Voice acting

People use their voices to act.

They can play many characters. They speak for cartoons on TV. They can also sing songs for characters.

Some voices tell us a story. This is called narration. A voice can also be in ads. You might hear these voices in a store. They might even be in an elevator.

Actors can help translate movies. They change the words to a new language. This helps people understand the story.

Some actors work in video games. They make the characters sound real. It is a very special job. Do you like to tell stories?

Voice acting is the art of acting with only your voice. Performers can play many different roles. They act for cartoons and video games. They also work on films and radio shows. Some actors even sing for the characters they play.

Some voices tell a story through narration. A narrator is a voice that gives us facts about a plot. Voice actors also work in ads. You might hear them on TV or the radio. They can even record messages for stores and elevators. These are called automated announcements. One famous example is the "mind the gap" voice on the London Underground.

Actors can help translate movies for other people. This is called dubbing. They change the words so people can understand a foreign film. In Japan, voice acting is a very big job. There are about 130 schools for these actors. Many fans in Japan watch shows just to hear their favorite stars. In Brazil, most people prefer to watch movies in their own language. This makes dubbing very important there. Voice acting is a special way to bring stories to life.

Voice acting is the special art of performing a character using only your voice. Performers use their vocal skills to provide information or tell stories to an audience. You can hear these actors in many places like animated films and video games. They also work in documentaries, commercials, and audiobooks. Sometimes, a voice actor might even sing if their character needs to perform a song. Some actors do motion-capture acting at the same time they use their voices.

There are many different ways these actors work. Narration is when a voice tells a story by giving facts about a plot. In some stories, like novels, a narrator is a required part of the tale. In commercials, actors are hired to deliver a specific message to listeners. In the United Kingdom, radio commercials often use a very wide and loud style of speaking. Some actors even use a trick called "de-breathing." This means they artificially remove breaths from a recording so the audience stays focused on the message.

History shows how important this job has become over time. In the United Kingdom, voice acting is a recognized professional job. This is partly because BBC Radio has a very long history of making radio dramas. In the past, the UK even banned certain voices from being broadcast. To get around this rule, producers had actors dub over the footage. Another method is called automated dialogue replacement, or ADR. This is when an actor re-records their lines to make the sound better or to fix the timing.

Voice acting is a huge part of life in many different countries. In Japan, there are about 130 schools and groups for voice actors. Many fans there love to watch shows just to hear their favorite performers. In Brazil, most people prefer to watch movies in their own native language. This means dubbing is a very important job for Brazilian actors. Even in daily life, you hear automated announcements. A famous example is the "mind the gap" voice on the London Underground. This specific announcement was first introduced in 1969.

Today, new technology is changing the way voices are made. Since the late 2010s, software can now create or change human voices using AI. In 2019, a company called Dessa used audio to create a computer voice for Joe Rogan. In 2020, the game developer Ubisoft used speech synthesis for many characters in a game called Watch Dogs: Legion. Many voice actors are worried about this because it might affect their jobs. In 2023, the SAG-AFTRA union held strikes to talk about rules for using AI. This shows that while technology grows, the human voice remains a very important part of our world.

Voice acting is a specialized dramatic profession involving the performance of a character or the delivery of information through the human voice. Performers, often called voice actors or actresses, provide the vocal identity for many types of media. These roles include animated characters, off-screen figures in live-action films, and non-visible characters in video games. The work can extend to documentaries, commercials, audiobooks, and radio dramas. Sometimes, a voice actor may also perform singing for a fictional character. In some advanced setups, they may simultaneously undertake motion-capture acting to match their voice to physical movements.

There are several distinct ways that voice acting is applied in the industry. One primary method is narration, which uses spoken commentary to convey a story or plot to an audience. A narrator can be a specific character or a non-personal voice developed by a creator. In literary works like novels, narration is a required element, but in films or video games, it is often optional. Another major category is commercial advertising. In this field, actors are hired to voice specific messages for television, radio, or online platforms. Different sub-genres require different styles; for example, television commercials often use a narrow, flat inflection pattern, known as prosody. In contrast, radio commercials often use a very wide, almost over-the-top inflection pattern.

Techniques like "de-breathing" are also used to refine these performances. De-breathing is the process of artificially removing breaths from a recorded voice. Historically, this was used almost exclusively in commercial advertising to prevent the audience from being distracted by breathing sounds. However, this technique has become increasingly common in many other types of voice work. Another technical process is Automated Dialogue Replacement, or ADR. This is also known as "looping" or "post-synchronization" in the United Kingdom. In an ADR session, an actor re-records dialogue after the filming process is complete. This is done to improve audio quality, fix timing, or replace an accented performance to improve diction.

Translation and localization also rely heavily on vocal skill. Dub localization is the practice of altering a foreign-language film or series. In voice-over translation, an audiovisual technique is used where actors record their voices over the original audio track. This allows the original audio to still be heard faintly in the background. This method is most frequently used in news reports and documentaries to translate the words of foreign-language interviewees. In some countries, like Iran, voice acting is divided into specific categories. These include Persian film voice-overs, Iranian animation, and the dubbing of foreign films. In Iran, dubbing directors carefully match the translated sentences to the atmosphere of the film and the movement of the actors' mouths.

Voice acting has a deep history and varies significantly across different cultures. In the United Kingdom, the profession is highly recognized due to the long history of BBC Radio producing radio dramas. From 1988 to 1994, the UK actually banned the broadcasting of voices linked to violence in Northern Ireland. To bypass this, producers used voice actors to dub over the synchronized footage of those individuals. In Japan, the industry is massive, with approximately 130 voice acting schools and troupes. Many Japanese performers attract huge fanbases and even branch into music by singing theme songs for their shows. In Brazil, dubbing is a major part of the culture because most Brazilians prefer watching movies in their native Portuguese.

Beyond entertainment, voice acting is part of our everyday automated systems. Voice artists record sample fragments that computers play back, such as the "mind the gap" announcement on the London Underground. This specific announcement was introduced in 1969 and is currently voiced by Emma Clarke. More complex systems, like a speaking clock, re-assemble fragments like "minutes past" or "p.m." to create full sentences. These automated voices are also found in phone systems and tourist attractions.

In recent years, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created significant changes and concerns. Since the late 2010s, software has become more popular for generating or modifying human voices. In 2019, the startup Dessa created a computer-generated voice of Joe Rogan using thousands of hours of his podcast audio. In 2020, Ubisoft used speech synthesis for thousands of characters in the game Watch Dogs: Legion. This technology has led to fears regarding the livelihood of human actors. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike included intense negotiations regarding the regulation of AI in Hollywood. While some deals were made, such as with Replica Studios, many prominent actors expressed concerns about a lack of protections.

Finally, AI technology has introduced the challenge of "audio deepfakes." These are believable, synthetic recordings that make it seem like a person is saying something they did not actually say. In October 2023, a deepfake of British Labour leader Keir Starmer was released. In the same month, a deepfake of Slovak politician Michal Šimečka was used to falsely claim he was discussing election rigging. In early 2024, an AI-generated voice of U.S. President Joe Biden was used in phone calls to discourage voters in New Hampshire. These developments show how voice acting is now connected to complex discussions about technology, law, and truth.