Media, Broadcasting and Entertainment Translation

Subtitles: translation under a stopwatch

A subtitle has to be read while the picture moves. That limits how many characters fit on a line and how long a line stays on screen, so a subtitle translation condenses: it keeps what is said and drops filler, false starts and repetition. Languages that run longer than English, such as Spanish, German and Russian, need the most condensing. We translate from a timed source file (SRT or WebVTT) or a transcript with time codes, keep the original timings, and split or merge subtitles only where reading speed requires it. Songs, signs and on-screen text are subtitled only if you ask, and marked as such.

Captions are not subtitles

Captions, for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, include sound information ([door slams], [music]) and speaker identification. Subtitles, for viewers who do not speak the language, assume the viewer can hear. FCC captioning rules apply to US television, including Spanish-language channels, and carry over when the same programming goes online. If you need translated captions rather than subtitles, say so; the sound descriptions are translated too.

Scripts and dubbing scripts

Script translation for production or for a funding application is different from a dubbing script, which has to match lip movement and timing. We translate scripts, treatments and synopses for reading; dubbing adaptation is a specialised craft we do not offer.

Rights

A translation of a film, series, book or play is a derivative work. Broadcasters and platforms usually hold or license translation rights as part of the distribution deal, but an independent producer subtitling someone else's footage needs permission. We will ask who holds the rights on literary and audiovisual projects.

Press and festival materials

Press kits, festival submissions and synopses are short and visible. They are translated to read naturally, with names, credits and titles kept as officially released; a film's foreign release title is used only if it exists.

Working files and deliverables

Send the final locked cut's subtitle or caption file, or the as-broadcast script with time codes. Translating from an early script and then conforming to a re-edited picture doubles the work. Tell us the delivery specification: some platforms set maximum characters per line, number of lines and reading speed, and some want italics for off-screen voices or forced narratives only. We deliver to that specification and keep a copy of the term list (names, places, invented words) for later seasons or sequels, so a character's name is spelled the same way in every episode.