THE PROCESS OF TRANSLATION FOR DUBBING IN BRAZIL

ABSTRACTThe process of translation for dubbing in Brazil differs from some European countries in many ways. While it is far from being homogenized among those countries, in Brazil the same happens among dubbing companies and translators, apart from the fact that there are no guidelines or style guides to write the dialogs. Those differences include: a) dubbing symbols lists differ not only from company to company, but even from translator to translator, and so does the meaning of each dubbing symbol; b) the job of the translator who is paid per minute of film and carries out all the steps of the translation such as the rough translation, dialog translation and timing; c) songs are translated in a different way; d) text segmentation into takes, which are called loops ( in Rio de Janeiro) and anis (in So Paulo), follows different criteria compared to European segmentation, because loops are split into segments of approximately 20 seconds, no matter how many lines there are in each loop for the actor to dub; e) actors are paid according to the amount of hours calculated by the number of loops they dub. Based on Chaume's Dubbing practices in Europe (2007), the objective of this paper is to show all the differences between translation and dialogue writing in some European countries and Brazil, through some samples of different layouts illustrating the conventions, and talk about the translation for the dubbing market, which has immensely grown during the last few years.

Key words: dubbing, loops/anis, layout, style guide, market.1. Introduction Baker and Hochel (1998: 76) state that a dubbed film or program is always overtly presented and perceived as a translation based on a wrong assumption that the lip movement regularly shows the false nature of dubbing. Since it is the technique of post synchronization, consisting in deleting the original voice and recording another one in another language, the lip sync is inevitable and extremely relevant. In a good dubbed production, we are constantly aware of the mouth movements, coordinating them to the sounds of the translated text. If the distributor does not worry about the dubbing quality for economic reasons, of course the final product will have poor quality, thus confirming Baker and Hochels quote. A high-quality dubbing has the aim of pretending that the actor is really speaking the idiom of the receiving culture.

When comparing the Western European dubbing practices with the ones in Brazil, I realized that, in spite of following almost the same routines, one of them stood out for being really different from the one that we follow: the role of the translator. According to Chaume (2007: 154), the translator in Western Europe produces a rough translation; the rough translation is domesticated by a dialogue writer to make the dialogues sound natural and synchronize the text to the screen characters lips movement. Those two tasks, done by different people, are not equally performed in Brazil. The translator is also the dialog writer, although this activity is not more profitable for him. Sometimes, depending on the company, he is also in charge of the take segmentation (loops/anis) and the working plan (tabela).

2. Translation

In dubbing, the translator has to work hard to be faithful to the theatrical sense and also to the phonological synchronization. When facing idioms, proverbs, slangs, jokes, rhymes, expressions of a specific culture, it takes a lot of time and research to translate a scene. The cultural differences between SL (Source Language) and TL (Target Language) are also a big challenge. It is necessary to consider a range of aspects in different areas, from issues related to the lexicon and syntax, to the effect on the public whose product is intended. From a domestication perspective, I give some examples of the main strategies used in Brazil, which I find relevant when translating for dubbing:Deletion The SL word of phase is dropped in the TL. For instance: Well; I mean; You know.

PENNYAs I obviously am. I mean, last year I ran four events.

(translation)

Assim como eu sou. Ano passado, cuidei de quatro eventos.

(back translation)

As well as I am. Last year, I ran four events.

Reduction - The SL word or phrase is replaced by a TL word or phrase which does not correspond exactly to the SL meaning. This happens mostly when a character speaks very fast. The translator has to shorten the sentence so as the voice actor can dub it clearly and synchronized. Ex.: (reduction and deletion)

CHRISTIEWell, Lily. It just so happens I have had an empty desk in my classroom all year just waiting for you. So, if you'd like to take your seat my class will finally be complete.

(translation)

Olha, Lily, por acaso tenho uma carteira na sala que ficou vazia o ano inteiro s esperando por voc. Ento, se voc for se sentar, minha sala ficar completa

(back translation)

Look, Lily, by chance I have a desk in the classroom which has been empty all year just wainting for you. So, if you go and sit down, my class will be complete.

