So, I watch probably way too many cartoons and I've noticed that they don't always have a credit for "director" or "directed by". However, most do have "voice director" or "voices directed by" in the credit. This seems to meet the criteria as laid out in the director's guide since they would have the most input into the creative process of a cartoon. However, I've noticed that "voice director" and its permutations are in both the miscellaneous crew and in the directors credits. Where does this credit actually belong?
Adrian, Champion
Posted 2 years ago
Nikolay Yeriomin (Mykola Yeromin), Champion
gromit82, Champion
The problem is that ”voice director” credits are now listed in several departments and that’ll always confuse people. These should all be moved under one department, IMO, just like ”studio director” credits a few years ago.
Based on IMDb, ”supervising director” is added to Director category ( https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topi... ), btw.
It’s true that in some animations there can be ”supervising director”, ”voice director” etc - but not a ”director”.
Further more, just like ”cinematographer: New York” type of credits (which should be added to Camera Dept., and not to Cinematography), credits like ”voice director: adr” shouldn’t be listed under Director.
Based on IMDb, ”supervising director” is added to Director category ( https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topi... ), btw.
It’s true that in some animations there can be ”supervising director”, ”voice director” etc - but not a ”director”.
Further more, just like ”cinematographer: New York” type of credits (which should be added to Camera Dept., and not to Cinematography), credits like ”voice director: adr” shouldn’t be listed under Director.
(Edited)
Nikolay Yeriomin (Mykola Yeromin), Champion
I agree with most of the statement, Eboy, but getting "voice director: adr" under director will get many directors as well as voice directors furious and for a very good reason: ADR (automated dialogue replacement) is also a part of live-action filmmaking process: a replacement of background and unimportant talking via dubbing, often without initial talent being involved. The whole point and goal of the process is to be minimally noticed (ideally actors will confuse the voices as their own and audience will follow suite). If there are more then 600 credits that specify ADR work in case of voice directors that pretty much means that "voice director" could be encountered on a live action title and will mean the same thing. "Main" directors were most likely present and in charge here as well, which makes voice director a very specific niche, different from that of direction in general.
My opinion is that voice direction should be a sound department credit, although moving it from the miscellaneous might be a tricky work.
My opinion is that voice direction should be a sound department credit, although moving it from the miscellaneous might be a tricky work.
Adrian, Champion
Thanks guys for your input, though I'm still at a loss of the right thing to do. It just seems wrong to me that there is not a listed director at all for these episodes.
This is where we really need input from IMDb and then have the guides updated so people know the appropriate places to list credits. It would really be helpful if IMDb would create a list of occupations and what department they belong to and make it a living document where new occupations could be arbitrated and assigned departments.
This is where we really need input from IMDb and then have the guides updated so people know the appropriate places to list credits. It would really be helpful if IMDb would create a list of occupations and what department they belong to and make it a living document where new occupations could be arbitrated and assigned departments.
gromit82, Champion
As I see it, whenever IMDb lists credits, the starting point must always be the on-screen credits. That doesn't mean that we have to follow the on-screen credits blindly (otherwise there could never be a (credit only) situation), but they are where we start.
If nobody is credited just as "director", then we should be cautious about trying to assign that job to one of the existing crew members who was credited on screen with a different job title. We should only list someone as being a director (uncredited) if we have good evidence to justify that.
If nobody is credited just as "director", then we should be cautious about trying to assign that job to one of the existing crew members who was credited on screen with a different job title. We should only list someone as being a director (uncredited) if we have good evidence to justify that.
One thing to remember is that if ”voice director” (or similar) credits are added under ”Director”, what then when both are actually credited? Both ”director” and ”voice director” are then added under Director department?
Adrian, Champion
I'm not sure I understand the point you are trying to make. Both credits already exist in the directors department. Are you asking what happens if they both exist for a single title? I'm not sure that is a huge problem.
Nikolay Yeriomin (Mykola Yeromin), Champion
Well, to be fair, in some cases titles have not one, not two but A LOT of directors with specific attributes like "co-director", "special guest director" and dozens more with very specific for assorted animation and video game variations.
I must admit, I've never seen "voice director" in that field. It was weird for me for some time because in a Soviet tradition of animation which is still prevalent in Post-Soviet countries main director of the animated movie is responsible for both the voice direction and the animation direction. However, the more I know about western animation the more I discover about the process and it seems that, despite directors more often then not are still heavily involved in voice recording, a separate voice director is required in ways similar to how director of photography works with director on the visual side of the movie. Smaller production might have the voice director credit being absent for the reason of main director pretty much fulfilling that role, but, then again, directors by their profession almost always have rudimentary skills from a lot of different departments, especially low budget ones.
I must admit, I've never seen "voice director" in that field. It was weird for me for some time because in a Soviet tradition of animation which is still prevalent in Post-Soviet countries main director of the animated movie is responsible for both the voice direction and the animation direction. However, the more I know about western animation the more I discover about the process and it seems that, despite directors more often then not are still heavily involved in voice recording, a separate voice director is required in ways similar to how director of photography works with director on the visual side of the movie. Smaller production might have the voice director credit being absent for the reason of main director pretty much fulfilling that role, but, then again, directors by their profession almost always have rudimentary skills from a lot of different departments, especially low budget ones.
Will, Official Rep
