Lip Sync Adaptation for Dubbing

Q:  What is the secret to lip sync?  Our scripts don’t match.

A: Lip sync is a bit tricky if one is not trained or experienced.  Basically, the first step for lip sync is to adapt the script.  When translated, a script reflects the new language, but the lips of the persons on-screen reflects the words of the original language.   For example, the word “Drat!” in English, move the lips for “d” and then a wide mouth for “at”.  Whereas the equivalent in French could be “Zut!” (pronounced “zoot”).  This is a closed-mouth vowel “oo”.  So, if recorded in French as “Zut!’, will not match the lips on screen.  In such a case, perhaps the word “Alors!” could be used in French instead, giving a wide mouth sound.  This will sync to the on-screen lips much better, yet have the same meaning.

Preparing a script for dubbing lip sync requires much experience.  The more experience an adaptor has, the better the results.

Added to the open-mouth-closed-mouth scenario is the fact that translations are about 15% longer than an original language.  Therefore more words need to be spoken in the same amount of time (which causes much lip-desynchronization), or the number of words must be cut back - without losing message.  “without losing message” being the difficult part.

Lip sync is the highest form of video translation, and is the most effective and the most valued.  Because of the script adaptation and need for specially-trained voice talents, lip sync becomes the most expensive of the alternatives.  But it sells the most, as well.  Non-English speakers are so accustomed to seeing movies and television in lip sync, that they often don’t even know that was not filmed in their language.  Depends upon the quality of the lip sync and the audience.

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