Riassunto esame di Traduzione audiovisiva - Il doppiaggio e il sottotitolaggio, prof. Logaldo

Formatting Examples in Screenplays

Here’s an example of a screenplay from The Hours:

The sentences are usually very short and very precise. Also, in a screenplay the present tense is used instead of other tenses because it describes an action that is taking place right now: this is what we see now. We also find some capitalized words (city and names of the characters): it is very important for the director and the people who work at the shooting of the film to know exactly what characters are involved in that particular scene and information concerning what we see on screen.

And this is an example of a dialogue from Forrest Gump:

Aligned at the centre of the page we have the character’s name, some personal directions - oblivious - and then the lines.

Dialogue transcript: translators only have a list of lines spoken by the characters, but there is no indication of who is acting them out. Even in this case, translators always have to check on screen who’s talking. Here’s an example from Skins:

In

perché i sottotitoli sono in lingua originale, i traduttori devono guardare il video contemporaneamente. Video senza trascrizione: è solo un video e i traduttori non hanno altro su cui lavorare. Potrebbe essere molto difficile capire i dialoghi, soprattutto se vengono parlati dialetti o gergo. Una cosa che i traduttori potrebbero fare è cercare un convertitore di discorso in testo scaricabile gratuitamente e trasformare i dialoghi in testo scritto. Naturalmente, questo non è di solito accurato al 100%, quindi i traduttori devono lavorarci su. Sottotitoli in lingua originale con TC-in e TC-out: sottotitoli nella lingua originale senza timecode-in e timecode-out, quindi i traduttori devono solo tradurre nella lingua di destinazione. TC-in e TC-out mostrano l'ora, il minuto, il secondo e il millisecondo in cui il sottotitolo appare e scompare dallo schermo. Anche se sembra essere il più semplice, può capitare che il file con tutti i sottotitoli forniti ai traduttori manchi alcune righe; a volte non sono perfetti o precisi al 100%. Inoltre,

In that case, translators always have to check what's going on screen. Translators have the number of subtitles, the timecode-in and timecode-out. This is the format which is read on text, meaning that any different arrow or comma instead of a colon will not be readable for the system. The first two zeros refer to the hour; the second ones refer to the minute; 28 refers to the seconds; all the figures we find after the comma are the milliseconds. Then we have the actual subtitles, which are a form of writing and as such they follow all the rules of writing: so, whenever there is a full stop (3-4), the next subtitle starts with a capital letter; on the contrary, the second one is not capitalized because is the continuation of the previous one. Sometimes translators could find suspension dots: this only happens when the translator wants to emphasise a sort of pause in the mid-sentence. Otherwise, the next subtitle simply goes on. The length of the subtitles is also very important: it is

generally between 35-37 characters; there are of course some exceptions, but usually translators are given guidelines on how many characters per line. So, long lines are segmented – segmentation -, but how are they segmented? In subtitle n°1 is very simple: we have a comma. So, whenever there is a sign of punctuation, it is easier because translators know where they should start a new line. If no sign of punctuation is there, translators have to segment at logical point. In this slide, the translator noticed that there is a missing subtitle: the actors are saying something, but there is no subtitle for it; this can only be detected if the translator is watching the audiovisual text. Also, in RST language, which is one of the format subtitles are usually said, this is how you made italics: - . There are some situations in which italics is required: in this case, the scene was taking place in a taxi, and the taxi driver was talking on the phone. When the speech comes

From a different channel, which is not the acting of the actors, italics is used: it could be a telephone call, a television program, a voiceover (a narrator saying something), a song (also hashtags are used), a noise. So, italics is produced by using angle brackets and “i” before the line and angle brackets with slashed “i” when it stops. In subtitle n°18, we have inverted commas: this time it has nothing to do with the format, but with written language; just to confirm that in subtitles, you have to write according to all the rules of writing, as it happens in subtitle n°20.

Audiovisual translation

Audiovisual translation (AVT) includes a lot of different texts, as:

• Transcription: it is considered a form of translation as it is a way of translating oral discourse into written discourse. Audio transcription is nearly the transcription of speech. They are useful for meetings where it is important to write down exactly what is being said, especially in legal settings.

It is also very much used by linguists who work with conversation analysis. Could it be useful or not both in dubbing and subtitling? The audio transcription could not be used in audiovisual translation because the text undergoes a process of manipulation and adaptation. In subtitling, translators have to omit some parts of the discourse and so they have to condense the dialogue. In dubbing too.

