Forum: Subtitling
Topic: Subtitling with provided translation
Poster: José Henrique Lamensdorf
Post title: That's the key point, fitting
It depends on the kind of translation you get.
If I get a translation from a colleague who is skilled and experienced in translating for subtitling, I charge the same as for time-spotting my own translation, i.e. 30% of my per-minute rate for translation.
In order to give you the entire picture, I only translate between EN-PT, however I do speak IT+FR+ES. So I have carefully selected a few partners, who are very competent in translating into/from the latter three for subtitling, however not particularly fond/skillful in time-spotting and/or burning subtitles. When they do it, I charge the same, as if I had translated it.
I don't subtitle videos translated from or into languages that I don't speak. I wouldn't know when a subtitle should go on or off. Furthermore, if they come pre-timed, but use a non-Latin alphabet, I wouldn't notice if the subtitles I burned came out mirrored and/or upside down!
However if the translation was done by someone not so skilled in subtitling, it may lack conciseness, rhythm, adequacy, etc. Chances are that they'll have translated the entire script. If the output is in PT or EN, I can fix/adjust and chop/slice that translation for subtitles, but I'll charge 50% of my per-minute rate for translation. If the output is in any other language, I won't be able to do that; my writing in the three additional languages I speak is definitely not reliable; that's why I don't translate them.