sony pictures
Is there a dubbing crisis that makes studios use “influencers”? Does dubbing put the Spider-Verse at risk in Mexico?
Welcome to the first installment of this humble column! Before beginning I invite you to meet the author of this space.
I’m Gabriel Torres. I have worked professionally since 2008 between digital and traditional media. I have given a can (to say somehow that I have worked) in different places like Estadio W, TDN and Terra. Since 2016 I joined the ranks of SMASH, a great place with great people.
In this space I will share the points of view of different topics, of which I do not ask you to agree, I even ask you to question me and discuss to broaden the debate.
First of all I share this little disclaimer to make things clear.
Disclaimer: This text reflects the opinion of the author, who is responsible for his opinion and it does not represent the editorial position of SMASH and/or Grupo Televisa.
Crisis in the Mexican dubbing?
In recent days, Sony Pictures revealed the voice cast that will be heard in the Latin Spanish version of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and the controversy did not wait, when the cast has a majority of influencers, youtubers and tiktokers, which displaced voice actors.
Mexico has been one of the countries with the best dubbing in terms of series and movies. Over the years names have been forged such as Jorge Arvizu ‘El Tata’, Maria Antonieta de las Nieves, Guillermo Romano, Pedro D’Aguillon, Mario Castañeda, Juan Carralero, Idzi Dutkiewicz, Karla Facón, José Antonio Macias and several more (apologies to those I didn’t mention in this paragraph).
(Yes, before La Chilindrina, Maria Antonieta de las Nieves lent her voice to characters like Sue Storm, Barbara Gordon / Batgirl and Eddie Munster)
But over the years, working conditions have not been optimal, and some studios move their dubbing production to other countries in order to save money. And let’s not forget cases like The Simpsons, a series that in 2005 changed its cast due to a labor dispute.
Followers do not represent talent
To further exacerbate this crisis, many studios resort to the so-called star-talent so that the fans of a famous actor, actress or singer can be the face of an animated production, and now the star-talent has moved to the so-called influencers.
It is not new that these so-called personalities are managed through the like-o-meter, and that they only stand out in the different social networks for talking about topics, without having adequate preparation for it, which has led them to displace true professionals from other fields, such as communication.
In this cast of voices, perhaps some of these personalities do stand out in their fields, such as Gaby Meza, who has made a career as a film critic, and Humberto Ramos, who is one of the important illustrators within Marvel.
But from there on out, the cast has different influencers who have resorted to scandal or controversy to bring followers to their different profiles, from interviews with characters linked to politics to accusations of harassment. Are these really the people who “influence” the Mexican public?
Hey…. I have 6.2 million on Tiktok, 500 thousand on insta and the same on face and here… am I an influencer? And I’m a dubbing actor… am I not good for you?
— Lalo Garza (@LaloGarx) May 16, 2023
Although some dubbing actors have manifested themselves in networks, supporting their colleagues in the union, the public has shown its obvious doubts about this idea, rejecting several members of the cast, who displaced actors from a Mexican dubbing that has been punished by different factors.
Controversy to soften a possible failure?
The first reports of the plot of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse were not very favorable, which led to a series of adjustments being made so that the experience of this film was similar or better than that experienced in 2018 with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
It is appreciated that the cast of voices for such an ambitious project is revealed, but the result did not turn out as expected, and opinions about influencers have become worryingly radicalized.
Unfortunately, these signs are negative, and with this, a possible box office failure for the new animated film would be justified. This would be serious both for the industry and for dubbing, and the most affected is the Mexican public, a very noble audience that deserves better entertainment proposals like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will hit theaters on July 1, 2023, and its sequel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, will be released on March 29, 2024.
Do you want to continue the discussion? I would love to know your point of view, either on twitter (https://twitter.com/jgtorresa) or in an email to jgtorresa@televisa.com.mx