Dubbing Scriptwriting

01 — Intro

Dialoguist, also called 'dubbing dialogue writer' or 'dubbing scriptwriter', translates the dialogues of a foreign production and carefully prepares the text for the studio recording process.

Dubbing is the only form of audiovisual translation that— when done with skill and passion by all involved (from translator, through voice director, to voice actors)—can become practically invisible, imperceptible.

What I mean, is a state in which the viewer experiences true immersion and does not feel that they are watching a dubbed version. They are able to fully enjoy the film or series without feeling that they are watching a translation.

02 — The goal

My mission is to write the dialogues in such a way that they look and sound completely natural in the target language.

While working on a project, I need to be creative. At the same time I have to constantly take into account numerous challenges related to cultural differences. For example an English joke might fall flat, if translated directly, or even worse — it could be highly offensive.

03 — Creative process

First, I receive the materials, i.e., the film and the original script.

Then, at home, I prepare a Polish-language version of everything spoken in the production. I write down not only the dialogue by role, but also all the "reactions" — laughter, coughing, stammering, coughs, grunts, etc. I also mark all the short and long pauses.

As if that weren't enough, what I write must match the length of the lines and be reasonably synchronized with the characters' mouth movements as well as make the whole text culturally relevant and sensitive.

04 — Results

Well-prepared dialogues pay off in recordings, because actors and directors can focus solely on their tasks, which significantly speeds up the entire process, saving time and money