This is an ADLAB PRO video.
ADLAB PRO is a project funded by the European Union.
This video is made available to you on a Creative Commons licence.
Hello. I’m Anna Matamala, from UAB, and in this ADLAB PRO video
I will explain what audio subtitling is.
This is Unit 1 "Audio subtitling" in Module 5 "Additional services".
Imagine you are a Norwegian speaker and go to the movies.
The film is in Japanese with subtitles in Norwegian.
You cannot understand Japanese and you cannot read the subtitles:
you are blind, you have dyslexia or the subtitling speed is too fast.
Audio subtitling is the solution.
Subtitles are one type of text on screen.
Other types are logos, film credits,
superimposed titles, popping-up text messages, etc.,
but we won't be dealing with those.
In some countries subtitling is the standard way
of translating audiovisual content. In other countries,
what we call dubbing countries or voice-over countries,
subtitles are also used, but a bit less.
Audio subtitles is the rendering of written subtitles into audio.
It’s the subtitles read aloud. Terms such as “audio subtitles/captions”,
“spoken subtitles/captions”, or even “audio text” are also used.
Here I will use “audio subtitling” and “audio subtitles”
and the abbreviation “AST” together with “AD” for audio description.
I will discuss the relationship of AST with AD,
its main features in terms of creation and delivery,
and the role of users. AST can be an independent service
or can be integrated with the AD. One example: when you are watching
live broadcasts or live streamed TV on online TV channels
on the Swedish public service broadcaster
you can get automatic text-to-speech audio subtitles
through your digital terrestrial network. Another example:
the multilingual film "Inglourious Basterds", by Quentin Tarantino,
is mainly in English but has dialogues
in French and Italian subtitled into English.
The AD describes the visuals but it also incorporates an oral version
of the written subtitles. It is an AD with AST.
In terms of delivery, ASTs can be read aloud
by a human voice or can be read by a text-to-speech system.
The voice should be clear and should be easily understood by users.
ASTs can be live or recorded. Sometimes, when some preparation
is possible for a live delivery, we talk about semi-live ASTs.
ASTs address many users: for example,
persons who cannot access the visuals, who cannot
or do not want to read subtitles, persons with reading difficulties,
persons with sight loss, but also children,
the elderly and language learners. It is important that users
are informed about the availability of AST
by including an accessible notification.
Users should also be involved in the creation and evaluation of ASTs.
The ISO standard on AST recommends that users should be able to select
different types of access services independently
or in combination with AD. When delivering ASTs,
synchronisation and timing are critical.
This can be difficult when the text is very dense
or when there are numbers and abbreviations.
In this case, you may need to increase the narration speed
or change the text of the subtitles, make it shorter, rephrase it.
There are two main types of delivery effects:
when the ASTs in the target language are heard
on top of the original dialogue, a “voice-over effect” is achieved:
you can still hear the original dialogues.
When the original is not heard at all, we have a “dubbing effect”.
This often involves some acting by the voice talents.
When audio subtitles are delivered together with an AD,
it is important to discern them. Various strategies can be used:
different voices: for example, a female voice for the AD
and a male voice for the AST, prosodic features, that is,
changing the intonation, or descriptive words,
such as, for example, “Subtitles read:”.
Similar strategies can be used when you want to identify
the character speaking: different voices, prosodic features...
or you can use the name of the character or use the reported speech.
If you want to know more, I recommend four resources:
The ADLAB guidelines. Good advice on how to create AST
with a step-by-step decision process.
The HBB4ALL guidelines, with a specific document on AST.
The article “Audio description with audio subtitling”, Braun and Orero.
The ISO technical specification
20071-25:2017. A must-read!
The preparation of this presentation
was supported by ADLAB PRO. Audio Description:
A Laboratory for the Development of a New Professional Profile
financed by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme,
Key Action 2, Strategic Partnerships.
Project number:
2016-1-IT02-KA203-024311.
The information and views set out in this presentation
are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
the official opinion of the European Union.
Neither the European Union institutions and bodies
nor any person acting on their behalf
may be held responsible for the use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
This was an ADLAB PRO video.
ADLAB PRO partners are: University of Trieste,
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,
University of Antwerp, Adam Mickiewicz University,
RTV Slovenia, Utopian Voices,
Soundfocus and Royal National Institute of Blind People.
ADLAB PRO was funded by the European Union.
This video was made available to you on a Creative Commons licence.