Dubbed my first anime episode, and I felt like a complete fool

Last week I decided to try voice acting and record a dub for the first episode of an old mecha series from the 90s. I spent about 4 hours syncing my lines to the character's mouth movements, and it came out AWFUL. My timing was off by a full second in some spots, and my voice cracked on the dramatic speech. I learned that those pro voice actors make it look way too easy, and the editing alone is a nightmare. Has anyone else here tried fan dubbing or recording your own lines for a scene? I want to know if I just picked a bad show or if everyone starts out this clumsy.

3 comments

3 Comments

susan64912h ago

Wait wait wait, you seriously tried to sync up a whole episode for four hours on your first try? I have to tell you that is absolutely insane in the best possible way. Most people start with like a 30 second clip or a single scene from something like a comedy show where the timing is more forgiving. An old mecha series from the 90s is probably filled with fast talking and huge dramatic pauses which is basically expert level stuff. Your voice cracking on the dramatic speech is actually kind of perfect because that happens to everyone when they get into the emotion of it. You picked one of the hardest things to dub as your first project and that takes guts. I bet if you go back to it in a month after practicing some shorter scenes you will see a huge difference.

the_anthony4h ago

That timing issue with the mouth flaps is honestly the hardest part for newcomers. 90s mecha shows especially have that rapid fire dialogue that's brutal to sync up.

wendysanchez13h ago

Stick with it, everyone's first attempt sounds rough. Your timing will get better with practice, I promise.