A dubbed episode that matches every lip movement but misses the rhythm of the original feels wrong. One that keeps the rhythm and drifts slightly from the lips feels natural.
Pace before lip sync#
Translators work to the length of each line first. A reply that lands a beat late loses the tension of a confrontation, whatever the words say.
Casting voices#
Voice actors are cast for how they sound in close-up, since almost every scene is one. A voice that works across a room can sound theatrical from a few inches away.
The four passes#
- Translation, timed to the original line lengths.
- A read-through with the dubbing director to fix anything that sounds written rather than spoken.
- Recording, one character at a time.
- A final mix checked on a phone speaker, not studio monitors.
