SCRIPT TRANSLATION AND ADAPTATION
"Every film is a foreign film, foreign to some audience somewhere – and not simply in terms of language"
– Atom Egoyan and Ian Balfour –
Audiovisual translation for dubbing is the conversion of audio dialogue in a video into another language with a simultaneous, spoken translation – whether it’s a movie, a documentary, a corporate video or an Instagram reel.
The process to produce video content spoken in a language other than the one in which it was initially conceived and created is a complex one: it should be entrusted to an expert in the highly specialized field of script translation and adaptation: a dialogue writer.
The process begins with the translation of the original script, but creating a high-quality dubbed version involves a crucial set of additional steps.
In adapting a text for dubbing, dialogue writers need to manipulate the language until they find another satisfactory way to put into new words what was originally said in another language, considering the subtle nuances of what actually appears on screen, the specific timing, and the physical movements of lips as dialogue is spoken, in addition to all other sociocultural considerations and the stakes in the translation itself.
It’s an exacting art, a blend of skill and technical prowess that should give the viewers the cinematic illusion: you want them to forget that they’re watching a dub.
SCRIPT TRANSLATION AND ADAPTATION SERVICES
English > Italian
Portuguese > Italian
DUBBING
Script translation for lip-sync dubbing is an adaptation of the original script with a translated version that will replace the original dialogue, which is completely removed, using voice actors who sync their speech with the speakers/actors’ lip movements. Dubbing gives the impression that the actors are speaking the viewers’ native tongue. Dialogue writers have to recreate humour, puns, idiomatic expressions, metaphors, culture specific elements, not to mention the original speaker/actor’s tone, emotion, and nuances, including laughter, sobbing, and a whole spectrum of expressions.
VOICE-OVER
Voice-over is a form of translation where the newly translated dialogue is recorded and overlaid on top of the original dialogue, with the original being slightly muted. Lip movements are not synchronized and the voice-over speaker/actor’s voice is audible, but you can still hear the original audio in the background. Voice-overs are more narrative than the original dialogue. They convey the essence of the audio without being translated word-for-word.
Would you like to dub a video?
If you are not sure whether your project fits into my skill set, or if you would just like to discuss about it, you are welcome to contact me and we will evaluate it together.
Phone
- +39 340 375 3752
info@betranslations.it
