Sound-alikes provide consistent voices for characters across different platforms, maintaining the integrity of the original performances.
Casting the perfect sound-alike involves analyzing the delivery style, rhythms, and tempo of the original actor's performance to find a performer who can embody the character and deliver new material.
Deep dives
The Role of Sound-Alikes in Voice Acting
Sound-alikes, also known as voice doubles, play a crucial role in the entertainment industry, providing voices for video games, toys, rides, and even movies during post-production. They are specifically trained to imitate and capture the tone, delivery, and characteristics of well-known actors. These sound-alikes ensure consistency for characters across different platforms and maintain the integrity of the original performances. Their work involves closely studying the original actors' voice patterns, rhythms, and emotional nuances to deliver authentic performances. Sound-alikes range from mimicking famous actors like John C. Riley to providing voices for minor characters in live-action films. Their ability to act, rather than just impersonate voices, is what makes them valuable in the industry.
Finding the Perfect Sound-Alike
Casting the perfect sound-alike involves more than finding someone with a similar voice. It requires identifying the physical hooks and tonality that differentiate a voice, analyzing the delivery style, rhythms, and tempo of the original actor's performance, and coaching the sound-alike to capture the essence of the character. Casting directors like Rick Dempsey listen for unique traits and features in an actor's voice that can be harnessed to replicate a specific actor. The goal is to find a performer who can not only sound like the original actor but also embody the character and deliver new material.
The Impact of Sound-Alikes on Character Legacies
Sound-alikes play a significant role in maintaining the legacy of beloved characters long after the original actors have passed away. They ensure that characters like Mickey Mouse, Kermit the Frog, and the genie retain their consistent voices for toys, games, rides, and other platforms. By filling the shoes of deceased actors, sound-alikes carry on the character's voice and preserve the connection between the character and the audience. This allows iconic characters to live on, evoking nostalgia and carrying forward the magic created by their original actors.
“Soundalikes,” also called “voice doubles,” are voice actors who perform as characters that were originally played by someone else. They’re used extensively by studios like Disney and Pixar, in order to keep their iconic characters consistent across games, rides, toys, and TV shows. In live action movies, soundalikes fill in for the leads, and record lines for the film’s many rough cuts. But being a great voice double is about much more than just being a good impressionist. Featuring Rick Dempsey, Holly Dorff, and a surprise guest…