If not subtitles, then what?
There are two types of people: those who appreciate the thoroughness of dubbed movies and series, and those who absolutely love the original atmosphere preserved by voice-overs.
In fact, both content localization solutions present their own pros and challenges for studios.
Dubbing: More Engaging, Less Straightforward
Dubbing involves creating an entirely new audio track in another language, performed by a talented group of voice actors who mirror the tone, emotion, and nuances of the original cast. Studios often even opt for synchronization of the script with on-screen lip movements.
Production-wise, this solution is very expensive and time-consuming, but it offers some solid rewards: dubbing is all about creating a truly immersive and in-depth experience for the viewer.
However, while dubbing tries to minimize the signs of translation and become an art in its own right, it may also strip the content of some original elements, such as the actors’ voices or certain aspects of the original soundscape.
Voice-Over: More Authentic, Less Demanding
Dubbing replaces the original audio, but voice-over doesn’t. This solution involves layering a new audio track in a different language right over the original instead. As a result, the viewer can still hear the original audio in the background.
Voice-over is less demanding for studios and faster to produce, typically requiring just a few voice actors — or even just one. This technique is often used in documentaries, interviews, news, or training videos and is sometimes referred to as the UN-style (named after the United Nations).
Voice-over can also save the authenticity of a movie or series, especially if the voice actors creatively and effectively match the pace and style of the original audio track.
For example, some studios deliberately choose voice-overs as their sole solution for localizing TV series and movies because it helps convey authenticity and, at the same time, channel originality.
Whether you’re choosing dubbing or voice-over for your next project, each option has its own way of making things clear and engaging for the audience, depending on what the viewers need.
Force Media Is Here To Help
Force Media offers a team of experts that will be able to tackle any audio post-production project you throw at us, regardless of its scale. Our team will save you so much time, and you won’t need to worry about the specifics of the process.
We also have a professional studio with state-of-the-art equipment, so it won’t be a problem re-recording any lines if needed. Our years of experience will allow us to elevate any type of audio to a whole new level. After all, your primary focus should be on the content itself — leave the audio polishing to us!
Contact us today, and tell us more about your project. We’d be happy to help!
