The Subtitles Phenomenon

I often find myself engrossed in movies and TV shows, whether I’m on the train, relaxing at home, at the cinema, working out, doing dishes, or even in the bath. Regardless of where I am, there’s one thing I keep doing: turning on the subtitles. I thought I was alone in this, but after polling our YouTube audience, it turns out that 57% of people feel they can’t fully understand the dialogue in what they watch without subtitles. This trend seems to have escalated in recent years, which piqued my curiosity about the cause.

To get some answers, I reached out to Austin Olivia Kendrick, a professional dialogue editor for film and TV, who essentially performs “audio surgery” on actors’ words. When I asked if she uses subtitles, she confessed that she often does. This revelation led to a discussion about the increasingly complex and nuanced factors contributing to the difficulty in understanding dialogue.

Kendrick explained that advancements in technology are a double-edged sword. While they have significantly improved the quality of sound recording, they have also introduced new challenges. Let’s start with the evolution of microphones. A classic example can be seen in “Singin’ in the Rain,” where microphones were large, bulky, and temperamental. Actors had to project their voices toward the mic, and all sounds were recorded onto a single track. Today, microphones are smaller, wireless, and more numerous, allowing for more natural performances.

This naturalism, however, can sometimes come at the expense of clarity. Take Alec Baldwin on “30 Rock,” known for his quiet delivery. Tina Fey once mentioned in a speech that she could barely hear him, even when standing next to him. Actors no longer need to project their voices, relying instead on the proximity of the microphones. But this whisper-like delivery can make dialogue difficult to catch, especially with actors like Tom Hardy, who is notorious for his mumbling.

The transition from analog to digital has allowed dialogue editors to work more precisely, selecting and splicing takes to enhance intelligibility. Despite this, automated dialogue replacement (ADR) remains costly and is used sparingly. Kendrick shared an instance where she had to replace a line due to an unavoidable noise, demonstrating the meticulous work involved in dialogue editing.

Once the dialogue is edited, it’s mixed with other audio elements. The mixer’s job is to ensure that sound effects and music don’t overshadow the human voice. Maintaining dynamic range—the contrast between the quietest and loudest sounds—is crucial for creating an immersive cinematic experience. This is why simply turning up the dialogue volume isn’t always feasible.

Christopher Nolan’s films exemplify this challenge. His movies are often criticized for their hard-to-hear dialogue, but Nolan prefers this approach, aiming to create a full auditory experience. According to an interview in “The Nolan Variations,” he intentionally mixes his films to sound best in top-notch theaters. However, most of us watch these films in environments with less-than-ideal sound systems.

This brings us to the concept of downmixing, where a film’s complex audio is compressed into fewer channels to accommodate various playback systems, from 128-channel Dolby Atmos to simple stereo. Modern TVs, being slim and stylish, often house small speakers that compromise sound quality. Consequently, the audio, including dialogue, can sound muddled, especially when played through less capable devices like smartphones or laptops.

Recognizing this issue, TV manufacturers have introduced features like active voice amplification, but these are merely stopgap measures. The mixing approach in films isn’t likely to revert to prioritize pristine dialogue. As viewers, we have a few options: invest in better speakers, frequent theaters with excellent sound, or simply embrace the use of subtitles.

Subtitles also play a crucial role in making media accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Recent legislative efforts have mandated that movie theaters offer screenings with captions, and streaming services have standardized subtitle options. Advances in speech recognition technology have further expanded accessibility, allowing nearly every YouTube video and TikTok to feature captions. So, whether it’s out of necessity or preference, subtitles have become an integral part of the viewing experience for many.