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This is an ADLAB PRO video.

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ADLAB PRO is a project funded
by the European Union.

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This video is made available to you
on a Creative Commons licence.

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Hello. I’m Anna Matamala, from UAB,
and in this ADLAB PRO video

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I will explain
what audio subtitling is.

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This is Unit 1 "Audio subtitling"
in Module 5 "Additional services".

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Imagine you are a Norwegian speaker
and go to the movies.

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The film is in Japanese
with subtitles in Norwegian.

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You cannot understand Japanese
and you cannot read the subtitles:

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you are blind, you have dyslexia
or the subtitling speed is too fast.

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Audio subtitling is the solution.

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Subtitles are one type
of text on screen.

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Other types are logos,
film credits,

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superimposed titles,
popping-up text messages, etc.,

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but we won't be dealing
with those.

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In some countries
subtitling is the standard way

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of translating audiovisual content.
In other countries,

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what we call dubbing countries
or voice-over countries,

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subtitles are also used,
but a bit less.

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Audio subtitles is the rendering
of written subtitles into audio.

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It’s the subtitles read aloud. Terms
such as “audio subtitles/captions”,

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“spoken subtitles/captions”,
or even “audio text” are also used.

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Here I will use “audio subtitling”
and “audio subtitles”

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and the abbreviation “AST” together
with “AD” for audio description.

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I will discuss
the relationship of AST with AD,

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its main features
in terms of creation and delivery,

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and the role of users.
AST can be an independent service

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or can be integrated with the AD.
One example: when you are watching

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live broadcasts or live streamed TV
on online TV channels

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on the Swedish
public service broadcaster

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you can get automatic
text-to-speech audio subtitles

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through your digital terrestrial
network. Another example:

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the multilingual film "Inglourious
Basterds", by Quentin Tarantino,

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is mainly in English
but has dialogues

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in French and Italian
subtitled into English.

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The AD describes the visuals but
it also incorporates an oral version

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of the written subtitles.
It is an AD with AST.

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In terms of delivery,
ASTs can be read aloud

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by a human voice or can be read
by a text-to-speech system.

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The voice should be clear and should
be easily understood by users.

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ASTs can be live or recorded.
Sometimes, when some preparation

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is possible for a live delivery,
we talk about semi-live ASTs.

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ASTs address many users:
for example,

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persons who cannot access
the visuals, who cannot

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or do not want to read subtitles,
persons with reading difficulties,

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persons with sight loss,
but also children,

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the elderly and language learners.
It is important that users

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are informed
about the availability of AST

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by including
an accessible notification.

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Users should also be involved in
the creation and evaluation of ASTs.

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The ISO standard on AST recommends
that users should be able to select

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different types
of access services independently

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or in combination with AD.
When delivering ASTs,

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synchronisation
and timing are critical.

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This can be difficult
when the text is very dense

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or when there are numbers
and abbreviations.

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In this case, you may need
to increase the narration speed

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or change the text of the subtitles,
make it shorter, rephrase it.

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There are two main types
of delivery effects:

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when the ASTs
in the target language are heard

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on top of the original dialogue,
a “voice-over effect” is achieved:

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you can still hear
the original dialogues.

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When the original is not heard
at all, we have a “dubbing effect”.

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This often involves some acting
by the voice talents.

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When audio subtitles
are delivered together with an AD,

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it is important to discern them.
Various strategies can be used:

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different voices: for example,
a female voice for the AD

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and a male voice for the AST,
prosodic features, that is,

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changing the intonation,
or descriptive words,

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such as, for example,
“Subtitles read:”.

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Similar strategies can be used
when you want to identify

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the character speaking: different
voices, prosodic features...

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or you can use the name of the character
or use the reported speech.

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If you want to know more,
I recommend four resources:

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The ADLAB guidelines.
Good advice on how to create AST

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with a step-by-step
decision process.

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The HBB4ALL guidelines,
with a specific document on AST.

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The article “Audio description with
audio subtitling”, Braun and Orero.

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The ISO technical specification

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20071-25:2017. A must-read!

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The preparation
of this presentation

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was supported by ADLAB PRO.
Audio Description:

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A Laboratory for the Development
of a New Professional Profile

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financed by the European Union
under the Erasmus+ Programme,

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Key Action 2,
Strategic Partnerships.

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Project number:

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2016-1-IT02-KA203-024311.

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The information and views
set out in this presentation

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are those of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect

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the official opinion
of the European Union.

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Neither the European Union
institutions and bodies

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nor any person acting
on their behalf

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may be held responsible
for the use

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which may be made of
the information contained therein.

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This was an ADLAB PRO video.

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ADLAB PRO partners are:
University of Trieste,

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Universitat Autònoma
de Barcelona,

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University of Antwerp,
Adam Mickiewicz University,

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RTV Slovenia,
Utopian Voices,

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Soundfocus and Royal National
Institute of Blind People.

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ADLAB PRO was funded
by the European Union.

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This video was made available to you
on a Creative Commons licence.

