How to Become a Dubbing Artist
Have you ever aspired to voice one of your favorite movie characters, like the Hulk and Harry Potter? Ever wondered how it would feel to hear those characters speak the way you want them to?
If yes, then a dubbing artist might be your go-to career. Yes, you heard that right, a dubbing artist. And don’t worry; we will also take you through the process of getting there.
Because in today’s article, we will go through the steps on how to become a dubbing artist and give you a clear idea of how you can move in that direction, whether you are an aspiring dubbing artist or aim to become one someday.
But before we get to that, let’s quickly skim through the concept of dubbing and dubbing artists.
What is dubbing?
According to Wikipedia, “Dubbing (re-recording and mixing) is a post-production process used in filmmaking and video production, often in concert with sound design, in which additional or supplementary recordings are lip-synced and “mixed” with original production sound to create the finished soundtrack.
The process usually takes place on a dub stage. After sound editors edit and prepare all the necessary tracks—dialogue, automated dialogue replacement (ADR), effects, Foley, and music—the dubbing mixers proceed to balance all of the elements and record the finished soundtrack. Dubbing is sometimes confused with ADR, also known as “additional dialogue replacement”.
The process of dubbing is fascinating. But at the same time, it’s very technical and requires lots of patience and precision, as well as teamwork and perseverance. Even though, people might consider it as a relatively new phenomenon, we can trace its origin back to the time of World War II.
Who is a dubbing artist?
Dubbing artists are often mistaken for voice over artists. However, there is a difference. Dubbing artists are professionals who use their voices to portray characters or provide information and entertainment to the audience. While voice over is generally one voice narrating a direct translation of the script and overlays existing audio.
Unlike screen actors who use gestures and expressions to depict a character, voice actors or dubbing artists use their voices to do the same.
Even though voice over and dubbing are different, a voice over artist can also work as a dubbing artist and vice versa. There are manyvoice over artists in India who have also worked as dubbing artists.
The job of a dubbing artist is challenging. The dubbing process takes long, unpredictable hours. A voice dubbing artist may need to give in long hours with constant voice straining to get the perfect voice dub. It may sound like a fun job, which it is because of its unlimited creative potential, but like any other job, it does require a lot of hard work and dedication.
Dubbing artist jobs
So, what does the job profile of a dubbing artist entails? Here are some jobs a dubbing artist performs or niches where a dubbing artist can work.
- commercials
- public service announcements
- audiobooks
- animated films
- foreign language films
- video games
- award shows
- podcasts
- toys
- automated systems, such as a GPS
- documentaries
- computer programs
How to become a dubbing artist?
Now that we have covered the basics, let us go through the steps by which you can fulfill your aspiration to become a dubbing artist.
- Practice: the key to mastering your craft is always practice. The more you practice, the better you become. The same applies to you if you aspire to be a dubbing artist. Reading out loud, voice modulation, and trying different techniques with your voice are some ways you can practice and master.
- Build your own home studio: To practice, of course, you will need a studio and the right equipment, which are readily available in dubbing studios. But if you are a rookie artist or just getting started, it can burn a hole in your pocket every time you want to practice. The key to combat this is to build a home studio. It’s cheaper, and you DO NOT need fancy equipment to get started at your home.
- Polish up your skills: The next point in our steps of how to become a voice over artist is to polish your skills.
Whether you already possess the said skills or are still developing them, the first critical step to becoming a dubbing artist is to polish your skills so that you are ready to accept the competition and cater to the industry’s needs.
- Experience: practice and experience (which comes from practice) are the key factors of growth in any profession. The same applies to dubbing artists. The more experience you have, the more you polish your craft and skills, and the better your chances of succeeding in this field.
- Auditioning and freelancing: so how do you gain experience? Simple, through auditioning and freelancing. No job will walk up to your doorstep unless you are a seasoned artist with people running after you. So the key to gaining experience is to audition and freelance your way into building an incredible portfolio. Many freelancing websites offer freelancing jobs and opportunities that you can definitely check out.
Whether it is how to become a dubbing artist or a voice over artist, or just about any profession, success comes through following the small steps that might seem insignificant at first but are crucial.
A career as a dubbing artist is a lucrative one. However, it comes with its perks but, at the same time, challenges. Are you ready for all that?
