WHAT
IS SUBTITLING SUBTITLE
AND GRAPHIC FILES LAYING
SUBTITLES READING
SPEED DECISION:
FULL TRANSLATION OR PARAPHRASED 1.
"Full translation" 2.
"Paraphrased Translation" 3.
"Cut-Back Translation"
Subtitling
is real-time written translation of a video or movie, appearing
as text on the lower third of the screen. Subtitling is popular
for DVDs, CD-Roms, videos and other multimedia use.
WHAT
IS SCREEN TEXT
Screen
text is graphic text that appears on television, CD ROM or DVD,
for example, the title of the show, or "For further information
call 1-800-123-4567". Similar techniques can be used to create screen
text as are used to create subtitling files, and professional studios
can manipulate even the most difficult languages such as Chinese,
Japanese or Arabic.
@I.S.
provides pre-fab files that can be used in any medium: video, DVD,
CD-Rom and web. Single files can be provided, such as titles or
navigational web buttons. Or hundreds of files can be provided for
use in subtitling, along with an edit list that can be imported
directly into the developer's software. Subtitle files are available
in tga, pict, eps, tif, bmp and more. Single graphic files for web
use are available in jpg, gif, eps and other traditional file formats.
There
are approximately 700 subtitles in a 30 minute show. 1400 per hour.
Laying these one-by-one in an edit suite is almost too hideous to
contemplate. And using software such as PhotoShop to make so many
files is a nightmarish vision. @International Services has an automated
process for creating hundreds of files in a very short space of
time. All perfectly sized for the client's screen, and in the proper
format, with text size, font and outline to clients preference.
Customized EDLs (edit lists) are also provided, compatible with
most major software, for quick, smooth results. Or, @International
Services can lay the subtitles in a partner studio and return a
finished Master to client.
It
is important to note that people read more slowly than they hear.
Thus, with subtitling, there is always the tug of war between the
ability of viewers to read the same amount of text that is spoken.
In movies, subtiles are often "adapted" (shortened) for this very
reason, though often much information is lost. In a subtitled movie,
it is not uncommon to hear long chatter and much hand waiving and
gesticulation ... with a single subtitle reading: "No."
Full
translation offers a much higher quality translation of the spoken
word. It is the preferred style of persons who speak basic English,
are trying to learn English, or when the video content is vitally
important. An advantage to "full translation" is that it upholds
almost the entire full content of the original. On the down side,
the text is fairly long, and requires more concentration to read.
For
Paraphrased translation the original English script will be "simplified"
and condensed to cut down to the smallest possible number of words
on-screen. A phrase such as "I feel awful, horrible and down-right
terrible", can become "I feel bad." Paraphrasing shortens the text,
and makes reading easier, but obviously looses much of the flair
of the dialogue. This style annoys persons who speak some English,
but is fully acceptable to those who do not speak English (who do
not know anything is missing). Paraphrasing is particularly applicable
to persons who do not read quickly, or to a video where the value
of the activity or visuals on-screen carries the same weight as
the dialogue.
For
companies that desire the maximum verbatim translation, yet slightly
shorter to make reading easier and allow the viewer to absorb as
much information as possible, this adaptation shortens the text
by eliminating redundant or unnecessary words, and changes long
verbs such as "I could have been able" into shorter verb "I could
have". All important information from the original is retained,
therefore the text will still change on the screen fairly quickly.
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LANGUAGE SPECIFICS
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