The late '60s gave rise to a number of sci-fi hits, among them was the TV series "Lost in Space." Among its vibrant cast was child actor Bill Mumy who played the pivotal role of Will Robinson. Fast forward to the present, where Scary Robot Productions, led by CEO Dustin Adair, is crafting a video game inspired by this sci-fi classic. One of the major challenges facing was the fact that the voice is changing as we grow. Replicating the voice of a character from an era when voice recording quality was subpar is only the first step. Making an authentic-sounding AI model would be the real test of Respeecher’s ingenuity.
The Challenge
To recreate the voice of child actor Bill Mumy from "Lost in Space" for the video game, since he made his first recording when he was a kid and how his voice has changed. Since the quality of the original recordings from the '60s did not meet the standards for restoration, they could not act as reference material for the foundation of the voice model.
The Solution
Dustin, being a visionary, decided not to rely on the past. Instead, he turned to Respeecher's expansive Voice Marketplace. He began by recording specific lines of dialogue himself, using these as the source voice for the transformation. Then, delving into Respeecher's vast voice library, Dustin found an ideal match: a child’s voice that closely resembled the original actor's. By blending the source voice with this selected child’s voice, the result was an astonishing indistinguishable match.
"With Respeecher, we took a journey into voice transformation. Their technology, termed voice cloning, works like magic. You provide the target voice recording and they train their system. Once that’s done, Respeecher simply applies this model to the source voice. Remember when Luke Skywalker made that epic cameo in 'The Mandalorian'? It's the same magic!"
Highlighting the challenges with ADR, especially for children, it's clear why Respeecher's solution was a game-changer. With the unpredictability of parents, the changing voice of young actors, and varied acting skills in a studio setting, going about ADR the traditional way can be a minefield. But synthetic speech technology is revolutionizing this domain. Using just an hour's worth of recorded materials of a child’s voice, an adult actor can replicate their dialogue with impeccable authenticity.
This isn't just about replicating voices for a single project. STS technology has broader implications, especially for animated films. Characters in animated movies don't age. Imagine a character like Hiccup from "How to Train Your Dragon" — he has to retain his youthful voice in every scene of every movie, irrespective of the years that elapse between them. Respeecher's voice cloning guarantees this consistency, making it both convenient and effortless for production studios. In addition, the technology enables child voice actors to continue collecting royalties for their voices long after they've grown up
Wrapping Up
As Dustin and Scary Robot Productions discovered, with Respeecher, the possibilities are endless. Whether it's restoring voices from the past or crafting new ones for animated heroes, the future of voice technology is promising. For producers and creators navigating voice challenges, Respeecher offers a blend of innovation, authenticity, and convenience.
