The Magic of Pixar - Voice Casting with Kate Hansen-Birnbaum

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Welcome to High Notes. Conversations on the Art and Business of Voice. Make sure you never miss an episode by pressing that subscribe button. And if you like this episode, please do give it a like and leave us a comment below. Now let's meet this month's guest. Today we have a really special episode for you.

We are joined by Kate Hansen-Birnbaum, a casting director at Pixar, whose work has helped bring to life some of your favourite animated films, including Inside Out 2, Soul, Elemental and Luca. In this episode, we'll chat to Kate about her unique journey and uncover the secrets behind Pixar's casting process, as well as hear her advice for aspiring voice actors.

Whether you're a fan of animation, interested in the art of casting, or just love a good behind the scenes story you are in for a treat.

Melissa: Welcome to [00:01:00] High Notes. Kate, we are so thrilled to have you join us. Thanks for having me. I'm happy to be here. So we'll get straight into it. You've worked on well-known Pixar titles, including Inside Out 2, Soul, Elemental, and I have to say our family favourite, Luca.

Melissa: I want to go back to the beginning of your career. How did your journey into casting begin, and was there a defining moment or experience that kind of set you on this path?

Kate: It's funny, you don't go to school for this kind of thing. It's not a part of a major casting director. So I think most of us, either we find it or it finds us in some way.

Kate: And my journey started, I was very interested in the entertainment industry and so I started at a talent agency in San Francisco and I, I felt very fortunate to land where I landed at that agency because that agency JE Talent, and John Erlendson and Janice Erlendson, they started the agency. They were actors in theatre themselves, and they [00:02:00] started it as actors for the actor.

Kate: And so I got a really beautiful in depth kind of mentorship with them, just understanding the actor and the industry and how that all kind of works. And so I started bottom floor and worked my way up. And by the time I kinda left around seven years, I was an agent there working with voiceover and. On camera and kind of Pixar was a client of ours and so I had been working with the casting team for many years there and was ready to just make the transition.

Kate: And it was a lot of like right place, right time moment. And I switched to the other side of the desk, and I've been at Pixar now for a little over seven years and it's been such a fun journey. And what's great about it too, is I'm also still speaking with the JE Talent friends, and so it's still kind of all.

Kate: All full circle in, in a, in kind of a beautiful way. And yeah, it's been, it's been a journey. 

Melissa: They must be so proud of you. Do they ever tell you that? 

Kate: Yeah, [00:03:00] it's been really fun. You know, I still stay in touch with Janice and unfortunately John passed. I still kind of rely on Janice for some things here and there, and I talk with Cal and it's just, yes, it's been, it's, it's wonderful to stay in touch and, and still kind of be, be a part of that world.

Melissa: I can imagine. Let's talk a little bit about some of the insights at casting at Pixar. Can you talk us through the casting process there? 

Kate: Yeah, so our films, it's, it takes four to six years to make one of our films. It takes a very long time. So there's a lot of processes that go into it. And usually when we start on a film, we're casting the film twice, essentially.

Kate: So the first round is early, it's we're using temp vocals, temp sound. We're using a lot of. Just internal talent, internal Pixar people to just get the voices up on the reels. And, and then a few years in, we kind of start in on the actual casting. And you know, I work with an amazing team and we [00:04:00] cover a lot of content. So, you know, we have someone who's really great at going, goes to improv shows and watches a lot of theatre and is in that world and sketch comedy. And then another person on our team is like very much into the procedurals and cable TV and then worked as all spanning all of the content as much as we can.

Kate: And then we'd get lists together. And we kinda get a casting breakdown from the director of what they're envisioning. And we work with some incredible directors who also bring great perspectives and ideas to the table. And we get lists together based off what they're envisioning. And we pull clips and listen in a room of; we're usually going for about 15 actors.

In a session to just kinda listen and hear. And then from there we whittle it down if there's like top two or top three. And then we're usually doing, at that point, once we've narrowed it down, we're doing a character test where we're [00:05:00] taking the voice and matching it up with the art and seeing how that sounds together.

