Subtitling – as it belongs to Subordinate Translation – is a type of audiovisual translation that has its own criteria. Before surfing this field of translation, it is essential to know that there are restrictions of time and space which directly shed its shadows on the target text. Our translation depends on these parameters, and it does not only consist of translating the textual context, but also supporting us in the image and the audio, with determined time and space.
Our methodology in subtitling depends on two centered lines of subtitles usually at the bottom of the screen. Each line is 35 characters maximum (i.e., any letter, symbol or space). In case of the limits of time, a subtitle has a minimum duration of a second and a maximum span of 6 seconds on screen, considering the relation between the length of a caption and the number of characters it contains so that it can be read in an average reading speed of 3 words per second which makes a total of 4 seconds for a subtitle of 2 lines composed of 70 characters.
Our Methodology for subtitling considers
- Adaptation of the original utterance into the target language of the audience;
- Spotting, i.e., the time of appearance of a subtitle in each camera shoot or scene with its duration;
- Simulation as representing the synchronized captions with the scene; and
- Adjustment or errors.
Please contact us for more information on subtitling or request a quote using the free quote form above.