What, exactly, are subtitles and its significance?
These days, captions and subtitles are embedded in most of the videos. Although helping the deaf and hard of hearing was the target goal of closed captions, it is no longer the primary goal.
Subtitling is one of the two most popular techniques for translating audiovisual content. Subtitling is typically a part of the multimedia localization process. This segment of the translation industry is growing due to the ongoing development of audiovisual products in many different parts of the world. Furthermore, as users may now create audiovisual content on their devices, there is a greater need for adapted content.
The voices of people and the communication contexts can be represented and replicated with subtitles. Due to its profound impact on communication, education, and knowledge exchange, the audiovisual industry has a vast cultural impact. In this new environment, subtitles provide access to various entertainment sources, such as TV shows, documentaries, games, movies, and music videos. It’s also changing the way we shop in this sense.
More time than ever before is being spent in front of screens. As such, there is an increasing need for subtitling of audiovisual information. Most videos we watch on social media and entertainment websites include captions. Several studies show that nearly 85% of people who watch Facebook videos do so with the volume turned down. Captions are emerging all over the place.
What makes subtitling important?
Most videos these days come with captions or subtitles. Although it used to be the main objective, helping the deaf and hard of hearing was the real purpose of subtitles or closed captions.
According to news sources, average person would watch online video for 100 minutes per day in 2023, an increase from 84 minutes in 2021. Users online video consumption increased at an average yearly rate of 32% between 2013 and 2021. This is due to many factors, including improved mobile device display sizes and quality, faster mobile internet connections, and increased connected TV sets. Sources predict that 2021 online video advertising spending will rise to an average of 18% per year, while overall internet advertising spending is predicted to rise at 10% per year.
Subtitling is more in demand than ever and will continue to rise. Getting the best results in subtitling requires working with certified translators who are masters at what they do.
The most common mistakes we encountered during subtitling are :
It is common for us to notice or read specific problems when subtitling, which are crucial to consider to prevent any misinterpretation:
Timing Mismatch
It’s the biggest mistake ever when a character says something and the subtitles say something else. Timing mismatches in subtitling are prevalent. It’s important to carefully review your content to ensure that subtitles are positioned and timed to achieve the intended and beneficial effects. This will help you avoid creating a pointless subtitle.
Literal Translation
All content must be translated considering the target audience’s cultural background and language usage. Working with translators who are also native speakers is therefore recommended. It involves more than just word translation—it also entails ensuring that the message’s intended meaning is understood.
Unreadable Texts
With an efficient subtitling system, it should be possible and fun for the user to understand what is being shown. Viewers will find it difficult to see text that is too small, moves too quickly, or is displayed in a difficult-to-read colour. It’s also important to consider improving the user experience on mobile devices by modifying the subtitles.
Punctuation
Punctuation is essential to convey what the characters are trying to express. Viewers must be able to discern between question and exclamation marks in speech and follow the pauses in the speech. Correct punctuation is a great habit that raises the standard considerably.
By using a translation machine
Machines cannot understand idiomatic expressions or intertextual references. Subtitling requires human translation since algorithms cannot understand humour, sarcasm, irony, or emotions.
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