Note: This blog post was originally written in Japanese for our Japanese website. We used our machine translation platforms to translate it and post-edit the content in English. The original Japanese post can be found here.
With the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets, and the diversification of platforms like YouTube and TikTok, video content has become a crucial marketing tool. Companies are increasingly using video ads and product introductions to connect with both domestic and international customers.
The key focus here is on subtitles translation, or subtitling services.
When you think of subtitles translation, what probably comes to mind are subtitles for TV shows and movies. However, as businesses expand globally, there is a rising demand for subtitle translations for corporate promotional videos and product introductions. In recent years, with the rise of videos without sound, subtitles have become even more essential.
Subtitling services are poised for rapid growth. So, how are translation agencies approaching this opportunity? Below is an overview of the business.
Growing demand for marketing video content
Corporate promotional videos are now commonplace on the Internet. While it's easy for individuals to create video content today, the landscape was very different not too long ago.
Until the 2000s, the common belief was that corporate video production required a large budget and was a major project, which meant creating long videos. However, as the barriers to creating video content have lowered, the number of videos has surged, and companies are increasingly active in using video-sharing platforms and their own websites to showcase their content.
Many companies are producing video content, and for those with global operations, the need to add subtitles is increasingly important.
Quote for subtitles translation
When translating documents such as contracts and manuals, costs are typically calculated based on a per-word (or per-character) rate.
On the other hand, when it comes to subtitling services, there is usually no script available at the time of the estimate, making it difficult to quantify the audio in the video. As a result, it's common to base the estimate on the length of the video, such as charging a certain amount per minute of a video.
Workflow for subtitles translation
So, what process does a project of subtitles translation follow? The workflow is similar to standard video translation and involves the following steps.
- Transcription
- Translation
- Captioning and spotting
- Creating a preliminary mix
In the transcription phase, the spoken audio in the video is converted into text for translation. While this used to be done manually by listening and typing out the dialogue, today's process often utilizes automatic speech recognition technology.
The transcribed text is then translated into the target language by a professional translator during the translation process. Once the translation is complete, the next steps are captioning (breaking up the dialogue or narration into subtitle segments while watching the video) and spotting (synchronizing the subtitles with the timing of the video).
Even with a high-quality subtitles translation, it’s crucial to ensure the timing aligns with the video. If the subtitles are out of sync, the translation loses its effectiveness, so careful attention is needed. After setting the timing, the completed translation is inserted into the video to create a preliminary mix.
Then the customer who requested the translation is asked to review this mix, checking the subtitles and providing feedback. Based on the feedback, adjustments are made, such as changing the translation or repositioning the subtitles. This process finalizes the video subtitles.
Guidelines for subtitles translation in Japanese
In the world of Japanese subtitles translation, there are many specific rules and guidelines to follow that originates from movie subtitles.
Even when translating corporate videos, these rules are generally observed to some extent. However, since customers are often not familiar with the film industry, they may not be aware of these specific guidelines. Therefore, when working on a project, you'll need to explain these rules to the customer as you go along.
The following rules are specifically for Japanese subtitles.
4-character-per-second rule
One of the key features of Japanese subtitles translation is the 4-character-per-second rule.
Established in the 1930s, this guideline was designed to ensure that Japanese subtitles can be read comfortably by children and the elderly. The challenge in subtitles translation is selecting words that effectively convey the content within this character limit. However, this rule is somewhat flexible and can be adjusted for corporate video subtitles that may require more information.
Maximum of 2 lines of subtitles per screen
For Japanese subtitles, the maximum of 2 lines of subtitles per screen is another fundamental rule. Additionally, it's generally recommended that each line of subtitles contain no more than 13 characters. If lines exceed this length, viewers may struggle to focus on the video's content, as they become distracted by trying to follow the subtitles. Moreover, lengthy subtitles will create a time delay between the video's content and the translation, so even if the screen changes, the previous subtitles might still be displayed.
For corporate promotional videos, while it’s important to adhere to these basic rules, some flexibility is needed depending on the amount of information. For B2B companies, where the target audience is other businesses, there is less need to consider factors such as readability for children and the elderly.
Additionally, products and services may have long names, which can make it challenging to adhere strictly to the 4-character-per-second rule or other subtitles display guidelines. Since companies create promotional videos to effectively convey information about their products and services, enforcing rigid rules can be counterproductive. It’s more important to prioritize clear communication over strict adherence to formatting rules.
Punctuation
In general, Japanese subtitles omit punctuation. Instead of punctuation, Japanese subtitles use half-width spaces to separate phrases and full-width spaces to indicate breaks or pauses.
We sometimes receive requests from customers to include punctuation, but most people understand and agree with this rule once it's explained. It’s interesting to note that while Japanese subtitles follow rules established to address technical limitations from the film era, English subtitles commonly use commas and periods.
Short videos are now the leading trend in marketing!
As businesses have embraced global marketing and produced more videos, it’s become common for viewers to not watch longer videos all the way through. For busy modern individuals, finding time to watch an hour-long video during work breaks is challenging unless they have a strong motivation.
As a result, videos are increasingly being condensed to around 10 minutes, with videos under 5 minutes now becoming the mainstream.
As an introduction, many short videos of 1 to 2 minutes are now created as promotional clips. This trend reflects a broader shift where video content, which once lasted an hour, is continually getting shorter. These changes highlight how companies are adapting to make video content more engaging and accessible.
Kawamura's localization services
Do you have any of the following requests regarding video localization services?
- "We want to use subtitled videos for marketing."
- "We want to use subtitled videos for online events and seminars."
- "We want to create subtitles for a large volume of videos quickly and at a reasonable price."
Kawamura International provides not only video translation but also all other related tasks that are necessary including transcribing audio to text and putting subtitles onto your video. We take care of all localization needs for your business. We can also efficiently handle both urgent requests and large volumes of subtitling by utilizing AI technology.
Our team will propose the best solution according to your request and priorities such as lowering the cost, speeding up the turnaround time, and handling various file formats. Please feel free to reach out to us!
