Read on Twitter
The secret’s out! https://twitter.com/maxkriegervg/status/1281748909791027205
Fuck it, I enjoyed the dunk but let’s actually be useful. Voice actors! How do you get them? A thread!
First: you’re gonna need budget. Actors are professionals with skills and rents to pay. Like everyone involved in the production of a product, they deserve to be paid for their time, and the product of that labour. VO simultaneously costs more and less than you think it does...
Some of the best actors I’ve worked with aren’t ‘names’, they’re folks you’ll find on online directories, or chatting on twitter. But they have agents and will need paying for their time. As a baseline, think about what you’d pay a skilled coder for similar time.
At the upper cost end, famous people. They are pricey, but you’d surprised who you can get with a good script and a part that excites them. I’ve literally cast big names because I could get a studio next to a place they had to be two hours after the record. Hustle goes a long way
But when I say pricey, don’t think the millions you’ve heard for movie performances... that’s a commitment of months, you’re probably only after a few hours. Know your budget, and reach out to a star’s VO agent. You’ll get laughed out of some rooms, but not all.
(Worth noting that big VO actors scale their rates to projects... I’ve worked with the same actors on a fully indie thing and a published big budget thing and gotten wildly different prices.. again, no harm in asking)
In terms of where to find them? Social media is great, but also go scowering the credits of things you like. Those actors are out there, and often, they are repped by a small pool of agents.
At lower budgets, find folks doing fan dubs, or streamers you like.. but pay them.
At lower budgets, find folks doing fan dubs, or streamers you like.. but pay them.
And finally, like all recruitment, finding actors is an ongoing commitment. You’ve gotta keep an ear out for new interesting talent. I’ve followed many actors for years until I had just the right part for them. This isn’t quick, but if you want great performances, do the work
