Hello everyone. I've been planning out an animated shortfilm for the past few months, and now I'm at the point where I'll need voice actors. (This is my first time attempting such a feat :) ) The problem is, I'm working on a very tight budget.
I'm hesitant to hire just any kid off the street, because I know what bad voice acting can do to a film!
So here are my questions to you. Have any of you ever hired voice actors for independent ventures? Where do you think would be the best place to find amateur voice talent? Do any of you have experience in directing voice actors?
Please note, I'm not advertising a job opportunity here. I'd just like some good, honest suggestions.
Hope to hear from you!
Pooryorik
You need to check your local colleges for talent.
Alas pooryorick
sorry
I am an entertainment attorney (andyherz.com) and writer (buzzsawfilms.info) based in Brooklyn. Working now with a great sound guy who did a lot of the Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh films. He told me a funny voice casting story. One main voice was selected via a Craigs List request; offer of a few bucks (back then $50/now probably $100) if chosen. Director was looking at the time for an Aussie accent, so he asked Aussies to call his answering machine and read in the first paragraph of the lead story in the paper that day.
It worked.
Good luck.
Feel free to email with any questions, concerns, complaints, lewd jokes, etc.
I'd recommend checking with the drama depts of your local schools. Sometimes instructors are looking for outside projects, and you may get it done on the cheap or for free.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
You don't want an amateur; you want a professional working on a "buyout", that is, a one-time payment for all rights to the performance.
If it's a relatively short "short", without a heavy amount of dialog, you should be able to get someone with experience on a buyout for about $100 per voice. If you've got a large cast, then obviously this will add up, but a buyout is the way to go.
Thanks guys. I had not considered contacting the schools... We have a few drama clubs out here too.
This sounds like a neat idea. However, I know absolutely nothing about agents and actors unions--I suppose I'll need to brush up on all that before I go looking for professional voice actors.
Lol! That's awesome. Say, what is a Craig's List?
Pooryorik
You don't need to know anything about unions, and all you need to know about agents is this: Contact one or two (make sure they rep voice actors), tell them you have a non-union gig for a cartoon that's paying a buyout of (whatever you're willing to pay), and you'd like to hear an audition tape. The agent will audition his clients who he thinks are right for the role and send you the audition tape. You'll have to listen to the tape or tapes to pick your actor (this can be a grueling experience).
Then you contact the agent with the name of who you're hiring and book a recording time.
I know it sounds complex, but it's not really. The bottom line is the voicework you get will be in your film forever. It's worth keeping that in mind when you select voice talent.
This is definitely the cheapest way to go, although you won't get the exact lines you are looking for. Voicetoons.com has a selection of professionally recorded voices for sale for different types of characters. For $18 you can get 30-40 voice clips of a particular character. Automatic download as well. check it out:
http://www.voicetoons.com/gallery.html
Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com
Neat-o. Thanks guys. I was just at the voice toons website--it's an interesting concept. DSB, thanks for the advice (I'll try not to be too hasty in picking voice actors).
You should try http://voice123.com , it is new to me but looks like you can find all types of talents.
Pooryorik, CraigsList is a website (located at surprisingly enough craigslist.com) that is one of the worlds biggest classified ads sites. People sell cars and furniture and old fender stratocaster guitars, they find romance, and jobs, etc etc. It's a very good site.