Kate: And then once it all goes together, then we put the offer out. And then sometimes too, we're reaching out to agencies. I would say we're either doing the clip polling side of things, or we're. I'm reaching out to agencies and getting auditions that way as well. It's so fascinating to hear this firsthand, and I wanna pick up on a couple of things.

Melissa: Right at the beginning you said you, the team have a kind of wide scope, and I'm guessing it's your job to be culturally curious, right? To go and stand up and to look outside agencies as well, and that's great to have that as a job in your job description, right? 

Kate: Yes. Yeah, and we're a lot watching sketches on YouTube of folks that have popped into our radar and agencies will send us demos and we're listening to those. And we have a casting database that we use internally, and I think we've got about 5,000 actors on there between clips and demos. And yeah, we are pulling from a lot of. A lot [00:06:00] of places and watching a lot of content and we keep our own internal lists and we have like unique voices list and just quirky, a quirky list.

Kate: And the whole thing with animation too is that that get ability with the voice that. Anything that's like unique that animators can grab onto and animate. So it's really thrilling when we're out there looking for either something specific or we just stumble upon an actor who's just got such a unique vocal quality and we, that's one of the thrilling things is, oh my gosh, listen to this voice. Yeah, it's amazing. 

Melissa: It's really funny because in my local organic shop around the corner, there is someone that works behind the counter there, and I'm not kidding. Every time she serves me, I keep thinking I really need to ask her to record her voice and send it to someone because it's so unique. It's like nothing I've ever heard before. So it's great that you are on the lookout for those sorts of things. 

Kate: Totally. Yeah. It's, it's a very [00:07:00] thrilling moment when someone's coming across something and then we just keep that person in mind, right? Oh my gosh, we gotta find something there. There's gotta be something. And sometimes it's like it pops up and it's the right moment, and other times, five years goes by and we're like, oh, we finally found like a little, like we found something for them. Oh, I love that. I love that. Yeah. And that's really thrilling. 
Melissa: What key qualities make a voice stand out for you? 

Kate: Yeah, so it's texture, some sort of just something very interesting and unique. Yeah, just that and having something that we know animation and animators can grab onto a bit. Yeah. 

Melissa: And is that a natural quality that you're looking for or is it more about actors learning how to put something on? 

Kate: Yeah. So what's interesting about our process, and it's different, I'm sure at other studios, is that we cast natural voices. So we're never asking an actor to put a voice on. So we're never looking for a Saturday morning cartoon feel [00:08:00] we're off. We're casting authentic, like we're searching for kids, we're casting kids. So it's never about putting on a voice for us. And so it's just the natural delivery is how we're assessing a voice.

Kate: And obviously improv is such a big key to our process and when we hear an audition, for example, or know someone who's very good at improv, that's always perks us up as well. Let's get down to some of the technicalities. How many auditions do you typically review in a day or a week? Yeah, it, it varies.

Kate: Sometimes it's 40 to 50 for one, one role and like for Luca example, we listen to 1,200 kids for the lead. So it really varies. Yeah. So it, you know, it spans a big range, but it's a lot of, yeah, it's a lot. And that those take months, like casting leads can take months and months, sometimes years. But yeah, the 1,200 was, that was our record so far.

Melissa: Wow. Incredible. [00:09:00] Just let's touch very lightly on the approach that you have at Pixar to diverse and inclusive casting. Is there anything you can share with us on that? 

Kate: We're committed to reflecting the world we live in, and so when we have these movies, for example, that have fish and dinosaurs and fire and water and rats, that's where we really can lean into diverse casting.

