Translation and localization of films is an extremely interesting activity, in which there are a whole bunch of pitfalls. The perception of the film by the audience largely depends on the translator, so this matter is extremely responsible.
We will tell you how the work on localizations of films is actually carried out and why the result often depends on the erudition of the translator.
We will not delve into the technical jungle of translation - there are also enough nuances there. We will tell you how the work is going in general and what problems translators face in order to make a quality product.
Film translation: preparation for action
Let's say right away that only marketers are engaged in the translation of names. IN we considered bad title translations. In most cases, translators cannot influence them - the material comes with an already approved title.
Translation times vary greatly. It all depends on the scope. In low-budget arthouse films, one week may be allotted for the entire translation process, along with editing and voice acting. Sometimes studios generally work in the “for yesterday” mode, so jambs happen quite often.
Working with major global studios is a little more comfortable. Often they send materials a few months before the premiere. In some cases, even for six months, because edits and clarifications eat up a huge amount of time.
For example, for the translation of the film "Deadpool", the film company "Twentieth Centuries Fox" sent materials 5 months before the start of the rental.
The translators of the Cube in Cube studio, who were involved in the translation, claimed that 90% of the time was taken not by the translation itself, but by communication with the copyright holders and various edits.
What does the source code for the translation of the film look like?
Separately, it is worth mentioning what kind of materials filmmakers dump translators. Well-known companies are very afraid of "leaks" - video leaks to the Internet before showings in cinemas, so materials for translators are mocked quite strongly. Here are some of the ways - very often they are combined or even used all together:
- Cutting the entire video sequence into segments of 15-20 minutes, which are additionally protected from copying.
- Low video resolution - often the quality of the material is not higher than 240p. Just enough to see everything that happens on the screen, but not get any pleasure from it.
- Color formatting. Often source files are given in black and white or in sepia tones. No color!
- Watermarks over video. Most often these are static translucent or transparent volumetric inscriptions all over the screen.
All this does not interfere with the translation process, but almost completely excludes the film from being leaked to the Internet. In this format, even the most ardent movie lovers will not watch it.
It is also obligatory to send dialogue sheets to the translator. In fact, this is a script in the original language with all the lines that only exist in the film.
The dialogue sheets list all the characters, their lines and the conditions in which they speak these lines. Timecodes are set for each replica - with an accuracy of hundredths of a second, the beginning, end of the replica, as well as all pauses, sneezes, coughs and other noises that the characters make are affixed. This is extremely important for the actors who will voice the lines.
In serious projects, a specific phrase is often chewed up in comments to remarks so that translators understand its meaning exactly and come up with an adequate equivalent.
00:18:11,145 - You bastard!
Here: an insult. Means a person born of parents not married to each other; illegitimate
In most big-budget films, the text is accompanied by a huge number of additions and clarifications. Jokes and references that may be incomprehensible to foreign viewers are described in particular detail.
Therefore, most often if the translator could not convey the meaning of the joke or find an adequate analogue, this is a blunder of the translator and editor himself.
What does the translation process look like?
Timings
After getting acquainted with the topic, the translator gets to work. First of all, he checks the timings. If they exist and are placed correctly (with all the sneezes and aahs), then the specialist immediately proceeds to the next stage.
But experience shows that properly designed dialogue sheets are a luxury. So the first thing translators do is to bring them to a digestible form.
If there are no timings at all, then the translator, swearing quietly, does them. Because the timings must be mandatory - the dubbing actor will not be able to work without them. This is a rather tedious job that eats up a huge amount of time. So for filmmakers who do not put down timings for localizers, a separate boiler in hell is prepared.
Compliance with facial expressions and accuracy of sounds
This item distinguishes the translation of films for dubbing from the usual translation of the text. After all, replicas in Russian should not only fully convey the meaning of phrases, but also should fall into the facial expressions of the characters.
When someone says a phrase with their back to the camera, the interpreter has a little more freedom, so you can lengthen or shorten the phrase a little. Within reason, of course.
But when the hero speaks to the camera in close-up, then any discrepancies between phrases and facial expressions will be perceived as hack-work. The allowable backlash between the length of phrases is 5%. Not only in the total length of the remark, but also in each part of the phrase separately.
Sometimes the translator has to rewrite the line several times so that the phrase "falls into the mouth" of the hero.
By the way, there is one interesting way to determine whether a professional film translator is in front of you or not. Real pros additionally make notes about intonation, breathing, coughing, hesitation and pauses. This greatly simplifies the work of the dubbing actor - and they are really very grateful for it.
Adaptation of jokes, references and obscenities
Separate pandemoniums begin when jokes or various references need to be adapted. This is a serious headache for the translator. Especially for films and series that are initially positioned as comedies.
When adapting jokes, it is most often possible to retain either the original meaning of the joke or the sharp humor. Both are very rare at the same time.
That is, you can explain the joke almost literally, but then it will be much less funny than in the original, or rewrite the joke, but make it funny. Different situations may require different tactics, but the choice is always up to the translator.
Take a look at The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
When Bilbo greeted the guests at his birthday party at the beginning of the movie, we get a very interesting pun:'My dear Bagginses and Boffins and my dear Tooks and Brandybucks, and Grubbs, Chubbs, Burrowses, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles, and Proudfoots'.
