An Analytical Study on the Effect of Subtitling and Dubbing on Foreign Language Films and TV Series

Abstract

Cinema has its own unique language. It is created by combining the two basic components of image and sound and can be studied through semiotic approaches. According to the country of the original production of a movie or a TV series, the language contained in it also changes. Although it is possible to understand the language of movie through semiology approaches, in order to understand the original spoken language contained in it, there must be an understanding of that language. Local audiences use methods such as cinemas, television or internet access (OTT) to enjoy foreign language productions. Subtitles downloaded and used from the internet cause several major problems. However, because the subtitles provided for many foreign productions are different from the linguistic meaning of the original production or are arranged in a way that does not match the meaning, problems arise in watching the original production's original meaning. It is also problematic to limit the time to pay full attention to the movie or the TV series by focusing on watching subtitles. Also, dubbing is an accepted method of screening and distribution of foreign language productions on television and OTT platforms. In this way, even if the audience understands the basic narrative of the creation, the ability to absorb its subtle cinematic components is lost. Before dubbing works, there is a problem of translating it into the relevant language and whether it is perfectly translated to the meaning of the original work. It is presented through this research paper that the basic expression of the original work is damaged in some way due to having to adjust the dialogue segments to suit the character's lip movements. Due to these reasons, when watching foreign productions, the audiences who are not close to those languages have an obstacle to enjoying the creations properly. The main purpose of the study is to analytically present that the application of subtitles and dubbing for foreign language productions is harmful to the main purpose of the production. Data is collected through a questionnaire to study the topic experimentally, and it is based on the works compiled on the subject, and the opinions of authentic scholars related to the subject are analysed.