The Art of Film Subtitling: Bringing Stories to Global Audiences

Key Takeaways:

• Subtitles are not just words on screen but a tool for the hard-of-hearing and language-learning audiences to catch every word.
• Multilingual subtitling is a positive step toward cultural inclusivity in localization for films.
• Film subtitling is the art of culture preservation and translation into a language another culture may understand.
• Companies like CCC International offer film subtitling services to help you reach a wider demographic.

Table of Contents:

• Why Subtitling is Essential for Global Film Success
• Best Practices for Professional Film Subtitling
• The Impact of Subtitles on Global Film Reach
• How CCC International Can Help

Have you ever wondered how you hear film dialogues better with subtitles? Most movies, despite the silence of the cinemas or the hushed comforts of your home television, have conversations that are hard to hear. Whether they’re mumbled, incoherent, or slurred, no volume could ever help you understand. 

Additionally, our film choices have become diverse with the widespread popularity of K-drama, anime, and other foreign films. However, are they accessible? If so, how? Nowadays, subtitles are more than just an afterthought—they are necessary. However, they remain a “barrier” or “distraction” to a few people not used to seeing words flash on screen.

With that said, how does film subtitling truly bridge the gap between local and international? What is its significance to the global film industry? Did it properly advocate for inclusivity and cultural respect? 

To film enthusiasts, subtitles are not just for aesthetic purposes. They serve as a tool for many people, from the hard-of-hearing to language learners, to enjoy movies to the fullest extent. Hence, knowing your audience’s needs is the first step in achieving global success. 

Meeting those demands comes second, although they go hand in hand in all matters related to your audiences. Although subtitling is offered as another option after dubbing, it is more popular for people who want the original cinematic experience.

With that said, what do we know about the importance of subtitling for global audiences? 

Film subtitling helps the hard-of-hearing enjoy the movie. However, even people with perfect hearing find themselves in noisy environments, making it hard to hear the audio. Subtitles are the ideal tool to help people hear by seeing the words being spoken to them. These tools make films accessible without discrimination for hard-of-hearing, non-native speakers, and people in certain environments.

Despite having the film recorded in a specific language, reaching a greater demographic of foreign speakers can be possible with film subtitling. Cultural inclusivity is widely respected, especially in films where the nation’s culture is much more pronounced. Knowing your audiences’ culture and helping them understand another can help widen your reach. Remember, not everyone speaks your language. Knowing who to reach and how to reach their needs whilst respecting their background is essential in broadening your audiences.

With several foreign movies growing in popularity, subtitles are one of the most sought-after tools in light of new film releases. Producing subtitles for popular movie titles can boost your website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and help you reach more people. If you offer films with subtitles, audiences are inclined to watch them until the end and promote traffic for you.

Professional film subtitling may seem daunting, but its basics are straightforward. Whether you’re a professional subtitler or a curious fanatic, here are five best practices for film subtitling!

Subtitles should be short and easy to read. Placing too much information on the screen can overwhelm the audience. On the contrary, too few words in fast flashes can be dizzying to follow. Remember: your readers should not have to chase your subtitles to understand the scene. Subtitles should not distract the audience and blend seamlessly with the scenes. 

In film subtitling, especially in scenes with fast conversations, subtitles should be timed to appear once the character starts speaking. Once they stop doing so, the subtitles should linger for a little while before disappearing. Letting it linger for too long may overlap with another line of conversation. However, making it disappear too early might confuse the reader.

Pro-Tip: Subtitles should appear on screen for one (1) second with a maximum of seven (7) seconds.

With multilingual subtitling, localization means remaining faithful to the original script after translation. Localization for films does NOT seek to replace the original film’s culture with the translating language. Rather, it conveys the original film’s culture in a way that can be understood in the translated language. Accuracy in translation and cultural respect in localization is vital for producing subtitles that cater to the needs of a foreign audience.

Consistency will be your best friend in all matters concerning quality. Your audience will not spend hours with the film interpreting whether your italics have meaning. As such, your subtitling format should stay uniform throughout the film. Your font color should remain the same throughout the movie, with minor to no alterations for readability.

Good subtitling requires knowing the appropriate font size, color, and positioning. Your subtitle should be readable without grabbing the audience’s attention. Remember that subtitles blend seamlessly with the background for a convenient cinematic experience. Precise, concise, and convenient is the recipe you will need to achieve readability.

Pro-Tip: Subtitles follow a specific format. Subtitles are two lines per frame in a pyramid format with 42-50 characters, centered and low.

Before subtitles arrived, movies were merely enjoyed by their locality and a few people speaking the language. Nowadays, people do not need to learn the language to understand the film and, in turn, the culture it represents.

For example, the critically acclaimed Korean movie Parasite would not have reached Western and foreign audiences if not for their subtitles. Its international recognition has brought a new era amidst Hollywood favoring English-only films. This has since become an avenue for other films to be recognized for their art and ingenuity. As the film’s director, Bong Joon Ho stated, “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

Film subtitling is the art of culture preservation and translation into a language another culture may understand. With it is the introduction of localization. Although localization for films is surrounded by skepticism, it is worth noting that localization does not aim to replace anything of cultural value. Instead, it explains one culture to another which helps in connecting them to one middle ground.

Sometimes, the text speaks louder than the audio. With subtitles, we don’t have to strain to hear the sound or damage our eardrums to catch every word with loud volumes. Additionally, keeping up with the latest episodes of new dramas and anime has never been easier.

Whether you’re hard of hearing, a language learner, or simply a curious consumer, film subtitling is about to make entertainment easier. If you’re much more informed on the nitty-gritty of subtitling, localization is also significant in advocating for intercultural diversity. 

And that’s a wrap! Film localization is more than just putting subtitles on screen—it’s also about bringing you closer to global audiences. If you’re curious, message us and we will help you unlock the world one subtitle at a time.