Cartoon voices?

Question

When cartoons are made - do they record the voices first or animate the cartoons first? It must be hard getting the animations just right to fit the voices, and vica-versa.

Answer 1

As a recording engineer, I've always participated in the voices first. After some animation is done (line drawings, rough print), there may be script rewrites and so we would re-record.

The thing that stuck me most at first, is that the actor worked alone. The Director would coach the voice for what he wanted to hear, and the actor work it out three or four ways for the director to pick from.

There are always pick-up tracks and some redo's to suit the director.

All of the major animated movies I know of, do voices first, animation second.

Answer 2

I think that when a big star is hired for a cartoon voice they want to try and capture as much of their personality in the character in the same way as they would if the actor was giving a 'real' performance so they do the voices first and animate the character afterwards. A good example of this is donkey in Shrek who may have four legs and a tail but he's still pretty much Eddie Murphy.

Answer 3

Generally, the animation is done first and then fill in the voices. Sometimes it doesn't matter as technology allows them to plug in animation to voice through a computer.

Answer 4

My animation friend (who animates Bob the Builder) has always recorded the voices first.

Answer 5

animate and cartoons first then the actor matches his voice to the animate

Answer 6

I think (don't quote me on this!) that when Pixar do a film, they record the voices first, then make the animation to fit.

Answer 7

It takes practice, but it always goes voices first, then animation

Answer 8

Depends.
In American/Western animation it is the Animation before the voices
In Anime/Japaense animation it is the Voices before the animation

Answer 9

animations first, then the voices

Answer 10

animation first voices second