Omni Productions: Difference between revisions

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(Removing alterations that simply aren't true or that we so far have no evidence for.)
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Toho had minimal contact with Omni Productions after commissioning each dub. As voice actor Craig Allen explained:
Toho had minimal contact with Omni Productions after commissioning each dub. As voice actor Craig Allen explained:


<blockquote>I will plead guilty to charges of lack of familiarity of with the story of each film. All the English script-writer gets is a translation of the Japanese; there's no briefing on the background or history of the stories, or anything like that. So sometimes he doesn't fully comprehend what's supposed to be happening, and sometimes we have to make last-minute changes to the script in the studio...I know we sometimes get the details wrong.</blockquote>
<blockquote>I will plead guilty to charges of lack of familiarity of with the story of each film. All the English script-writer gets is a translation of the Japanese; there's no briefing on the background or history of the stories, or anything like that. So sometimes he doesn't fully comprehend what's supposed to be happening, and sometimes we have to make last-minute changes to the script in the studio...I know we sometimes get the details wrong.<ref name="JoeTofu">[https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.movies.monster/e_grr7yrFpo/ZYUdvk2nNe0J alt.movies.monster - G dubbers want your opinion (long but perhaps interesting)]</ref></blockquote>


As a result, there are numerous moments throughout Omni Productions' dubs where names and dialogue are significantly altered.
As a result, there are numerous moments throughout Omni Productions' dubs where names and dialogue are significantly altered.
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===''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]''===
===''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]''===
*[[Destoroyah]] is called "Destroyer."
*[[Destoroyah]] is called "Destroyer."
*Like the in English dub for the previous film, ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'', [[Birth Island]] is called "Bass Island."
*As in the English dub for the previous film, ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'', [[Birth Island]] is called "Bass Island."
*[[Meru Ozawa]] tells [[Miki Saegusa]] that she is a paleontologist, while in the Japanese dialogue, she says her American ESP school "dragged us to a lot of dinosaur sites."
*[[Meru Ozawa]] tells [[Miki Saegusa]] that she is a paleontologist, while in the Japanese dialogue, she says her American ESP school "dragged us to a lot of dinosaur sites."
*[[Sho Kuroki]]'s line "Our budget for next year is zero yen. Then again, there might not be a next year." is replaced with "Let's go freeze that overgrown lizard. This is gonna make my day."
*[[Sho Kuroki]]'s line "Our budget for next year is zero yen. Then again, there might not be a next year." is replaced with "Let's go freeze that overgrown lizard. This is gonna make my day."
*When Kenichi suggests allowing Godzilla and [[Destoroyah]] to fight each other in the Japanese dialogue, [[Takaki Aso|Commander Aso]] shoots down his idea and Kunitomo tells him that he'd better be sure of his plan before he feels comfortable to risk people's lives in doing so. This prompts Kenichi to berate both of them. In the English dub, Aso calls his plan preposterous but Kunitomo says "Maybe it's not so preposterous. Maybe he's got something there." Despite this, Kenichi still impertinently tells them that they must put this plan into motion, with Kunitomo now suddenly having a change of emotion when he asks, "Yes, but how are we going to get them to fight each other?"
*When Kenichi suggests allowing Godzilla and [[Destoroyah]] to fight each other in the Japanese dialogue, [[Takaki Aso|Commander Aso]] shoots down his idea and Kunitomo tells him that he'd better be sure of his plan before he feels comfortable risking people's lives. This prompts Kenichi to berate both of them. In the English dub, Aso calls his plan preposterous but Kunitomo says, "Maybe it's not so preposterous. Maybe he's got something there." Despite this, Kenichi still impertinently tells them that they must put this plan into motion, with Kunitomo now suddenly having a change of emotion when he asks, "Yes, but how are we going to get them to fight each other?"
===''[[:Category:Rebirth of Mothra|Rebirth of Mothra]]'' ''[[Rebirth of Mothra|I]]'', ''[[Rebirth of Mothra II|II]]'', and ''[[Rebirth of Mothra III|III]]''===
===''[[:Category:Rebirth of Mothra|Rebirth of Mothra]]'' ''[[Rebirth of Mothra|I]]'', ''[[Rebirth of Mothra II|II]]'', and ''[[Rebirth of Mothra III|III]]''===
*[[Mothra Leo]] is referred to as female in the first film, male in the second, and female again in the third. [[Garugaru]] is referred to as "Gagaru." Moll is referred to as "Mona."
*[[Mothra Leo]] is referred to as female in the first film, male in the second, and female again in the third. [[Garugaru]] is referred to as "Gagaru." Moll is referred to as "Mona."
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===''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]''===  
===''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]''===  
*[[Kiryu]] is referred to as "Mecha G." This change also occurs in Toho's English subtitled prints of the film, and was likely deliberately done to avoid confusing viewers who had not seen ''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'', which established this [[Mechagodzilla]]'s name as Kiryu.
*[[Kiryu]] is referred to as "Mecha G." This change also occurs in Toho's English subtitled prints of the film, and was likely deliberately done to avoid confusing viewers who had not seen ''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'', which established this [[Mechagodzilla]]'s name as Kiryu.
==Videos==
==Videos==
{{Videos|
{{Videos|

Revision as of 14:07, 7 April 2019

Omni Productions is a Hong Kong-based dubbing company founded by Rik Thomas and hired by Toho to dub the majority of the kaiju films they produced in the 1990's into English.[1] Omni Productions is not credited in any of these films; the only evidence of their involvement comes from correspondence between kaiju historian Steve Ryfle and voice actor Craig Allen.[2] All of their dubs for Toho's kaiju films are included on the U.S. home video releases of the films, with the exception of Godzilla 2000: Millennium.

