Haven't you always wanted to know who is behind the distinctive voice of Clint Eastwood? Or who Kate Winslet has to thank for her beautiful German voice? Who makes Julia Roberts laugh so charmingly? Who makes Johnny Depp sound so damn cool? Or are you interested in which voice actors bring cartoon heroes like Homer Simpson, Captain Future or Spongebob Squarepants to life? Then you should definitely pick up Thomas Bräutigam's "Stars und ihre deutschen Stimmen", the encyclopedia of dubbing actors. Because here the voices from the dark finally get a face.
After a brief introduction to the history of dubbing, the working methods of the speakers and a critical look at the pros and cons of German dubbing, the book lists some of the best and most famous dubbing actors. Most of them are introduced with a small photo and a short outline of their work in front of camera and microphone. To rummage and browse through this part of the book is a lot of fun, especially since there are always big surprises when you compare the often unknown faces with the so familiar voices. Also to see which voice actor lends his voice to sometimes very different stars is an extremely exciting matter for interested readers.
Whoever is looking for a certain German voice can find out the corresponding dubbing actor in a separate directory on the basis of international actors. And last but not least, there is also a selection of films and TV series whose most important roles are assigned their corresponding voice actors. Thus, the search for a spokesman or a spokeswoman is possible in three ways.
Although the encyclopedia is not complete (an enclosed CD with an extensive, supplementary listing of films and TV series and their speakers as a pdf file is enclosed with the book) and not all of the total of over 300 presented speakers are represented with a photo, the book is a must for all who are interested in film dubbing. Finally the partly excellent work of the people is appreciated, who otherwise always stand in the shadow of the big stars or whose work is even demonized by dubbing opponents. The fact that good dubbing is an art that is also closely related to the quality of the voice actors is all too often forgotten - or taken for granted. But in this book, the voices are the big stars - and that's exactly why the Lexikon der Synchronsprecher can only be warmly recommended!
An article by Frankfurt-Tipp
