Film and translation : the art of subtitling

• Main Author: McClarty, R. L.
• Published: Queen's University Belfast 2014
• Subjects: 791.43
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.679231

Since the emergence of audiovisual translation as an academic discipline in the 1990s, research in the field has evolved in a wide range of directions. Subtitling, however, has remained a largely prescriptive form of translation, and has been typically unaffected by the various ethical and creative turns that have emerged within the wider discipline of translation studies. And, while recent years have seen an increasing preference for interdisciplinary research, this interest has rarely questioned subtitles' capacity to convey meaning within the film text. Little has therefore been done to consider the aesthetics of subtitles outside of the constraints of subtitling norms. Similarly, in spite of the influence of subtitles on an audience's cinematic experience, few works in film studies have investigated the role of translation in the distribution, marketing and reception of foreign films. This thesis therefore aims to forge a creative subtitling practice that draws upon both film and translation studies. It asks three key research questions. What can an interdisciplinary approach bring to an aesthetic form of subtitling? How might this interdisciplinary approach manifest itself in a creative subtitling practice? And how is this creative approach received by a target audience? These research questions are answered through an examination of film and translation theory and graphic design principles, with a view to establishing a methodology for a creative subtitling practice. This methodology is then tria lied through the production of creative subtitles for an award-winning Spanish film. Finally, these subtitles are tested empirically through an eye tracking study, consecutive questionnaire and focus group discussions. These studies provide qualitative and quantitative data on the processing effort required to view creative subtitles and the participants' opinions regarding their filmic experience. Together, the answers to these research questions demonstrate the creative potential of film subtitles and highlight the complexity of audience reception.