" Falling into the World " has been released since its release. Although there are not many films scheduled, it has been recognized by many domestic animation fans. With a score of 7.8 on Douban, it is the highest-ranked work in this summer's release. At present, there is an overabundance of mythological themes in China, but it is commendable that "Down to Earth" can innovatively interpret an original story and gain recognition despite the general aesthetic fatigue of the audience.
"Down to Earth" is a Cantonese animated film. While launching the Mandarin version, the production company Yongsheng Animation has already prepared a Cantonese version for release in some Cantonese-speaking areas, and the team involved in dubbing is also from Guangzhou. Dynamic Dubbing Studio. In order to achieve better dubbing effects, Yuan Dynamics invited Chen Xin, a well-known Hong Kong dubbing artist, to serve as the director of this Cantonese dubbing, achieving joint cooperation between mainland and Hong Kong dubbing actors.
Audiences in the Cantonese area are no stranger to Chen Xin's voice. He has a large number of familiar works, such as Kurama in "Yu Yu Hakusho", the narration in "Chibi Maruko-chan", the narration in the game show "Prize Gatekeeper", etc. Chen Xin has been engaged in Cantonese dubbing work for 40 years, and has been involved in dubbing work on a part-time basis since middle school. He once had the opportunity to work as an actor in front of the screen, but he declined invitations from directors such as Lam Ling-tung and Lau Wai-keung and chose to stay behind the scenes and engage in dubbing work.
has been in the industry for many years. He said that he has not yet produced the most satisfactory work and would like to try different roles. However, the dubbing industry in Hong Kong has declined in recent years. In February this year, he left the TVB dubbing team after 30 years of service and became a freelance dubbing artist. "Down to Earth" is Chen Xin's first comeback work. Faced with this cooperation with Cantonese dubbing actors, Chen Xin feels very fresh and recognizes the enthusiasm of these Cantonese dubbing enthusiasts. In the future, Chen Xin also expressed her hope to explore more cooperation opportunities in Guangdong and hope to add new elements to Cantonese dubbing in the new environment.
The following is the full text of Chen Xin’s interview with a reporter from Nandu. Cantonese fans must not miss it!
01
I didn’t expect that everyone would react so much when they saw me.
Nandu Entertainment: You are the dubbing director of the Cantonese version of "Falling World". Please share how you got involved with this work?
Chen Xin: My relationship with "The Fall" began with my relationship with Yuan Dynamic Production Company. I have known this group of friends for a while and have been looking for opportunities to cooperate. It just so happened that "The Fall" needed a Cantonese version. , and everyone hit it off immediately. After watching this work, I thought it was good and very interesting. Moreover, there are not many Cantonese versions of animations produced in the Mainland. I also hope to use my own experience and ability to contribute to this film and let Guangdong people Audiences have different feelings when watching Cantonese dubbing.
Nandu Entertainment: What is the freshest and most difficult part for you as the dubbing director of "Falling World" this time?
Chen Xin: The new part of is working with different people. I have been working in TVB in Hong Kong for decades. In fact, the colleagues around me, whether they are seniors, peers or my own students and newcomers, have been working together for a long time. However, the dubbing actors in Guangdong are relatively unfamiliar to me. I haven't worked with them. Generally speaking, the difficulties encountered by
can be divided into two time periods. First, we have to work on the script. From the moment we receive the script to the moment we have the script, I want to convert the Mandarin version into the Cantonese version. Director Zhong Ding also hopes that we The Cantonese version is more authentic, rather than a direct translation of Mandarin. I also hope to add some colloquial and more friendly Cantonese to it to make it sound more comfortable and natural to the Guangdong audience. The second is that in the dubbing process, although the dubbing actors here are relatively experienced, everyone still has some different understandings of certain pronunciations, pronunciations, and tones. In fact, every place has its own speaking habits. Cantonese in Hong Kong and Cantonese in Guangdong, including Cantonese in different places in Guangdong Province, are different. Some words and certain tones may not sound exactly the same. The same sentence may not be spoken exactly the same. Different places may have different opinions. As a dubbing director, I have to balance these differences to achieve the effect I want.Everyone inspires each other, the impact of inspiration will create new sparks, and they find that they can also work together in this way. It is a process of mutual learning and progress.
Nandu Entertainment: You also participated in dubbing in "Falling World". Your character is the villain Lingbi Shenjun. Could you please share your understanding of this character?
Chen Xin: is the character with the greatest contrast. He was a very kind master at the beginning. Later, after conquering the stars, he went to Wenxin Pond and looked back at the story of Weaver Girl, only to realize that it was this master who caused so many problems. It separates the human world and the divine world and destroys the order here.