Kate: And we're also just committed, uh. To diverse teams within our, within the company. So creative teams, our crew, our story leads to bring a diverse world through those lenses as well. And then when we're in casting meetings with directors, the director never knows who they're listening to. So it's always actor 1, 2, 3, 4. So it removes any unconscious biases and we are just listening to the voice alone. So the director never knows who they're listening to, which, which is helpful in that sense. And it's also very fascinating what you think someone sounds like when you know they're, [00:10:00] you're listening to them and then when you take that away, it's an interesting kind of, just an interesting way of listening to the voices. Those are kind of the ways we're, we're, and you know, we're continuing to keep that at the forefront as we keep casting these movies. 

Melissa: So talking about age, one of our eldest talent at BRAVA, which I love is 81, an incredible talent. 

Kate: Oh my gosh, amazing. 

Melissa: What unique qualities do younger and older actors bring to animation, and what advice would you give to them when auditioning?

Kate: Yeah, so we cast authentic kids or authentic adults. So when we have a character that is a kid, we're casting kids and when we have an older character, we're casting within that an actor that sounds that age. That's our process. And I, any advice I would give is just to, to lean into that character as much as you can with that specific age. And I think it's the lived experience. You bring your experience to the [00:11:00] character and, and I think that's why it's important for us specifically to really cast authentically that way so that we're bringing those little nuances and those experiences to the character. So yeah, it's the approach for us.

Melissa: So think back to all those years ago when you started as a newbie at JE Talent. What are the biggest changes you've seen in casting over the years? 

Kate: Yeah, I mean, I think this is a universal, I can imagine is just the remote auditioning now. There's pros and cons to it. What's so great is we're able to see more talent and hear more talent. So that's been so wonderful is getting more, the opportunity for actors has expanded. The cons that sometimes happens too is that it's just, it's, you're not in the room as much anymore, right? So, you're not getting that in-person experience. That can be tricky, but I would say the remote auditions, it's just post-covid has absolutely exploded and that's changed how our process [00:12:00] was. We used to bring in a lot more, and now with remote auditions we're able to see. Talent that isn't just in LA or New York, we can open that up and bring in someone over Zoom to audition from Missouri or wherever that person may be. So that's been a, a big positive. But yeah, no, it's, it's been amazing how Covid hit with Zoom, and it has stayed, stayed that way. 

Melissa: Do you miss being in the room more with actors or, I do. 

Kate: You know, it's such a unique experience and I think it's really helpful for the actor, and so we're trying as best as we can, when we can to do that more, again, with just how the accessibility of just hopping on a Zoom is, especially with director's time is, is why we've continued to do it. But yeah, I think there's just a unique, uh, uh, you just lose a little bit within Zoom, but I think we're hopeful that as time goes on, we can start opening that back up again and really getting some more in [00:13:00] person. Auditions going. 

Melissa: So talking about those animation auditions, what would your top three tips be to help actors stand out?

Kate: So I think authenticity and making sure you're in your natural voice show range, do multiple takes, play around with it. I think for us it's just have one take where it's off the page, how it's being read. And then take two - have fun with it. Do some improv. Show us, be bold. Do something different. And then I think for the third here is just, sound matters. Make sure your audio is so dialled. There's so been many auditions where it's like, ah, man, it's just the audio is just not quite where it needs to be. And of course, we. We'll make note and have that actor rerecord, but it's, the audio is such a big thing and what's so amazing now too, is that you just can use your iPhone and a closet. It's amazing. Usually with auditions, we're just telling folks who don't have professional setups [00:14:00] that put your, just do voice memos on your iPhone with a pair of headphones in a padded room or under a blanket and it, the quality works. That works just as well. Yeah. 
Natural voice. 
Show us your range and;
Good quality audio 

Melissa: Wise words indeed. Take note, everyone Take note. Let's touch a little bit on British talent, if we may. What advice would you give to UK based actors looking to break into animation voiceover? Are there any qualities in British talent that you find particularly appealing?

Kate: Yeah, the dialect and storytelling that UK actors bring is very unique and different than obviously US actors. When we have those, we're definitely reaching out to UK based talent and if also for UK based talent as well. It's now that because voiceover is so globally now, breaking into US markets and having a US agent to put you in that pool [00:15:00] is also something to possibly explore.

