Subtitling in foreign languages
Translation, subtitling and on-screen insertion in all languages
SMG Languages performs professional multilingual translation and subtitling, suitably adapted for foreign audiences. This solution, prompted by the film industry, now makes it possible to produce highly effective audiovisual material, such as company presentations, demo footage and training films for foreign personnel in multiple languages.
SMG offers its customers consolidated experience in the field of translation and state-of-the-art publishing technology. We provide top quality audiovisual services that meet the needs of clients in the era of the third millennium.
Types of subtitling: difference between captioning and subtitles
- Captions are mainly understood as captions for deaf viewers that put all the audio content into words so that it can be understood, such as dialogue, descriptions of the speaker and the mode of expression, music and sound effects relevant to the scene (background music, telephone rings, etc.).
- Subtitles convey dialogue in captioned form and are intended for hearing viewers who do not understand the spoken language or accent. They are also inserted when parts of speech are unclear.
This distinction is made in the US and Canada, while in other countries the term subtitles is generally used to refer to both types of captions.
When captions are only visible following their activation by the viewer through remote controls or the menu, they are called closed captions. If, on the other hand, they appear automatically in the overlay, they are called open captions.
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How subtitles are created
The following technical-linguistic aspects must be taken into account in order to ensure foreign language subtitles can be read easily:
- The subtitles must remain on the screen for at least 1 second (as reading would otherwise be impossible) and for no more than 4 seconds for a single line of text or 6 seconds for two lines of text.
- Each line of text may contain a maximum of 35 characters – a character is any letter, graphic sign or space.
- A maximum of two lines of text can be displayed on the screen at any one time.
- The space occupied by the subtitle cannot exceed 15% of the total height of the screen and 66% of the width.
- When there is dialogue, the subtitle text must be preceded by a hyphen ( – ) and the speech of different characters placed on separate lines.
Subtitling process
One of the main problems in the production of subtitles is that there is no single procedure that is universally applicable. The best solution has to be found on a case-by-case basis, depending on the type of recording to be processed, its purpose and the media used. For example, TV subtitles require 30% more time to read than subtitles intended for the big screen. This clearly has a great impact on the way subtitles are produced, the management of timing and length of the sentences.
That said, the subtitle creation process generally involves the following four stages:
Creating the template
The definition of the template involves the correct localisation of the subtitles in the video considering the timing of the appearance and disappearance of the text. In other words, the subtitles must be synchronised with the audio and follow scene and shot changes.
Translation
This consists of translating the original text, taking into account the need to comply the technical rules of subtitles, such as the maximum number of characters per line. Translation of subtitles must also involve text adaptation to ensure the length of the sentences fits the on-screen space and the speed of scene changes. Whenever possible, it is best to avoid cutting sentences over several screens, and this often requires very skilful adaptation, especially when it comes to lip-syncing. Another crucial point is to find a compromise between the synchronisation requirements of the translated text and its readability, without altering the original meaning.
Simulation
This consists of checking the accuracy of the translated subtitles and the simultaneity between image and text. The reading should be natural and this is achieved when the subtitles have been translated and adapted effectively and are timed correctly.
Correction
This last stage consists of eliminating any errors in translation, positioning or synchronisation of the subtitles. This stage requires the participation of translation revisers and subtitle technicians.
Audiovisual translation: uses and differences between subtitling and dubbing
Today, we can find audiovisual subtitling and dubbing in a wide variety of fields that require a written or spoken translation to be included in a video. Thanks to simplified production processes and lower costs, subtitling and dubbing is no longer just a prerogative of the film industry, but has become a service accessible to a wide range of businesses. For example, they can be used in corporate videos, documentaries and multi-language online training courses.
Subtitling
These are explanatory captions that are superimposed on the image on the screen, generally to provide a translation of the dialogue or to aid comprehension by a deaf audience.
Dubbing
This is when speech is recorded after the filming of a video, which is indispensable for producing dialogue in a language different from the original. Dubbing can be done in voice off mode, where the words of the voice actor replace the original speech, or in voice over mode, where you can hear the original audio in the background. As an example, voice over dubbing is used in many films and videos in Eastern Europe, where the original dialogue is still audible underneath the translation.
We offer subtitling, voice over and dubbing services in over 160 languages, including:
A
- Albanian
- Arabic
B
- Bulgarian
C
- Chinese
- Croatian
- Czech
D
- Danish
- Dutch
E
- English
- Estonian
F
- Farsi
- Finnish
- French
G
- German
- Greek
H
- Hindi
I
- Italian
J
- Japanese
K
- Korean
L
- Latvian
- Lithuanian
M
- Macedonian
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Interesting historical facts about subtitling
From around 1919 to 1930, there was a transition from silent films to increasingly complex productions alternating images and captions. This led to synchronised sound in 1927 and, in 1932, to the dubbing of films for export to foreign markets. Thus ended the era of captions and the era of subtitling began.
Since then, numerous techniques have been developed to reproduce subtitles on film. These include chemical processes, laser techniques, caption generators, digital technology with the advent of DVDs and revolutionary new software such as After Effects or Camtasia.