Children's Voice Over - VoiceArchive

The voice-over industry is known to be mainly dominated by adult voice actors, yet there are many talented children in the pool too!

Many voice actors decide to lead their children down the same path. Which explains why many young voice actors’ parents are often in the same business. Having a parent as a voice-acting coach gives the kids great benefits and makes cooperation easier with them.

If professionals can get the job done, why should I still work with a child?

A child’s voice is pure, innocent, honest and most importantly, free from impersonation. No adult can beat the authenticity of a child’s tone, pitch or intonation, they will always sound counterfeit. If portraying an authentic message is what you are looking for, you might want to spend that extra time working with young voice talents.

Kids Voice Over Agency - VoiceArchive

Thinking about working with kids?

Here’s why you shouldn’t believe these voice-acting myths!

Myth #1: Only adults play child voice roles

It is well known that women tend to be the voice behind many cartoon characters. Yet, there are lots of child voice actors out there doing the job! For instance, Monsters Inc Boo was indeed voiced by a little girl, called Mary Gibbs.

Myth #2: Changes in voice breaks their career

This is not necessarily the case. Gradual changes in voice are a great asset to the voice actors. Many of them start voicing a character at a young age and grow older together with them. Lots of voice actors started their carrier in their early 10s. Just like one of the most famous female voice actors of our time, Tara Strong. She started voice acting when she was only 13, and as she was growing up, her voice was fitting the character perfectly.

Changes in voice during puberty:

The gradual change in voice can be exceptionally fitting when choosing a child to voice a character. As the child gets older, their voice matures together with the character. This gives a very authentic experience for the audience.

So, “change” doesn’t mean the end of the voice actors’ carrier; it is actually the opposite! As their voice matures, they can still take roles of cartoon characters – just like many voice talents do no matter how old they are. But, apart from those roles, their opportunities expand significantly. They have a chance to audition for adult roles!

It doesn’t seem so bad if you put it that way, does it?

Myth #3: It’s hard to work with children

Working with children isn’t as hard as you think, so you shouldn’t be discouraged from using such a valuable asset for your project! Here’s how you can make it easy:

1. Laws

Laws are one of the most important aspects when working with children. It often differs greatly from country to country which makes it hard to make a general statement about it. If you are planning to work with a child, you must investigate the law requirements as the very first step. At VoiceArchive, we are never working with children without having either their parents or legal guardians present.

2. Directing

Directing a child differs a lot from directing an adult when it comes to explaining the instructions and the depth of the project. They can be distracted, may react badly to criticism, and sometimes misunderstand the instructions. With all that said, the keys to working with kids are patience and persistence!

3. Be gentle.

You need to treat them with as much dignity and respect as you would treat an adult. Avoid talking down to them at any point. You don’t want to risk hurting their feelings since it could easily mean the end of the working relationship. They have nothing to lose after all! Make sure you are friendly, straightforward, and respectful.

4. Creativity is key!

To ensure the kids understand the brief, we advise you to use visuals such as mood boards. It makes it easier for them to understand the instructions and help them deliver an excellent voice-over.

5. Make recording fun!

It shouldn’t look like it is hard work – it may discourage them. Take breaks between the sessions; their attention span is much shorter! Even record on different days if necessary.

6. Rehearse!

Rehearsals are crucial for such projects! Give the script to the parents or guardians and ask them to practice together with the young voice talent. Rehearsing the difficult lines will allow them to polish it and help you avoid many retakes. What is better than a smooth recording session?

Children in Voice Overs - VoiceArchive

How do we work with young voice talents at VoiceArchive?

Kids are our specialities! We even work with kids who are not able to read, thus they need coaches to help them deliver the line. The coaches are usually their parents, which makes cooperation much easier for both parties.

At VoiceArchive we don’t have children visible in our pool. Instead, we provide offers based on the briefing we have with our clients. We don’t offer live sessions with them, as they may get intimidated, and we definitely want to avoid that!

Looking for the right children voice for your message?

Contact us for a free consultation! We have what it takes to deliver the captivating voice-over you seek!

 

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Anna Sticken

Global Key Account Manager