Melissa: It's always the stock characters, isn't it? Or the quirky characters or the evil characters that tend to be British. 
Kate: You can't have a US actor, American actor play that that has to come. That's such an authentic, authentic place in terms of dialect and yeah, we're seeing more kind of reaching out, hearing more of British talent and, and there's always, different spots for them within animation. Absolutely. 

Melissa: Good. I'm so pleased to hear it. We know that the world of casting can be incredibly demanding. You're dealing with clients, you're dealing with voice actors, you're having to provide feedback. Probably fielding quite a lot of emails from voice actors.

Kate: Yes. 

Melissa: I would suspect. How do you maintain a sense of work life balance? Do you have any boundaries that help you avoid burnout? Just talk to me about that. 

Kate: When we have these auditions that come in where we're just, there's a lot of it. My kind [00:16:00] of way of handling it is I listen to a lot in the morning when I'm nice and fresh and can get through it, and then taking breaks. I'm stepping away and coming back when I can in the afternoon or, or next day. So taking it in chunks when there's a, when there's a big, a big push for with auditions. Just like taking the weekend when I can. And I have a 3-year-old son at home, and so we're really into camping right now, and so taking some breaks and going to nature and stepping back is how I keep that balance.

Kate: Balance on my world when it's crazy, it's crazy and you kind of just, you have to just push through it. And so, but I think that the taking kind of breaks and listening chunks at a time has been really helpful. And, you know, my, our, the team I work with is absolutely amazing. And so just collaboratively we're we kind of help each other when we can on, on, on that and yeah, so it's, it's, it's definitely a balance. 

Melissa: Our engineer, who you've just briefly met [00:17:00] today, he, I said, oh, it's been so busy, and do you know what he said in his beautiful Scottish accent? He said, just go and make a cup of tea and read some poetry. 
Kate: Exactly.

Melissa: Read some poetry. 

Kate: Exactly. Sometimes I'll put auditions on my I, on my earbuds, and then do a lap around. Just go for a walk. I know. Or, or I have a, I just got a treadmill desk at the office and so that's been really helpful to be walking and listening. Yeah, just the little things like making a cup of tea. 

Melissa: Yeah. And, but then he said, read poetry. And I thought, do you know what I'm gonna, I'm gonna have a little poetry book next to me. Exactly. We love to think of ourselves as artists, right? So today I say to you, when you have a break, read a little bit of poetry and think of us, BRAVA. 

Kate: I love that. 

Melissa: All right. I love that too. 

Melissa: Okay. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the industry today, there are so many messages to someone starting out that come from the industry. It's too [00:18:00] hard. There are too many people doing it. I understand that, but I also think, why not me? Why shouldn't we start out? Why shouldn't someone new be coming up? And I'm really interested to know what your advice would be to those people just starting out. 

Kate: Just start. You gotta just start and stay curious and try so many different things. There's, what's beautiful about voiceover is that there are so many avenues you can take between video games and commercial and character voice. And I would just say, just dive in and try. Try as many different avenues as you can and find what you love and what is exciting to you,  and just hone your craft in that way. And I'm also just such a firm believer of like activity breeds activity and to keep going and keep doing and something, just from that activity, something just pops. It's just a funny thing. I've seen it over the years where, you know the actor who's doing [00:19:00] voiceover classes and maybe doing an audio book on the side and trying all these things and doing all these things, and it's amazing how as that happens, just other things pop for them. They get an audition and I book that or, and so doing that versus sitting and waiting by the phone kind of thing is such a big, such. Just doing that activity is, is so important. And then I would say make a demo, throw it out to some agencies, see what you can get from that, but to kind of staying curious and trying it all. Finding kind of what you love. 

Melissa: Yeah, I think that's great advice and something that we talk a lot about here at BRAVA. We do explain a lot of the time that this is a craft, this voice acting lark, and it does take time. It's not something that you can learn in an hour or a day, and it's like I say to my kids all the time. You get out what you put in. That's the only way. 

