Subbed or dubbed? Anime fans always debate about what is the best way to consume our favorite shows, but the truth of the matter is, both are needed. While my personal preference lies with subs, there’s no denying an enormous amount of fans prefer to watch anime in their own language. Heck, even someone who regularly watch anime with subs like I do, sometimes might feel inclined to watch anime while doing something else, and that’s where dubs comes in.
But how does the process of dubbing happens? Let’s dive into it!
Adapting the Script
The first step in the dubbing process, also known as Automatic Dialog Replacement or ADR, begins with the ADR Script Writer. This is the professional in charge of taking the original script, normally already translated, to make it “dub ready”. This is a very detailed-oriented job that involves watching the animation frames repeatedly to guarantee that the script aligns with the mouth movements of the characters.
When that doesn’t happen, an ADR Script Writer needs to find alternatives that don’t change the meaning of what the characters are trying to convey. Depending on the company in question, the ADR scriptwriter will usually submit any changes made to a scriptwriting lead, who will ultimately make any needed revisions and approve the script for dubbing.
Choosing and recording the voices
Normally at the same time, the ADR Director is in charge of casting the voice actors, and also overseeing the dubbing recording process. The director usually submits his picks to the client, who ultimately decides if a voice fits a particular character, but they tend to trust the director choices regarding who is better suited to portray any character in an anime. This process tends to involve auditions, but it’s not unusual for an ADR Director to directly choose an actor or actress which they have previously collaborated with.
Unlike Japanese voice actors or seiyuu, the originators of any role in an anime, voice actors in dubbed versions tend to record one at a time in a single recording booth. The actor is shown a screen with the scene they’re recording along with a separate screen that shows the lines they have to act. The director is listening to the performance and gives notes to the actor, to make any needed adjustments, in order to achieve the best possible result.
The technical aspects of the recording process are handled by the ADR Engineer, who’s right there recording the different takes an actor gives. Then, accompanied by the director, the engineer has to take all the individual performances and assemble then for the final dubbed episode.
Getting everything together
In the anime dubbing industry, most of the time an episode have separate audio tracks for the dialog, music and sound effects, which makes the job of the ADR Engineer easier, since he can just mute or take out the Japanese dialogue as it is in a separate audio track. Then, he just adds the dubbed dialog track, and makes sure the audio is at an appropriate level with the rest of the audio tracks, to make a seamless mix.
With that, the job is done and we, anime lovers, can watch the anime in our own language, either via streaming or on any home video format the show, OVA or movie is available in. Now, next time you’re cooking dinner and watching anime at the same time, you know how much work is behind it, aside from the already taxing job of making the animation in the first place, and you can better appreciate a great dub.
So, which dubbed anime are you watching now? And which one is your favorite anime dub? Let us know in the comments below!
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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!