We have talked before about why you may hire someone to do an impression of an accent, and what projects may benefit from using an accent, but let's get into the importance and value that could be found in authenticity. Audiences nowadays tend to prefer and often expect authentic casting for projects. Luckily, agencies like FlyVoiceovers make it easy to provide.
There may be the temptation to think that authenticity in casting for voice work doesn't matter, since the audience can't see the actor. But the truth is that it can absolutely make a world of difference. Even if someone can do a spot-on accent, they aren't actually from that country, and they aren't nearly as familiar with that way of speaking as a native speaker would be. A native speaker would also be better equipped to pronounce terms and proper nouns from their language more fluidly and accurately. Basically, there's nothing better than the real deal.
You may even encounter issues based on the region of the country the role is meant to be from (ask folks from various regions in the US how to say “pecan” and be prepared for a minor war, for example). So hiring someone from that country—and especially that region—you have a better chance of ensuring an accurate read. Whereas someone just doing an impression might not be aware of those regional differences and know to correct accordingly.
Of course there's also just a genuineness that can be found by using authentic casting. Let's say you're doing a documentary about Korean immigrants in the US, and you need narrators for a few excerpts of written accounts by them. By casting native Korean speakers, you would be able to capture and depict a deeper connection to the source material than if you had someone attempt an impression or just read the excerpts with a completely unrelated accent.
And even though voice actors will always try their best to be accurate and respectful when doing an impression of an accent, there is still the risk that it may come across as offensive or mocking. Such a perception could become incredibly detrimental to your project or brand. This risk is eliminated by authentic casting, and it tends to help audiences react more favorably.
While there may be the occasional incidental reason for someone to do an accent impression, it's overall more beneficial to cast authentically for projects. It's also easier than ever to be able to do so, thanks to modern technology. Now you can hire someone who actually lives in Egypt to voice your Egyptian role, without even having to go there yourself. FlyVoiceovers was built upon the concept of internationally accessible talent. With an ever-expanding roster of talent from countries all over the world, we can help you find exactly who you need to voice your project authentically. You're even able to see on our talents' profiles where they are from within their country, in case you need a specific regional accent or dialect. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by casting authentically, so contact us about your project today.