my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Spanish Dubbed Films

Author Topic: Spanish Dubbed Films Kyle Caudill Film Handler Posts: 92 From: Wichita Falls, TX Registered: May 2002 posted 05-08-2004 01:40 PM                     We are in a heavy Spanish population. We are going to try and use one screen as Spanish Dubbed or Spanish spoken films. We are trying to avoid subtitled prints. Right now we will have Haunted Mansion and Hidalgo. Has anybody worked with a somebody on getting these films and/or know how to get access to them. According to our booker they are far and between.  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 05-08-2004 02:13 PM                     Major studio Spanish dubbed films are hard to find in the USA market since the majority ( with a minor exception of some Disney product )is shipped to Latin America as sub-titled. Films for Spain are generally dubbed but labs and studios in Europe handle that chore and they are not "day and date" generally to the USA in relation to release schedule.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 05-08-2004 02:51 PM                     We have a theater in Miami, and also several Spanish-speaking people around where I work here in Connecticut. So, I thought it would be a good idea to get Spanish dubbed films. My idea was to run a few 3:00 and 5:00 shows, just on Sundays, with the Spanish language DTS disks and gauge the reaction. I knew no one would agree to running Spanish dubbed films, on, say, a Friday night. Before spending any money I started asking around, at stores, McDonald's etc., any Spanish people I met, if they would go. I discovered two things I didn't expect. First, most of them said they work everyday, all day, and so would not be able to go. Second, many said they actually like to hear the movie in English. They like America, and want to be a little bit like 'Americans' by watching a movie with other Americans. One girl I spoke to at McDonald's (through another girl translating) said she loves American actors, wants to see and hear them, and would be disappointed if the film were dubbed. When I pointed out she couldn't know what they were saying, she said, Oh, no, I understand very well.. I just listen to their tone and look in their eyes, and I can follow what they say no problem. So, I'm a little wiser about life, but now I don't know if I'd really be helping anyone or not.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-10-2004 07:54 AM                     I've often wondered about this idea, too. There are a lot of areas in Florida that are heavily Spanish. How difficult is it to get subtitled prints? Could you run a show with just subtitles, and then another show with the Spanish Dubbed DTS discs? That sounds like it could please both sides. Does DTS offer foreign language subtitles for its CSS system? =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Kyle Caudill Film Handler Posts: 92 From: Wichita Falls, TX Registered: May 2002 posted 05-10-2004 08:33 PM                     We are in a predominatly hispanic area. Over 40 percent of the area is hispanic. As an example. I have 40 employees including myself and 35 are hispanic. Plus we are a discount house. We have Haunted Mansion and Hidalgo booked as of now. I think the shot is worth it, considering discount is getting the junk 1st run played earlier right now.  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-10-2004 10:25 PM                        I ran a theatre in South Miami once (Kendall - aka Northern Cuba)-The Miller Square 8. Where I was the only gringo in the whole building. We tested this theory once. We took the regular version of the latest action flick and put it in house #1 and we put the spanish dubbed version of the same film in #8. #1 sold the most tickets all weekend. As far as #8 - less than half the attendance -and that was because #1 had to have some bleed over.The customers spoke enough English to tell me that American Films were made to run in English - that way they can learn all the swear words for when they have to tell us gringos off!  |  IP: Logged Martin Daian Expert Film Handler Posts: 227 From: Montevideo, Uruguay Registered: Jul 2003 posted 05-10-2004 11:59 PM                    I have like 50 35mm prints that i like to sell, all are in original english language with spanish subtitles, i only have the prints not copyrights available, i don't know if can be showing in a commercial theater in Usa, if anybody have interest my email is: cinefilm@adinet.com.uy , i can send a list, Martin  |  IP: Logged Roy Martinez Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Miami, FL, USA Registered: Apr 2004 posted 05-11-2004 12:27 AM                        Hello Everyone, I will have to say that the idea of having Spanish dubbed films is interesting but its a niche market to satisfy and would lead to increased costs with little return. My theatre ran a print of Scary Movie 3 subtitled in Spanish and it ended up upsetting more customers than anything. I would say that a good fifty to sixty percent of our customers are Spanish speaking and the majority found it to be out of the ordinary and did not partake to it. Needless to say we have not had one more subtitled print to date. I think what John said is perfectly representative of how the Hispanic community feels about movies (and on America in general). Speaking from personal experience the vast majority Hispanics/Latinos living in the USA would like to be assimilated into the culture. I know that my father would have never enjoyed the all his favorite John Wayne movies if they were dubbed or sub-titled and he doesn't speak English. Unless there is an obvious demand for dubbed/sub-titled movies I would not press it to society. I dont think its wise to sell "original prints" of dubbed movies on a personal basis... Martin (just a thought I could be wrong ).  |  IP: Logged Ray Kaufman Film Handler Posts: 16 From: San Pedro, CA, USA Registered: Apr 2004 posted 05-11-2004 01:08 AM                        In Los Angeles, where you'd think there'd be a ready-made and enthusiastic market for Spanish subtitled, currently released films, that very specialized market has been drastically reduced in the last 5 or so years. Most of the old palaces on Broadway, that once featured these films, have been shuttered. Even in the outskirts, once home to numerous theatres catering to the hispanic niche, they've either given up and closed or have reverted to straight runs of current films. Even houses that played the cheap Mexican made novellas with 2X1 on the marquee haven't been seen for years. For whatever reason, it appears there is no longer a market.  |  IP: Logged Kyle Caudill Film Handler Posts: 92 From: Wichita Falls, TX Registered: May 2002 posted 05-11-2004 02:20 AM                     were you all backed up by radio stations and print..or did you just use ad shells in the newspaper?  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.