Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546135
C I N E M A A U D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 47 Upon research, I found that according to the Film Distributors' Association 1 international markets account for approximately 73% of worldwide theatrical box office and, as an example, consumption of dubbed programming on Netflix grew 120% from 2020 to 2021, as published by the LA Times in 2022 2 . And that is something that concerns us as mixers as it is directly related to our craft, which involves storytelling, narrative, creativity, technical mastery and of course, it has an impact on the business side of the industry. The question about the need for localized or dubbed content constantly arises, and data shows that audiences are demanding content in different languages. Some people prefer the original language with subtitles, often referred to as "domestic" when English is the original language. While others, for different reasons like cultural links, language abilities, reading abilities, or talent preference, prefer the localized version. Research shows that in dubbing-dominant markets—like Russia, Germany, Spain, and France—most audiences prefer dubbed content. In the U.S., however, there is a slight preference for subtitled content, but dubbing still accounts for a significant percentage of viewers 3 , especially with more mature audiences. In the Winter 2024 edition of the CAS Quarterly, Kurt Kassulke CAS published an article called "Localization Mixing," in which he interviewed Bob Bronow CAS and Serge Perron CAS. They explored the craft of mixing and provided great insights on the topic—which sometimes is an overlooked and underestimated process that is vital for connecting with audiences worldwide and for the financial success of many productions. This current article develops further on localization and dubbing, focusing on animation and covering aspects like pipelines, recording, differences between types of animation, and specific differences with live-action dubbing, and contrasts the process between some independent facilities and major studios. Beyond expressing my personal experience on this topic, I also had the opportunity to discuss this with other professionals. Serge Perron CAS, a re-recording mixer with extensive experience in dubbing for live-action and animated productions, whose credits include Squid Game, Godzilla Minus One, Blue Period, among others. He currently works at VSI, an international company specializing in localization. Nicholas Fluhr is a dialogue mixer and recordist for localization who works for Dubbing Brothers, a multi-national company with vast experience in dubbing. David E. Fluhr CAS, Supervising Re-recording Mixer for Disney Animation, CAS Award winner, and former CAS President, takes us in-depth into the details of how thorough and meticulous Disney Animation's approach to localization is, and how he has played a vital part in building such a system, elevating the brand, and taking care of audiences worldwide. What Happens Before Any Line of Dubbed Dialogue Is Recorded? Before any line of dubbed dialogue gets to the mix stage, a huge amount of work is carried out by a multi- disciplinary team. Once a project is ready to be dubbed, the dialogue needs to be translated, adapted, and recorded. Nicholas Fluhr has worn different hats at Dubbing Brothers and currently works mainly on the recording and editing side of the process. He explains the overall process from the producer's point of view. For a localization project, the producer is responsible for managing the project, with two main areas of responsibility. This can, of course, vary from project to project and from facility to facility. On one side, the producer hires the directors, adapters, and talent. On the other is audio, with mixers, recordists, and editors. Directors oversee the overall creative aspect of the dubbing process—they do the casting if it isn't given by the studio, select the talent, and guide them through the desired performances. "Casting directors would work with a director, and we can do auditions, depending on the complexity of the role. It's a very collaborative process. Brazil South America