Video subtitling – the translation of subtitles and dialogues
Conveying information through images is extremely important nowadays. In order to increase the audience numbers, online video creators make sure that their videos have subtitles in many languages. You have probably often watched a film in a foreign language with added subtitles. Watching a film in one language while reading the same language subtitles is also a great way to learn the language.
Whether you need subtitles in many languages or in one language only, we can prepare your content for any audience around the world. Here at Skrivanek we specialise in transcribing audio content to text, translating subtitles for films, as well as adjusting and embedding the finished subtitles in the recording.
If you want to learn more about how the properly prepared subtitle language can help your company increase its reach and your customer base, read this article or simply contact us. We are always happy to describe our services, explain how they work and why they are so effective. We can also prepare a free-of-charge quote for creating subtitles for your film. Let us start working together globally!
DOES YOUR FILM NEED TRANSLATING? CONTACT US!
WHY DO YOU NEED SUBTITLES FOR VIDEOS OR VIDEO FILES?
Video is an extremely important tool for marketing purposes. Free subtitles in many languages, which are easily recognised by popular multimedia players like Windows Media Player, have become a standard today.
Thanks to your video content, you can build trust in your company, product or brand. You can also appeal to more senses in your recipient, which is particularly important when your target group is a younger generation.
Most people prefer watching a recording to reading a text. Therefore, online video materials are increasingly frequently used for business purposes. Subtitles for films have become a necessity, and films with Polish subtitles are now standard.
There are many reasons why it is worth adding subtitles to films and other audiovisual materials:
- subtitles for films are an excellent means of communication regardless of the language barriers,
- transcription and translation make audiovisual materials understandable to users of other languages,
- subtitles for films make it possible to improve the watching experience, especially for hearing-impaired people,
- if you want your content to be available to viewers around the world, match the subtitles to your target group.
The popularity of creating subtitles is also increasing due to the number of available stream services, such as Netflix and YouTube. Serious content creators who make them available on social media always remember to add subtitles to their films, so that their materials are available to viewers around the world.
It is worth taking advantage of the great popularity of the YouTube search engine as well, since publishing on this website has an impact on Google searches. In order to increase the popularity of a YouTube film, it is enough to add subtitles to it. Publishing video content helps your business increase its reach and improve its position in the search results.
Preparing high quality subtitles requires the effort of a team composed of qualified specialists in this complex and multi-stage process. Translation into a foreign language is not enough, as the subtitles should also be adjusted accordingly so that they are displayed at the right time. Subtitles are adjusted to the film using specialised software.
WHAT VIDEO TYPES DO WE SPECIALISE IN?
We can prepare subtitles for the following types of materials:
- YouTube videos
- TV series
- online and web-based films
- promotional and training films and tutorials
- e-learning courses
- TV commercial and social media ads
- TV programmes
- documentaries and feature films
- event coverage and news
- webcasts and podcasts
- interviews
- lectures
WHY US?
In order to guarantee accurate local translation of the subtitles for film work, we work with native speakers of the target language. Our goal is simple: the subtitles must reflect all the cultural nuances and the context of the video material.
QUALITY
Our team comprises both qualified translators and native speakers, who together are responsible for creating the professional subtitles that films require.
TIME
We are available 5 days a week, and as one of the leading providers of translation services, we can deliver high quality products quickly.
VERSATILITY
In the case of language services, there is no single cookie-cutter procedure. Here at Skrivanek we are recognised on the market for our flexible approach to translation projects. We are able to respond individually to your needs as regards transcription, translation and the creation of subtitles for films.
Translation of instructional videos for a customer in the training industry
Our customer, a company specialising in the medical training industry, asked us to prepare the translation of instructional videos into Ukrainian due to an increased demand for training materials. This institution conducts and organises postgraduate training for people with higher education in health care. At the same time, it participates in the development of the health care system and carries out research activities. It is involved in the education and training of professional medical staff, including doctors, dentists, pharmacists and laboratory diagnosticians. Their purpose is to prepare highly qualified personnel to operate in the health care system.
ADJUST THE SUBTITLES TO YOUR VIDEOS
A great deal of online content is currently viewed on mobile devices, which is often muted. In such a situation, subtitles for films, especially those prepared by professionals rather than generated automatically, are a huge advantage. Video files with embedded subtitles can be viewed in almost every situation when it is not necessary to separately download the subtitles – such as during a trip, in a restaurant or even in a waiting room at a clinic, which significantly increases the number of views.
