You can now watch all episodes of Der Schwarm in the ZDF media library. Probably the most expensive German series has run, now it’s time to take stock. Opinions on the Frank Schätzing film adaptation differ and tend towards the negative. The production was criticized from the start, including by Schätzing himself. The tone on Twitter is a bit rougher. A somewhat surprising point of criticism crystallizes among the viewers.
The swarm audience is annoyed by the dubbing
First of all, you need to know: The swarm is a German project, but an international production that was financed by different countries. Also the found rotation not in German, but in English, although many German stars like Leonie Benesch, Oliver Masucci and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf are there. Means: A large part of the German audience experienced the dubbed version. And that caused irritation and even annoyance. (Experience the swarm as an audio book with a free subscription *)
On Twitter we come across a number of comments expressing their displeasure with the synchro. For many, the dubbing, i.e. speaking the characters in German, was a reason not to continue watching the series:
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At this point you will find external content from Twitter, which complements the article. You can show it and hide it again with one click.
At this point you will find external content from Twitter, which complements the article. You can show it and hide it again with one click.
At this point you will find external content from Twitter, which complements the article. You can show it and hide it again with one click.
Why does the synchronization in The Swarm get in the way?
The company Neue Tonfilm München was responsible for the German dubbing of the episodes, which has been producing German versions for films and series for decades and undoubtedly knows their craft. There can be various reasons why the dubbing of Der Schwarm was not well received by parts of the audience. Maybe she was time limited, which obviously affects the quality. German dubbing studios have been struggling with time pressure for years because there are more and more series.
Another reason could be: The German actors Leonie Benesch, Oliver Masucci and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf played in English and later spoke their roles in German themselves. It can be quite unfamiliar to see an actor’s real voice “artificially” linked to his face. But it is much more important: Neither Benesch, nor Masucci and Heufer-Umlauf are Synchro pros. Working as a voice actor is a craft of its own that many actors have mastered equally. But by no means all.
More articles on The Swarm
What is The Swarm about?
The swarm tells of mysterious events that shake civilization. It starts in the depths of the oceans and spreads across the world. Hostile whales, dangerous crabs and a previously unknown ice worm are up to mischief. Apparently nature takes revenge to the people for their reckless behavior. A group out international scientists investigates the question of what lies behind the mysterious swarm intelligence.
Podcast: Is the swarm a million dollar grave or better than its reputation?
The ZDF production Der Schwarm devoured around 40 million euros. The publication was accompanied by a lot of criticism. Even bestselling author Frank Schätzing took a stand against the series.
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In the podcast we therefore talk about the qualities of the series. Are millions of euros wasted here or can The Swarm keep up with the big competition from Hollywood? In addition, we speculate in the spoiler section whether the finale prepares for a second season.
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