Film Studies: Subtitles and Dubbing

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Table of Contents

The Technical Constraints of Sur-Subtitling
Training of sur-subtitlers
Subtitling as a language learning
Technical Tools
Subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing
Lip-synchronization
Problems in translation of speech into writing
Problems of oral translation of oral language
References

The Technical Constraints of Sur-Subtitling

There are several technical constraints encountered while subtitling and the major ones are discussed in this paper. Subtitlers cannot omit, add, explain or change too much thus providing them with limited time and space to convey the required messages meaningfully. In contrast text translators have more leverage since they are not required to count the characters as compared to subtitlers who have to rectify immediately if the words exceed the given limits which are invariably always very less. They have to exert their minds in finding synonyms for lengthy sentences or group of words. Viewers must understand the given subtitles within a few seconds that the subtitles appear on the screen, hence subtitlers have to work under immense time pressure. The scripts to be covered for subtitling are always not correct and cannot be trusted as being the final version since they are often changed while the film is being made and are not a correct portrayal of what the character in the film is actually saying. Hence a subtitler is required to have well sharpened ears to write the subtitles effectively and meaningfully. It often becomes difficult for subtitle writers to hear exactly what is being said in the film since it is often combined with background music which considerably reduces the impact of the words being spoken in the film. Normally films are full of errors in that facts that are represented wrongly have to be also subtitled in the same way thus creating confusion for those relying on the subtitles to understand the film. Word plays and ambiguous words cause big problems while writing subtitles since it is difficult to always find the exact wordings for what the dialogues convey. Song lyrics to cause problems because although they can be translated both in films and texts, while writing subtitles, lyrics have to be written so that they are in rhythm with the melody in order to enable viewers to sing the song that they hear. An added constraint is the fact that different varieties of English are spoken in films as compared to the written language. Words may be spelt in the same way but they are invariably pronounced differently thus proving to be stumbling blocks for those writing subtitles. However the biggest technical challenge to subtitlers pertains to the fact that people process information that is spoken much faster than what is written. Essentially subtitles have to follow the pace of the spoken language by reducing the amount of text used so that the sped with which viewers read matches with the tempo of the conversation. In this context it becomes a challenge for the writer of the subtitles to reduce the number of words if the character is speaking very fast.

Training of sur-subtitlers

Training for those who wish to become skilled in writing subtitles effectively and meaningfully entails undergoing training in the different aspects of subtitling. Mastery in writing subtitles is attained by imbibing a number of skills such as very good knowledge of the language and the ability to use the tools available to make the written subtitles fool proof. Aspirants must be well versed with editing of subtitles that includes functions of spell check and advanced view preview feature. The training for such programs enable the candidate to become well versed with the different features in regard to handling time and frame based subtitles, checking and fixing of errors in the subtitles, getting frame rates from the movie files and in becoming familiar with the user friendly interfaces. The trainee can associate himself or herself with the schemes of subtitle extensions, obtain the file lists and adjust the subtitles with ease and confidence as and when required. The training for achieving mastery in writing subtitles enables trainees to create, edit and convert tasks but it is imperative that this area of work should enable one to get pleasure in this kind of activity. It is important to have patience and an amicable and intuitive nature to succeed in this area of work. The aim of training programs in this regard is to enable the access to various menus with features of advanced functions along with stability and speed, the ultimate objective being to reduce the time taken for editing of subtitles. Training programs in this area stress on enhancing abilities in reading writing and attempt to develop a user friendly interface to use configurable shortcuts. The training is conducted using video previews to enable participants to become experts in customizing foreground and background color. Training in writing subtitles enables the trainee to get speed and advanced systems of customizing texts with ability to carry out repair of errors in different styles and fonts so that they can be identified with ease. The training also enables expertise in timing operations and text related functions in addition to enabling the trainee to be well versed in using limited time to attain maximum productivity.

