| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | How to make my dream come true of working in subtitling/dubbing? Thread poster: Vera Fleischer
|
|---|
LEXpert 
United States
Local time: 07:00
Member (2008)
Croatian to English
+ ...
| @Sylvano and Freelance - replies | Nov 22, 2010 |
Not to hijack this thread... but since you asked -and have been kind enough to respond:
I was asked to listen to/review a completed recording. From the recorded preliminary exchanges with the producers in English, the VO artists had at least a very good command of English as well as their target/native language (this was being recorded in the US somewhere). The text was very short, an English saying that was read in English to the VO artists, who were asked to render it in their nat... See more Not to hijack this thread... but since you asked -and have been kind enough to respond:
I was asked to listen to/review a completed recording. From the recorded preliminary exchanges with the producers in English, the VO artists had at least a very good command of English as well as their target/native language (this was being recorded in the US somewhere). The text was very short, an English saying that was read in English to the VO artists, who were asked to render it in their native language as best they could.
It suppose it's possible that the entire VO project was much longer and the snippet they asked me to listen to had been added as an afterthought since they had the talent there anyway.
[Edited at 2010-11-22 14:51 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-11-22 14:52 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Hi Vera,
I think you should go for it - try applying at SDI Media or Softitler or one of the other big companies. They don't pay that bad - I subtitle for 4.50 per runtime minute, meaning that a 45 minutes episode of a TV series gives me 200 USD and normally takes me between 5 and 7 hours work.
And I love it. As Simone points out, it's the same thing with literary translations. They're fun to do, but pay little.
Anyway, subtitling is not glamorous at all, so if that's yo... See more Hi Vera,
I think you should go for it - try applying at SDI Media or Softitler or one of the other big companies. They don't pay that bad - I subtitle for 4.50 per runtime minute, meaning that a 45 minutes episode of a TV series gives me 200 USD and normally takes me between 5 and 7 hours work.
And I love it. As Simone points out, it's the same thing with literary translations. They're fun to do, but pay little.
Anyway, subtitling is not glamorous at all, so if that's your motivation go for something else.
Good luck. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Time-cueing: not my cup of tea... | Feb 8, 2011 |
Lisa Villeneuve wrote:
Hi Vera,
I think you should go for it - try applying at SDI Media or Softitler or one of the other big companies. They don't pay that bad - I subtitle for 4.50 per runtime minute, meaning that a 45 minutes episode of a TV series gives me 200 USD and normally takes me between 5 and 7 hours work.
And I love it. As Simone points out, it's the same thing with literary translations. They're fun to do, but pay little.
Anyway, subtitling is not glamorous at all, so if that's your motivation go for something else.
Good luck.
You are obviously very experienced Lisa!
I was once given the opportunity to do a subtitling test with the aid of a software tool called Intratrans. The time-cueing turned out to be very challenging for me. It was only a 5 minute video, but it took me not hours, but days on end to complete the job, and even then my work turned out to be less than satisfactorily. So, I was asked to re-do it all over again. I gave up in the end. I felt that working with the time codes was beyond my ability.
[Edited at 2011-02-08 22:50 GMT]
[Edited at 2011-02-08 22:52 GMT]
| | | | kmtext
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:00
English
+ ...
| It's not an easy or glamorous job | Feb 11, 2011 |
As a professional subtitler and translator, I've got to say that there are a lot of sub-standard subtitles out there, both from a technical and linguistic standpoint. A lot of people seem to assume that if you can type, you can subtitle, but that's rarely the case. The trouble is that there are a lot of amateurs who are willing to do a poor job for very little money, and for the client, the rate is the bottom line. As a result, we see poor translations, badly-structured captions and often ridicu... See more As a professional subtitler and translator, I've got to say that there are a lot of sub-standard subtitles out there, both from a technical and linguistic standpoint. A lot of people seem to assume that if you can type, you can subtitle, but that's rarely the case. The trouble is that there are a lot of amateurs who are willing to do a poor job for very little money, and for the client, the rate is the bottom line. As a result, we see poor translations, badly-structured captions and often ridiculous reading speeds, all of which combine to make an otherwise interesting and enjoyable programme unwatchable.
In terms of subtitler enjoyment and job satisfaction, those are different things. You rarely get the jobs you'd like to work on, and often, when you do, it ruins your enjoyment of the film or programme because you have to focus on it in such minute detail that you pick up all the mistakes and flaws in it which you would otherwise miss when just seeing it once. There have been a number of cases where I've subtitled an entire film and then had to revise it for different regional broadcasts. The worst was a six-revision job, which meant I had to subtitle the film and watch it all the way through nine times in total, back to back, over four days. Another part of the job is that you usually have to work on programmes you would not want to watch normally and have no interest in or knowledge of, be they sit-coms, documentaries, chat shows or whatever.
The two most disturbing programmes I ever ended up working on were a documentary about a group of parents whose five- and six-year-old children had been shot dead, and exposé about how puppies and kittens cooked alive in pressure cookers were a delicacy in some cultures, and yes, they broadcast the whole thing, kittens and all. I've subtitled medical procedures, scenes of graphic violence, offensive diatribes, intimate moments in people's lives, heartbreak, humiliation, scenes that would make watching paint dry seem dynamic, everything. When you're subtitling, you don't have the option of looking away or fast-forwarding through the bits you don't like. In fact, in most cases, you've got to look very closely so you can place the captions in such a way as not to obscure the important detail.
So, if you think you can cope with, and do justice to, a programme like those I've mentioned, go for it. If you think it would be fun to sit back and watch your favourite film or sit-com while you giggle, sip coffee and do the odd bit of typing, stick to fan subbing. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Vera Fleischer
Germany
Local time: 14:00
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
kmtext, you bring up some very interesting points. Thank you very much for that perspective. I like the term "fan subbing".
[Edited at 2011-02-11 18:57 GMT]
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » How to make my dream come true of working in subtitling/dubbing? | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
| | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