The video material may influence the positioning of your website. For Google algorithms, the sheer fact of uploading a video to your website with the correct name of the file, its title and its film is really important. For algorithms of applications like YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook, it is also important whether the film contains subtitles, preferably in several language versions. Adding subtitles makes your video more searchable, creates a larger number of views, and generates more traffic on your website.
ADD SUBTITLES TO YOUR ONLINE VIDEOS
At Skrivanek, we have a team of qualified experts who know how to implement each stage of preparing subtitles for films. This means you can watch your films with subtitles in English, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Ukrainian, French and many other languages. If you are looking for a provider of audiovisual translation services with many years of experience, contact us.
WHAT IS VIDEO SUBTITLING?
Subtitles are a fragment of the dialogue embedded in the film in the form of a text, in the original language or in a foreign language. Typically, they appear as a text displayed at the bottom of the screen, in a colour and a size that guarantee comfortable reading.
Sometimes subtitles for films are saved in a separate file in the following formats: srt or txt. If you want to add such subtitles to your video, you should download the file to your computer. After downloading, you can use the subtitles by uploading them to the program you use to watch your films.
HOW DO WE TRANSLATE SUBTITLES?
Tłumaczenie napisów to specjalistyczna technika, która wymaga precyzji i dużych umiejętności językowych. Polega na transkrypcji dźwięku w języku oryginału, przetłumaczeniu otrzymanego tekstu na wybrany język, a następnie na korekcie językowej, zapewniającej naturalne brzmienie tłumaczenia. Wymaga to nie tylko dokładności, ale także uchwycenia wszelkich niuansów dialogów, tonu i stylu oryginalnego dźwięku. Ważne jest również, aby tłumaczenie pasowało do pewnych ograniczeń, dotyczących chociażby czasu wyświetlania napisów czy liczby znaków, które człowiek jest w stanie w danym czasie przeczytać. Tłumaczenie napisów jest więc złożoną, ale niezbędną usługą, pozwalającą twórcom treści dotrzeć do większej liczby osób na całym świecie.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NORMAL AND A SUBTITLE TRANSLATION?
The translation itself is already a complex task and, in the case of translating subtitles, the bar is set even higher. Every translated element must be shorter, in line with the time constraints of the film and to the pace of the dialogue, which can be a difficult task. Sometimes translating subtitles also requires localising context information, such as cultural references or slang expressions, which, in turn, requires specialised knowledge related to both languages and cultures.
When preparing subtitles, the translators must focus on ensuring full synchronisation with the image by carefully selecting words and reducing the length of the translated texts. Preparing subtitles requires the application of certain adopted standards resulting from the ability of humans to follow a written text. For instance:
- the text should be displayed in 1-2 lines,
- the line should not contain more than 38-42 characters,
- adults are able to read up to 25 characters per second, while children can only read about half this rate.
Popular streaming platforms have their own standards defining what video subtitles should look like. At Skrivanek, we know how to add subtitles to a film to meet all the above requirements.
WHAT ABOUT SUBTITLES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HEARING-IMPAIRED OR HARD OF HEARING?
Preparing subtitles for the hearing-impaired is slightly more complex. In the limited duration of a given scene in the film or series, the subtitles must convey more than just dialogues. It is necessary to describe all relevant sounds and use techniques that allow the viewer to distinguish the characters in the film. Thanks to this, people with hearing disorders may benefit from audiovisual messages to a greater extent.
HOW ARE SUBTITLES CREATED?
The process of creating subtitles usually consists of 4 main stages:
1 – TRANSCRIBING
The first step in the production of subtitles is transcription, which means registering the recording in the form of a text. In this process, automatic transcription programmes can be used, but any dialogue created in this way must always be carefully reviewed. A professional transcription service is performed by an experienced linguist who is familiar with the characters and events of the film. At this stage, a file is created in an appropriate subtitle format (e.g., .srt, .txt, .sub, .vtt, .xml, .stl, .fcpxml, .ass), including the time codes.
2 – TRANSLATION
The text is then translated into the selected language by a translator who specialises in subtitle work. The translation must convey the same meaning, feelings and tone for each conversation. It must also be adapted to the constraints of the video subtitles and tailored to the target audience.
3 – QUALITY CONTROL
Once the translation is completed, it is important to check whether it is correct. This type of control requires the help of a native speaker of the given language in order to find any substantive mistakes or inconsistencies in the translation. They correct the translation in a way that it sounds natural to the recipient.