Subtitling as a language learning

Languages can be learnt by producing ad hoc subtitles for video clips and films by students either by themselves or in class or in a distance learning environment. The subtitling is done in the language that is to be learnt by using the written version of the text information. In this context the audio is presented to the students in their mother tongue so that they can write the captions in the language to be learnt. The rapid spreading of computer culture has enabled schools of learning to carry out different activities in this regard. In modern society the visual component is very important as more and more people shift their preferences from computer to TV and DVD on a daily basis. Language learners have come to feel at ease with activities that integrate all such familiar elements as textual, visual and audio which have come to become coexistent with our daily lifestyles. This facilitates in pairing motivation for learning with the large scale information available in regard to society and culture. The use of video now offers extensive portrayal value in helping the learning acquisition process by providing learners with the key to massive quantities of authentic and comprehensible language input of manners, idioms, festivities, language body language and habits which are very important in learning new languages. According to Vanderplank, ‘subtitles have very high potential value in helping the learning acquisition process by providing learners with the key to massive quantities of authentic and comprehensible language input’. When dealing with the potential usefulness of video input and subtitles in second language learning, it is necessary to bear in mind the major effects of visual associations on memory and the mnemonic power of imagery (Danan, 1992). A video that is subtitled enables triple connection amongst sound and image in one language and text, along with text and sound that is associated with the translation of the other language being learnt, so as to make the video meaningful. This connectivity supports strong abilities to retain and use the language. The supplementary effects of visual images and translation enable learning of the new language. According to Canning Wilson (2000) images contextualized in video or on its own can help to reinforce language learning, provided the learner can see immediate meaning in terms of vocabulary recognition’. In essence this is truly possible since one of the best means to ensure this immediacy of connotation is by using subtitles. All this is substantially augmented with the use of subtitles in active mode since the students themselves create them.

Technical Tools

There are several technical tools that assist in the successful execution of subtitle assignments in managing and delivering professional subtitling. Such tools that feature the different sets of subtitling capabilities facilitate subtitling service bureaus, authoring facilities, translators, content developers and video professionals. One of the tools relates to the publishing to all subtitle formats and enables the output to be distributed amongst a large number of formats with one click. Such formats comprise of Scenarist BD, Cheetah, Closed Caption, Encore, Adobe, DVD Studio Pro, Apple, Blu-print, Sony and Scenarist BD. The SD to HD Subtitle Conversion enables ingest of the present subtitles from different formats including bit map images in addition to adjusting their appearance and publishing the same to HD formatting. The built in OCR conversion can import sets of subtitle files with speed and then convert the same to make changes and republish in the required output format. Subtitles that require adjustment can be adjusted with the fix problems tool that can open up all supported formats, edit them and re-export the same to be used in the authoring tool or video production. The seamless multi-language subtitle creation is efficient and easy in allowing one to create several tracks of languages as required and the output can be transferred to many formats conveniently. The Advanced Subtitling Features and Effects tool is able to adjust and create for the subtitler several alignments and appearances in facilitatig stereoscopic and karaoke subtitles. By means of the Extensive Error Verification and Reporting system all illegal elements of the output formats such as color palette, positioning and characters can be detected and the verification rule book can be customized in enabling all facilities to fix their respective parameters in ensuring that all the exported subtitles are fully compliant with the QC requirement. The comprehensive subtitling suite is a complete set of applications that creates converts, manages and publishes subtitles for different delivery formats. The different parts of this suite comprise of Text Analyser, Timecode Burner, Import/Export Manager, Magnifier, Timecode Calculator, Subtitler, Batch Processor and OCR Converter. Such tools are of great help in facilitating the management of professional subtitling.

Subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing

Normally the subtitled versions of movies are shown at special shows organized for the deaf and hard of hearing which may also be seen by those comprising of hearing people also. In this context the subtitles are expected to cater to the needs of a mixed audience. Subtitles may be required by the audience for a number of reasons such as there may be foreigners who do not understand the language of the film without subtitles, some portions of the film may be difficult to hear, or there may be some characters in the film who have a peculiar style of speaking. In this context the rules that apply to subtitling normally aim at catering the needs of a diversified audience. In most cases the original dialogues are transcribed exactly as they are spoken more so in scenes that allow for simultaneous reading of the lips. But although the reading speed is considered to be faster than the listening speed most deaf and hard of hearing people are not prone to reading long lines of subtitles that appear on the screen for a short time. Hence it is required for them that the text of the subtitles be simplified especially when the images contain lot of information requiring the viewer’s interest. This is because the viewer may miss important information if he is too much occupied with reading the subtitles. To facilitate the hearing impaired subtitles should transcribe the dialogue and not adjust them with the written prose. Hence the register by way of slang, colloquial or formal should be in keeping with the style of the film. There should also be ample use of captions so as to notate the effects of sound in relation to the actions that describe the moods and the atmosphere. There are some specific captions that are designed for the short of hearing such as the roaring of engines or the ringing of bells may have no relevance for the deaf people. But they are relevant for those whose hearing ability has worsened over time and such sounds are included in the film primarily to relive the once familiar sounds that may carry them to past memories when their hearing power was normal. Sounds of gunshots or creaky doors are also included with the same intentions. Subtitles are synchronized with speech just as it is done in subtitling of foreign films. This is done by avoiding the appearance of subtitles very early or in ending them too late so as to avoid distracting those who are slightly short of hearing. Subtitles that are not in sync with the character’s speech often annoys and irritates viewers. Colours are used as and when the technology permits since they are an important aid in comprehension. They can indicate the types of the subtitles whether they are dialogues, song lyrics, external information, thoughts or can also indicate as to who is speaking. These are differentiated with different colours which the frequent viewer can infer due to practice and a set code as followed by most subtitlers. For the convenience of the deaf and hearing impaired the subtitles are positioned under the speaker in the film. When the subtitle is placed directly under the speaker, the viewer can identify the speaker instantly.

