Abstract
The use of English template files in workflows involving the multilanguage creation of subtitles from the same source audio assets, typically English, was one of the greatest innovations in the subtitling industry at the turn of the century. It streamlined processes, eliminated duplication of work, reduced direct costs, improved timelines and facilitated the quality control of large volumes of subtitle files whilst expanding the pool of available translators to complete the work. Template files set the basis for the globalisation of the subtitling industry and, almost two decades since their inception, they are still a topic of debate among language service providers and subtitlers. The present paper is a descriptive work, presenting a set of guidelines devised by the present author at the turn of the century, and used in practice for almost a decade in the production of multilingual subtitling work, enhanced and improved upon by the very subtitlers that worked with them. It aims at providing a reference point for debate to researchers in the subtitling field, so as to further the ongoing discussion on interlingual subtitling quality, practices and standards.
Highlights
Template files have dominated the globalised audiovisual localisation industry since the DVD era, starting in the mid ’90s and used extensively as of the turn of the century
“Holy Grail” because templates helped Language Service Providers (LSPs) better manage multilanguage subtitling production, by enabling efficient quality assurance across files in multiple languages, while cutting down production times and cost, and at the same time expanding the pool of freelance translators available to work on such files by simplifying their training (Georgakopoulou 2006, 2009)
The present style guide builds on those earlier guidelines and includes further detail, especially as regards timing and reading speed issues, to exemplify the best practices followed for template file creation by a multilanguage subtitle service provider at the turn of the century
Summary
Template files have dominated the globalised audiovisual localisation industry since the DVD era, starting in the mid ’90s and used extensively as of the turn of the century. After two decades of English-audio material dominating the multilanguage production chain at large LSPs, who have been catering to the need for centralisation, security and quality assurance that major content owners demand, the industry is shifting to non-English language production, again for a multilingual audience This is bound to raise questions once again regarding the appropriateness and suitability of workflows employed for such work, especially where these are tailored around the use of pivot English source template files for the translation in any and all languages required in a project, irrespective of its source audio language. The intention is for it to be used as a reference point in future discussions on current practices, so as to enable comparisons and the exploration of trends, as well as help shape new practices in an informed manner
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