In the previous Nimdzi Finger Food pieces of this series, we have discussed the nuances of AVT and media localization, as well as the differences between voice-over and dubbing.
Apart from the linguistic aspect of subtitling, there are technical considerations that must be taken into account. For example, the number of lines and of characters per line, the duration of the subtitle, the segmentation of sentences, the treatment of shot changes, to name but a few.
Netflix has done a great job putting some general guidelines together, as well as specific guidelines for each language. They have worked together with scholars and trainers to come up with the guidelines, which are a good example of fruitful collaboration between industry and academia.
Whether people watch subtitled or dubbed content is a matter of preference, quite often related to habit.
Parrot Analytics surveyed viewers from Mexico, South Korea, Germany and the USA about their usage of subtitles. The results confirmed what was already expected:
It is important to know your audience and understand their preferences in order to provide the best user experience. Stay tuned for the next (and last) Nimdzi Finger Food on media localization terminology!
The answer is it really depends—from free to fewer than a hundred dollars for a monthly subscription to thousands of dollars for a pro desktop app and everything in between.
13 December 2019
If you use Snapchat or IGTV, you’re probably familiar with vertical videos. You probably haven’t considered them being in their own category before, though.
17 November 2019