Kvaløy Nettverk offers subtitling services in languages of the former USSR and Asia. Subtitles are producers either as a form of written translation of a dialogue in a foreign language, or a written rendering of the dialogue in the same language, with or without added information to help viewers who are deaf and hard-of-hearing to follow the dialogue.
Translation of subtitles is sometimes very different from the translation of ordinary written text. When a film or a TV program is subtitled, the subtitler watches the picture and listens to the audio sentence by sentence. The subtitler may or may not have access to a written transcript of the dialog, sometimes translation is based on audio messages only. Professional subtitlers at Kvaløy Nettverk work with specialized computer software and hardware to produce subtitle files containing the actual subtitles as well as position markers indicating where each subtitle should appear and disappear. These markers are usually based on timecode if it is a work for electronic media, or on film length if the subtitles are to be used for traditional cinema film. Usually the subtitler will receive a script, which will include annotations to help ensure an accurate translation and formulation of subtitles. After revision and proofreading, the files are converted and laser engraving of the individual reels can begin.
Where subtitled prints in multiple languages are required, the first version is normally taken as a basis for subsequent languages, mainly to benefit from accurately timed starting cues. The subtitlers of second and subsequent languages are free to alter all in and out times to accommodate the different syntax and idiosyncrasies of their particular languages and translations.
In commercial subtitles, the subtitler often interprets what is meant, rather than literally translating how it is said. And in fansubs, the subtitler may translate both form and meaning. The subtitler may also choose to display a note in the subtitles, usually in parentheses. This allows the subtitler to preserve form and achieve an acceptable reading speed, by leaving the note on the screen, even after the character has finished speaking, to both preserve form and allow for understanding.
The finished subtitle file is used to add the subtitles to the picture, either directly into the picture (open subtitles); embedded in the vertical interval and later superimposed on the picture by the end user with the help of an external decoder or a decoder built into the TV; or converted to .tiff or .bmp graphics that are later superimposed on the picture by the end user.
Kvaløy Nettverk specializes in subtitling for fiction movies, documentaries, TV shows and real time subtitling for sports broadcasts.
