What is subtitling?
Subtitling, also called captioning, is a type of audio-visual translation that has its own specifications, rules and criteria. Subtitling is mostly used in films, documentaries and advertisements.
It allows people to read and understand what’s being said. Subtitles can be used for a variety of reasons:
- Hearing disability
- Visual disability – for instance, people with dyslexia may use subtitles to practise reading, associating the words with the sounds.
- Subtitles are useful when someone is watching media in a loud environment can’t hear the dialogue.
- They also help when people are watching in a quiet place and don’t want to distract those around them, for instance on a plane, bus or train.
- And, of course, watching a subtitled foreign film can be a great help to anyone trying to learn that particular language.
In some films, subtitling is also used when characters are in a loud environment and the intention is that the audience should still understand what they are discussing. They may also represent thoughts, lip reading or anything else that the director might think of.
Without subtitles it might be impossible for the viewers to understand anything that’s being said.
If you would like to find out more about subtitling or have a project to discuss, please contact us.