The Growth Of Film Subtitles And Video Translation - Voice Talent Scholarship #3 Essay

Since the creation of film, companies all around the world have been creating content to share with the global community. Over the last few decades, more and more English-speaking people have developed an interest in entertainment originally created in different languages. The growth of Bollywood; Japanese cartoons such as anime; K-dramas and more are the evidence of this. These shows are often produced in their original language, however, which makes it difficult for those who do not speak the language to understand. Thankfully, the industry of video translation and has made it possible for consumers all around the globe to enjoy each other’s creativity.

Some of the first examples of “subtitles” of a sense occurred over a century ago. In 1903, Edwin S. Porter’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin contained the first example of what was then referred to as an “intertile”; a piece of paper with words written on it which was filmed and then placed in between the scenes.

In recent times, subtitles have also been used to help those hard of hearing. These types of subtitles display not only spoken dialogue, but also background sounds such as [car starting]; [thunder]; or [sighs].

Voice over can also be used when viewing content originally created in a different language. Perhaps the most common is the process of recording overtop of the original audio, usually for the purpose of translation. Many streaming services have the option to select one of many different languages under an “audio” feature. This will change the audio from the original language the content was produced in to another language that the audience can better understand. This is known as “dubbing”. Another form of voice-over called “lectoring” is when a narrator explains to the audience what the actors are saying, usually with the original dialogue quietly audible in the background.

The same methods can also be used by creators on platforms such as Youtube, TikTok and Instagram to help share their message with a wider audience. It is also becoming more common for an automated voice to read the text on the screen in short-form videos such as TikToks or Instagram Reels. This can be helpful for people who have a difficult time reading, or even individuals who are blind.

In conclusion, voice-over and subtitling is extremely helpful for content creators and consumers all over the world, and can help to share productions from different cultures with each other.