Expansion The SL word or phrase is replaced by a TL word or phrase correspondent to the SL meaning plus something else. This strategy is, usually, mostly used in the studio, when actors are dubbing, so as to complete an extra lip movement which had no sound. But if it is not filled, we are going to have what is called bater boca in Brazilian Portuguese dubbing. JOO ANDR Jaime Qu pasa, que pasa? Que

(translation)

Jaime, o que houve? O que houve? O que que voc

Modulation or adaptation The translation is adjusted to the TL and culture, and it can involve a change in the point of view. Ex.: Jokes, idioms, proverbs, slangs. The slang come flor is used in Venezuela. VANESSAQu estas insinuando t, come flor (persona soadora, ilusa, despreocupada), nueva rica, que Juan Andrs se cas conmigo borracho?

(translation)

O que voc est insinuando, sonhadora e nova rica? Que o Joo Andr se casou comigo porque estava bbado?

In my opinion, taking a dubbing course is very important and very useful as well because the translator can understand the whole process of dubbing, from translation to the final product. The dubbing process begins with the translator, then comes the director, voice actors, operators, editing, client review, retakes or not, and the final product. A major difficulty that I have noticed among my students is that they do not think about how a sentence is "spoken", and do a very hard translation, as we say, or "adapt" (in quotes because actually they translate wrongly) changing the syntax of the sentence. When you take a dubbing course, you can get a better understanding of what speech lenght is. In other words, the input and output of each sentence.

3. Text segmentationThe text is segmented into takes, which are called loops in Rio de Janeiro, and anis in So Paulo, to determine the hours for which the voice actor is paid. The translators have no obligation in doing this task, especially because they are not paid for it. Anyway, my advice is that they learn how to do it as a complement of the dubbing process.

The actor/actress receives per hour. And how is it calculated?One loop has to be approximately 20 seconds, no matter how many lines there are during this period of time. In such case, it is also possible to have a previous calculation of the costs spent on all voice actors in a specific production. One hour is equivalent to 20 loops because the actors have 3 minutes to dub each loop. Even if it is just a reaction in one loop, they will have these 3 minutes for it. Obviously, they will not spend that long to dub, but sometimes, there is a more difficult loop in which they spend more time, thus a short one compensates for a long one. As the actors get paid per hour and each hour corresponds to 20 loops, the companies must meet the following criteria:

*First hour is fully paid

*21 up to 30 loops one half hour of the second hour is paid.

*31 up to 40 loops two hours are paid and so on.

In 2015, the hourly rate is US$112,30 for movies and US$33,23 for DVDs and TV media.

The more experienced actors use to dub around 40 loops in one hour, but this has long caused a disagreement among actors and companies. Since the companies know that the actors are able to dub more than 20 loops per hour, they want to increase the number of loops to 30 per hour. The problem is that the actor will not be paid proportionally for it! The companies have been trying to negotiate this for a long time and have also been offering only a raise of R$1,00 (one real) or the equivalent to US$0,30 per hour. Some samples of text segmentation:

LOOPPCHARACTER TCTEXT

1KATE00:06(VO) A VIDA TEM UMA MANEIRA CRUEL DE LEMBR-LO QUE, JUSTO QUANDO VOC PENSA QUE CHEGOU AO FUNDO DO POO, SEMPRE TEM UM NVEL ABAIXO ONDE VOC PODE CAIR.

2LETREIRO00:30TRAIO EM FAMLIA

3KATE00.50ISSO! EST TIMO! LINDO. CORRENDO AT A MAME! / QUE TIMO! / AH, FICOU DEMAIS. FICOU TIMO.

ME (SUG.:) MEUS AMORES!

KATEESTO LINDAS. / SUAS FILHAS SO MUITO FOFAS.

4KATE01.57(REAO)

KATE02.09(SUSPIRA)

KATE02.15AMANH O GRANDE DIA?

