The Actor’s Gone, the Deadline Isn’t: How Voice Cloner Can Save Your Dubbing Project

In the fast-paced world of entertainment, deadlines are often unforgiving, and the pressure to deliver high-quality content can lead to unexpected challenges. One of the most pressing issues facing the dubbing industry today is the sudden unavailability of voice actors, whether due to contractual disputes, personal circumstances, or the ever-evolving landscape of technology. As projects race against the clock, the absence of a key voice can jeopardize an entire production. 

Imagine you’re halfway through a major dubbing project for a film, TV series, or video game, and suddenly, the voice actor you’re relying on is unavailable for recording.

What can disrupt a dubbing project?

The reasons why working on dubbing a project can slow down or even stop can be different.

Performance issues

Sometimes, an actor is cast for a role but their performance doesn't meet the studio's expectations. In these cases, directors may decide to recast the role. As described by veteran dubbing actor Larry Robinson, if a performance "just wasn’t working," the director would simply try another actor for the part. This is often handled professionally and without drama, but it does mean the original actor has let down the studio's expectations for that specific role;

Conflicts that can lead to boycotts

A situation with the entire French voice cast of Apex Legends that has left the game, refusing to accept what they call an "abuse" in the form of a new AI-related contractual clause. The conflict began when the actors were offered a new contract amendment that would allow the potential use of AI-generated voices in the future. After consulting with legal experts, the 32 actors chose not to sign, fearing that accepting these terms would amount to endorsing the role of AI in replacing human talent;

Unexpected circumstances

Tragic cases such as a dubbing actor’s/actor’s sudden death like it happened, for example, to an American comedian Chris Farley who was the original Shrek, in 1997. The studio had to recast Mike Myers for this role and the script was rewritten, with Myers adding Shrek’s famous Scottish accent but taking inspiration from some of Farley’s lines, according to the resource.

Regardless of the reasons and whatever they may be from professional contradictions almost always related to benefits or contracts, like, for instance, in the situation with Mob Psycho 100 (English voice actor Kyle McCarley, the voice of Mob, wanted his work for the third season to be under a union contract, but Crunchyroll, the producers of the English dub, refused, which led to Kyle walking away from the project), to the cases with a sudden incapacity or even a death like it happened to the official Morgan Freeman’s voice in France, a French comedian Benoît Allemane, the end is always the same: the actor’s gone, but the deadline is still looming.

When a dubbing actor leaves a project for any reason, the consequences for a studio are in any case significant and multifaceted:

• Production delays and additional costs: the studio must find and contract a replacement actor, which can delay recording schedules and increase costs. For example, in the case of Genshin Impact, when some voice actors stopped working due to unpaid wages and union disputes, the studio had to seek alternative solutions and new recording partners to continue production smoothly;
• Disruption of continuity and audience reception: replacing a voice actor mid-project can disrupt the consistency of character voices, which may confuse or disappoint fans;
• Labor and contractual complications: if actors leave due to disputes over pay, working conditions, or AI voice protections-as seen in the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike-studios face complex negotiations and potential reputational damage;
• Potential quality impact: new actors may have different vocal qualities or interpretations, impacting the perceived quality of the dubbing. Studios must invest in direction and sometimes re-recordings to maintain standards;
• Public relations and industry standing: high-profile departures, especially amid strikes or payment controversies, can attract negative publicity. 

In summary, when a dubbing actor leaves a project, studios face logistical, financial, creative, and reputational challenges that require swift management to minimize disruption and maintain production quality. 

It’s when AI that has already emerged in all areas of our lives can enter the game and become a really helping tool for those who work not even for the film industry, but for other creative industries like, for instance, gaming where a localization to different languages is often needed.

How AI can save the day

This is where LALAL.AI’s Voice Cloner offers a groundbreaking solution. By using AI to replicate a voice actor's tone, style, and expression, studios can streamline their workflow and dramatically reduce expenses. In gaming, one actor’s voice replica can be used in voiceovers in different languages.

For instance, it will allow to create vocal replicas of a dubbing actor's voice => will allow proceeding with making a voiceover keeping the initial intonation and tone of voice => doesn’t require the actor’s participation. Vital for both film and gaming industry - for any creative industry at all - Voice Cloner will serve as a fast and a cheap solution in an urgent case.

Imagine a dubbing project with 5 languages, where one actor is suddenly unavailable for final edits or last-minute dialogue additions. Instead of delaying the release or hiring a substitute, the studio uses Voice Cloner to seamlessly generate the missing lines, it results into: 

• Reduced studio time: no need to bring the actor back for minor changes or additional lines. Saving just 1 hour of studio time per session can mean $100–$500 saved, depending on studio rates;
  
• Voice actor fees: once a voice is cloned (with consent), small updates or re-recordings can be done without rehiring the actor—potentially saving hundreds to thousands of dollars per project;
  
• Fewer retakes: AI-generated lines are consistent and accurate, reducing the need for retakes due to tone, delivery, or fatigue;
  
• Faster turnaround: projects can be completed quicker, freeing up resources and allowing studios to take on more work—boosting revenue while cutting operational costs.

Here’s how Voice Cloner works:

1. It’s available online, just go to LALAL.AI website and choose Voice Cloner from Products section.

2. Log in using one of several login options available.

3. Then, click on Select Files, choose a recording, add a pack name and wait until the audio is processed, that’s all! Then, you'll just need to upload it into our Voice Changer and have your own pack with the custom voice of your actor.

What is needed from a studio to create a high-quality vocal replica of a dubbing actor using Voice Cloner:

• Obtain a clear actor’s consent:
• Define the scope of usage (e.g., specific projects, platforms, time limits) in the agreement;
• Gather multiple clean, professional recordings of the actor’s voice =>the recordings should cover various emotions, tones, and delivery styles to make the AI model as accurate and flexible as possible;
• Ideally, involve the original actor (if possible) to approve the final result;
• Use the cloned voice for dubbing additional lines, corrections, or future projects as per the agreed terms.

To know more about the final result of using Voice Cloner for creating vocal replicas in the film industry and where it already works, read the article.

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