Origins and Methods of Dubbing
– Dubbing is common in foreign distribution of films, television films, television series, cartoons, and anime.
– Dubbing was adopted for political reasons in some countries, such as Fascist Italy and Francoist Spain.
– Dubbing was used in post-Nazi Germany to downplay events in the country’s recent past.
– The first post-WWII movie dub was ‘Konstantin Zaslonov’ (1949) dubbed from Russian to the Czech language.
– Dubbing in Western Europe after World War II enabled co-production between companies in different countries.
– ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) is the process of re-recording dialogue to improve audio quality or make changes to the originally scripted dialog.
– ADR sessions take place in specialized sound studios.
– Multiple takes are recorded and the most suitable take becomes the final version.
– ADR can be recorded on location with mobile equipment.
– Sometimes, an actor other than the original actor is used for ADR, like James Earl Jones dubbing the voice of Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars’.
– ADR includes techniques like displaying lines on-screen for the talent and time-fitting algorithms for perfect synchronization.
– ADR can be used to remove extraneous sounds, improve diction or modify an accent, and correct technical issues with synchronization.
– ADR is also used to provide a voice-double for actors who are poor vocalists or to add/remove content for legal purposes.
– ADR may be used to replace foul language for TV broadcasts or correct misspoken lines.
– ADR is used for animation, but it generally does not replace existing dialogue.
Examples of Dubbing in Films
– Jean Hagen provided Debbie Reynolds’ voice in two scenes of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ (1952), where Reynolds’ character dubbed the voice for Hagen’s character.
– Marni Nixon provided the singing voice for the character Eliza Doolittle in ‘My Fair Lady’.
– ADR has been used to replace voices for product placements or legal purposes.
– ADR has been used to improve comedic timing or dramatic timing in performances.
– ADR has been used to correct accents or improve singing performances.
– Audrey Hepburn dubbed in the film ‘My Fair Lady’.
– Ray Park’s voice dubbed over in ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’.
– French actors Philippe Noiret and Jacques Perrin dubbed in Italian for ‘Cinema Paradiso’.
– Arnold Schwarzenegger dubbed in ‘Hercules in New York’.
– Harvey Keitel dubbed by Roy Dotrice in post-production for ‘Saturn 3’.
Terminology and Techniques
– The term ‘dubbing’ is used when replacing a previous voice, usually in another language.
– The term ‘original voice’ is used when creating a voice from scratch for animations.
– Dubbing is often referred to as post-synchronization or post-sync in the UK.
– The process of replacing actors’ voices with different performers speaking another language is called revoicing in the film industry.
– Dubbing is sometimes confused with ADR, which involves re-recording and synchronizing audio segments with the original actors.
– Rythmo band provides precise guidance for actors, directors, and technicians.
– It includes hand-written dialogue, laughs, cries, and mouth sounds on a clear film leader.
– Actors can read more lines per hour compared to traditional ADR.
– Time-consuming process but software emulations have reduced preparation time.
– Rythmo band complements the traditional ADR method.
– Translation process in dubbing involves tasks like translation, dialog writing, take segmentation, and insertion of dubbing symbols.
– Dialogue writers make translations sound natural and create credible dialogues.
– They ensure translations match on-screen characters’ mouth movements.
– Translators must be proficient in the source language, while dialog writers must be proficient in the target language.
– The goal is to create an authentic illusion of the spoken language in the localization process.
Global Use of Dubbing
– Localization adapts films or TV series for different regions.
– It involves replacing culture-specific references and adding or removing footage.
– Controversy exists regarding the extent of localization, especially in anime fandom.
– Voice actors often remain little-known or use pseudonyms in the United States.
– Dubbing in foreign languages is common in North Africa and Western Asia.
– Most foreign movies in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia are shown dubbed in French.
– Dubbed series and movies in Modern Standard Arabic are popular in the Levant countries.
– Egypt started dubbing Disney movies in Egyptian Arabic in 1975.
– Arabic-speaking countries dub children’s shows in Arabic or use Arabic subtitles.
– Arabic voice actors dub for performers, such as Safi Mohammed for Elijah Wood.
Dubbing in Specific Countries
– Tunisia National Television (TNT) is restricted to broadcasting only dubbed content in Arabic.
– During the 1970s and 1980s, TNT started dubbing famous cartoons in Tunisian and Standard Arabic.
– Private television channels in Tunisia are not subject to the language rule.
– Recently, the restriction on showing content in languages other than Arabic was removed for commercials.
– The language rule does not apply to the private sector.
– Many television programs in South Africa were dubbed in Afrikaans.
– Original soundtracks were simulcast in FM stereo on Radio 2000.
– The practice of dubbing foreign programs has declined due to the reduction of airtime for Afrikaans on SABC TV.
– Locally produced material in Afrikaans on channels like KykNet has increased.
– Some animated films have been dubbed in both Afrikaans and Zulu by local artists.
– Uganda has a small film industry, and foreign movies are commonly watched.
– English soundtracks are often accompanied by Luganda translation and comments provided by Ugandan video jockeys (VJs).
– VJs may provide interpreting and narration in recorded or live form.
– Uganda’s film industry relies heavily on foreign movies with dubbing or Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubbing_(filmmaking)
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Dubbing (re-recording and mixing) is a post-production process used in filmmaking and video production, often in concert with sound design, in which additional or supplementary recordings (doubles) are lip-synced and "mixed" with original production sound to create the finished soundtrack.
The process usually takes place on a dub stage. After sound editors edit and prepare all the necessary tracks—dialogue, automated dialogue replacement (ADR), effects, Foley, and music—the dubbing mixers proceed to balance all of the elements and record the finished soundtrack. Dubbing is sometimes confused with ADR,[further explanation needed] also known as "additional dialogue replacement",[clarification needed] "automated dialogue recording" and "looping", in which the original actors re-record and synchronize audio segments.
Outside the film industry, the term "dubbing" commonly refers to the replacement of the actor's voices with those of different performers speaking another language, which is called "revoicing" in the film industry.[further explanation needed] The term "dubbing" is only used when talking about replacing a previous voice, usually in another language. When a voice is created from scratch for animations, the term "original voice" is always used because, in some cases, these media are partially finished before the voice is implemented. The voice work would still be part of the creation process, thus being considered the official voice.