Talking Toys: Who Voices Those Anyway?
By Lin Parkin
March 4, 2011
Ever wondered who the voices of talking toys are or how to get that kind of work?
Voicing for these applications can be fun and there's a broad spectrum of vocal needs for toys ranging from animation related franchise toys to educational aids and more.
Are you the voice of a talking toy? Join the conversation in today's VOX Daily!
Toys That Talk
A couple days ago I was visiting a Toys R' Us store preparing to unabashedly dote on my two year old son. As I was wandering around I noticed that there must be hundreds of toys that have the ability to engage children with playfulness, education, and conversation - albeit a little one sided.
There were:
๠Dolls that talk - among other things!
๠Games that stimulate the mind
๠Musical instruments that educate
๠Interactive audio-books
๠Monitors that sing lullabies
๠And so much more!
My How Things Have Changed!
It's amazing. The only talking toys that emerged when I was young were barking dogs and dolls that wailed at you incessantly. The sound quality was so poor it literally made parents cringe and children click the off switch.
At some point between then and now toy makers started appealing their products to parents well as kids, making toys an interactive learning experience, and their products started selling like hot-cakes!
Talking toys have come a long way. Some of the more expensive products that I came across even had digital chips with fairly decent sound quality so the voices didn't sound all tinny.
Toy manufacturers are stepping up to the plate and hiring professional voice talent to help improve the quality of their products even further. They have come to realize that if a toy has a lively and appealing voice it will help sell their products.
Are You The Voice Of A Talking Toy?
With each string I pulled and each button I pushed I couldn't help but wonder if any of these delightful voices belonged to talent members at Voices.com.
If you've ever voiced a talking toy, we'd love to hear about it!
Please comment below.
- Lin
©iStockphoto.com/Stanislav Komogorov
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Becoming a voice actor, working from your own home recording studio and auditioning for voice-over jobs is within your reach!
- Homer Simpson for a toy speakerphone prototype (that was right after I won the Voices.com contest!)
- a Steiff Teddy Bear
- a Lionel model train
Posted by:I did an incredible series of cartoons. 52 episodes of prelay animation and I believe was going to include talking toys and sing-a-long CD's. Sadly, the producer died before any of it could go to air. It's too bad. It was such a fun, cute series.
Posted by:I am the voice of the Engineer/Conductor in two Lionel Trains. Got the job by auditioning through Voices.com!
Posted by:Talking toys? How about Yodeling toys?
I'm a Yodeling Pickle (and several other toys) for Archie McPhee company - you can see a demo here:
http://www.yodellingpickle.com/
I was paid for the job in rubber chickens.
No... really.
Posted by:Last year my then 15 year old daughter became the voice of Mattel's Digitec Diary. She got the job another P2P site and recorded it in a studio in Malibu California.
Posted by:Yes, several. At least half of them through Voices.com too.
-- Pig E. Bank (counts coins and encourages children to save their $)
-- Cash Cow (same company & concept. Just different vehicle)
-- Fat Cat & Friends - Garfield-like talking cat with 2 Mice that talk and sing Christmas song
-- and other video game characters etc.
Posted by:I am the voice of Princess Hand Soap... a gig I won through Voices.com. I was also the voice of the award winning "Sid the Fish" for Falls River Municipal Credit Union. I did it as a joke cuz it was a boy fish.. but the powers that be loved it! :)
Posted by:I am Mr. Monopoly in the game Monopoly Town (a version intended to teach young kids skills such as counting). There's a little finger hole in the package so you can press down on his head and hear him (me) speak.
Posted by:I'm a V-Tech toy that comes out this spring. I recorded it almost a year ago. I'm not sure what it is yet, but when they tell me I can't wait to let my kids play with it!
Posted by:I'm a talking "hedgehog" in the UK!
Posted by:Last year I was hired by Fisher Price Toys to be the voice of a brand new toy. I can't tell you it's name because I signed a nondisclosure agreement. The point of replying to this thread is not to toot my own horn but rather to encourage voice actors to never give up. At sixty years young I was voicing a toy that will appeal to children from 3-8 years old !
Posted by:Not exactly a toy, but an iPad/iPhone app - I'm the English voice (there's a Spanish voice too) for an app that teaches toddlers their numbers, letters and colors. :) It was produced by a company in Miami Florida and I did the recording here in my home studio north of Toronto Canada. :) It was lots of fun!
Posted by:I am the voice of the Red Rover toy from Mattel. (also the announcer/singer on the TV spot). I think they saved some money that way!
Posted by:i am the voice of snoopy from charlie brown.
Posted by: