A process through which you add text to any visual or audio media to express the spoken message is a subtitle. The main idea behind Video Sub-titling is to have a written explanation of the audio spoken. It lets the viewer or the listener read what is being said and understands the context of the content. Without subtitles, it would be impossible to grasp the verbal communication if it is a foreign language not known to the listener.
Subtitles can be added to anything be it moving pictures, corporate or promotional videos as well as on the internet and YouTube videos. A well-written subtitle caters to a huge global audience who can comfortably read the content and consume the visuals well.
Should you hire a subtitling company or do it yourself?
While you may want to do the subtitling yourself for your corporate or personal video, it always pays to hire an agency and here are the reasons why. Your language experience, video editing, style choices of subtitles, time constraints, and file and editing preferences all come into play when you decide to DIY the video subtitling.
Hiring a professional offers many benefits. You now have access to professionals whom you can trust with all the technical stuff like encoding, syncing, and time coding. They can customize the subtitles in varied styles. This saves you time and also cuts errors which an amateur would likely commit.
Services offered by the subtitling company
The professional companies will let you choose from a plethora of subtitling styles. They will have a dedicated project management team to examine your projects and to determine and advise the correct approach to each project.
You could choose from the subtitles burnt into the video file. Or you may have the option of an on and off option. Professional subtitling gives you the power to choose, so make sure that your supplier is equipped with the best and the latest options available.
If you need subtitles translated, then find out if the company lets you create your translations. The subtitle company may also offer translations, but that should be an extra service and not mandatory. However, it is recommended that you pick a Website translation agency that has specialization in subtitles to give you the best result.
Hiring a subtitling company will also let you gain insight into the subtitling style that is most accepted in the country where you would want to display the content.
The subtitle translators’ role
Subtitle translation is unique as compared to the other kinds of translations. This is because the translator is bound by the character limit for every line of the subtitle. So a direct translation is not going to fit here, and the translator should be well versed in thinking creatively to come up with a translation that is constrained and that summarizes the gist of what is being said ensuring that it retains the core message.
The subtitle translators are linguistic who can convey the message in a limited space and time. It is not just about getting the viewer to understand the message but also about choosing the right words. The professional translator should know how to recognize the differences in meaning from one word to another and how there could be some distinct association with similar words.
The professional subtitle translation company would have collaborated with native speakers that understand the etiquette, humor, and culture as well as the quirks of the foreign language. Exact translation will not work in many instances, and this is why knowing the native language would let the translator incorporate the local styles. A professional can create the right atmosphere, which in turn gets your message across in the way that you desire.
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