When the time to sit on the couch and watch a movie arrives…

Do you prefer to do it with subtitles?

Or do you choose to play it in a dubbed version?

The choice is very personal, as film enthusiasts look out for different experiences. While original versions allow you to listen to the original cast, dubbed movies offer a lot of advantages to the film experience.

Our colleagues at ADRENALINE STUDIOS know a lot about dubbing, and they have inspired us to write this article to remind people the beauty and power of voice! If you what to find out what benefits voice-over may have over subtitles, that’s our expertise.

If you are wondering what benefits dubbing may have over subtitles, these are them:

  1. Distraction-free watching
  2. The local touch
  3. Dubbing: An art of its own
  4. A tool to learn new languages

 

1. Distraction-free watching

Let’s be real. When you are in the mood for a movie, reading small letters is the last thing you want to do. The relaxing, exciting, or scary mood of the film can quickly decay by the words taking up the last third of your screen.

Not only does it become tedious to keep up with the dialogues, but frequently subtitles do not appear on time. Whether it is because the complete conversation does not fit on screen, or because of the tempo of the movie, spectators often read what is happening before or after it actually occurs in the movie. If you are looking for a spoiler-free experience, dubbing might be your best choice, as the tension that is characteristic of the seventh art gets easily dismantled with subtitles.

 

A way to avoid fatigue

Furthermore, reading requires the 100% of the attention of viewers. However, audiences nowadays, especially the younger ones, prefer to play TV in the background while being on their phone or hanging out with friends. Subtitles require focus, generating a more tense experience where relaxation has almost no room.

Dubbing also offers a small break from the screen fatigue that we have all developed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have not heard about how screen fatigue has repositioned audio as the leading form of media, you should know that audiences today look for a form of entertainment that allows them to take their eyes off screen every once in a while. Cooking, chatting with friends, or tidying up the room can become enjoyable if done with a show in the background. And if the original piece is not in your native language, dubbed versions are your best call to multitask.

2. The Local Touch

If dubbing is characterized by anything, it is by the local touch that actors and writers are able to give to an original piece. Have you ever tried to replicate some of the famous jokes that take place on The Simpsons? If you have done this with your international friends, you might have been able to realize that depending on the language the show was translated in, local customs or culture items may have been added to give more meaning to the joke. If you are not sure of what we are talking about, check this article to learn how Homer’s famous “D’Oh!” becomes “Nein!” in German or “Ouch!” in Spanish.

But this is not an exception of The Simpsons! Nearly every television show, video game, movie or kid’s show is adapted locally to fit the audience. And while this may seem like it is reaping authenticity from the original show, truth is the plot and characters gain charisma and become more understandable thanks to this.

 

3. Dubbing: An art of its own

The truth is that dubbing requires much more work and resources than subtitles do. As we have learned from recent scandals, subtitles in streaming platforms tend to be very poor. This is because, in order to cut costs, companies do not invest in professional translators to create an accurate representation of what is happening in screen.

This is issue is far from being solved, and for that reason, many people are opting for dubbed versions in their language, since those ensure a better quality of the translation. Dubbing does not only imply the work of talented actors, but also a team of experts that specializes in adapting language expressions and other native words to the context of the scene.

 

For instance, for audiences that are not fluent in Korean, it might be a good idea to switch to the dubbed version of Squid Game just to ensure you are not missing any detail!

4. A tool to learn new languages

If the original version became so popular in the first place, it is because people used Hollywood productions to learn English. Since the grand majority of the content that was being generated in the last decade by the film industry came from the U.S or U.K, non-native English speakers used the opportunity to practice the language in an entertaining way.

Due to the increasing flows of globalization, nowadays a lot of people already know English very well. With this challenge accomplished, many are on the way to a third or fourth language. The CNN has determined that a good way to do that could be re-watching your favorite shows dubbed in another language. Since the plot is no longer relevant, you can focus your attention on listening to the pronunciation of words or the learning of new expressions. Who knows, maybe whether Rachel and Ross’s were in a break becomes clearer when you watch Friends with Spanish voice-over.

So, what is your choice?

What cannot be denied is that dubbing is a whole new artistic element in films, just as music or animation; and we should value it as such. Our colleagues at ADRENALINE STUDIOS know this very well, and that is why they work every day to create new productions that will sweep your ears off!

Whether you pick one option or the other, one thing is clear: Popcorn is a must! 🍿

Want to know more? We’d love to chat.

Anna Sticken

Global Key Account Manager