Lithuanian Viewers’ Attitude Towards Dubbed Animated Films

Abstract

Since dubbing in Lithuania is limited to animated film production, research on it is still only fragmentary. However, growing attendance at animated features in Lithuania shows that this mode of audiovisual translation is of no less importance than the system of voice-over , which still prevails for films with live actors, or subtitling . As the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) indicates, animated films have considerable box office success, as in 2007–2011 they are listed 25 times among the 10 top grossing films in Lithuania, whereas worldwide in the same period of time, animated films appear only 16 times among the Top 10 highest grossing films. To assess the main reasons encouraging the boom in the dubbing of animation in Lithuania, research based upon a questionnaire was used: it indicated that dubbing increased the entertainment value of a film; that the category of animation films was preferred in general; and that the specific exclusive of Lithuanian actors engaged in dubbing in particular, as well as the quality of the professional work performed by the dubbing team were significant.