Nandu Entertainment: In addition to the Hong Kong dubbing cast for the Cantonese version of "Falling World", there are also dubbing actors from Guangdong participating in the cooperation. What do you think is the difference between their working models and those of Hong Kong dubbing actors?
Chen Xin: If the working mode of is compared with that of a TV station, it must be different. The TV station is factory-style, and the work of the day is arranged every day. The process is very compact, and everyone gathers together to dub. But here we do the dubbing separately, which makes it easier to control. At the beginning, we will first add the noise of the crowd except the protagonist. This is actually a very detailed work. Even in a large empty mirror, each passing crowd will have its own actions and words. We will also make these details clear, so we may spend more time on the noise of the crowd than on the dubbing of the protagonist.
Nandu Entertainment: How do you feel about working with dubbing actors from Guangdong this time?
Chen Xin: is very fresh. First of all, each of them loves Cantonese dubbing. Although most of them may not have received systematic dubbing training, they are all working on this work very hard and are very willing to accept my proposal. It’s also a process where we absorb each other, which I think is a good thing.
Nandu Entertainment: Some time ago, you appeared at the road show of "Down to Earth". It was your first time to participate in a road show in the Mainland. How did it feel?
Chen Xin: I am very happy. It turns out that many audiences in Guangdong have listened to my dubbing, and they also like the Cantonese dubbing. Even before I was introduced, some members of the audience stood up and screamed. My voice should be familiar to many people. This was what I expected, but I didn't expect the reaction to be so big. I see such a good response from the audience, and I hope that there will be more Cantonese-dubbed movies in the mainland in the future. After all, there are many audiences in the Greater Bay Area and South China who love Cantonese movies. They actually feel a lot of intimacy when they hear Cantonese.
02
There are actually no secrets to dubbing.
Nandu Entertainment: You actually participated in dubbing on a part-time basis when you were in middle school and have been doing it until now. What is the charm of dubbing that made you choose it as a lifelong career at such a young age?
Chen Xin: First of all, when I went to learn dubbing, the market was very big. There were not so many entertainment activities in that era. Everyone just watched TV or movies. The master I worked with was mainly responsible for movies. At that time, whether it was the Mandarin version or the Cantonese version, people watched more Hong Kong movies. With the technology at the time, dubbing would save a lot of time and cost. The first reason why I have been doing dubbing is because I am interested in dubbing. My master is also a relatively senior dubbing artist in the film industry. It was he who brought me into this industry step by step. By around 2000, after the improvement of film recording technology, the number of films requiring dubbing gradually decreased. After that, I started doing TV dubbing for TVB, and I did that for several decades. Whether it is Japanese dramas, Korean dramas, British and American dramas, Mainland dramas, animations, documentaries, variety shows, etc., everything requires dubbing, so I have been doing it for so many years.
Nandu Entertainment: According to the information, directors Lin Lingdong and Liu Weiqiang once approached you and hoped that you would go to the front of the screen to film, but you declined at the time. Can you elaborate on the reason for your refusal?
Chen Xin: I prefer dubbing and doing behind-the-scenes work.When Director Lam Ling-tung approached me for the first time, I was filming " Prison Storm ". He felt that my image was very suitable and wanted to ask me to help with the filming. Later, I was approached to film in Ekin Cheng's "Young and Dangerous". Although I have been in the film dubbing industry for so many years and am very familiar with their styles and processes, I still prefer dubbing more. I am more happy to dub the role that I need to play.
Chen Xin voices Tony Leung in "Prison".
Nandu Entertainment: In your dubbing career for so many years, which work do you think you are most satisfied with? What kind of role do you most like to play?
Chen Xin: I don’t think there is . The reason why dubbing is so fun is that the characters you dub are different every time. The actors behind the scenes may always play a certain type of role that suits them best, but the dubbing is different. It can be serious, serious, crazy, good guy or He is a bad guy, and he can play any role. This is what I find most interesting about dubbing. Although I have played many villains, this time the villain in "Falling World" will have different sparks when he collides with different people.
I like all characters, and I hope I can try any character. In fact, it is also a challenge for me. When the animation was first produced, it was silent. What kind of voice, what kind of tone, what kind of personality this character has, I can shape it independently, and of course it has to be coordinated with the creator's wishes.
In live-action films, actors of different nationalities have different interpretation methods and different language speeds. I think the most powerful thing about Cantonese is that no matter what nationality the actors are, when we dub in Cantonese, they all sound like the characters themselves. Speak out. This is also why Cantonese dubbing is loved by so many audiences.
Nandu Entertainment: As a senior dubbing artist, do you have any unique dubbing skills compared to other colleagues?
