What Does Dubbing Mean in Movies?

For films with poor audio quality, dubbing becomes essential. Dialogue in long-distance shots can become unclear or inaudible due to background noise, and microphones may not pick up the actors' voices. When these circumstances arise, dubbing can be recorded after filming and mixed into the original film to restore the audio quality. However, dubbing requires meticulous planning and coordination, particularly if the movie has subtitles in another language.

It’s a form of post-synchronized revoicing

Film dubbing is also a technique for revoicing a film in different languages. The process involves recording all the speech and dialogue in another language and replacing the original dialogue with a different language voice. In some cases, this is done digitally to ensure that the dubbing is accurate and synchronized with the original language. It is important to match the mouth shapes and sounds of the actors (lip-sync dubbing) to the recorded dialogue for making sure the dubbing process is smoother.

In the early days of cinema, sound-on-film technology was limited, and many films were not made with a good sound quality. Thomas Edison first experimented with sound on film with his Kinetophone in 1895 but failed due to the lack of amplification. Gaumont's Chronophone and Nolan's Cameraphone followed, and finally, Lee De Forest's Phonofilm debuted in 1923, making it the first optical sound-on-film technology.

In the early 1930s, dubbing began to emerge in Western Europe and became the standard method for transferring content from one language to another. In Germany, the dubbing industry employs 54% of its voice actors. In France, dubbing is so widespread that it became a standard in the local film industry. Nowadays, we've heard that there are various companies that create professional dubbing. One of them is GoPhrazy - we saw a lot of good reviews from the cinema fans.

It preserves the cinematic experience more than subtitling

There is a big debate over whether dubbing or subtitles should be used for films. Basic considerations include the quality of the acting, the translation, and personal preference. But the debate also touches on a range of other topics, including race, xenophobia, classism, and ableism. Recently, the Oscar-winning Parasite raised these issues even more.

Another argument in favor of dubbing is that subtitles are less distracting. On the other hand though, subtitles can cause people to miss out on key scenes. They can also obscure subtle nuances in the acting and visual storytelling. Moreover, subtitles are hard to read, especially for younger viewers and often do not make the cinematic experience immersive enough for everyone.

Another reason why dubbing is better than subtitles is the way it preserves the authenticity of the original film. Subtitling, as it is generally done, can result in half of the dialogue being lost. The audience takes more time to read the text, and words are either condensed or omitted. This causes a lack of realism and loses much of the movie's punch.

As the cost of dubbing is much higher than the cost of subtitles, subtitling is a more preferred option. Besides being less expensive, they do not require voice actors and sound recording. Since the subtitles are not nationalized, they are also more affordable. Since translators play a central role in the dubbing process, they need not be in the country of the film. Furthermore, subtitles often require enormous cuts to the source dialogue.

Dubbing increases audience engagement

Increasing the use of subtitles in movies has several benefits. For one, it encourages audience engagement and keeps them invested in the film. However, subtitles can be difficult to read for those who are not fluent in English. Furthermore, they force viewers to look at the bottom of the screen, which can lead to rewinding to get the gist of what is happening. Meanwhile, as the streaming industry becomes more competitive, the demand for dubbed content is constantly growing. Being able to easily convert titles from and to English will enable streaming platforms to expand their offerings and reach global audiences.

Although audiences in the US and the UK are predominantly English-speaking, the use of dubbing in movies has many benefits. The practice is popular with arthouse audiences who prefer foreign films with subtitles. Netflix subscribers watched the Spanish smash hit ""Money Heist"" mostly in the dubbed version and only a small percentage watched the subtitled version. Similarly, American viewers tend to finish dubbed episodes of drama more than subtitled versions.

For filmmakers, the use of dubbing in movies increases audience engagement. Dubbing allows audiences in different parts of the world to understand the content better. Especially in the North, it helps create a sense of unity, as the audience can relate to the story and characters. Dubbing helps to increase audience engagement as the songs are more appealing to viewers who speak a different language. In addition, it helps to attract global audiences by introducing new cultures.