Surely, when you enjoy a film, series, or videogame you don’t think about the language it is in; however, the truth is that audiovisual translation is one of the most powerful tools of the industry to help create successful products. Knowing what the translation of audiovisual creations is all about will help you to understand the keys to this profession.
What is audiovisual translation all about?
Audiovisual content translation includes any type of translation that can be seen on a screen. That is to say, translations for television, videogames, and websites.
As a result, this type of translation is different from others because it has to coexist with images. One of the main challenges is for the text to fit the actors or images and be in sync with their words.
You should also take into account that translation of film scripts for dubbing must fit with how the actors play the part. Therefore, dialogs must be fluid and natural. On the other hand, the challenge of subtitling is that the text must fit with the speed of the person reading the subtitles. It has been calculated that people can’t read more than 35 characters per second if they really want to be able to follow the plot. And we mustn’t forget that some viewers who are watching the audiovisual product can understand both languages. Therefore, much care must be taken when shots change.
For audio description, it is necessary for the translator to take into account the description of what is physically happening on the screen as well, as this is for people with visual impairments.
Lastly, for videogames, translators must tackle their localization. That means that the contents must be adapted to the typical characteristics of each country and culture.
Being able to handle all of these things well is not easy in the least. The audiovisual translation process requires specialized professionals who, of course, are vastly knowledgeable on the language but who also are able to assume the specific requirements that must be met for each audiovisual product type.
The importance of translation in the internationalization of contents
Our current society outgrew its borders decades ago, and audiovisual creation has followed along that path. In this day and age, the audiovisual industry cannot focus only on selling its products in one country or to a certain collective of people if it wishes to increase its profits.
The internationalization of audiovisual contents is essential for the success of these products, and audiovisual translation plays an important role in said internationalization. Having specialized professionals who are able to change the language and also adapt the content to the characteristics inherent to the culture of each country is the most important step for your audiovisual productions to be able to be launched on new markets.
Audiovisual translation is the best tool that industry creators and players have. Remember that the main goal is to get increased profitability so that your business is fruitful and can continue to create – and to accomplish that, you’ll have to get to countries with different languages than your own.
