Creating subtitles for a film or video is not just about an accurate and grammatically correct translation of the dialogues. Even the best translation wouldn’t be effective if the audience in the theater couldn’t read the subtitles in time. A skilled subtitler must adjust the translation to match the speed of the dialogue, the editing, and the optimal reading speed.
The subtitle text needs to be synchronized with the sound and image so that the viewer can fully focus on the presentation without distractions. If done well, the viewer won’t even notice that they’re reading subtitles.
For such subtitles to be created, a good knowledge of audiovisual translation is not enough. One must also be proficient with subtitling tools and know in advance the answers to questions like: Who is the target audience? Where and how will the film be screened? Will the subtitles appear directly on the screen, or are they triggered in real-time? Are subtitles needed for the hearing impaired? Or perhaps an audio description for the visually impaired?
During my subtitling work for distribution companies and streaming platforms, I’ve translated a large amount of audiovisual material – from animated children’s series and documentaries to feature films. Each project requires a different approach, and I leave a piece of myself in every project, especially with highly creative content like animated children’s series, where I often deal with rhyming texts or wordplay.
Children should have the same quality experience from the translated version as they would from the original language production. The translation must retain it spark, which often requires working with different types of dictionaries – such as synonym, phraseological, and others – as well as “juggling” with word meanings (multiple meanings, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms).
If you are interested in subtitles for promotional videos, films, TV shows, documentaries, children’s animated stories, theater performances, educational videos, or videos of any other type, feel free to contact me! I would be happy to create subtitles tailored to your needs.
