Film/TV

SDI: 12 Tips for Voice Actors When Dubbing From Home (MESA)

The pandemic and regional work-from-home mandates have forced industries to find ways to provide business critical services with a distributed workforce. In the localization industry this has forced us to find new ways of working from home.

SDI Media has successfully developed a method to complete remote dubbing by voice actors at home using browser-based software Session Link Pro to establish an effective workflow.
Audio and video are encrypted and streamed securely, with both studio and talent able to record audio sessions. All key talent – artist, director, sound engineer – can be involved in the sessions, with the recording engineer taking the lead.

Actors working for SDI Media on remote recording should to take a few things into account when setting themselves up.

SDI Media has created a list of simple, practical tips to improve sound quality when recording from home:

1. Choose the quietest room of your home (check outdoor/indoor noises)
2. Turn off all noisy equipment (A/C units, washing machines, dish washers)
3. Close all the doors and windows
4. Move computer fan/external drives as far as possible from the microphone
5. Avoid corners and reflective surface — do not stay too close to the walls
6. Blankets and pillows on the side and back walls will to reduce early reflections
7. Sit/stand 1.5m in front of a filled bookcase — it provides nice sound diffusion
8. If standing — avoid squeaky floorboards
9. If seated — cover desk with a blanket, avoid moving your chair
10. Install a pop filter 4-5cm from the microphone (not parallel to the membrane)
11. Start with a distance of 15-20cm between the microphone and the mouth
12. Take the engineer’s advice on changing the setup after checking audio samples

We are eager to work with actors to help provide flexible working conditions to enable remote dubbing using technology as well as suggesting simple modifications to work areas at home.