Subtitle Localization

Subtitling is the process of transferring written or spoken messages from the source language to the target language in all kinds of multimedia materials such as movies and TV series, documentaries, videos with information and entertainment content, commercials, and corporate promotional videos. The importance of localization comes into play at the point where visual media content reaches target audiences and conveys the messages it contains in a comprehensible way in the target language. Subtitle localization is an inevitable solution for visual media content produced to directly address audiences speaking a different language.

Localization is inevitable considering the fact that the differences between languages are not limited to structural knowledge and spelling rules. The delicate link between a language and the culture it represents becomes even more important when it comes to translating contemporary content. For this reason, the meaning of the messages contained in the source text should be thoroughly analyzed. At this point, the translators’ familiarity with the culture represented by the source and target languages will enable them to successfully interpret the elements of the language such as idioms, proverbs, jargon, hearing, and current expressions that are frequently encountered in the subtitle.

 One of the most important goals of subtitle translation is to avoid transmission problems and possible misunderstandings that may arise from intercultural differences. Therefore, during the translation process, the style and word choices required by the media material in which the subtitle appears are determined by taking into account the characteristics of the target audience. For instance, whether a brand’s promotional film appeals to a young audience or experts in a professional field will completely affect the subtitle translation process. For this reason, it should be checked whether the concepts and themes in the content have the same meaning in the culture of the target language. On the other hand, while making the necessary adaptations in the subtitle text in order to achieve the desired meaning in the target language, at the same time, the technical rules of subtitling should not be deviated from. For instance, the translation of the subtitle in the source language may exceed the maximum character limit of one line. In this case, the subtitle should be adapted accordingly to comply with the rules.