Foreign dialogue... how much is too much?

[uncle_al]

(remember: show don't tell!  ).

To: The Devil Chicken
Congratulations... you're getting it.

Al B.
Si hoc legere scis, nimium eruditionem habes.
{If you can read this, you have too much education.}

[ElPolloDiablo]

I've found that if the lines are fairly short, subtitles will work better than you think. They are incredibly bad if there's several lines of dialogue ... partly because many Americans read poorly and partly because it becomes distracting. Short and sweet works best.

Thanks for the reply.

I've consciously kept dialogue short and to the point. My concern is that several key plot points/twists are subtitled and could lose their impact because of this. I guess that if I keep the talking to a minimum I should be okay.

I did have a lengthy subtitled scene setting up a main twist but following a rewrite the whole scene is now dialogue free. (remember: show don't tell!  ).

[ScriptNurse]

I've found that if the lines are fairly short, subtitles will work better than you think. They are incredibly bad if there's several lines of dialogue ... partly because many Americans read poorly and partly because it becomes distracting. Short and sweet works best.

[ElPolloDiablo]

Hello all,

I'm currently writing a thriller about an American who visits a foreign country. The main characters speak English, but several of the secondary characters speak in their native tongue.

The problem that I face is that there's too much subtitled dialogue creeping into my story (approx 10 percent). My question is this.... how much is too much?

One technique I've noticed that Hollywood uses is have all the foreign characters speak in English (albeit with an accent). This is something that I can't really do as several of my scenes hinge on the fact that characters can't understand each other.

Opinions please.