Audio description (or other forms of commentary): it is an expanding form of translation for the visually impaired, so they can listen to audio descriptions or other forms of commentary. In this case, it has nothing to do with the dialogue, but with the action and what characters do.

Dubbing: it presents several forms:

• Lip-sync: the best-known form of dubbing is lip-sync, meaning that there is a perfect match between the dialogues and the lip movements of the actors, the length, pauses and rhythm of the utterances. Where do we normally find lip-sync? In tv series and in films, as their purpose

is to give viewers the perfect illusion that those lines are actually spoken by the actors. In fact, viewers should not perceive a gap between the action, the actor speaking and what they hear. This has to do with what is known as suspension of disbelief, meaning that the illusion should be perfect, so that dubbing is not be perceived as an extra element.

Simil sync: this is becoming one of the most frequently requested form of dubbing. As the adjective suggests, it is a form of dubbing which is not perfect as lip-sync. The timing is correct, so the dubbing starts when the actor starts speaking and ends when the character stops speaking, but the lip movements do not match exactly. It does not pay attention on lip movements, just the length of the lines. Where do we find this kind of dubbing? Tv programs, reality shows for example.

Voice over: when the dubbing is done by a narrating voice off camera. Apart from films, we can find voice over in documentaries.

Over sound:

meaning that viewers can hear the original voice, but the volume of those original dialogues is not cancelled but reduced. The voice of the dubbing actor can be heard a few seconds after the real speaker starts speaking and it ends a few seconds before the actual speaker stops speaking. It is mostly used for aesthetically and economic reasons.

Subtitling: the main distinction is between intralingual (same language as the source text) and interlingual subtitles (different language).

• Intralingual subtitles:

• For the deaf and the hard-of-hearing (SDH): they need to read not just the dialogues, but also any kind of relevant sound effect on screen.
• For language learning purpose.
• For karaoke effect.
• For dialects of the same language.
• For notices and announcements.

• Interlingual subtitles:

• For hearers.
• For the deaf and the hard-of-hearing (SDH).

Bilingual subtitles: there are cases in which subtitles appear in two different languages.

languages, for example in multilingual countries. Another main difference is between open captions and closed captions. Open captions (OC) are burnt into (impressed on) the video and therefore automatically shown along with the film or television programme. The film appears onscreen with captions, so it's not our choice to put or not to put subtitles on. Usually used for: - Cards: any verbal information visible on screen, as "Los Angeles 1951" in The Hours or as the leaflet by the Jehovah's witnesses in White Teeth. - Intralingual translation: open captions can appear when the audio is not clear, as it happens during phone calls which have been intercepted or when varieties of the same language are spoken, but they're not perfectly comprehensible by the audience, as it happens in Trainspotting with varieties of Scottish English. When it was exported to the USA, it had subtitles on. The same happened with Sweet Sixteen, a very difficult to understand variety of.

working-class English.

Interlingual translation: when multilingual films have several characters speaking different languages, as it happens in Inglorious Bastards.

Independent films: in that case, when an independent film whose budget is not very high or the film is in a particular language, such as Hindi or Urdu, there are usually subtitles with open captions for an international audience.

Closed captions (CC): they do not automatically appear on video, but they are available on demand. They are usually sent to the client in a separated file in RST plain text or notepad format, which are the only formats that can be read by the system. They are not impressed on video, but only if the viewer wants to.

Intralingual subtitles (for the hearing impaired, for learning purposes, etc.): as we said, captions for the deaf or the hard-of-hearing contain any kind of sound that is relevant to the action. To express these noises in a subtitle, translators should use a bracket, either

round or squared brackets, as in (door bangs) or [laughter], so that the viewers can understand that what appears on screen is not part of the dialogue but is a part of the context. When the sound is off-screen, that is we can't see the source of the noise, the subtitles used are between arched brackets like in <train approaching>. Also references to music are usually written between squared brackets, as in [funky mystery music]. We can have different information about the music depending on how important the music is, as if it creates the atmosphere of that particular scene. There can be even more detailed information about music, as in The Clockwork Orange, where Beethoven's music is very important, or in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Moon River. Even the music is expressed and represented in the subtitles. Some parts are written between hashtags and in italics, as it happens when the character is singing. Revoicing/Captioning screened dialogue We have seen that there

There are so many forms of dubbing.