Lip sync
Lip sync or lip synch, short for lip synchronization, is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements with sung or spoken vocals.
Audio for lip syncing is generated through the sound reinforcement system in a live performance or via television, computer, cinema speakers, or other forms of audio output. The term can refer to any of a number of different techniques and processes, in the context of live performances and audiovisual recordings.
In film production, lip syncing is often part of the post-production phase. Dubbing foreign-language films and making animated characters appear to speak both require elaborate lip syncing. Many video games make extensive use of lip-synced sound files to create an immersive environment in which on-screen characters appear to be speaking. In the music industry, lip syncing is used by singers for music videos, television and film appearances and some types of live performances. Lip syncing by singers can be controversial to fans attending concert performances who expect to view a live performance.
In music
Lip sync is considered a form of miming. It can be used to make it appear as though actors have substantial singing ability, to simulate a vocal effect that can be achieved only in the recording studio ; to improve performance during choreographed live dance numbers that incorporate vocals; to misattribute vocals entirely, or to cover deficiencies in live performance. It is also commonly used in drag shows. Sometimes lip sync performances are forced on performers by television producers to shorten the guest appearances of celebrities, as it requires less time for rehearsals and hugely simplifies the process of sound mixing, or to eliminate the risk of vocal errors. Some artists lip sync because they are not confident singing live and want to avoid singing out of tune.Because the film track and music track are recorded separately during the creation of a music video, artists usually lip sync their songs and often imitate playing musical instruments as well. Artists also sometimes move their lips at a faster speed than the recorded track, to create videos with a slow-motion effect in the final clip, which is widely considered to be complex to achieve. Similarly, some artists have been known to lip sync backward for music videos such that, when reversed, the singer is seen to sing forwards while time appears to move backwards in his or her surroundings, such as in Coldplay's "The Scientist".
Notable exceptions to this trend include Bruce Springsteen's hit "Streets of Philadelphia", which only uses the instruments as a backing track while the vocals were recorded with a microphone attached on the singer, giving a different feel to it.
On American Bandstand and most variety shows of the 1960s, vocals and instrumentals were all synced to pre-recorded music. Since the creation of MTV in the 1980s, many artists have focused on visual effects, rather than singing, for their live shows. Artists often lip sync during strenuous dance numbers in both live and recorded performances.
Complex performance
Artists often lip sync during strenuous dance numbers in both live and recorded performances, due to lung capacity being needed for physical activity. Michael Jackson is an example of this; he performed complex dance routines while lip syncing and live singing. His performance on the television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever changed the scope of live stage show. Ian Inglis, author of Performance and Popular Music: History, Place and Time notes the fact that "Jackson lip-synced 'Billie Jean' is, in itself, not extraordinary, but the fact that it did not change the impact of the performance is extraordinary; whether the performance was live or lip synced made no difference to the audience," thus creating an era in which artists recreate the spectacle of music video imagery on stage.Chris Nelson of The New York Times reported: "Artists like Madonna and Janet Jackson set new standards for showmanship, with concerts that included not only elaborate costumes and precision-timed pyrotechnics but also highly athletic dancing. These effects came at the expense of live singing." Edna Gundersen of USA Today comments that the complexity of modern stage show has forced "singing and musicianship into minor roles", citing as example artists such as New Kids on the Block, Milli Vanilli, George Michael, Cher, Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson. Gundersen elaborates: "The most obvious example is Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour, a visually preoccupied and heavily choreographed spectacle. Madonna lip-syncs the duet 'Now I'm Following You', while a Dick Tracy character mouths Warren Beatty's recorded vocals. On other songs, background singers plump up her voice, strained by the exertion of non-stop dancing."
