What Steps and Tools Video Translators Use in Their Workflow?

Today we are going to see what are the steps involved in translating a video.

We’re going to see what are the steps that allow a translator to translate a video from language A to language B, and what is the software of the trade.

Let me introduce myself:

I am Antonino, I am an Italian video translator and I help companies to reach their Italian-speaking customers by translating English videos.

I will list the different actions a translator needs to take to translate a video in no fixed order, as different translators and professionals have different methodologies.

So let’s get down to the list now:

• Translation
• Adaptation (sometimes these two are performed together)
• Synchronization
• Transcription
• Proofreading (which is checking the formatting, the punctuation, the spelling, and the synchronization)
• Revision (which in this case is basically watching the videos, even multiple times, and making adjustments)
• Double-checking by a native speaker of the target language (and sometimes it’s directly performed by a third-party translator)

Then there are other steps to take into account in case there is also a video editing part involved.

I’m talking about subtitle transition effects, subtitle fading, covering and/or replacing the original text in the video, and adding signs to movies, documentaries, and even commercials.

But in addition to the type of video, the overall translation and subtitling process also depends on where it will be broadcast:

YouTube, on social, on a website, in a film festival, or in magazine blogs?

These are all things to take into account.

Also, in some cases the client may only need the SRT file of the subtitles, in other cases, they may need the subtitles to be embedded in the video.

A further section relates to the suitable font of the subtitles.

Usually, I ask companies if they have already chosen a font, in case the answer is no, I provide templates of some fonts I recommend, or we proceed to choose together a suitable font.

So, we have now come to the end of the section regarding the phases, let’s now move on to the tools of the trade.

If you’ve ever wondered what tools and software translators use to translate a video, movie, or audiovisual content in general, you’ve probably thought of online dictionaries and word documents, or something like that.

If you’ll follow me for a few more minutes, I’ll explain what tools are usually used for this kind of activity.

A translator needs:

• Dictionaries, whether online or in paper form
• Thesaurus, again, online or in paper form
• Machine translation websites or software
• CAT tools (Computer Assisted Translation tools)
• Translation memories
• Automated grammar and proofreading tools
• Another very important tool is good, old-fashioned research that translators often have to rely on to get answers about technical terms, slang, idioms, and so on.

Whereas as regards synchronization, subtitling, and editing:

• Subtitle editing programs
• Programs for embedding subtitles into videos
• Additionally, Video editing programs
• Additionally, Audio editing programs

So, now let’s do a wrap-up!

As you’ve seen, video translation involves a lot of tools and steps in order to get good results.

Now, not all of them are strictly necessary, and each video is a case in its own right and has its own requirements, but the knowledge and mastery of them are what ultimately distinguishes a professional from an amateur video translator.

By the way, if you’re interested in learning about my 8-step-methodology and the tools I use, I talk more about them here.

If you are an entrepreneur, a marketer, a manager, or you’re involved in video production, and you are looking for a translator specialized in translating videos from English to Italian, go check this page.

See you soon, bye!