LOOK, LISTEN, LEARN: IDEAL COURSES IN AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION TRAINING

Dr Fotios Karamitroglou, AUEB / Softitler Inc.

The Modes of AV Transfer

Subtitling vs. Revoicing:Worlds Apart

The Mode of Subtitling

a) Interlingual subtitlingb) Intralingual/monolingual subtitling

Additional Subtitling Tasks

1) Proofreading2) Correlation3) Rematch4) Typing from a dubbed video5) Script typing6) Image QC 7) Translation of a DVD menu

Proofreading

Key qualities: thorough knowledge of subtitling

constraints top-class SL competence fluency in mother tongue acute perception tolerance towards translator’s choices ability to make new suggestions

Correlation

Key qualities: all previous proofreading qualities knowledge of AV distribution market familiarisation with subtitling equipment text editing (including semantics,

stylistics and pragmatics)

Rematch

Key qualities: all previous correlation qualities text distribution line division duration

Typing from Dubbed Video & Typing from Script

Key qualities: text editing awareness of spatiotemporal constraints

Image QC

Key qualities: idiosyncratic use of punctuation and

paralinguistic features

Translation of DVD Menus

Key qualities: tips on translation of publicity texts technical translation guidelines knowledge of DVD as a medium

Interlingual Subtitling CourseKey modules:1) Introduction to cinematography and analysis of film-

making procedures 2) Introduction to the sociology and market of the AV media 3) Introduction to cinematic language 4) Advanced semantics or semiotics 5) Advanced stylistics and pragmatics 6) Selective analysis of SL literary texts 7) Selective analysis of TL literary texts 8) Introduction to subtitling history 9) Extensive analysis of spatial subtitling constraints 10) Extensive analysis of temporal subtitling constraints 11) Extensive analysis of the idiosyncratic use of

punctuation and paralinguistic features in subtitling 12) Line division guidelines 13) Editing techniques14) Familiarisation with subtitling software/hardware 15) 3-6 months placement with a subtitling company

Interlingual Subtitling Course

Entry requirements*:a) a good language degree in the

designated SL; and/or b) a good translation degree in the

designated SL-TL combination

* Knowledge of Translation Theory and General Translation Methods is presupposed

Interlingual Subtitling Course

Assessment: written exams for modules 1-15 subtitling project (800-1000 subs) certificate of attendance for the

placement period

Intralingual/monolingual subtitling

Key qualities: understand the needs of the deaf and

HoH community thorough knowledge of subtitling

standards good cinematic knowledge excellent command of the mother

tongue mastery of subtitling equipment

Intralingual Subtitling CourseKey modules:1) Introduction to cinematography and analysis of film-

making procedures 2) Introduction to the sociology and market of the AV media 3) Introduction to cinematic language 4) Advanced semantics or semiotics 5) Advanced stylistics and pragmatics 6) Psychology and Sociology of Deaf and HoH people 7) Selective analysis of TL literary texts 8) Introduction to subtitling history 9) Extensive analysis of spatial subtitling constraints 10) Extensive analysis of temporal subtitling constraints 11) Extensive analysis of the idiosyncratic use of

punctuation and paralinguistic features in subtitling 12) Line division guidelines 13) Editing techniques14) Familiarisation with subtitling software/hardware 15) 3-6 months placement with a subtitling company

Intralingual Subtitling Course

Entry requirements:a) a good language degree in the TL;

and/orb) a good degree in the psychology of the

deaf

Assessment: Tripartite Scheme applied on Interlingual

Subtitling Course

The Mode of Revoicing

a) Lip-sync dubbingb) Narration/voice-overc) Free commentary

Dubbing

Key qualities: thorough knowledge of phonetics awareness of temporal constraints casting abilities loop scheduling performance staging sound engineering voice acting

Dubbing CourseKey modules:1) Introduction to cinematography and analysis of film-

making procedures 2) Introduction to the sociology and market of the AV media 3) Introduction to cinematic language 4) Advanced semantics or semiotics 5) Advanced stylistics and pragmatics 6) Selective analysis of SL literary texts 7) Selective analysis of TL literary texts8) Advanced phonetics and phonology 9) Introduction to dubbing history 10) Extensive analysis of temporal dubbing constraints 11) Extensive analysis of visual constraints12) Basic acting parameters13) Familiarisation with sound studio facilities and recording

equipment14) 3-6 months placement with a dubbing company

Dubbing Course

Entry requirements*:a) a good language degree in the

designated SL; and/or b) a good translation degree in the

designated SL-TL combination

* Knowledge of Translation Theory and General Translation Methods is presupposed

Dubbing Course

Entry requirements (continued):c) a good degree in cinematography*

*provided they first attend a crash course that comprises:

- General Linguistics- Syntax/Grammar- Contrastive Analysis (SL-TL)- Translation Theory- General Translation Methods

Dubbing Course

Assessment: written exams for modules 1-14 dubbing project (about 15 min, at least