Chen Xin: I used to be a tutor in a dubbing training class. There is no book or cheat code or program for dubbing. It is all based on accumulated experience. First of all, you need to practice your voice and breath well so that you can make some sounds freely, or give your voice more emotion. Everyone has a different personality. For example, when they are happy, some people will laugh and others will not. When we dub, we have to cater to each character instead of putting ourselves into it. You have to do something that is not what your character would do. For example, I met many new voice actors who can't laugh. They may laugh until tears come out, but they just can't make a sound, only expressions. Dubbing is like learning to sing, you need to learn the method of luck. I mainly teach these, there are no rules. Students should have the ability to control their voices, watch more plays, feel more drama, watch how excellent actors read dialogue, what the emphasis is, and then use their own voices to interpret it.
Nandu Entertainment: Are there any types of characters that you are not good at playing?
Chen Xin: As I get older, my voice will naturally change. Some of the teenage roles I played when I first entered the industry are no longer suitable for me. Everyone will go through this process, just like a former niche actor. From young to middle-aged, they will also perform different roles that suit them.
03
"Down to Earth" is my first work after my comeback.
Nandu Entertainment: You have been engaged in dubbing work for 40 years. Based on your observations over the years, what changes have the entire dubbing industry in Hong Kong undergone?
Chen Xin: I think the dubbing industry in Hong Kong is declining. It is different from the mainland. The mainland has many original animations that require dubbing, but there are almost none in Hong Kong. Many of them buy the copyrights for secondary creation. In fact, in terms of production, there are not many commercial interests, so there are more opportunities in the mainland. In the past few decades, Hong Kong's largest dubbing factory was TVB. In recent years, it has also begun to transform. The workload of dubbing has been greatly reduced, and the number of dubbing actors retained has become smaller and smaller. It can be seen that it will have fewer and fewer jobs in the future. .If you still want to do something in the dubbing industry, my return to Guangzhou this time can be considered a good opportunity and a good start.
Nandu Entertainment: In this environment, will it be difficult for newcomers to enter the industry?
Chen Xin: I think is still acceptable in mainland China. Whether it is dubbing in Mandarin or Cantonese, there is still a certain demand.
Nandu Entertainment: Having been engaged in dubbing for so many years, have you ever come into contact with mainland voice fans?
Chen Xin: When I was in TVB before, many letters and cards would be sent to me, and even many gifts. And I have realized a lot in the past few years. I found on Weibo that there are many fans from Guangdong and even non-Guangdong. During this movie promotion, I also found that there are audiences from Wuhan and Shanghai, and they are actually looking for the Cantonese version. See, this was something I didn't expect, and I even had vocal fans inviting me to their cities. I didn't expect that there would be people in non-Cantonese speaking areas who would like to watch the Cantonese version. Although they can't speak Cantonese fluently, they can understand it and it won't sound like a foreign language. They will think that Cantonese is more expressive, and the tone of Cantonese is relatively high. In Mandarin, you can use guttural sounds to express emotions, but if you use guttural sounds in Cantonese, it will give people a "ghost eating mud" (ambiguous) feeling. When we use Cantonese to promote emotional expression, the audience will accept it more quickly, while Mandarin may be more solemn and affectionate, and each has its own way of expression. Just like this film "The Fall of the World", it has many moving parts. Whether it is the Cantonese version or the Mandarin version, the audience can be touched.
Nandu Entertainment: Will you intend to develop in the mainland in the future? Have you ever thought about opening training courses in Guangdong?
Chen Xin: Of course I hope there will be more cooperation with , and I also hope to bring some new elements. As far as I know, there are also many Cantonese dubbing enthusiasts here, and I especially like to communicate and cooperate with these people. (Operating training courses) If there is an opportunity or someone likes to do this, of course I would be very happy to do it. If someone wants to get involved in this industry, I also hope they can have a better understanding of dubbing. Just like learning to sing, you first learn the basic music theory, and then slowly practice the skills. What I can teach them are the concepts. on things to tell them what they need to pay attention to when starting out.
Nandu Entertainment: You have left TVB and started working as a freelance voice actor. What are your future work plans? Can you share them?
Chen Xin: I left TVB for four months. When I left, it happened to be the Chinese New Year, so I gave myself a short vacation to spend time with my family. It was May when the production of "Down to Earth" started. It was also my first comeback work. After finishing my work in Guangzhou, I felt pretty good and adapted to the life here. It felt special to hear Cantonese in Guangzhou. It's friendly and not much different from Hong Kong. I hope there will be more opportunities here in the future. I hope that in this new environment, I can bring something new to my friends in this industry and the audience that supports me.
Writing: Nandu reporter Liu Yifan, intern Ling Junxin
Photography: Nandu reporter Zhong Ruijun
