Multimodal Translation Theory and Dynamic Equivalence in Animated Cinema: A Scene-Based Comparative Analysis of Hotel Transylvania

Abstract

In this study, the Turkish subtitle (Netflix) and dubbing translations of the animated movie Hotel Transylvania (2012) are assessed through a comparative and holistic approach within the frameworks of Eugene Nida’s "Dynamic Equivalence" theory and "Multimodal Translation Theory". Based on the premise that meaning in audiovisual texts is generated not only through language but also through the interaction of distinct communicative modes—such as visuals, gestures, facial expressions, vocal performance, and visual context—both linguistic and non-linguistic elements are taken into account. In this research, the movie’s original English dialogues serve as the source text, while the Turkish subtitles and dubbing translations constitute the target texts. Qualitative, descriptive, and scene-based comparative analysis methods are used to evaluate whether Turkish viewers experience a similar impact to the target audience, how cultural/linguistic elements are localized, and how humor and idioms are rendered. The results of the study indicate that dubbing translation—despite the requirement of synchronization with lip and body movements—provides translators with greater flexibility and a larger space for creative mediation in transferring cultural, linguistic, and multimodal elements.  It also looks at the strategies used by translators to preserve narrative coherence and emotional tone when some of the visual or auditory cues have no direct equivalent in the target language, and assesses the combined effort of voice actors and editors in the resulting product. The present study seeks to contribute to the existing literature on audiovisual translation and to the academic debate on global media by showing the workings of dynamic equivalence and multimodal elements in subtitling and dubbing. Subtitle translation, on the other hand, is seen as more restrictive due to technical limitations such as character limitations and reading speed, which often necessitate the omission, reduction, or simplification of content.