Omni Productions may have dubbed Godzilla vs. Biollante and Yamato Takeru, as well as the Millennium Godzilla films from Godzilla vs. Megaguirus to Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., as some of the company's voice actors are included in these dubs, but these titles have yet to be confirmed. Rik Thomas has since sold the company to an unknown party and retired to Penang, Malaysia.[citation needed]

Films Dubbed

Godzilla Series

Mothra Series

Voice Actors Employed

  • Craig Allen
  • Simon Broad
  • Jack Murphy
  • John Culkin
  • Chris Hilton
  • Andrea Kwan
  • Darren Pleavin
  • Rik Thomas
  • Pierre Tremblay
  • Sue Brooks
  • Warwick Evans
  • Warren Rooke

Alterations

Toho had minimal contact with Omni Productions after commissioning each dub. As voice actor Craig Allen explained:

I will plead guilty to charges of lack of familiarity of with the story of each film. All the English script-writer gets is a translation of the Japanese; there's no briefing on the background or history of the stories, or anything like that. So sometimes he doesn't fully comprehend what's supposed to be happening, and sometimes we have to make last-minute changes to the script in the studio...I know we sometimes get the details wrong.[3]

As a result, there are numerous moments throughout Omni Productions' dubs where names and dialogue are significantly altered.

Godzilla vs. Mothra

  • When Mothra uses her scales against Godzilla, in the Japanese dialogue, Takuya Fujita says "Mothra's reflecting Godzilla's beam," to which the Cosmos reply "That's Mothra's final attack." In the English dub, Takuya says "It looks like he's been brought under control," with the Cosmos responding "Yes he has! Mothra is winning!"

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla

  • Birth Island is referred to as "Bass Island," or "Baas Island" as the subtitles on TriStar's DVD for the film spell it.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah

  • Destoroyah is called "Destroyer."
  • As in the English dub for the previous film, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, Birth Island is called "Bass Island."
  • Meru Ozawa tells Miki Saegusa that she is a paleontologist, while in the Japanese dialogue, she says her American ESP school "dragged us to a lot of dinosaur sites."
  • Sho Kuroki's line "Our budget for next year is zero yen. Then again, there might not be a next year." is replaced with "Let's go freeze that overgrown lizard. This is gonna make my day."
  • When Kenichi suggests allowing Godzilla and Destoroyah to fight each other in the Japanese dialogue, Commander Aso shoots down his idea and Kunitomo tells him that he'd better be sure of his plan before he feels comfortable risking people's lives. This prompts Kenichi to berate both of them. In the English dub, Aso calls his plan preposterous but Kunitomo says, "Maybe it's not so preposterous. Maybe he's got something there." Despite this, Kenichi still impertinently tells them that they must put this plan into motion, with Kunitomo now suddenly having a change of emotion when he asks, "Yes, but how are we going to get them to fight each other?"

Rebirth of Mothra I, II, and III

  • Mothra Leo is referred to as female in the first film, male in the second, and female again in the third. Garugaru is referred to as "Gagaru." Moll is referred to as "Mona."
  • In Rebirth of Mothra II, Ghogo is referred to as "Gorgo."

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

  • A man wishes mobilizing JSDF soldiers good luck. A woman next to him then sarcastically exclaims "Yes, good luck everyone! You're going to die!." In the original Japanese dialogue, the man speaks a foreign language, and the woman merely interprets the man's speech into Japanese.
  • When King Ghidorah is accidentally struck by a D-03 Missile intended for Godzilla, Lieutenant Miyashita strangely shouts "Got it!” in the English dub, rather than an expletive equivalent to "Shit!" or "Fuck!" as in the original Japanese dialogue.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

  • Kiryu is referred to as "Mecha G." This change also occurs in Toho's English subtitled prints of the film, and was likely deliberately done to avoid confusing viewers who had not seen Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, which established this Mechagodzilla's name as Kiryu.

Videos

Compilation of Rik Thomas roles
Compilation of Chris Hilton roles
Compilation of Craig Allen roles

Trivia

  • Omni Productions recorded two English dubs for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, with their second attempt recorded in 1998 being featured on TriStar Pictures' home video releases of the film, and the majority of the original dub never seeing release.[4]
  • According to Mike Schlesinger, who supervised the U.S. release of Godzilla 2000: Millennium, TriStar Pictures was provided with Omni Productions' English dub of the film, but he felt it was so bad it was unusable and opted instead to completely re-dub the film with different actors. Omni Productions' dub has never been released in any format.
    • When TriStar began including the original Japanese audio tracks with their DVD releases, the English subtitles they included were usually just taken directly from Omni Productions' dubs, often referred to as "dubtitles" by fans, rather than using actual translations of the Japanese audio. This can become obvious when characters speak English in the films, while the subtitles feature different dialogue than what is said onscreen, or when subtitles are included for lines of dialogue that only appear in the dubs. Sony later corrected this for some of their later Blu-ray releases of the films, including all-new translations of the Japanese audio.
  • Some of Omni Productions' voice actors, including company founder Rik Thomas, appear in the international dub for Godzilla: Final Wars, however the company credited for dubbing the film into English is Red Angel Media.

References

This is a list of references for Omni Productions. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

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