Lip-synchronization

Lip synchronization is a term that is used in the context of matching the movement of lips with the voice. The term often refers to techniques that are used in performances while producing films, videos, and programs for television. The science and technology of synchronization in regard to audio and visual signals of the lips are used primarily during post production and transmission of films and videos. It is a common practice amongst singers who perform by recording songs and videos in providing their services for entertainment by matching the movement of their lips with those of the animated characters in films and videos. It is a normal practice for performers to engage in lip synchronization in keeping with old practices to ensure quality of broadcasting and to harmonize with their own vocal competencies. Lip synchronization is also called miming and is widely used to make it appear as if the actor in a film or video is actually singing the song in token of making them appear to have musical abilities. Since the music track and the film track are recorded on different occasions during the making of videos, actors and artists normally lip sync to the songs of other singers and emulate the playing of musical instruments also in keeping with the musical environment as portrayed in the video or film. In the production of films lip synchronization is often resorted to in being part of the phase of post production. In modern films most of the dialogues are recorded after the shooting of the film and lip synchronization is the technique that is deployed while making it appear as if animated characters are speaking. Lip synchronization is also largely used when films are dubbed to portray the film in different languages. Lip synching is also used in the manifestation of the art of making characters appear to speak dialogues that are essentially pre recorded. The technique of lip synchronization that makes an animated character to speak entails the breakdown of the timings of the speech as also the real movement of the lips and mouth in matching the track of the dialogues. For high quality dubbing it is essential that the dialogues should be first translated in a manner that the wordings that are used should tally with the movement of lips of the actor. This kind of situation is a difficult task to achieve in view of the requirement of the translation to essentially match with the original dialogue. An elaborate effort for lip syncing is a very expensive and lengthy procedure. When video games were introduced they were not featured with the use of voice and were mainly text based. At the maximum the games used to feature specific and generic movements of the mouth or jaw to express a communication procedure along with the text. But with the advancement of gaming technology voice acting and lip sync have become very popular and in demand for the entire video games industry.

Problems in translation of speech into writing

Translation of speech into writing is required for several purposes, major amongst them being the textual versions of the dialogues that have to be often displayed to enable an understanding for those who do not understand the language of the film. Problems in translating speech into writing primarily pertain to the fact that spoken information is processed by the human mind much faster than written information. The speaker speaks in a fast tone as compared to the speed with which one can translate it into writing thus providing scope for matter to be left out that may have important bearing on what the speaker is saying.. Hence a translator of speech into writing is required to have well sharpened ears to write the speech effectively and meaningfully. It often becomes difficult for speech writers to hear exactly what is being said in the speech since it is often combined with background sounds which considerably reduce the impact of the words being spoken by the speaker. In essence translation experts have lesser leverage as compared other professionals in related fields since they are not required to be careful in regard to the characters to be used and have to rectify immediately if the words exceed the given limits which are invariably always very less. They have to exert their minds in finding synonyms for lengthy sentences or group of words. Readers must understand the given translation within a few seconds of reading the translation, hence they have to work under immense time pressure. Translators have to often translate for people who cannot infer the sources of the information in the right cultural context and hence do not give due recognition to the hard work that they engage in. the most frustrating fact in regard to translating relates to the lack of recognition for the hard and dedicated work that translators are engaged in. No matter how ingenious the solutions may have been, there are increasing instances of criticism form people who are obnoxious and are totally oblivious of the qualities of a good translation. In effect thousands, sometimes much more, use their discretion in seeing and judging the work of translators. The technical constraints in regard to translation are a constant source of frustration amongst translators and is particularly realized when readers find the text to be complicated and never go through it a second time. Moreover everything cannot be translated exactly and the original sentence structure cannot be maintained always nor can the rhythm be always as conveyed by the speaker. The translator is also expected to convey as far as possible the original flavor of the speech in much the same style and context. Hence although the translators do as much as they can do within their means, people often do not notice their gleaming solutions to the complex problems.

