Translation in movies

Hubert Głąb
What is translation
in movies?
The process of translating movies involves converting
dialogue and cultural nuances from one language to
another through subtitling, dubbing, or voice-over.
This process requires linguistic skills and deep
understanding of both the source and target cultures
to maintain the film's original intent and impact.
What impact
does it have?
Translation in movies plays a crucial role in the
global film industry. It enables films to reach
diverse audiences across different linguistic and
cultural backgrounds. It makes them accesible
and increases their potential for global success.
Effective translation not only broadens a film's
market but also fosters cultural exchange and
understanding among viewers worldwide.
Importance goals of
Translation
concerning film industry
• Reach a Global Audience - Translation opens up films to audiences who
speak different languages, making it possible for non-native speakers to
enjoy and appreciate the content.
• Increase Box Office Revenue - Films that are translated can tap into
international markets, significantly boosting their revenue potential.
• Cultural Exchange - By translating movies, we promote cross-cultural
understanding and appreciation, allowing audiences to experience stories
and perspectives from around the world.
• Preservation of Original Intent - High-quality translation ensures that the
original tone, humor, and emotional depth of the film are preserved,
providing an authentic experience for viewers.
 Statistics on
international
box office
revenue
Types of
Translation in
Movies
Translation in movies can be categorized into
three main types: subtitles, dubbing, and
voice-over. Each method has its unique
process, advantages, and challenges, catering to
different audience preferences and cultural
contexts.
 Subtitles

Subtitles are text translations of the movie's dialogue displayed at the bottom of the screen. They provide a written version of the
spoken language, allowing viewers to read along while listening to the original audio.

Subtitling is often the preferred method for smaller territories. Some countries that prefer to see subtitles are Sweden, Por tugal,
Luxembourg, Greece, Finland, Denmark, and Belgium. These countries are considered small, with a population that does not go
beyond 12 million. This method is more cost-effective for the producers, as subtitling costs less than the other methods of movie
translations.

Subtitles are also used for foreign TV programs. Subtitling is prevalent in these countries because many local viewers can understand
the original language of the movie or TV program they are watching.

Another thing that makes movie subtitles work in these territories is that several languages are officially recognized.
Benefits of • The cost is relatively low - it’s estimated that subtitling
is around 15% cheaper than dubbing.
Using • It provides authenticity to the film - the viewers can
Subtitles still hear the dialogue in the original language and
understand what is being said through the subtitles on-
screen in their language. Subtitling helps the viewer
follow the film’s plot in their native language and still
hear the original audio without any alteration.
• The delivery of the film’s plot is better - the subtitles
appearing almost simultaneously with the original
dialogue, the film’s intended meaning (despite the
complex dialogue) is effectively delivered.
Synchronization between the movements of the actors’
mouths and the dialogue is not the top priority when
using subtitles, so the production can add more
information.
Drawbacks of Subtitling
• Subtitles slow down the viewer - reading the subtitles is not ideal when watching an action film or a
thriller with fast-paced scenes. They can be more distracting than entertaining for slow readers.
• Subtitles have to work on limited space - they have to meet stringent conditions. It can only remain on
screen for about six seconds. One line of subtitles should only have 42 characters, and this includes the
spaces between words. Only two lines of subtitles are allowed. When there are scenes with heavy
dialogue, some of the original messages are lost due to the limitations. These restrictions apply to all
languages.
• The production time increases - adding subtitles is done after the movie has been edited and all post-
production works are completed. Some subtitles are ”burned” into the movie, which means that they
cannot be removed. Some producers choose to have the subtitles overlaid onto the film. For many
producers, this is a better option because the captions can be turned off.
• The overlapping colors in a particular scene are a concern in creating subtitles - text may look
invisible over specific colors.
Some of Netflix's
language specific
requirements for Polish
subtitles

