82054 - Audiovisual Translation (CL1)

Academic Year 2019/2020

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Forli
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Specialized translation (cod. 9174)

Learning outcomes

The student - has an in-depth knowledge of the professional strategies, techniques, methods and tools of audiovisual translation - is able to apply them to the adaptation of multimedia products belonging to different genres and text types, between English and Italian, complying with media accessibility requirements - knows the main techniques required for information mining, drafting, editing and revising textual content, including the overall linguistic quality evaluation of the adapted multimedia product

Course contents

The audiovisual translation module is part of the integrated course on Translation for Media Accessibility (Italiana and English) and is divided into two classes. The lecturers (Prof. Antonini with cl. 1 and Prof. Bucaria with cl.2) will address the same topics and use the same materials.

The module will be structured in two parts which will deal with two fundamental forms of translation for the small and the big screen: subtitling and voice-over. The first part will comprise a theoretical and practical introduction to different softwares designed for the production of subtitles, to the practice of subtitling as well as subtitling exercises with a variety of audiovisual products for the small and the big screen. The second part will comprise a theoretical and practical introduction to voice-over as well as voice-over exercises with audiovisual products for television. Moreover, the module will also comprise an introduction to other forms of audiovisual translation (e.g. subtitles for the hard of hearing, videogames, fansubbing and dubbing) and information on job opportunities for audiovisual translators.

Students are also encouraged to participate in the scientific activities and events organized by the Department of Interpreting and Translation and, particularly, the conferences and seminars organized within the various Research laboratories and which are related to the topics addressed by the module . 

Readings/Bibliography

A bibliography and a reader with texts focussing on the various modalities of audiovisual translation will be published on the module's Moodle page. They will include, inter alia:

Antonini R., (2005) The perception of subtitled humour in Italy, «HUMOR», 2005, 18.2, pp. 209 – 225.
- (2007) ‘SAT, BLT, Spirit Biscuits, and the Third Amendment: What Italians make of cultural references in dubbed texts’, in: Doubts and Directions in Translation Studies Selected contributions from the EST Congress, Lisbon 2004, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2007, pp. 153 - 168 (atti di: Doubts and Directions in Translation Studies, Lisbona, Portogallo, 2004).
- (2008) ‘The perception of dubbese: An Italian study’, in: Between Text and Image. Updating research in screen translation, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 135 – 147.
- (2009) ‘The perception of dubbed cultural references in Italy’, INTRALINEA ON LINE TRANSLATION JOURNAL: 11.

Antonini R.; Chiaro D. (2009) ‘The Perception of Dubbing by Italian Audiences’, in: Audiovisual Translation. Language Transfer on Screen, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 97 – 114.

Chiaro, Delia (2008) 'Audiovisual Translation', in: The Rouledge Companion to Translation Studies, London: Routledge, pp. 169 - 170.

Pageon, Daniel (20117), The World of the Voice-over: Writing, adapting and translating scripts, training the voice, building a studio, London: Actors World Production.


Teaching methods

All lessons are taught classes and students are encouraged to participate actively and critically in all the activities. Attendance is mandatory for at least 70% of all lessons.

Two main teaching methods will be employed. The first will comprise the comparative and critical analysis and revision of subtitle lists and voice-over adaptations. The second teaching method will consist of practical exercises in class and at home assignments comprising Learning to use subtitling and voice-over software and techiniques, i.e. decoding, spotting, translation and subtling/voice-over exercises, reading exercises and recording of voiced-over material in the dubbing booth.


Assessment methods

In order to assess the acquired knowledge and competence of audiovisual translation techniques, the final exam of the Audiovisual Translation module will consist of the subtiling or voice-over from English into Italian of a 3/4 minute clip selected from one of the types of audiovisual products used and analysed in class.

The clip, the file with instructions, the timecode and the link to the full video, as well as the models to be used for the formatting of the file with the subtling or the voice-over will be posted on the module's Moodle page on a date agreed with the students. The adaptation will have to be send via email to the respective lecturer within a week from the publication of the clip and the instructions (dates and deadlines will be notified as soons as the exam calendar is published).

The final mark of the integrated course of Translation for Media Accessibility will be the average between the mark obtained for Audiovisual Translation and Softare and Game Localization.


Teaching tools

Computer, videos, parallel texts, subtitling and voice-over softwares, Moodle page (2017-18] Audiovisual Translation Cl.1 (Antonini) - http://moodle.sslmit.unibo.it/course/view.php?id=801).

Office hours

See the website of Rachele Antonini

SDGs

Quality education Gender equality

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.