This post is all about ADR Voice Over Jobs to help you understand more about this exciting part of the voiceover industry. This is part of our series of posts about how to become a voice actor.
ADR Voice Over Jobs
What is ADR
Automated dialogue replacement (ADR) is the process of re-recording dialogue by the original actor after the filming process to improve audio quality or reflect dialogue changes (also known as “looping” or a “looping session”).
Without even knowing it, people watching cartoons, television shows, and feature films are often listening to automated dialogue replacement.
ADR, also known as looping, is a post production process that involves actors re-recording or adding dialogue to footage while watching it on a screen. They match their voices and sounds to the mouth movements and physical gestures they see onscreen.
Often the reason for this is because of background noises whilst filming, conversations or sound interruptions. In the original “Star Wars” trilogy, for instance, actor David Prowse wore Darth Vader’s black suit and mask onscreen, but James Earl Jones provided the voice in postproduction. Together, they created the character. These mistakes or problems when filming create ADR Voice Over Jobs.
Many ADR jobs are through voice matches. Producers come to voice over agents looking for someone to sound exactly like the actor in the picture.
Two Types of ADR Voice Over Jobs
Principal ADR
Actors are quite often asked re-record some of your own dialogue in an ADR studio. This is often for technical reasons, for example, a plane flying over during the best take, or to add rewrites to your performance. Voice actors and indeed voice actors rely on using Lip Sync (synchronisation), to deliver a performance to match the filmed scene. The performance has to match the correct level and with the requisite emotion. Aside from vocal ability, improvisational skills are required for ADR work. ADR voice actors basically immerse themselves and improvise in a world that the director has created visually.
Many actors, have it included in their contract that they need to be available for ADR work. However, depending on the schedule and location of actors, this is often not possible. Voice actors then stand in and mimic the actors voice. These types of ADR voice over jobs are based on looping the main actors.
Group ADR
Group ADR is when a group of actors are brought in to record ADR during Post Production. An ADR group can range from two actors up to 15 or more. During a group ADR session the voice actors record all the atmospheres in a production. This can be to replicate an outdoor event with lots of background chatter, indoor scenes such as restaurants or hotels. Other sounds and voice sounds that need to be added in post production are people talking on mobile phones, announcements, background chatter and commentaries.
Often is voice over actor will cover a whole performance of a character. Generally voice over actors with a good history of ADR experience would be asked to do this. All these sound tracks are recorded and mixed in the ADR studio along with the music and the sound effects to make a final soundtrack.
So How Are ADR Voice Over Jobs Recorded?
ADR is usually recorded in a professional recording studio, complete with a massive, cinema-sized screen.
Present will be the either the original or a voice director, writer, a sound engineer and occasionally producers. The voice actor is stationed in front of a giant screen, given scenes to watch and then directed to deliver the dialogue as required. Each scene will play out in front of the voice over actor. Prior to voice acting they are prompted by three distinct beeps.
ADR voice over jobs are an unusual and exciting part of the voice over industry.
Other types of voice over jobs you might find interesting:
Anime Voice Over Jobs
Audiobook Voice Over Jobs
Cartoon Voice Over Jobs
Commercial Voice Over Jobs
Internet Voice Over Jobs
IVR Voice Over Jobs
Radio Voice Over Jobs
Video Game Voice Over Jobs
For more information on voice acting visit our series of posts on how to become a voice actor
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