The Informal Ukrainian Voiceover

Abstract

This article offers the first ever introduction to the practice of informal Ukrainian voiceover translation of fiction. Specifically, it outlines the defining traits of this voiceover style, such as the presence of multiple voices and isochrony, and how it compares to the more widely known voiceover techniques. It also provides an insight into its production by discussing the five key stages of the process: translation, role assignment, recording, sound mixing and release. This work draws on interviews with Ukrainian informal voiceover producers as well as virtual ethnographic observations, which were conducted as part of a broader ethnographic study of the informal media economy of Ukraine. This article thus contributes to the growing yet still rather limited body of work on informal AVT, which has so far focused mainly on fansubbing and considerably less on revoicing techniques.

Lay summary

This article offers the first ever introduction into the practice of informal Ukrainian voiceover translation of fiction, i.e., a mode of translation that involves recording an audio track in the target language and adding it over the original audio, so that the original speech remains heard. Specifically, this paper outlines distinct features of this Ukrainian voiceover style, such as the presence of multiple voices and isochrony (i.e., when the translated voice starts and ends at the same time as the original), and provides an insight into its production by discussing the five key stages of the process: translation, role assignment, recording, sound mixing and release. This article contributes to the growing yet still rather limited body of work on informal, or unofficially produced, audiovisual translation (AVT), which has so far largely focused on fansubbing, so-called subtitling “for fans by fans”, and considerably less so on revoicing techniques (i.e., dubbing and voiceover). This work draws on primary research conducted for a wider study of the informal (or pirate) media economy of Ukraine.