Dubbing Directors and Dubbing Actors: Co-authors of Translation for Dubbing

Abstract

The present study is based on observations made in a dubbing studio in Brazil in an attempt to understand how and why dubbing professionals change the translation of the scripts submitted to them by translators. In Brazil, translators are also responsible for adapting the dubbing script, leaving the final adjustments to the dubbing director and actors during the recording of the translated dialogue. I, therefore, attended a series of dubbing sessions in order to understand the type of suggestions made at this stage and to ascertain the part played by all the participants in the dubbing process. The sessions involved the dubbing of the US police series Cold Case (2003–2010), season 3, episodes 7 and 8, entitled ‘Start Up’ (James Whitmore Jr. 2005) and ‘Honor’ (Paris Barclay 2005), respectively. 30 dubbing actors, a dubbing director and a sound technician were involved in the process.