Changing fan expectations
Billboard editor Thom Duffy commented in 1990: "The expectations of fans have changed, and that's the driving force here... They expect a concert as perfect as what they see on MTV." Rashod D. Ollison of The Baltimore Sun observed in 2004: "Since the advent of MTV and other video music channels, pop audiences have been fed elaborate videos thick with jaw-dropping effects, awesome choreography, fabulous clothes, marvelous bodies. And the same level of perfection is expected to extend beyond the video set to the concert stage. So if Britney Spears, Janet Jackson or Madonna sounds shrill and flat without a backing track, fans won't pay up to $300 for a concert ticket."Using real singing and some lip syncing
Some singers habitually lip sync during live performances, both concert and televised, over pre-recorded music and mimed backing vocals; this is known as singing over playback. Some artists switch between live singing and lip syncing during a performance, particularly during songs that require them to hit particularly high or low notes. Lip syncing these notes ensures that the performer will not be out of tune or strain their voice. Once the difficult portion of the song has passed, the artist may continue to lip sync or may resume singing live. Some artists lip sync choruses during songs but sing the main verses.Musical theater
The practice of syncing also occurs in musical theater, for much the same purpose as for musicians. A production may include a mix of lip synced and live musical numbers. In long-running shows, this may be done to help protect the performer's voice from strain and damage, as well as to maintain a high caliber of production. A notable example of using lip syncing as a special effect includes performances of The Phantom of the Opera, with swing actors in the same costumes as the lead actors give the illusion of the characters moving around the stage with some mystery.Parade floats
Artists may also lip sync in situations in which their backup bands and sound reinforcement systems cannot be accommodated, such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which features popular singers lip syncing while riding floats.Types
"ome of the most talented singers have been caught in the act of lip-synching". Arts journalist Chuck Taylor says that it is considered "an egregious offense", but he points out that when singers are dancing and doing complex stage shows, it is hard to sing live. On some TV show performances, "the singer's microphone is still on. On the parts they're not confident on or if the performance is physically demanding, the artist will sing quieter, and more of the performance track vocals can be heard." There are "very few artists who completely lip-sync" while a backing track is playing with "full lead vocals", a practice done due to "weather conditions, technical issues, or sickness."For entertainment and effect
Lip syncing where the audience knows the performer is pretending has also been popular as a form of musical pantomime, in which performers mime to pre-recorded music for the public's entertainment. It is often performed by drag performers. Iron Maiden and Muse both mocked demands by two music television programs to give mimed performances, by having their band members deliberately swap instruments.Examples of lip sync performances have also been popular as viral videos on the internet. An early example, "Numa Numa", a video recorded by Gary Brolsma of him dancing and lip syncing to the song "Dragostea din Tei", was ranked in 2007 by The Viral Factory as the second most-viewed viral video of all time behind the Star Wars Kid.
Various television competition programs have been built around lip sync performances, such as Puttin' on the Hits, and Lip Service. Comedian Jimmy Fallon incorporated similar performances with celebrities as sketches during his late night talk show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; he oversaw a standalone television series for Spike, Lip Sync Battle, which extended the concept into a competitive format between pairs of celebrities. Owing to their prominence as part of drag culture, the reality competition franchise RuPaul's Drag Race uses lip sync performances as a recurring challenge, particularly to eliminate contestants.
Mobile apps such as Dubsmash and TikTok, which allow users to record their own lip sync videos to pre-existing audio and song clips for sharing on social networking services or an internal platform, have also been popular.
In 2015, Maine Mendoza — a Filipino content creator who had been nicknamed the "Queen of Dubsmash" — became a cast member of the Filipino variety show Eat Bulaga! She appeared in a recurring sketch as a character named Yaya Dub, whose dialogue consisted exclusively of lip synced audio. Her spontaneous reactions to fellow cast member Alden Richards during a remote broadcast resulted in the creation of an on-air couple known as AlDub, in which the two were portrayed as a couple who never physically meet, and communicated solely via lip syncing. The couple became a major cultural phenomenon in the country, and appeared on-stage for the first time in an October 2015 concert special, Tamang Panahon. A hashtag associated with the special received 41 million posts within 24 hours on Twitter, beating a global record previously set during Brazil and Germany's semi-final match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.