4 – TYPESETTING
The final stage of producing subtitles is technical preparation. This includes synchronising the subtitles with the original recording and changing the time codes created at the transcription stage. The subtitles may also be adjusted in accordance with the standards.
If the subtitle preparation service includes embedding them in the film, our specialist team has to comply with the different requirements concerning, such as the background colour for the subtitles, the location where the subtitles are to be placed on the screen, and the use of an appropriate font. We then always check once more that the subtitles are displayed correctly on the screen.
Once the production of subtitles is completed, you receive a finished product from us – a file with subtitles in the selected language and format, or a video material with embedded subtitles. The only thing that is left for you to do is to make it available to your audiences around the world!
WHY DOES THE FREE TRANSLATION OF VIDEOS OFTEN FAIL?
Using free-of-charge online video translators, which allow you to automatically download subtitles, has many drawbacks. The most important is that the quality of translation is often mediocre as they are based on machine translation, which is not as accurate as the work of a good translator.
Free online applications for subtitles usually offer a limited number of languages into which they can be translated. The language of the subtitles you need may not be available, meaning it may not be possible to find the right subtitles.
To sum up, the functionality of online translation services is usually limited, and poorly translated subtitles can be negatively perceived by the audience.
WHY ARE SUBTITLES PREPARED BY HUMANS BETTER THAN THOSE AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED?
YouTube, LinkedIn and other social media platforms sometimes use automatically generated subtitles. The fact that you watch a video on YouTube and see the subtitles displayed on the screen is possible thanks to this service, based on automatic speech recognition and automatic subtitles.
However, using this option while watching materials that are important to you is not a good idea. Speech recognition does not work properly, even though it allows you to download the subtitles. If you want to add subtitles to your materials as part of your professional activity, you should reconsider using automatically generated subtitles, and delegate this task to professionals.
SECRETS OF SUBTITLE TRANSLATION
Translating film subtitles is an extremely important process, one which is crucial for the global distribution of films, games, TV series and other multimedia content. The effective translation of subtitles requires taking many factors into account, including cultural nuances, technical constraints, puns, metaphors and many other aspects.
What are the typical issues that an audiovisual translator faces on a daily basis?
- Nuances and cultural issues: It is important to be aware of the cultural differences between languages, and how to deal with them. Each country and even each community may have their own values, norms and customs, which means it is important for the subtitle translator to understand the cultural context of the film and then adapt it in a way that is appropriate for the audiences in each region.
- Technical limitations: When translating subtitles, technical limitations such as the length and speed of displaying the subtitles have to be taken into account. Sometimes it is necessary to shorten or adjust the translation to fit within the fixed display time on the screen. It is important that the translation remains consistent with the original message while adjusting it within the technical requirements for subtitles at the same time.
- Puns and metaphors, the linguistic conundra: In the case of puns and metaphors, the subtitle translator is faced with the challenge of conveying their meaning in another language. It is important to find appropriate equivalents, which are equally funny or reflect the intended message. The translator must take cultural differences in the sense of humour into account and understand what language elements are characteristic of a given culture. After all, any references to the world of politics or celebrities may be completely different for each region.
HOW DOES PROFESSIONAL SUBTITLES IMPROVE THE RANKING OF YOUR WEBSITE?
A film with subtitles prepared by a human is more understandable for the SEO algorithms and is better catalogued by the SEO engines in terms of searching for subtitles. If the video contains subtitles, then YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook can better identify the key words. A material with subtitles ranks higher in the search results, which may lead to more displays. Automatically generated subtitles do not guarantee that, which means that they may have a less positive impact on the SEO activities.
WHY IS THE SRT FORMAT ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR FORMATS? – DOWNLOADING SUBTITLES WITH EASE
As far as files with subtitles are concerned, the SRT file is one of the most user-friendly formats and does not create problems while downloading subtitles. It is a standard format for film subtitles that can be used with various multimedia players and film editors. An SRT file is a text file that can be easily edited, even using a popular programme such as Notepad or WordPad.
SRT files contain dialogues from the film, as well as time codes indicating when given subtitles are displayed, usually consisting of 1-2 lines. If you do not have such a file, we can prepare it by providing a transcription service. The text is subsequently translated into the requested language. As a result, a new SRT file containing subtitles in another language is created.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Preparing subtitles for a film, especially subtitles in a foreign language, is a complex process requiring specific skills. The preparation of subtitles is also affected by the duration of the recording, the language of translation, the target group or the purpose for which the film was created. This means that we always prepare quotes on a case-by-case basis, after considering your expectations and agreeing on all relevant details of the project implementation.