Can communication between the translator and production company / agency take place purely by email? Thread poster: Kate Warren
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Kate Warren 
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:38
Spanish to English
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I have just got back from a wonderful trip to Australia and dream of going back there to live. I wonder whether a career in Spanish to English translation in the film, TV and DVD industry would be possible down under? Just starting out with my research, I have no idea - can communication between the translator and production company / agency take place purely by email? Would such a big time lag be prohibitive to the employer?
Many thanks for your help with this.
[Subject ... See more I have just got back from a wonderful trip to Australia and dream of going back there to live. I wonder whether a career in Spanish to English translation in the film, TV and DVD industry would be possible down under? Just starting out with my research, I have no idea - can communication between the translator and production company / agency take place purely by email? Would such a big time lag be prohibitive to the employer?
Many thanks for your help with this.
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2008-06-12 11:36] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Damian Harrison (X)
Germany
Local time: 16:38
German to English
| Try contacting other prozians | Jun 12, 2008 |
You might want to search the directory for prozians based in Oceania and try contacting them directly about their experiences working with European and Us clients.
| | | | Kate Warren
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:38
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Thanks for the suggestion | Jun 12, 2008 |
| | | | mmihano4 (X)
Local time: 16:38
English to Croatian
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I communicate with 2 of my major clients only through email
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Allesklar
Australia
Local time: 00:08
English to German
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Over the last 3 years, about 75% of my work came from overseas agencies whom I only ever communicated with via email.
The advantages and disadvantages of the time difference just about cancel each other
out. Sometimes I miss jobs because of it, sometimes it enables me to do their night shift.
I don't know much about the market in your language pair in that particular field, but I would guess that getting started might be easier while you are closer to the action.... See more Over the last 3 years, about 75% of my work came from overseas agencies whom I only ever communicated with via email.
The advantages and disadvantages of the time difference just about cancel each other
out. Sometimes I miss jobs because of it, sometimes it enables me to do their night shift.
I don't know much about the market in your language pair in that particular field, but I would guess that getting started might be easier while you are closer to the action. Once your clients know and trust you, they probably won't mind emailing the jobs to you wherever you are. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kate Warren
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:38
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Thanks Allesklar | Jun 17, 2008 |
; )
| | | | | Video material via DVD | Jun 17, 2008 |
I communicate with most of my clients via e-mail, even local ones, but video is a problem: files are huge!
If you are just translating, and maybe spotting, the client can send you smaller-frame videos via e-mail. But this means more work (conversion) on their side, which will lower your 'score' relative to translators physically closer, who can quickly get a copy of the DVD or files on a disk.
I do the whole job, i.e. subtitling, outsourced dubbing, DVD authoring. So I ... See more I communicate with most of my clients via e-mail, even local ones, but video is a problem: files are huge!
If you are just translating, and maybe spotting, the client can send you smaller-frame videos via e-mail. But this means more work (conversion) on their side, which will lower your 'score' relative to translators physically closer, who can quickly get a copy of the DVD or files on a disk.
I do the whole job, i.e. subtitling, outsourced dubbing, DVD authoring. So I need the whole disk at the best possible quality. To download a few gigabytes is not only a matter of your connrection speed, but also how busy your client's servers are; and there is the return trip to consider as well. So messenger/mail/courier is often a must. This may cause delays. ▲ Collapse
| | | | jbjb
Estonia
Local time: 17:38
Estonian to English
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I think in international subtitling 99% of the communication is taking place via e-mail.
All of the big translation agencies have their own servers where videos can be downloaded from and other materials are distributed also through the servers or by e-mail.
Even local companies try to save costs by letting translators work home, as subtitling software has become dongle-based. Old versions of Screen came with a special keyboard and a computer that was essential for the software to r... See more I think in international subtitling 99% of the communication is taking place via e-mail.
All of the big translation agencies have their own servers where videos can be downloaded from and other materials are distributed also through the servers or by e-mail.
Even local companies try to save costs by letting translators work home, as subtitling software has become dongle-based. Old versions of Screen came with a special keyboard and a computer that was essential for the software to run, so working at home was not an option. It is usual for translators working in the same company to see one another (and to see their client managers) once a year during the Xmas party. In international companies you would never see your office managers, as they are usually located in India or Los Angeles.
So in subtitle translation 99% of the work can be handled from Antarctica if you have an Internet connection there. José's case of doing everything professionally himself is a big exception. ▲ Collapse
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| I'm an exception, I know | Jun 17, 2008 |
I work half-mostly with corporate video, i.e. institutional, training, technical, and for companies that don't produce these themselves. These want a turn-key service, the finished DVD.
The other half of my work is for video dubbing/subtitling studios, who just want the translation; they'll take it from there. They usually do the spotting, with a sesquilingual internal operator.
[Btw, some translators may wonder how this operator does it, but they manage. I could easily... See more I work half-mostly with corporate video, i.e. institutional, training, technical, and for companies that don't produce these themselves. These want a turn-key service, the finished DVD.
The other half of my work is for video dubbing/subtitling studios, who just want the translation; they'll take it from there. They usually do the spotting, with a sesquilingual internal operator.
[Btw, some translators may wonder how this operator does it, but they manage. I could easily - and have done it - spot a video in three other languages I speak, but from/into which I don't translate.]
I think that by this time large video producers/distributors should have some YouTube-like contrivance for translating videos anywhere in the world. With a DVD being able to host up to 32 different subtitle streams, it makes sense to centralize the production of complete masters. Later they can shortlist the subtitle sets and Region-encrypt the disks. ▲ Collapse
| | | | juvera
Local time: 15:38
English to Hungarian
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| As jbjb said.... | Jun 20, 2008 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
I think that by this time large video producers/distributors should have some YouTube-like contrivance for translating videos anywhere in the world.
You get the code and download it from their server. In the main time you make a cup of coffee.
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