Title
From pre-production onwards. Dubbing as a forethought in the filmmaking process
Conference name
Media for All 8
City
Country
Sweden
Modalities
Date
19/06/2019
Abstract
The notion of accessible filmmaking (Romero-Fresco, 2013) proposes a relatively new model of collaboration between translators and filmmakers that seeks to narrow the existing gap between audiovisual translation (AVT) and filmmaking. Up until recently, this approach has been successfully applied to several modes of AVT in professional practice. Tested material reveals innovative findings that illustrate how the final version can really benefit from this approach and encourages filmmakers’ participation in the distribution process in order to preserve the nature of their work without affecting viewers’ perception. Their exclusion from this stage is unfortunately normal practice, either because they are not allowed to have a say in how their products will be distributed and made accessible to foreign audiences or because they are not informed about the changes their work will undergo, some of which might even compromise the creator’s original intention. In dubbing, which still remains a virgin territory in terms of accessible filmmaking, the complete absence of the original track and other controversial issues such as synchronization, the use of dubbese, censorship or the presence of multiple languages and songs in the original version (Romero-Fresco, forthcoming) prompt a number of decisions that may be worth considering in conjunction with filmmakers. Understanding the problematic of such issues could indeed help find the most suitable solutions in every case.
To demonstrate how profitable the collaboration between translators and filmmakers can be and in how many ways the quality of the end product can be enhanced through this approach, dubbing will be integrated as part of the filmmaking process of Chaplin (Middleton and Spinney, 2019), a biopic documentary about the popular comedian Charles Chaplin. The idea is to work side by side with the production’s directors and to coordinate the dubbing team with two main purposes: (a) to propose an evidence-based dubbed script that takes into account both verbal and nonverbal information after applying the notion of accessible filmmaking; and (b) to carry out a reception study that evaluates the viewing experience of the audience and the quality of the dubbed version. The results obtained expect to shed new light on the impact that accessible filmmaking can exert on dubbing and to pave the way for more empirical research in this direction.
To demonstrate how profitable the collaboration between translators and filmmakers can be and in how many ways the quality of the end product can be enhanced through this approach, dubbing will be integrated as part of the filmmaking process of Chaplin (Middleton and Spinney, 2019), a biopic documentary about the popular comedian Charles Chaplin. The idea is to work side by side with the production’s directors and to coordinate the dubbing team with two main purposes: (a) to propose an evidence-based dubbed script that takes into account both verbal and nonverbal information after applying the notion of accessible filmmaking; and (b) to carry out a reception study that evaluates the viewing experience of the audience and the quality of the dubbed version. The results obtained expect to shed new light on the impact that accessible filmmaking can exert on dubbing and to pave the way for more empirical research in this direction.