In today’s globalized world, versioning your videos in different languages will open up new markets and new opportunities. But reaching out to markets you’re unfamiliar with can be challenging, especially when that new market requires you to share your message in a language you’re unfamiliar with.
How can I make sure my video is successful when it gets translated? Let’s take a look at 3 options you should consider before you start working on a foreign-language version of your video:
Translating vs. Localizing
When you translate a video, subtitles are created for an already existing audio track. These subtitles target the same cultural context as the audio track it is synced with. In other words, subtitles only have the same meaning and content as the video’s original subtitles.
Localizing a video means that information or features of a video will be adapted to a specific culture. For example, when you localize a video you could change subtitles to another language but also add extra features such as dubbing in order to improve cultural relevance for local consumers.
Translation vs. Adaptation
Translation and adaptation both involve subtitles being added to videos by third parties but there are differences between these two processes which need to be considered.
Translation is to transfer meaning from one language into another, subtitles for subtitle’s sake. The purpose of subtitles is to help users understand the content by providing a translation that makes sense to them. If you are working on subtitles only it means your original subtitles are the key element in your video’s success because they already exist and have been created to be consumed globally. It would make no sense (and should not be done) to create subtitles first without having an audio track as a reference.
Adaptation is about adapting subtitles to better fit the cultural norms of target audiences, also known as ‘localization’. For example, regional jokes or references will need adaptation; the same goes for idioms, slang terms or wording in source culture could need local adjustments in subtitles in the target culture.
Text-based videos vs. Audio-visual videos
The same kind of subtitles are used for both text-based and audio-visual videos but there are differences between the two in terms of presentation, presentation speed, subtitles length, etc. When translating subtitles for an audiovisual video you need subtitles to be synced with the original track because fast subtitles will make it impossible for people to watch your content.
You must also take into consideration that when working on subtitles for this type of video you’re not just dealing with one language but three : source language, subtitle language, and target language. That’s triple the amount of work creating subtitles for an audio-visual video compared to simple subtitles.
What are the differences between subtitles and audio dubs?
Subtitles are a direct translation of the video’s dialogue, almost always placed at the bottom of the screen. They convey dialogue in one language only. People who watch it can understand what’s being said even if they don’t speak the language spoken in the video.
Audio dubbing means completely reproducing all dialogue in a language other than the original one. This approach eliminates the need for subtitles. This is usually done when the market you’re trying to reach is significant and you want to make it as easy as possible for the viewer to take in your message.
In summary, before you version your video[s] in another language, first decide if you want to do a straight translation or an adaptation – that is, making changes to the video content to better suit the new audience. Second, think about whether text-based videos or audio-visual ones will work better in the market you’re targeting. Third, decide between sub-titles and dubbing. Which one will make it easiest for viewers to understand your message? Which one will increase the likelihood of engaging them? Once you’ve made these decisions, call us and we can help you get started on creating translations that will reach more customers and boost your bottom line.
If you’d like a professional team to handle your video content, don’t hesitate to send us an email [info@arcandcrown.com] or click here if you’d like to book a free 30-min video consultation with one of our producers. The team at Arc and Crown Media would be more than happy to help.
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