'ProudFEET!'The point of the joke here is that in English the plural of the word "foot" is formed using an irregular form, and not by prefixing the ending "-s".
"Foot" is "feet" but not "foots".
Naturally, it will not be possible to convey the meaning of the joke in full - in the Russian language there is no concept of "incorrect plural form". Therefore, the translators simply replaced the joke:
My dear Baggins and Boffins, Tookies and Brandybucks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Dragoduis, Bolgers, Braceguards... and Bigarms.
Bigfoot!There is a joke, but it is not as subtle as in the original. However, it is quite acceptable and a good option.
In one of the amateur translations, this joke was replaced by a good pun:
... and furry paws.
WoolFALLS!If the official translators would have thought of the pun “paw-paly”, then in our opinion the joke would have been juicier. But this is one of those non-obvious decisions that come after.
With references, too, there are many questions. Sometimes it's even more difficult with them than with jokes. Indeed, in fact, the translator assumes the level of education and erudition of the audience.
Let's take a simple example. The main character says to his friend:
Well, you're cool. José Canseco would envy you.
If a person does not know who Jose Canseco is, he will not understand the reference. But in fact, there is quite an unambiguous banter here, because Canseko is still an odious person.
And if, for example, we replace the reference with a character that is more famous for a particular audience? For example, Alexander Nevsky? Would such a replacement reflect the nature of the original reference?
Here the translator steps on thin ice - if you underestimate the audience, you can give a too flat and uninteresting analogy, if you overestimate, the audience simply will not understand the reference.
Another important part of the translator's activity, which cannot be silent, is the translation of curse words.
Different studios treat the translation of obscene phrases differently. Some try to make the translation as "chaste" as possible, even at the cost of witticisms. Some translate obscenities in full, and in American films they swear a lot. Still others are trying to find a middle ground.
Translating obscene phrases is actually not difficult. And not because there are two and a half swear words in English - believe me, there are no less obscenities than in Russian - but because it is quite easy to find an equivalent that is adequate to the situation.
But sometimes there are masterpieces. Let us recall Andrey Gavrilov's monophonic translation of films on VHS cassettes. Probably one of the most legendary scenes in translation is this excerpt from the film Blood and Concrete (1991):
Warning! There is a lot of swearing in the video.
Most translators try to translate swear words in English into rude, but not swear words in Russian. For example, "fuck!" translate as "your mother!" or "fuck!" This approach also deserves attention.
Working with facts and context
In their work, the translator rarely relies only on his own knowledge. After all, the possession of the context is the basis for the accurate transmission of meanings.
For example, if the dialogue is about financial transactions, then you cannot rely on Google translator or a dictionary of general terms. You need to look for trusted sources of information in English, fill in the gaps in knowledge - and only then translate the phrase.
For the translation of films with a very highly specialized vocabulary, individual experts who understand this area are involved. Translators rarely risk reputation by trying to translate without context.
But sometimes there are moments that were conceived by the director as a joke, but in localization they look like the jambs of a translator. And there is no way to avoid them.
For example, in the first part of the Back to the Future trilogy, Doc Brown is eager to search for "1,21 gigawatts of energy." But after all, any first-year student will say that the right thing is gigawatts!
It turns out that Zemeckis deliberately inserted “jigawatts” into the film. And this is exactly his jamb. While writing the script, he attended lectures on physics as a free listener, but did not hear the unknown word that way. Humanitarian, what to take from him. And already during the filming it seemed funny, so they decided to leave the “jigawatts”.
But the translators are still to blame. There are heaps of threads on the forums that translators are morons, and you need to write "gigawatts". You don't need to know the original story.
How is the work with the translation customer going?
After the translator completes the work, the draft version is necessarily analyzed by the editor. The translator and editor work in symbiosis — two heads are better.
Sometimes the editor offers the translator obvious solutions that, for some reason, the specialist did not see. This helps to avoid stupid situations when communicating with the customer.
And now, when the draft went to the distributor, the era of edits begins. Their number depends on the meticulousness of the recipient. As experience shows, the more global and expensive the film, the longer the discussion and approval of edits takes. Direct transfer lasts a maximum of 10 days. This is with a very thoughtful attitude. The rest of the time is editing.
The dialogue usually goes something like this:
The dealer: Replace the word "1", it's too rough.
Interpreter: But it emphasizes the emotional state of the hero.
The dealer: Perhaps there are other options?
Interpreter: "1", "2", "3".
The dealer: The word "3" is suitable, leave.
And so on for EVERY edit, even the smallest one. That is why in large projects, the owners try to lay at least a month, and preferably two, into localization.
After a month (or several) when the text is approved, the work of the translator is almost finished and the voice actors take over. Why "almost finished"? Because it often happens that a phrase that looked normal on paper sounds idiotic in dubbing. Therefore, the distributor sometimes decides to finalize certain moments and re-record the dubbing.
Of course, sometimes it happens when the translator underestimated or overestimated the mental abilities of the audience and the film fails at the box office, but that's a completely different story.
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