MATI 2016 Webinar Series - Reel Fun: Improving your Subtitles

Reel Fun: Improving your Subtitles

Have you seen movies with painfully bad subtitles that make you lose the narrative thread if you don’t know the original language? Or have you become angry at bad subtitles when you do know the original language of the movie? This is the stage where the subtitling industry is at right now: there is a lot of it, and a lot of it is bad quality. But there is room for improvement.

The subtitling industry is huge, increasing, and changing. Companies want to reach the widest audience possible. Internet and streaming platforms allow companies to broadcast an enormous amount of audiovisual content, making it available to everyone easily and quickly, all around the globe, in their own languages, and in one click. Video content streaming is the perfect tool to globalization, and subtitling is its perfect ally. It is cheaper than dubbing, and when done well is probably more efficient. Learning to be a good subtitler opens up opportunities for translators.

And yet, subtitling good standards are poorly understood. This webinar will provide novice subtitlers with key aspects in subtitling theory to make their work shine by both its effectiveness and unobtrusiveness. More experienced subtitlers will learn how to shake off bad habits developed over the years. The presenter will start with some facts in the subtitling market, and some fundamental aspects of subtitling theory. Then a two minute video in English with Spanish subtitles will be played.

The speaker will point out at certain issues with the subtitles shown, and discuss why they are problematic, and how they can be improved using open-source subtitle software.

Bio:  

Ana Salotti is a freelance Spanish translator specialized in audiovisual and natural sciences translation. She holds a BA in Spanish Translation from her native Argentina, and a Master of Arts degree in Interpreting and Translation Studies from University of New South Wales, Australia. She is also an instructor of Translation courses at Hunter College, NY. In one of her two specializations, audiovisual translation, she has subtitled and dubbed hundreds of movies and series for major movies festivals and TV networks in Argentina. She now corrects subtitles for a large streaming media provider in the US. Her second specialization area focuses on the translation of environmental issues. She currently translates official and scientific documents for two of the largest intergovernmental commissions on the conservation of birds, fish and marine mammals in the world.