5JACK02.16AH, ACHO QUE MAIS ATUAO A ESSAS ALTURAS. CHAMEI UMA TESTEMUNHA PRA DEPOR ESTA TARDE QUE BEM DIZER / DESTRUIU OS ARGUMENTOS DA ACUSAO.

Loop #TCCharacter Dialogue

101:00:15BATMANESTAMOS INDO PRA, DELEGADO.

201:00:49ROBINEU CONCORDO COM O DELEGADO, BATMAN. A PISTA, COM CERTEZA, APONTA PARA O RIO GOTHAM.

201:00:54BATMANH SEMPRE ALGO A MAIS NUMA PISTA DO QUE OS OLHOS PODEM VER, ROBIN. AS PINTURAS DO CRAZY QUILT NO SO EXCEO. ELE EST SE REFERINDO A ONDAS DE LUZ, NO DE GUA. VERMELHO, AZUL E VERDE SO AS CORES BSICAS PELAS QUAIS O OLHO HUMANO PERCEBE A LUZ.

201:01:09LETREIROCENTRO DE EXPOSIES

201:01:10BATMAN AQUI QUE VAMOS ENCONTRAR AQUELE DEMNIO FLAMBOYANT!

301:01:13BATMANO QUILT EST ATRS DO EXTREMAMENTE PERIGOSO AMPLIFICADOR DE EMISSO DE LUZ ESTIMULADA.

401:01:29ROBINNOSSA, BATMAN. VOC T CERTO DE NOVO.

401:01:31BATMANNO TEMOS TEMPO PRA DESCANSAR SOBRE OS LOUROS, ROBIN. FIQUE ALERTA. PARADO A, QUILT! DESCOBRIMOS AS PISTAS DAS SUAS CORES.

401:01:40ROBINAGORA VOC VAI TER QUE PINTAR NUMA CELA!

CLAVE:

TTULO ORIGINAL:GAME OF THRONES THE WARS TO COME

TTULO PORTUGUS:GAME OF THRONES - AS GUERRAS QUE ESTO POR VIR

DURAO:51'

T.C.PERSONAGEMDILOGO

01.01.45LET/LEG (TTULO)

01.02.06MORENANO DEVAMOS ANDAR AQUI SOZINHAS.

01.02.08LOIRAPOR QUE NO?

01.02.09MORENASE SEU PAI

01.02.10LOIRAELE NUNCA VAI SABER QUE SAMOS.

01.02.11MORENAMAS SE ELE DESCOBRIR

01.02.17LOIRAVOC NO PRECISA TER MEDO DO MEU PAI.

01.02.44LOIRA ALI.

01.02.47MORENATEM CERTEZA?

01.02.49LOIRATENHO.

01.02.52MORENANO DEVAMOS ENTRAR.

01.02.53LOIRACLARO QUE DEVAMOS.

01.03.37MORENA(R)

01.03.39MAGGYSAIAM. / SAIAM!

01.03.41MORENAVAMOS EMBORA.

01.03.42LOIRANO.

01.03.44MAGGIEOUA SUA AMIGA.

01.03.47LOIRADISSERAM QUE VOC ERA ASSUSTADORA, / COM DENTES DE GATO E TRS OLHOS. /VOC NO ASSUSTADORA. / ENFADONHA.

As you can see above, there is a difference between the first and the second example, where the time code and the name of the characters are in different columns. In the third example, there is no loop column. In any case, the translator does not have the obligation to insert the loops. However, the time code insertion has been becoming a common rule by the dubbing companies, the translator is not paid specifically for that, although spending more time for this task. Logically, it facilitates the take segmentation work, done by somebody else who does not necessarily need to be the director. 4. Songs

The translator has no obligation to adapt songs. He just translates them and does not worry about rhymes or metrics. For that, there is the musical director who is responsible for the adaptation of the songs, when they are sung in Portuguese. No matter if the songs are going to be sung in Portuguese or in the original with subtitles, the file to be sent by the translator is the same. See example below:Tc in: 01.01.59You feel safe with your feet on the ground...