Kate: Oh, exactly. It is so true. You know, it, it's so [00:20:00] true. And to just keep just staying curious and, and finding, you know, finding that thing that sparks you and keeps you interested and, and honing it. 

Melissa: Yeah, so, so interesting. Finally, we're coming up to the end of our chat. I could honestly sit here for another three hours, but I know you have a schedule or schedule I should say. So finally, is there anything else you'd like to share at your role at Pixar? Perhaps a lesson known aspect of the casting process, or even a favourite moment from your career that we are allowed to hear about. 

Kate: Yeah. Yeah. I think with casting, I think one of the big things with bringing actors in, and one of the things I wanna let them all know is that we're here, we're rooting for you so much when you come into the room. Like we want you to book that. That is all we want is for you to come in and nail it, and so we're so much on your side. And to come in kind of with that mindset that we're, we're here to support you. We want you to book this job and [00:21:00] you know, we're, as much as we can. And to also just be bold and try new things and, you know, hone your improv. Hone your improv as much as you can. That's gonna be so helpful, especially in the voiceover world. 

Kate: In terms of favourite moments of my career there, there are a few that really stand out and I think one of the really fun casting projects we worked on was Elemental for various reasons. And I think one of the big challenges we had on that movie, which was a beautiful challenge, was the director, Peter Sohn, was, you know what we, we want an actor who sounds like fire. We want an actor that sounds like water. And so we're kind of like, oh man, okay. What does fire sound like? What does water sound like? Right? And so when we found those with fire, you know, we wanted someone who kind of had that real raspiness to their voice. Leah Lewis, who plays Ember, was such a perfect fit for that.

Kate: And then water, we were like, okay, is it, is it a gurgly sound? Like what kind of sound does water sound like? And we [00:22:00] did a lot of auditions and we found Mamoudou Athie and he just has that, and he plays Wade and he kind of just has that texture to his voice. It's so hard to describe, but it's, he fit, fit that character. So, perfect. Perfectly. And so that was a really fun challenge and we were really excited when that all came together. And watching them on screen is just it such a fun and a wonderful thing to see and that, so that's one of those that stand out just in terms of the challenge. And we were so up for it and it was such a fun process.

Kate: And then what's also so fun when you, when you have actors that you see early on in their career, Ayo Edebiri for example, she was Envy on in Inside Out 2, and we saw her when she was just doing stand-up at a, at a festival here in San Francisco and so we kind of always had her in our back pocket and it was the right role at the right time for Envy for Inside Out 2.

Kate: And so that was really fun when that kind of, you know, [00:23:00] comes together in that way. 

Melissa: It's so fascinating to hear these personal anecdotes and I'm just thinking now we're coming up to the end of the chat and I'm just thinking from a voice actor's point of view, imagine getting that call and saying, you are in. I just can't even imagine what that feels like. Are you the one that makes that call? 

Kate: It's a team where it's a team effort. Yes. Between the team. Someone's making that call. I, I've absolutely done those. And they're so, it's, so you're calling the agent and the agent's just always so over the moon and it's so fun. It's so fun to have those calls. That's kind of a highlight of the job when you can make those phone calls and, and let that person know and yeah, no, it's, it, that's definitely one of those moments of the job that is, is the fun part for sure. 

Melissa: Well, what a magnificent place to end on. One of the biggest highlights. I'm gonna send you off with a book of poetry and a cup of tea. 

Kate: Yes, thank you. 

Melissa: I might go record the [00:24:00] lady in the shop and send it to you. But Kate, it has been such a pleasure to talk to you today and find out more about Pixar and your work as a casting director. Thank you so much for your time. It's been brilliant. 

Kate: Thank you. This was so wonderful. 

You've been listening to High Notes, a podcast on the Art and Business of Voice. Thanks for joining us on this episode of High Notes. Check out the episode description below. For more information and to find out more about our work at BRAVA and get info and tips, subscribe to our newsletter. Join us next time for more insights into the world of voice.