Dubbing means to replace the original language in a movie or in a video with another language, recording the voice of a specialized actor over the original actor’s voice. Subtitling means to translate or transcribe in a synthetic way what is said on screen. The text is visualized on the screen. Both techniques involve adapting the dialogue that has been translated in the target language. This process is constrained mainly by the time during which the dialogue is recited or during which the subtitle is on screen.

In most cases, subtitles show the dialogue of a movie after being translated and adapted, while the Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing show (apart from the dialogue) sound effects and paraverbal elements such as tone of voice and ways of speaking (whispering, shouting etc…). In the Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of hearing, moreover, it is necessary to identify the speakers, especially when they speak but they’re off camera. Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of hearing are not necessarily a translation of the original version’s dialogue in another language, since they’re also an accessibility resource for the speakers of the movie’s original languagel.

Audiovisual translation projects’ rates are generally calculated based on the minutes of duration of the program to translate. For script translation projects, rates can also be calculated on a “per word” basis.

We mainly work with professional subtitling software and the video to be subtitled/dubbed. A low-resolution video is enough, and it will be faster to upload to the software. I use EZTitles which, apart from being one of the best software options on the market, allows me to export the subtitles in several formats, including those used by the main VOD platforms.

The video that needs to be subtitled or dubbed is enough to start a project. Any other available material such as dialogue lists or subtitling templates that you provide will be kept in mind when providing a quotation for the project.