5 different personas) certificate of attendance for the

placement period

Voice-over

Key qualities: knowledge of cinematic issues mild and pleasant voice

Voice-over CourseKey modules:1) Introduction to cinematography and analysis of film-

making procedures 2) Introduction to the sociology and market of the AV media 3) Introduction to cinematic language 4) Advanced semantics or semiotics 5) Advanced stylistics and pragmatics 6) Selective analysis of SL literary texts 7) Selective analysis of TL literary texts8) Extensive analysis of temporal voice-over constraints 9) Extensive analysis of visual constraints10) Familiarisation with sound studio facilities and recording

equipment11) 2-4 months placement with a voice-over company

Voice-over Course

Entry requirements*:a) a good language degree in the

designated SL; and/or b) a good translation degree in the

designated SL-TL combination

* Knowledge of Translation Theory and General Translation Methods is presupposed

Voice-over Course

Assessment: written exams for modules 1-11 voice-over project (about 30 min, 5000

words of text) certificate of attendance for the

placement period

Free commentary

Outside the scope of AV Translation proper

Key qualities: good SL-TL knowledge basic familiarisation with General

Translation Methods

Audio Description

Key qualities: psychology of the blind and visually

impaired Knowledge of revoicing standards good cinematic knowledge excellent command of the mother

tongue thorough knowledge of recording

equipment

Audio Description CourseKey modules:1) Introduction to cinematography and analysis of film-

making procedures 2) Introduction to the sociology and market of the AV media 3) Introduction to cinematic language 4) Advanced semantics or semiotics 5) Advanced stylistics and pragmatics 6) Psychology of the blind and visually impaired 7) Selective analysis of TL literary texts8) Extensive analysis of temporal voice-over constraints 9) Extensive analysis of visual constraints10) Familiarisation with sound studio facilities and recording

equipment11) 2-4 months placement with an audio description or

voice-over company

Audio Description Course

Entry requirements:a) a good language degree in the TL;

and/orb) a good degree in the psychology of the

blind

Assessment: Tripartite Scheme applied on Interlingual

Subtitling Course

Flexibility of Courses

To be tailored as per the needs and aims of every institution:

Course duration Course level Credit system

A Call for Proper AV Training

Mutant reading habits:(90 min) x (1000 subs) x (6 words) x (4

movies per week) = 1 book per month!

AV Translation Training in the Academia and the Market

MA in Audiovisual Translation, University of Surrey (UK) http://www.surrey.ac.uk/lcts/cts/pgprog/mainavtranslation.htm

MA/PGDip in Audiovisual Translation, Roehampton University (UK) http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/pg/avt/index.html

MA in Screen Translation, University of Sheffield (UK) http://www.shef.ac.uk/mltc/courses/pg/subtitling MA in Monolingual Subtitling and Audio Description, University of Surrey (UK) http://www.surrey.ac.uk/lcts/cts/pgprog/mainmonsubauddescription.htm MA in Screen Translation Studies (interlingual and intralingual subtitling, and multimedia translation),

University of Leeds (UK) http://www.smlc.leeds.ac.uk/cts/cts_content/ma_programmes/masts.asp MA in Translation Studies (with general Audiovisual Translation option), University of Manchester (UK)

http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/Research/Centres/CentreforTranslationandInterculturalStudies/MAProgramme/

Screen Translation course at BA/MA level, Centre for Translation & Lexicography, University of Copenhagen (Denmark) http://www.hum.ku.dk/translationstudies/

‘Audiovisual Translation: Theory and Practice’ module at the School of English of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) http://www.enl.auth.gr/under/findex.htm

Crash course in Subtitling, Glossologia Institute, Athens (Greece) http://www.glossologia.gr/html/en/sub/studies/sub/translation/subtitling.html

Seminar course in Subtitling, Titelbild Subtitling Agency, Berlin (Germany) http://www.titelbild.de/english/courses.htm

Intensive Courses in Translation for the Media (Italian & Spanish) including subtitling, voice-over and dubbing, Centre for Language Studies, City University, London (UK) http://www.city.ac.uk/languages/translation_for_media.html

1 year course in Dubbing, Scuola di Cinema Immagina, Florence (Italy) http://www.cinemaimmagina.it/eng/doppiaggio.htm

Part-time course in Dubbing, The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, (Hong Kong) http://www.hkapa.edu/asp/general/general_part_time_course_detail.asp?performanceid=2224&lang=eng&mode=gui

Dubbing workshop in the Summer School of the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid (Spain) http://www.spanishacademics.com/course/SUMMER_SCHOOL-UNIVERSIDAD_FRANCISCO_DE_VITORIA_(UFV)-MADRID-SPAIN-1385-11.html

Voicetrax Studio Voice-over course (USA) http://www.voiceover-training.com/ Dan Balestrero’s online Voice-over course (USA)

http://www.actortips.com/products/voice_over_work.htm