Author Archives: Michael Cárdenas

Why English Voiceover Talent is in Such High Demand

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Over 35 years ago, in Hollywood, I got started in foreign language voiceover work. At the time, English voices were not in high demand. Securing foreign language artists was tricky and they knew it. English voiceover talent would charge an average of $75 per hour. Spanish was $150 per hour and Asian languages, like Chinese and Japanese, earned more than $200 per hour.

So many major films were dubbed into foreign languages and would have to use the same voiceover talent for multiple characters in multiple movies because there wasn’t enough to fill the need. This meant, , which didn’t quite present the cinematic experience intended.

All this changed once Netflix started dubbing English programming. Within a short time, production sites sprung up and supply was finally able to keep up with demand. Fast forward to 2022 with translated foreign programming into English here to stay, making it nearly impossible to keep up with the growing demand.

Case in point: was asked to record 500 hours of programming from different languages into English. Dollar signs were on our minds. There was just one problem: we would need 7,000 English voiceover professionals. Unsurprisingly, the availability was scarce. Mind you, translation or recording studio efforts were not a problem, though the project required the use of more than 20 production houses worldwide in order to release the programming on time.

For those interested in exploring voiceover work, the demand in the industry is lucrative. However, it takes more than an awesome voice to secure steady voiceover work. One needs to manage lip-syncing and character adaptation too. There is also a shortage of voiceover training schools, meaning .

The short-term answer is meeting English voiceover needs with non-professional talent. If you listen carefully, you can tell when an actor is not a native speaker. Though, there should soon be an increased in qualified resources to handle the volume since it represents unchartered territory. To further complicate matters, outside of major box office films, distributors don’t seem to care about quality as long as it is done cheaply, which is not a sustainable solution.

Meanwhile, today’s clients and consumers expect to have the best of the best, while still benefiting from a low cost. How then will this supply and demand balance out? And will audiences stay engaged with poor-quality translations?

Stay tuned for the next blog post exploring current voiceover costs and where the industry is headed.

Vegas Tradeshow? Activities and Food You Can’t Miss

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For sure by now you have a list of people to meet at the show, awesome presentations to attend, and client meetings–not to mention work that follows you anywhere you go. (This part is for your boss to read…)

Still, there’s no way you can leave Vegas without experiencing some of its culture. Here are my recommendations:

Restaurants

In the last twenty years, Vegas has become a restaurant mecca with awesome food to choose from, no matter the price.

1.  Mon ami Gambi

Vincent, a French chef, came to Vegas after leaving the restaurant inside the Eiffel Tower. The food is “très magnifique”, and the ambiance is totally French bistro. If that’s not enough, you can sit outside and watch the Bellagio fountain show every 30 minutes.

2.      Picasso

If you are on an expense account and love both awesome, creative food and real Picasso’s, this restaurant has your name written all over it. Chef Julian beautifully blends French and Spanish cuisine.

3.      The Buffet at the Wynn

If you feel like stuffing yourself until you need an extra seat for the flight back home, the Wynn will do the job. Not only does it offer hundreds of dishes, but the décor is also lavish and lovely.

4.      Nobu

Just the name carries cache. This Asian fusion restaurant will not disappoint you. The ambience is also phenomenal.

Shows

Vegas boasts the hottest and most extravagant shows on the planet. Whether you are looking for jaw dropping acrobatics, the biggest names in music, or want to laugh your evening away, Vegas has just what the doctor ordered. For a full list of shows, Lexi recommends LasVegas.com. Narrowing down the favorites

1.   “O”

If you’re looking for acrobatics, humor and dancing this is always a sold-out show. While Cirque du Soleil is always a great show, this is an aquatic environment, making it even more dramatic.

2.      Le Rêve= The Dream

This aquatic experience takes place in the round theater. Gymnasts and Synchronized Swimmers pop out from the water unexpectedly from every angle.

3.      David Copperfield

This is not your typical rabbit in the hat magic show. David Copperfield is by far the best illusionist in the world.

Shopping

You can find almost every internationally recognized brand spread throughout the casinos. Vegas also has an awesome outlet.

North Premium Outlets

The North Outlets have more than 150 designer and name-brand outlet stores offering you savings of 25% to 65% every day. There is also a large food court and they offer a wide range of customer services.

Bars

There are thousands of great bars. Some suggestions are:

1.      Skybar

This bar sits on the 23rd floor of the Waldorf Astoria. The view of the strip is spectacular, and their cocktail selection is very unique.

2.      The Chandelier

The bar consists of three chandeliers, each encompassing a bar.

Top Things to do in Vegas

1.      See the dancing waterfall fountains at the Bellagio

The Bellagio fountain show is awesome to watch, especially at night.

2.      Take a ride on the High Roller

This is the world’s tallest observatory wheel and offers the perfect vantage point to see all Las Vegas has to offer.

3.      Head over to Fremont Street

This downtown is a fun place to walk around and experience the old Las Vegas. There is an indoor zip line, street performances, and a light show at night.

These are my recommendations. Anyone with other experiences/recommendations? Please share!

Flamenco: Music and Dance “Con Mucha Pasión”

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Most of us have watched some type of dancing performance, such as ballet, samba or ballroom. Flamenco, a Spanish art form consisting of sweeping arm movements and choreographed stomping, stands out from the rest in many ways. The dance is extremely expressive. The dancers change their facial expressions during the dance to demonstrate all types of feelings contained in the song. These emotions typically include despair, anguish, surprise or adoration to the Virgin Mary. Love is also demonstrated passionately.

Flamenco got its origins in Andalucía. As Manuel Molina, one of Spain’s finest flamenco singers, said in an interview: “In order to sing flamenco, you need first to be a gypsy. We are made from a different cloth.”

In Flamenco every element of each artist’s movements works together to create a unique performance. Of course this includes the dancing, but the hand clapping is an art in and of itself. It becomes the background of the song, along with the sound of the wooden castanets. Oh, wait, there’s more! The “zapateo”, or foot stomping, is part of the act as well. Coordinating all of this is extremely difficult. The singer needs to be in sync with the dancers and the guitarist, as well as the clapping and foot stomping. If you look closely, the singer will often improvise lyrics as he goes. It’s amazing to watch the dancers and musicians adapt to a sudden change like this. Each dance is executed in a crescendo, until it reaches a climax.

Flamenco does not care how old the dancer is. You can see 75+ year old women performing flamenco. Flamenco dancers are proud of themselves and their bodies. Hats off to them!

There are several awesome flamenco shows in Madrid. I was just recently at Las Chinitas. The show was spectacular! At one point, I interjected my lyrics into their song–rather than escort me out, they actually welcomed it.

The show was wonderful, the service was superb, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Handicap? What Handicap?

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Lee Duck-Hee is an 18-year-old tennis player in Korea who has gone up the tennis ladder and is now 143rd in the world.

If I were to summarize his skills, I would say he’s an awesome tennis player. But wait, he’s much more awesome than that, because he is also deaf.

In tennis, reaction time is critical, as you have mere fractions of a second to determine your countermove. Hearing the ball is crucial because it tells you how the ball is going to end up in your court: as a spin, flat or otherwise. No other deaf player has reached this level in sports.

Sometimes a handicap can be overcome if one has a strong desire to do so.

Congratulations, Lee Duck-Hee, we will all be hearing a lot about you in the years to come.