Voc se sente seguro Com os ps no cho

Where everything is predictable

Onde tudo previsvel

So many possibilities passing you by.

Tantas possibilidades passando por voc

5. Prices and market

There is a union for translators named SINTRA (Sindicato dos Tradutores) which sets rates for all areas of translation, but they are not applicable in the real translation market in Brazil because there are no laws imposing those rates. They are not mandatory, thus they are not abided. Below, you can find a chart of the price rates suggested by Sintra, and in red, the real rates paid by the subtitling companies. The dubbing rates suggested by SINTRA are calculated, based on the subtitling rates.SUBTITLING

Movies (35 mm) for single part up to 10 minutes of projection (dialogue and/or narration), including trailer: / Actually, the rates are paid per reel, no matter how long the projection is. (Fox and Warner)

a) Subtitling translation with full original script US$ 77.33 / US$ 154.66 per reel

b) dialogues and/or narration transcription in PortugueseUS$ 77.33 /no specific rate

c) Version for subtitles with full original script US$ 125.00/ no specific rate

d) dialogues and/or narration transcription in a foreign languageUS$ 125.33 / no specific rate

SUBTITLING

Vdeos for television, VHS or DVD per minute of projection (dialogue and / or narration) (charged at least 15 minutes):

Subtitling translation with full original script (no timing):US$8.66 / from US$1.66 to US$2.66 (with invoice)

Subtitling translation without original script (no timing):US$13.00 / Actually, it is double the rate paid for a translation with full original script

Subtitling translation with timing, add:30% / (obs.: in case the translator does not do the timing, he will receive 30% less)

Technical films, training videos ou documentary, add:40% / not applicable by companies

Version, add:70% / not applicable by companies

DUBBING

Movies

Dubbing translation with full original script (translation and adaptation): Obs.: It is always with the original script. The translator usually receives the preliminary ones, and then the final one. 2 x the subtitling rates (US$154.66) / Actually, for movies, the rates vary according to the distributor. (US$4.00 to US$10.66 per minute).

DUBBING

TV, VHS or DVD, per minute of projection

Obs.: In Brazil, the dubbing translations are done in a Microsoft Word's DOCfile. There is no use of softwares.Actually, the rates vary according to the dubbing company and it is never 2x the subtitling rates

Dubbing translation with full original script (no timing):2 x the subtitling rates (US$17.32) / US$1.66 to US$2.66 per minute- with invoice

Dubbing translation without original script (no timing):double the rate paid for translation with full original script (around US$5.00) with invoice.

Dubbing translation with incomplete script (no timing), add:50% of the full original script with invoice

Technical films, training videos or documentary, add:40% / not applicable by companies

Version, add:70% / not applicable by companies

For a long time, watching a foreign film in the cinema meant preparing yourself for a long reading session. Excluding cartoons and some children's productions, dubbed films only found space on broadcast television. In recent years, the tradition began to change. To gain a larger audience, the cinemas have invested in dubbed versions. Depending on the film, finding a subtitled session can be difficult.

Two thirds of the copies of the teen overproduction The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, released in 2011, were dubbed, which was more than the subtitled versionsThe premiere of The Avengers, released in 2012, showed this change in numbers. Out of 1.152 copies of the film spread throughout movie theaters in Brazil, 673 of them were dubbed. The production surpassed the US$110 million in billing and became one of the top-grossing films in the history of Brazilian cinema.According to a research conducted by Datafolha Institute in 2012, the comparison between the dubbed and subtitled film market was:

A 50% increase of dubbed copies were released by the UCI network between 2012 and October 2013.

65% of films released in the country by Playarte in 2012 were dubbed copies. In 2013, this number went up to 75%;

70% of films released by Paramount in 2013 were dubbed copies.

The survey also found that Brazilians prefer the following:

56% prefer dubbed films;

37% prefer subtitled films;

7% have no preference.

