CRISPIN FREEMAN INTERVIEW: ANIMATION DUB
ACTING
By Shannon Muir
Originally
published at Suite101.com
***
When I attended
the Gathering of the Gargoyles 2001 convention, I got the chance to hear
Crispin Freeman, who's built a resume in dubbing animation brought to the
United States from other countries. This is an art sometimes also referred to
as ADR, or 'automatic dialogue replacement'(though it can also apply to dubbing
done to make last minute corrections to any animated project). Crispin's known
for being the English voice of 'Zelgadis' of Slayers, and 'Touga' of Revolutionary Girl Utena, among others. Crispin's also been a script adapter for Pokemon. Here's a
couple questions I posed to him about animation dub acting...
SHANNON MUIR: What
special challenges are there for actors dubbing foreign animation?
CRISPIN FREEMAN:
Well, it depends on the show and the script. The first is whether or not the script has been adapted to match the lip
flap of the characters on screen. If it
has, then the actor's job is simpler (not necessarily easier) since you don't
have to waste a lot of time trying to rewrite lines on the fly that don't
match. If it has been adapted prior to
recording, then it's a matter of trying to make an authentic and honest read
for the character you're portraying in the rigid form handed to you, namely
that your performance has to match the lip flap on the screen as opposed to
animators matching your vocal performance. The next level is to try to get across the original intention and
subtlety of the original show, while still making it work to an audience of a
completely different culture. It
definitely is tricky.
SM: Briefly describe what a dubbing session is
like.
CF: I go into
the studio by myself and stand in front of a microphone with a TV in front of
it. The director and recording engineer
are there and sometimes a producer. Sometimes I've been able to read the script or watch the show ahead of
time, but many times, I'm seeing both animation and script for the very first
time when I get up to record. I wear
headphones, I have a music stand in front of me with the script and I look at
the TV. The animation appears on the TV
with the Music and Effects from the show in my headphones. I get three beeps in
my headphones as the time for my line comes up. Where the fourth beep should be, I say my line and try to match
the lip flap on the screen. Usually, we
have to go back and try the line again to adjust the read or the match to lip
flap or even the script. We usually go
one line at a time until we finish an entire recording session.
SM: Does a dubbing script look different than a
typical animation script?
CF: Most of the
dubbing scripts I get are merely straight Japanese Translations with timecode
telling the director exactly where the line falls in the course of the
show. Those don't look anything like
the scripts that I get from other producers who are doing the voices first and
the animation later. In those, they're written more like a screenplay, except
that every line a character says has a number so that they can keep track of
everyone's lines and in what order they go.
SM: If an actor wants to go into dubbing, what
do you feel he or she can do to prepare?
CF: Take
class. Find people who are teaching
acting and voice acting. Contact
licensing companies in your area and find out how and when they hold auditions
so you can try out. Get to know people
who are doing what you want to do. Once
you're in class, you'll meet all sorts of people in the business. Pick their brains about how and what they do
and how they got
there. Keep smilin' and have fun.
Crispin, thanks
so much for taking the time to share insight into the world of animation
dubbing. For more information about
Crispin Freeman, visit his official website.
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WITHOUT EMAILING SHAN@DUELINGMODEMS.COM FOR PERMISSION. Thank you.
All content copyright 2001 - 2010 Shannon Muir. All rights reserved.