If you have always been fascinated with how dubbing works, you should consider becoming a voice over artist! From dubbing for cartoons that are a huge hit with children to lending your voice to movies that will make adults smirk, you will have a wide variety of opportunities if you want to make a career as a voice over artist, even in India!
So, what exactly does a voice over artist do?
A voice over artist lends his/her voice to films, animations, documentaries, and radio programmes. They help to cover a language gap between the audience and the makers. A voice over artist is usually needed when the voice required for a certain character is different from that of the original actor. Sometimes actors are absent and voice over artists are required to dub in place of them. Even otherwise, dubbing artists are required during the post-production process.
What is the scope of a voice over artist in India?
The scope for voice over artists is huge in India. With so many television and radio channels and other means of mass communication available today, voice over artists have a plethora of options to choose from.
The dubbing industry has grown considerably in the last few decades. The audience has increased many-fold for foreign language cartoons, films, documentaries, and television shows. Voice over artists are readily employed by the entertainment and information industry to increase their viewership and penetrate new markets the world over. Also, several popular shows and films need translation from the original languages to the local language. And for this, makers need to enlist the services of voice over artists. Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant also require dubbing. Interactive electronic and software applications like text-to-speech apps have a demand for human voices too.
What education do you need to have to become a voice over artist?
You don’t need a particular degree to become a voice over artist. But before you apply for voice over jobs, you must prepare yourself for the auditions. Having a good voice is not enough. Applicants must get hands-on experience in local theatre, radio commentary, classroom dictation, community programme conduction or poetry recitation before applying. They should also record their voice samples with different pitches for different purposes like commercial advertisements, cartoon characters, and documentary narrators.
Which languages are popular for dubbing?
Beginners should start dubbing in languages they are comfortable in. Even if you do not know a particular language like Gujarati or Marathi, you can learn it later on with professional help. Due to the ever-increasing media exposure in today’s time, several local languages are finding support from the dubbing industry.
Is it possible to make a living as a voice over artist?
Yes, it is! Voice over artists easily earn anywhere between 30,000 to 40,00 per month. While corporate movies pay around INR 10,000, animation projects pay INR 10,000 – 15,000. Payment per page is usually INR 600-700. You can either work on a project-to-project basis or on contract-basis. Lot of it also depends on the sales pitch done by an applicant, years of experience, the requirement of the client, quality of voice, and its uniqueness.
In conclusion, make sure you have a good understanding of the language you dub in. In order to be a successful voice over artist, you need to understand the requirements of the scripts and the target audience for the projects you take up.
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