Shoot a feature in German or English?

[Frank Glencairn]

Got a feature coming up here in Germany (http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/rosemeyer-production-blog/) but it is also aimed to the international market.
Actually I would love to shoot in German and than do an English dubbing for the rest of the world.

Now everyone and his kid brother keeps telling me, that it is much easier the other way round.

I don´t know. As far as I know - it is seldom done in English language countries.

For the DVD/Bluray release it is no problem at all, one can switch between German and English plus any subtitle he wants or no subs at all.

So it is only a theater thing. I guess actors act better in their native language. They where shooting "The Red Baron" in English, then the same actors overdubbed them selves in German. Did anyone saw that? How did you like them acting in English? My lead actor gonna be the same one,as in Red Baron.

Or maybe I just shouldn´t give a flying rats a..., trust my intuition, shoot in German and have my actors dub in English.
Was good enough for "Das Boot" - should be good enough for me.

So I can offer 2 versions, German with subtitles for the cinophiles and English for the masses.

I don´t know if this is usual in the US - but here in Germany they show a dubbed version in mayor cinemas and the original version (with or without subtitles) in smaller art house theaters.


Thanks, Frank

 

[Kristin Stewart]

Unless you're shooting with native American actors, stay with German. Even UK actors are sometimes dubbed into American :laugh:

German is a beautiful language, far superior to English in many ways (rich, colorful, full of meanings and subtle variations, etc...)

It also depends on your text : if it looks like a camera's manual, well, stick to English :laugh:

 

[DCC Erickson]

I was just in France - they dub EVERYTHING into French. They do a beautiful job (and that's everything from sitcoms to old feature films) but it gave me a migraine, since I don't speak French. I would shoot in German and subtitle in English, for English-speaking markets. I don't know anyone who prefers a dubbed foreign film to the original language with subtitles. At least not in the U.S. And look at your story and actors. If it's a German film, make it a German film.

Unless it's some kind of mondo wacky action/comedy over the top explosion. Then shoot it in German and dub it in everything. Including German!

 

[rod bradley]

Agree, shoot it in German. And I would prefer subtitles if the film has any kind of serious intent. If it's "just for the masses" -- well, I'm trying to remember a dubbed film that made it in the dubbed version over here.

Admittedly I avoid dubbed movies like the plague -- and generally films aimed at masses, I'm not a great judge. ( Das Boot, which wasn't just an aimed at masses film IMHO, had a dubbed version, and once I actually got that version but couln't watch it. (I'd already seen the original.)

 

[Kim Frank]

Well that's an ongoing discussion.
Audience in the US doesn't like dubbed films, so if that's going to be your main market shoot in english. But if your actors aren't native speaking, you shouldn't, or have them a teacher and mix your cast with native speaking.
In Europe in many country's it's standart to dub, so for them it doesn't matter in what language you shot.
Last but not least it depends on the story you are going to tell. If it is a german story, that needs to play in Germany, than you should shoot in German.
Imagine THE WHITE RIBBON shot in english - won't work IMO.
But FUNNY GAMES is somewhat an american film, that's why the US remake worked well.
Of corse there are some movies taht go against my feeling.
SCHINDLERS LIST is a German story but shot in english with american actors and it works great.
And David Fincher will do a Remake of the Millenium Trilogie with english/american actors, but shoot in Sweden.

I would always say, do whatever you feel fits the story and don't think about market strategies before you have told your Story the way you wanted it.

 

[Sid Idris]

Have you ever considered doing both? E.g. do an extra english take (assuming of course all your actors are bilingual).

 

[Chris Luker]

I'm shooting a feature I wrote that I intend on marketing internationally.
There's one actress that is French, so in any close-ups of her speaking (not too many) I'm having her do it in English AND French, just to get the lips right when/if it gets dubbed into French...
More editing on the back end, but I think it will make for a better experience for the eventual viewer in France.

 

[Kim Frank]

Have you ever considered doing both? E.g. do an extra english take (assuming of course all your actors are bilingual).

What they did a lot in the early days in Germany before the war, they had two completely different casts, one american, one german

 

[Subhadip Sen]

It depends on your actors and the language they are most comfortable with.

 

[Sidney L. Plaut]

I have just shot a pilot in two languages, and I am not a fan of that process...

If you use the right actors its not that hard on-set, but it is very tough on morale.... you get the shot and then you say... ok now lets do it in "english"...

POST production; double up AND you should consider using two different editors... because it will be two different films.

Also the human mind likes the easy way out, So when the editor is done and the first film is completed, the last thing any artist would want, is to copy himself, and do it again. BUT that is exactly what will happen, unless you

A: bring in another editor B: let the editor take 6 months off, then come back and start from scratch.

-- I strongly believe that a dubbed version for the US market is a very very bad idea. - if you film is really good, a remake is more likely.

also consider this, that a german language film, might cause more interest, than if it was in English - Consider the Spanish "the orphanage" if that had been in English, do you think it would have generated so much "buzz"? (I really like the orphanage, so it is not a criticism).

anyways good look with your film.

 

[Emanuel A.]

Frank, you'll risk your serious international chances if you'll dub in english anyway, you'll risk your german art piece if you'll shoot in english.

For your information if this helps, I'll shoot in Hamburg in german and I don't speak your lovely language. The actors, german actors do.

E.