Netlix, one of the most popular streaming

platforms has it's specific set of rules for
subtitling:
• Abbreviations (e.g. prof., nr, m.in.) should
generally be avoided unless there are timing
or space constraints
• Acronyms should be written without periods
between letters: BBC, CIA, USA
• 42 characters per line (including spaces)
• Character names:
o Do not translate proper names (e.g. Peter, Suzanne), unless Netflix provides
approved translations.
o Nicknames should only be translated if they convey a specific meaning.
o Use language-specific translations for historical/mythical characters (e.g.
Santa Claus - Święty Mikołaj).
o Transliterate uncommon or unfamiliar letters/characters which appear in
names or proper nouns when working from a Roman alphabet language into
Polish if they may cause confusion or be hard to understand or pronounce
• Continuity
o When including ellipses in subtitles, please use the single smart character (U+2026) as opposed to
three dots/periods in a row.
o Do not use ellipses or dashes when an ongoing sentence is split between two or more continuous
subtitles.
▪ Subtitle 1 Kompletnie nie rozumiem
▪ Subtitle 2 twojej decyzji!
o Use ellipses to indicate a pause (2 seconds or more) or an abrupt interruption. In the case of a pause
(2 seconds or more), if the sentence continues in the next subtitle, do not use an ellipsis at the
beginning of the second subtitle.
▪ Subtitle 1 Nie wiem…
▪ Subtitle 2 jak dam sobie radę.
▪ Subtitle 1 - Nie wiem…
▪ Subtitle 2 - Dasz sobie radę!
o When a pause is shorter than 2 seconds, an ellipsis may still be used for stylistic reasons, e.g. to
indicate a hesitation
o Use ellipses without a space to indicate that a subtitle is starting mid-sentence.
▪ …poprzedniego dnia.
dubbing
Dubbing involves replacing the original dialogue with
audio in the target language.
Voice actors record new dialogue that matches the
lip movements and expressions of the on-
screen characters.
Spain, Italy, Germany, and France are territories where
dubbing is favored. Dubbing is more prevalent in major
countries where the population is about 50 million or
more. In each of these specific locations, one language
is officially recognized, so the investment in dubbing a
movie becomes more economical as nearly all of the
viewers can understand the translated dialogue.
Benefits of Dubbing
• Dubbing increases a movie’s appeal to mainstream audiences. It gives a sense of comfort and
relevance when the viewers watch the actors speak in a language they can understand. There were
expert suggestions that watching a dubbed movie gives a sense of autonomy and national identity.
Many viewers say that they can understand the plot better when the movie is dubbed in their
native language. Other researchers suggest that subtitles appeal more to audiences who like to
watch artistic films. Producers distributing films in larger countries believe that adding subtitles is
a better movie localization method that enables local audiences to enjoy the movie more.
Benefits of Dubbing
• Movie localization is vital to the acceptance of the target audience of dubbed content. Producers
seek to ensure the proper localization of their product so that audiences will enjoy the context of
the film based on their cultural preferences and find the humor in unexpected ways. For example,
when Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in Terminator 2 said, “Hasta la vista, baby,” viewers in
the United States found it funny. Still, they also understood the now-famous line because many are
exposed to Spanish. But in Spanish, the line blandly translates into, “See you later, baby,” which
does not bring out the comedic effect that the original line aims for. Therefore, in the Spanish
dubbed version, the producers injected the intended comedic flair by having the dubber say,
“Sayonara, baby.”
• Humor is often challenging to translate. Dubbing, however, makes it easier for the viewers to
comprehend the jokes because some of the contextual details can be made culturally relevant to the
target audience.
Drawbacks of Dubbing
• Choice of voice-over actors. In some cases, one actor will be used to dub a particular actor in all
the movies he or she is featured in. Thus, the voice of the dubber becomes familiar to the viewers,
and they start to associate it with the specific actor. This is fine as it is a one-on-one association. In
Italy, however, it was the usual practice in the past to use only one voice actor to dub the voices of
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. But the audience got confused when the two actors were cast in the
same movie, and the producer had to use another voice actor to do the voice of Al Pacino. Since
the audience had already associated the voice to the actors, they were confused to hear a different
voice for one of the actors.
• Synching of the voices of actors. Most producers are concerned with the proper synching of the
voices of the voice actors with the mouth movements of the original actors in a movie. Often the
voices of the dubbers are delayed, or mismatched which can distract audiences.
 Voice-over

Voice-over translation features a voice narrating the dialogue

in the target language over the original audio. The original
dialogue is often still audible in the background, but the
voice-over provides a translation. This specific method is
widely spread in Poland.
 Pros:

•Allows the original audio to be heard,

maintaining some of the original
performances.
•Can be quicker and less expensive than
Benefits and dubbing.
Drawbacks of
voice-over Cons:

•Can be less immersive, as the audience

hears two sets of dialogue.
•May be distracting if the timing between
the original and translated dialogue is not
well-synced.
Challenges in
Movie Translation
Translating movies involves overcoming
several challenges to ensure that the film's
original meaning, tone, and cultural context are
preserved. Key challenges include dealing with
cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions,
humor, and slang.
cultural nuances
Cultural nuances refer to the subtle differences in
meaning, behavior, and context that are specific to
a particular culture. These can include customs,
traditions, and societal norms that might not have
direct equivalents in other cultures.
A gesture or practice considered polite in one
culture might be offensive or misunderstood in
another. Translating such elements requires a deep
understanding of both the source and target
cultures.
idiomatic expressions
Idiomatic expressions are phrases or sayings that have a
figurative meaning different from their literal
interpretation. These expressions are often unique to a
particular language and culture.
The English phrase "kick the bucket" means to die, but
translating it literally into another language may not
convey the same meaning. Instead, a translator must find
an equivalent idiomatic expression in the target language.
 humor

Puns and jokes that rely on specific

Humor often relies on wordplay, language structures or cultural
cultural references, and timing, knowledge can be difficult to
making it particularly challenging to translate without losing their
translate. What is funny in one comedic effect. For instance, a pun
language or culture might not be in in English might not work in
another. Spanish because the words do not
have the same double meaning.
slang

Slang consists of informal, non-standard words

or phrases often used within particular social
groups. Slang evolves quickly and can vary
widely between different regions or
subcultures.
The English word "cool" (meaning fashionable
or good) may not have a direct translation in
another language. Translators need to find
contemporary equivalents that resonate with the
target audience.
Thank you