Problems of oral translation of oral language

Oral language is considered to be essential for literary development, speaking, reading, listening and for improving writing skills. Our culture influences a great deal the pattern of language and our learning environment and oral language can enable people to refine its use. People bring diverse use of the levels of language acquisition as they develop in life. Hence challenges are faced in meeting the individual needs of every language and in discerning the methodologies that work efficiently in improving the development of language. Recent trends have seen the development of conflicting methodologies in oral language by relying heavily on quick fix solutions which often prove to be unauthentic and contextualized experiences of languages in learning centers. There have also been instances of overemphasis being placed in using standardized ways of testing language skills of people while holding learning centers responsible in regard to the systematic developments. The development of oral language influences all areas of the curriculum and has been in most cases relegated as an incidental byproduct of different schemes so as to enable students to be tested on the various parameters. Especially in schools there has been an overemphasis observed in spending more time on academic contents instead of giving children the opportunity to build upon their language skills. The early knowledge of people in regard to speaking and listening has contributed a great deal to the improvement in their writing and reading standards. It is known that literacy and language develop together people should be encouraged to engage in activities related to songs and chanting to improve upon the phonological awareness that is essential for succeeding in reading skills. If there are obstacles to such literacy and language development students will lag behind throughout their grades. Moreover the learning opportunities that are provided to students by parents should concentrate in being contextual in nature instead of being provided in isolation. People need to be aware that as they perform there daily functional tasks, they must also engage in modeling that leads to the development of language. The role of teachers is to model languages and to elaborate on the expressions of their students as and when appropriate. It is important to validate the ideas of students so as to encourage them to take risks in navigating their way through the learning process. If both positive and negative emotions are acknowledged students can develop the language as required while interacting with their peers. This will go a long way in providing a strong foundation for negotiation and compromise as students go on in life with the learning process. It is important to note that even non-verbal signals that may seemingly appear to be insignificant such as facial expressions and change in voice tones have a big impact on them in regard to appropriate social interactions.

The role of teachers and parents of students are crucial in the development of their language skills. It is imperative to build upon the communication skills by way of listening, reading, storytelling and language games. As the student starts to understand the process they can eventually build more effective skills for communication. While considering the complex procedure of language development it is observed that teachers and instructors feel rather ambiguous about how the whole process occurs. It is required that all such instructors help students in becoming keen language learners and eventually as literacy learners. An environment that is planned well will provide students access to material required to explore and in talking with peers about their ideas. With the onset of such social interaction students can negotiate the understanding that they have of their surroundings and their role in the given setup. If centers can be planned around a particular topic students are more likely to connect with their world and build upon an associated language.

If the development of literacy and language is not taken care of, people will lag behind throughout their careers. This is because language develops in different ways for different people. Children who come from backgrounds that lack literary and language standards of a higher order, suffer a great deal in this regard. Such people are exposed to different kinds of vocabulary in their immediate surroundings and the limited words that they are aware of are mostly used in a very punitive manner. Consequently the level of vocabulary that a student uses is much influenced by the lack of discourse at home. Hence t is imperative that educators recognize the need to provide quality language experiences to students in print activities and oral language.

References

Aldridge, Jerry, The Importance of oral language, 2005, Childhood Education,
Beck, I., & McKeown, M. (2001). Text talk: Capturing the benefits of read-aloud experiences for young children. The Reading Teacher, 55(1), 10-20.
Canning-Wilson C. (2000). “Practical Aspects of Using Video in the in the Foreign language Classroom”, in The Internet TESL Journal, 6, 11.
Danan, M. (1992). “Reversed Subtitling and Dual Coding Theory: New Directions for Foreign Language Instruction”, in Language Learning, 42, 4: 497-527.
Minchinton, John. 1993. Sub-titling. Minchinton J. Hertfordshire, England.
Storch, S., & Whitehurst, G. (2002). Oral language and code-related precursors to reading: Evidence from a longitudinal structural model. Developmental Psychology, 38, 934-947.
Vanderplank, R. (1988). “The value of teletext sub-titling in language learning”, in ELT Journal, 42: 272-281.

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