EN-ES Subtitles translation

What is subtitling?

Subtitling can be described as a translation practice that consists of rendering in writing, usually at the bottom of the screen, the translation into a target language of the original dialogue and any other information that appears written on screen or is transmitted aurally on the soundtrack.
Subtitlers are expected to adhere to certain limitations regarding on-screen time and characters suitable for reading speed, i.e. the relation between the duration of a subtitle and the number of characters that it can contain so that it can be read. The whole subtitling process involves several stages: spotting, translation, correction and simulation.
Spotting: Defining the in and out times of each subtitle appearing on the screen so that it is synchronised with the audio while observing the minimum and maximum duration times as well as shot and scene changes.
Translation: Translating the text from the source language, localising and adapting it while accommodating the characters allowed according to the on-screen duration criteria.
Correction: Review and amendment or readjustment of sentence structure, comprehension and overall flow of dialogue. The text must be natural, with the same punctuation, spelling rules and conventions of the standard language. Where subtitles need to be split in more than one line, this must be done so that they are easy to understand and do not distract the viewer.
Simulation: Reviewing the subtitles on the video screen just as they will appear in the final product in order to ensure that they can be read in a natural way. Changes to text and timing can be made during the simulation.
I offer English to Spanish Subtitle Translation services for:

• Tutorials, corporate videos, training courses
• Short films, feature films, documentaries
• YouTube, Vimeo, etc. videos
• Social media videos

Transcription of Spanish audio

How many types of transcription are there?

Transcription is the process of producing a written record of an audio recording. There are two main types of transcription:
Verbatim transcription: It depicts the audio track of a recording exactly as it exists in its original form. This means that it captures all the verbal utterances, pauses, repetitions, interjections, non-speech audio elements, etc. This type of transcription helps you to understand the emotional states and thought processes behind the spoken words: the intonation of a sentence, if someone has hesitated in an answer, etc., which is very useful, for example, in police interrogations or court proceedings. Verbatim transcription is more time-consuming than natural transcription.
Non-verbatim transcription (also known as natural transcription): It aims to convert audio into text by prioritising the information uttered by the speakers. Non-verbatim transcription often excludes audio elements such as sound effects, pauses, stammering, interjections and anything irrelevant. It is as if we are "cleaning" the text to capture only the information we are interested in. Very useful for creating readable versions of seminars, business meetings, educational or marketing videos, social media content, etc.
I offer non-verbatim transcription services for Spanish audio.

Proofreading and Revision

A tangle of definitions

According to Brian Mossop, author of “Revising and Editing for Translators”, Editing is the process of checking a non-translational text for errors and making appropriate amendments, Revising is checking a translation for errors and making appropriate amendments and Proofreading is comparing the printer's proof with the manuscript or carrying out a monolingual re-reading which is limited to corrections, (i.e., no improvements are made).
Despite this statement from a respected authority, most translators work with other definitions which are sometimes inconsistent. The service I offer includes Proofreading, i.e. checking the text for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors, and also the Revision of the translation against the original text.
Regarding Editing, it would mean improving a monolingual text by customizing it for a readership, i.e. by following the client's specific instructions, which may range from adhering to a company's usage rules or style sheets to adding, reorganising or removing content to make the message clearer or stronger.