Independent studio XYZ Films is working to find international films suitable for the US market, where foreign language films have historically faced challenges. Maxime Cottray, the studio’s chief operating officer, emphasizes that the U.S. market has traditionally been accessible mainly to viewers in coastal New York through art house films, largely due to a longstanding resistance to subtitles and dubbing.
To address this barrier, an AI-driven dubbing system was applied to the Swedish sci-fi film “Watch the Skies.” This system, known as DeepEditor, adjusts the video to appear as if actors are naturally speaking the new language. Cottray noted that the AI-generated results have improved significantly since their inception two years prior, allowing audiences to engage with the film without realizing it has been dubbed. The English version of the film was released in 110 AMC Theatres across the U.S. in May.
DeepEditor, created by the London-based company Flawless, leverages technology to change actors’ lip movements and performances in a way that maintains the emotional impact of the original scenes. Founder Scott Mann pointed out that traditional dubbing techniques often failed to provide the same emotional resonance. The technology can enhance performances and transfer dialogue without the need for reshoots or voice re-recordings.
The film dubbing market, buoyed by the rise of streaming platforms, is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. While the technology aims to widen the audience for international films, concerns have been raised about cultural and linguistic authenticity. Neta Alexander, a film and media professor at Yale University, argues that adapting foreign films excessively risks undermining their cultural richness and may discourage support for original-language viewing formats. She emphasizes the importance of closed captioning and the need for audiences to embrace diverse cinema in its original form.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36xy6r91kwo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss