The pre-production phase includes the crucial step of Dialogue Recording, where the voice actors record the scratch track (or temporary dialogue). This is the foundation for the animatic and subsequently the animators’ work, as it dictates the specific timing, pitch, and emotional delivery that the animators must match with the character’s performance.

While a final, high-quality audio mix (the final track) might be recorded later in the process, the scratch track is essential for the animatic’s timing lock and for providing the animators with reference for lip-sync and emotional cues. Without this audio track, the storyboard is silent and the animatic is static, making performance timing impossible.

This recording session also serves to influence the script and character performance itself. The actor’s interpretation of a line can inspire a director to change the character’s blocking or rewrite the dialogue for better flow. This integration of performance and writing during pre-production ensures that the visual animation work is built on a solid, performance-driven audio foundation.