Chapter 220: Dubbing Skills

Chapter 220: Voice Acting Techniques

"How was it?"

These voice samples were all quite brief; only the main characters had slightly longer clips, while the rest were just a line or two. After listening, Chen Daming turned to the few people who had accompanied him.

They all nodded, signaling that the samples were satisfactory and that they were now just waiting for the remaining character clips.

Although "Chocolate Factory" did not possess the same fame as celebrity-led studios like Photosynthesis, 729 Voice Studio, or Bian Jiang Studio, its reputation in the industry was solid. They had a substantial portfolio, high quality, and a group of excellent voice actors, particularly in the fields of animation and gaming—especially preschool animation.

This was the main reason Chen Daming chose to entrust the post-production dubbing he had secured to Chocolate Factory. Of course, another reason was that Chen Daming and Charlie were well-acquainted; he could secure top-tier quality at a favorable price. While profit was one factor, he also hoped this collaboration would lead to a long-term outsourcing partnership for his company's post-production needs.

In less than an hour, Charlie returned with the six samples Meng Fan had recorded. In the meantime, other voice actors had also submitted samples, bringing the total to nine. They had essentially rounded up the main cast for "Forest Adventure," and the minor roles could be adjusted at any time.

After listening to the clips, Chen Daming and his team’s eyes lit up. They were astonished to find that five of the characters, plus the narrator, were voiced by the same person. It wasn't unheard of for one actor to voice five or six characters in an animation, but what surprised them was how well each one was performed.

With the samples in hand, Chen Daming finally breathed a sigh of relief. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Charlie, he departed, eager to return for a meeting and finalize the contract.

Only once that was settled would Chocolate Factory officially begin production.

At that moment, Meng Fan was still in the recording booth. The system had not granted any experience for the five characters and the narrator he had just recorded. This left him feeling uneasy; he wasn't sure if it was because the producers hadn't confirmed the studio for the project yet, or if perhaps... Chocolate Factory might not land the contract after all.

Forget it. Instead of worrying, he might as well ask the bearded studio assistant if there were any other roles he could take on. That animation only had five or six characters, so picking up some ready-made work here seemed more practical.

The bearded young man had a name that didn't match his appearance: Lou Lan. At first glance, one might mistake it for a soft, feminine name, but upon closer inspection, it was a sturdy, traditional one.

Lou Lan was clearly familiar with the studio's operations and possessed a keen eye and ear. In the two hours they had spent together, he had gained a fair understanding of Meng Fan's range. When Meng Fan mentioned that it didn't matter if the roles were important or not, Lou Lan rattled off a long list of characters, mostly from animations and games.

These roles were usually assigned randomly to studio actors. Once a project officially began, aside from the major roles that required careful selection, these minor parts were given to whoever was available and suitable; the lines were few and the requirements weren't high.

The same applied to game characters.

With the mobile gaming market booming, there was a massive demand for NPC voices.

Once he had a rough idea, Meng Fan waited for Charlie to return and directly proposed his desire to take on more roles.

Charlie had no objections. In less than two hours, Meng Fan had demonstrated a level of skill that earned his trust. He was more than willing to assign more work to him, but...

Charlie asked, "Little brother, would you be interested in joining our studio?"

If Meng Fan didn't join, Charlie couldn't possibly hand over so many roles to him. After all, the studio had many members relying on these commercial projects to make a living. Why give the work to an outsider?

Meng Fan considered this for a long time before replying, "Director, I am still a student, and my time is not my own. I don't know what the requirements for joining would be. If there are rigid demands or restrictions, I'm afraid I..."

Charlie understood immediately. Having seen Meng Fan's previous endeavors, he had grasped some of his character traits. He smiled and said, "Signing with the studio won't restrict your freedom. Even if you take jobs from other studios, we can even help you secure them. It's just that once you sign, the business goes through our books. It's better to settle the terms upfront—there needs to be a protocol for profit sharing, don't you think?"

Charlie had met Meng Fan in a high-end residential complex; someone living there clearly wasn't desperate for money. Combined with what he knew of Meng Fan, he didn't seem like someone trying to scrape a living in the dubbing industry—where making big money was notoriously difficult. So, he focused his pitch on the business side.

You don't lack money, so I'll treat money as a professional matter.

Charlie possessed that much negotiation skill. He wasn't trying to deceive Meng Fan; he was simply shifting his perspective to increase efficiency.

Meng Fan looked over the contract and saw no restrictive clauses. The only point was that for any job he took—whether he found it himself or the studio did—the studio would take a commission. To others, this might be a limitation, but to Meng Fan, it was nothing.

In truth, he had wanted to say he would do it for free since he didn't need the money, but he stopped himself. It was better not to open that door. Whether he needed the money was one thing; whether others paid him was another. It was better to follow the rules. Money was one thing, but value was another.

Meng Fan read it through one more time, confirmed it was just a business partnership, and signed.

Having a studio to help him secure work wasn't a bad thing.

Was he afraid of hidden traps?

Meng Fan really wasn't.

"Welcome!"

After signing, Charlie was delighted and shook Meng Fan's hand firmly.

Meng Fan’s first words after the handshake were, "Can we continue recording now?"

Charlie laughed heartily. "Of course."

For the subsequent recordings, Charlie didn't stay, instead assigning another studio member to assist the bearded Lou Lan in helping Meng Fan.

One after another, they went.

Lou Lan and his colleague exchanged glances. "Another dubbing maniac!"

"Ding!"

Before long, the system confirmed that the number of voiced characters had reached ten. He received the [Studio Bug] Stage 1 reward: +10 points, +1 Voice Acting Technique.

This attribute encompassed a comprehensive set of skills: standard pronunciation, voice modulation, dialogue delivery, lip-syncing, performance and mimicry, as well as vocal maintenance.

(End of chapter)