Dubbing/Lip Synching: Believability and Accuracy
One of the various aspects of the multifaceted translation industry involves Dubbing/Lip Synching. In essence, dubbing means taking a video sequence done in one language and replacing the source audio track with a new one in the target language. Lip Synching is the highest quality way of dubbing, using an adapted script to produce a track that closely follows the oral speech movements of the speakers. The resultant dubbing produced by lip synch production inevitably seems more lifelike, as the audience readily connects the dubbed sound to the lip movements of the speakers.
Dubbing/Lip Synching can serve many purposes, from educational material being dubbed from one language to another, to commercials, TV shows, and movies intended for diverse audiences. Among one of the most important aspects of dubbing – aside, of course, from accuracy of the content—is the tone, cadence, and ”believability” of the overall recording. In other words, does the recording look and sound real? With so many new technological innovations in the multimedia industry, dubbing has reached new heights.
On the topic of believability, the voice talents that are used in the recordings are of fundamental importance. Whereas many producers use adult voices to make them look like children’s voices, it is always difficult to emulate Tim Burton’s Toy Story mastering of this technique. Our producers instead use age-appropriate voice talents to improve the overall quality of the dubbing/lip synching. As mentioned, other aspects to take into account include the tone, cadence, and of course, the accuracy of the content itself. For these, it is helpful if the client can provide reference files, such as the video itself, translations, subtitles (if applicable), as well as a detailed explanation of what they are expecting. Finally, the accuracy of what is said is of paramount importance. For this, voice talents must be reading from accurate translations, which as a high-quality translations company, Trusted Translations is able to provide as well.
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