Deeny Kaplan, EVP, The Kitchen: We've developed a set of techniques specifically tailored to our young talents
According to The Kitchen’s experience, using adult voice actors to dub children’s characters is the most common practice. Deeny Kaplan, the company’s Executive VP, explains that this approach offers several advantages. “Adults are generally faster and more experienced,” she says. “While we always encourage new and young voices, we must remember that children are still children. When they come to us for a recording session, they’ve already spent six hours in school. Their attention span can be limited, so we ensure they have plenty of breaks, snacks, and other amenities.”
The Kitchen maintains a roster of child voice actors and believes there are opportunities to expand this pool by offering local courses and casting calls in various territories. “We’ve established long-term partnerships with local schools, camps, and theater groups,” says Kaplan. “We also provide voice classes, taught by our experienced dubbing directors.”
Kaplan says, working with children is both rewarding and challenging. They bring a wealth of creativity to the table but require a great deal of patience. “Children want to have fun while they learn,” she explains, “and we’ve developed a set of techniques specifically tailored to our young talents.” Over time, they’ve witnessed these young voices grow and develop.
Peter Dager was a long-time member of The Kitchen young voice talent roster at their Miami studios. After graduating from high school, he relocated to New York and quickly landed a role in a feature film. Today, he co-stars in a new primetime TV comedy series with Owen Wilson. “We’re proud to believe that we played a small part in his development and success,” Kaplan added.
“The ability to choose the perfect talent, considering their necessary attributes, is a talent in and of itself,” adds Kaplan.
Adapting dubbing for children’s content is a specialized area within the industry. “It’s our responsibility to understand what is culturally acceptable in each country,” says Kaplan. “Sometimes an image or scene is fine in one part of the world but not in another. Clients rely on our expertise to navigate these cultural nuances.”
Dubbing has a profound impact, particularly on young audiences. “Children are natural imitators, whether it’s a catchy theme song or a unique accent. Before Peppa Pig arrived on American television, broadcasters were skeptical about the appeal of British accents to American children. However, they were proven wrong as a new generation of children born and raised in the US embraced the Pig family’s British accent with enthusiasm.”
The same applies to theme songs. Most children’s programs feature an opening theme song that is dubbed once and used consistently throughout the series.
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