Why is dubbing over films always so bad?

[ReptileQueen]

I’ve been watching a few foreign language film and tv shows on Netflix recently and have been wondering this?

Surely they get actors to translate the voice overs? And animated films with voice actors always sound fine so why does the dubbing over foreign language always end up sounding so bad?

Disclaimer: I’m having a lazy Sunday spent watching films

Because thr voice is not insync with the mouths. The audio therefore just doesn't tie in the visual. Which is off putting.

With aimation, the character's mouth is just opening and shutting, unlike humans.

Well the actors are trying to get the words to match with someone saying the sentence in a different language, of course it’s not going to match up.
Animation looks better because it’s animation, not actual people.

This is why I watch subtitles.

Also, with animation, the voice is often recorded first, and the animation worked around it.

Many uk animation are recorded in Welsh first and then English as they get an EU grant for being in Welsh. Fireman Sam is one example.

Bad in what way?

Surely they get actors to translate the voice overs?

Umm - I don't think you'll find the actors actually do any translating!

I watch lots of films in Spanish with subtitles on. Often the dialogue is different from the subtitles as some things just don't translate.
There might be something that in one language is a full sentence, but in English is just a couple of words.
The voice actors are given a script and follow that, they don't do the actual translation.

Voice over artist here:
We don't translate it ourselves (I.e I can only speak and read English but dub over any language) so it is translated for you and then you just follow the script.

But with film you have to work very hard to get a good acted vocal performance that also aligns with the mouth movements. There is always lee-way to amend the script to fit the mouth movement of the actor but obviously any changes have to be done in context to the story/emotion of the scene and are usually very slight.

The process is pretty technical too and very repetitive. You don't sit and watch the whole film either, it's just the scenes that your character is in so you have to catch on to the storyline very quickly! Your often only in the studio for a few hours and time is money in VO so they want you to bail it first time!

Animation is a totally different ball game though and like a PP said the VO is usually recorded first and then they animate around it.

FWIW I hate watching dubbed stuff and prefer to have the subtitles!

*nail it first time..