Lost In Translation: Audience Preferences Concerning Dubbed or Subbed Foreign Media
Introduction
The 2020 Academy Awards marked the first time a non-english film won the Oscar for Best Picture. Written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, Parasite (2019) was also awarded Best Director, Best International Film, and Best Original Screenplay. This is not the first foreign project to be a big hit in the States; Amélie (2001), Squid Games (2021), and Oldboy (2003) are just a few more award-winning examples of the rising interest in non-english media among American audiences. Parasite’s big win at the Academy Awards forces viewers everywhere to acknowledge that these stories are well worth watching despite lingering language barriers; and with the growing popularity of foreign entertainment and the expansive networks created by social media and streaming services, it is clear that audiences have never been more in tune with foreign media in today’s globalized landscape.
How is this possible? Since films have become accessible beyond the constraints of their original language and cultural context, audiovisual translation methods have become essential tools of the growing entertainment markets. Audiovisual translation is a broad term that encompasses various methods of translating audio and visual content, such as subtitles and dubbing. Subtitling is the process of transcribing and translating the original dialogue and printing the written word in a continuous scroll at the bottom of the screen, while dubbing concerns rerecording the original language with a new voice-over recording done by actors in the target language. These two audiovisual translation methods, or AVT methods, have their respective advantages and disadvantages, and the preferences for each differ among varying demographics and individuals.
This qualitative research paper will investigate these two methods of media translation by analyzing previous research and texts as well as conducting interviews that offer empirical data to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the AVT Methods. In doing so, my research intends to answer the question: which Audiovisual Translation Method, between subtitling and dubbing, is preferred by audiences as the most accurate when translating themes, messages, and the tone of a film? Researching and understanding these concepts is important to the study of communication because it affects how audiences interpret and comprehend themes and messages within a show or film. If not done effectively, producers and distributors run the risk of audiences misunderstanding their media, thus making it harder to consume and less accessible in a global marketplace.
Overall, this research paper aims to contribute to the understanding of audiovisual translation methods and their impact on an audiences' experiences of foreign media, especially film and television. By examining the general preferences between subtitled and dubbed film media, I hope to deepen our apprehension of the factors that influence these preferences and help editors, translators, and media distributors make more informed decisions about how certain translation methods affect content for global audiences. Ultimately, by analyzing the ways in which people consume translingual media, filmmakers will progress towards finding more effective ways to share and enjoy global entertainment together.