Most people probably know about voice acting and the high demand for voice actors in the creation of animated media, but did you know about MoCap acting?
It has only been within the last decade that animators have taken their usage of actors in their media a step further with motion capture acting. This involves the contracting of actors to perform their role using their physical likeness AND voice for capture to be used in the animation. Once they've recorded what they need, they can edit in whatever clothes, make up, and styles they want for their project. Even if they change the actor's physical appearance, their original voice, motions, expressions, and reactions remain.
In my experience with voice acting, being able to only provide my voice in a recording studio makes it more difficult to connect with my character. As actors, we relish the set, being able to physically connect with other actors in the moment, and express emotion in real time. Some of these qualities are lost in voice recording. Some studios choose to hire separate voice actors and models for cost efficiency which means there will be two performances for one character. When using the same actor for voice and modeling, the actors are able to presently work with their scene partners, unable to look down at their script while they work, demanding performance akin to film.
With this, actors have yet another avenue to provide full performances and pursue their careers. Many well know actors have found immersive work through animated movies, tv, and video games. Hopefully, this post has helped spread awareness for yet another lucrative and growing path in our industry!
Well Wishes,
GCM
(Pictured: Elliot Page and Willem Dafoe in "Beyond: Two Souls", Norman Reedus and Guillermo Del Toro in "Death Stranding", Keanu Reeves in "Cyberpunk 2077")