When they make CG movies like Toy Story etc do they record the voices before or after the animation?

Question

My friend and I are arguing about whether they record the actors lines first then animate the mouths, or get the actors to say lines to fit the mouth movements. When you have actors like Robin Williams I'm guessing they'll ad lib a lot and be hard to contain so it seems ridiculous that they would force them to stick to the script and say it at exactly the right speed and internation as the animation. Thing is I need proof. I can't possibly see why they'd record the voices after the animation, but that's why I'm asking this question...I need some kind of source for the answer though so I can show my friend once and for all that he's wrong (if he even is).

Cheers

Answer 1

They record voices before animation for all animated films nowadays - CG, hand-drawn, whatever.

Answer 2

For American/English animation movies, the voices are done somewhere between the storyboard/rough sketches and the final product. Just as was stated in a few other answers; that way, everything can be more synched together at the end. Here in the States, we are much more conscious of matching the mouth flaps to the words. In other countries, such as Japan, it's not as a big deal.
However, if it's a show that was originally in another language, say "Howl's Moving Castle" or "Spirited Away" which are from Japan, then the English Speaking Voice Actors have the fun job of working to match the movements. According to some friends of mine, it can be hard, but it's definitely rewarding to have everything work out as a finished product.

Answer 3

With CG or regular drawn animation, the dialogue is recorded first for the very reason you stated. Robin Williams' voice used for the genie in Aladdin required extra animation for his ad-libs. It takes approximately 40 cells to make one second of quality animation, which is why low-budget Saturday morning cartoon animation is so jerky.
With the particulars of mouth movement and timing, the animators work with the dialogue to fit the characters mouth patterns. It is a slow process. Just stand in front of a mirror and mouth the alphabet and you can see the variety of movements your face and lips make, now imagine doing 40 cells per second and you can see why doing the animation first followed by the dialogue is impossible.

Answer 4

afterwards that way the voice actors can match the voices with the characters mood and expressions. watch the bonus dvds in most cg movies and u see the making of them. all the ones i have seen are recorded after the animation is done.

Answer 5

Let me tell you a funny story. I believe Toy Story was the next Disney Movie to come out after The Lion King and The Lion King was my favourite, I was SOOO obsessed with it. Anyways, when my family and I went to Disneyworld (the year Lion King was released) my parents bought me a Nala stuffed toy. A year later, I asked them for a Simba because it's a set, you have to have both! LOL! Anyways, I took Nala with me EVERYWHERE!!! I carried her around allll day, I even took her into the bathroom with me and put her on the towel rack while I ahem... did my business. And I slept with her every night. After I got my Simba, I started treating Simba the same way (by the way, my parents bought Simba after Toy Story had already been released in theatres.) I nearly forgot about Nala and my older sister and my mom were SO mad at me! They were like, don't forget about Nala, remember in Toy Story, when Andy forgot about Woody and played more with Buzz Lightyear? You're going to hurt Nala's feelings. I really felt bad after that. Anyways, the point of my story was: I still have both Simba AND Nala! =)

Answer 6

During the animation.

Answer 7

Before. They have to know what to imitate in the voice, Then they make the movie, and then they redo the voice to fit the movie perfectly.

Answer 8

after the animation ,,makes it a lot easier

Answer 9

before