Audiovisual translation is a type of translation that covers materials consisting of both sound and image, primarily films and video games. The need for translation arose with the emergence of the first, then still silent, films.
The first audiovisual translators are considered to be actors who, during cinema screenings, translated the dialogues live. On the one hand, this allowed viewers to understand the plot, but on the other – it did not solve the problem for foreign audiences. Therefore, transcription of audio and video recordings had to be improved.
The rapid development of cinematography forced American film producers to develop solutions that would make it possible to distribute films to other countries. Initially, translations took the form of subtitles, but it quickly turned out that this was not sufficient due to the high illiteracy rate. As a result, in 1929, the first dubbed film was produced.
Characteristics of audiovisual translation
The specificity of audiovisual translation lies in the fact that in order to translate it, cultural features embedded in the texts and recordings must be taken into account and adapted to the target culture. This means that an audiovisual translator, apart from knowledge of language (grammar, vocabulary), must also have an in-depth knowledge of colloquial speech and slang of the given language. A typical example is the audiovisual translation of films or TV series, where translators must be able to render ironic remarks, jokes, and even vulgarisms. This shows the great complexity of the work.
The challenge is further intensified by the structural constraints of the format, since the content has to be conveyed through mouths speaking a different language, using just a few words that appear in no more than two lines of text displayed on screen.
Currently, three main techniques of audiovisual translation are used:
VoiceOver – an actor’s lines are read by a narrator, a popular method of TV adaptation in Poland and Eastern European countries.
Dubbing – the original voices are removed and replaced with voices in the target language, typical for animated films as well as foreign films in countries such as Germany, Italy, or Brazil.
Subtitles – translations appear in written form, usually at the bottom of the screen. This method is most commonly used by broadcasters in Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands, and Greece.
What does the audiovisual translator’s work look like?
Audiovisual translation is not about a “rigid”, literal rendering of dialogue – such a version would not be understandable for viewers. When translating, the translator faces a number of challenges that must be solved so that the actors’ lines are clear and meaningful to the audience. To learn more about each of the audiovisual translation techniques we use, we invite you to visit the dedicated sections on our website.