Cable television channels have also adapted their listings. Films and TV series are dubbed as well. The Telecine network adopted the audio in Portuguese as the first choice in four of its channels. If the subscriber prefers the subtitled version, he must use the remote control for this choice. Just like in the movies, the change has to do with the audience growth. According to ABTA (Brazilian Pay TV/Telecom Association), during the third quarter of 2014, the growth of cable television subscribers was at 2,5%. Compared to the same period of 2013, the growth reached 10,5%. Today, however, the number of subscribers has reached almost 20 million. 6. Conclusion

Brazilian dubbing is considered one of the best in the world; nevertheless it continues to be ignored by professionals in the area. We have been facing a boom in dubbing in Brazil, especially with Spanish spoken soap operas (not all of them being Mexican), streaming, movies and cable TV channels.

The existence of different terms in literature related to audiovisual translation, quoting Carvalho (2005: 23), is due to the huge number of existing practices in the activity, so we are still looking for a terminology that describes this area satisfactorily. As Franco mentioned (2002: 65), audiovisual translation is still a recent research field, if "compared to other fields such as literary translation and technical translation." For Daz Cintas (2003: 194-195), the terminology variation is a clear indication of changes that can enable scholars to assimilate and recognize new developments in practice of this translation mode.

Carvalho (2005: 25) adopted the term "audiovisual translation" to refer to this set of practices due to being widely used in various parts of the world, including Brazil. Because it is an area that is constantly growing due to the large amount of foreign films shown on television and in theaters, Brazilian dubbing should be the object of further research, and practice and circumstances should be investigated so that professionals can improve their work together with scientific contributions.

It would be even better if the professionals of this area showed more interest in sharing their knowledge with academics and vice versa, so that other professionals and researchers can benefit from the exchange of findings, data and experiences. According to Mendes (2007), the little existing literature in the field of audiovisual translation, although it is gaining more prominence, may be a direct consequence of the lack of courses offered by universities in Brazil and abroad.

I agree with Daz Cintas (2003: 200), when he says that audiovisual translation should be taught at universities as well as other types of translation, despite the high cost of maintaining a degree in the field. He points out that it is very difficult for universities to raise the necessary funds to buy equipment and software packages specifically designed for audiovisual translation and to invest in constant updating of such equipment, given that the technology in the field of translation is fast-developing ( DAZ CINTAS, 2003: 200-201).

Bibliography

BAKER, Mona and Hochel BRAO. Dubbing, inRoutledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studiesedited by Mona Baker, London, Routledge, 1998, ISBN 0-415-09380-5, p. 74-76.

CARVALHO, Carolina A. A traduo para legendas: dos polissistemas singularidade do

tradutor. Dissertao de Mestrado. Departamento de Letras. Rio de Janeiro: Pontifcia

Universidade Catlica do Rio de Janeiro, 2005.CHAUME, Frederic (2007). Dubbing Practices in Europe: localization beats globatisation. Universitat Jaume I.DAZ CINTAS, Jorge. Audiovisual Translation in the Third Millennium. In: ANDERMAN,

Gunilla; ROGERS, Margaret (eds.). Translation Today: trends and perspectives. Clevedon,

Buffalo, Toronto, Sydney: Multilingual Matters, 2003, p. 192-204.

FRANCO, Eliane P. C. The subject perspective - Audiovisual translation research in Brazil

and in Europe. Belo Horizonte, Revista Brasileira de Lingstica Aplicada, v. 2, n. 2, p. 65-

68, 2002.

MENDES, Regina Helena Ribeiro. Diretor de Dublagem e dublador os co-autores da Traduo para Dublagem. Dissertao de Mestrado, December-2007. Faculdade de Letras. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.Site: http://www.sintra.org.br/site/?p=c&pag=precos

Site: http://www.moviecom.com.br/news.php?idnoticia=104548

Dilma Machado

dilma.dilmica@gmail.com

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