretation. Care must be given to ensure that the color of the new dialogue matches the old. Full cast film dubbing begins with the translation of the original dialogues into the new target language. Once translated, the script then goes to the “adjuster”, who makes modifications in order to match the lip movements as closely as possible to the new target language dialogue. The director chosen to direct the dubbing preselects the voice actors for all the characters in the film. Once the replacement language script is adjusted and the cast of voice actors is approved, the actors are scheduled. The sessions are generally intense, with a feature film typically dubbed in five to seven days. In the past, actors were convened in groups as needed for the different scenes, and recorded together. However, with the increased use of surround sound and other mixing considerations, actors are more often than not recorded individually. Screen-eye contact is paramount in dubbing. Voice actors must be guided more by visual cues for starts, pauses and stops, rather than by listening to the original voices. As a result, the use of headphones is generally discouraged except for complex situations. After explaining the character to an actor, rehearsal of the first loop begins. The original sound is played back over the speakers and the actor rehearses on top. If the actor is new to dubbing, sometimes I explain the need for eye contact; other times I wait for the reaction when we rehearse without sound and the sudden realization: “Whoa, I have no idea where I come in, where the pauses are, where I have to end.” You need to be able to retain the line in your mind so you can deliver it while keeping as much eye contact as possible with the screen. The TC (Time Code) is helpful, but you must not become dependent on it. Look for a visual cue to tell you when to start. You already have the rhythm and emotion of the line in your mind from hearing the original sound. Rehearse at performance volume while listening to a dialogue loop several times with sound coming over the speakers. Sometimes an actor will rehearse mentally, in a low voice or whisper, and then when they go to record the loop, they are way off sync. If you do not rehearse at your performance level, your rhythm and emphasis are different. The next step is to test without sound until the actor and the director are happy with the match and interpretation and the line is ready to be recorded. A good sound engineer has saved many a day by recording the final rehearsal loops, which are often the most convincing. ADR is a great way for voice actors to learn to work as a team. Whether replacing lines verbatim, adding ambience, recording for animation or substituting dialogue into a new language version of a film, ADR requires concentration but it is fun and creative as you work in an ever-changing lineup of projects.