Cinema/Video/TV-translation Without Preparation

Cinema/video/TV-translation without preparation is extremely complicated process, demanding great experience and knowledge. If there is no possibility to look through the scenario (editorial script – монтажний лист), then it is expedient to find information in corresponding editions, press, catalogues or at least annotation. If it is a screen version of literary work, then it is necessary to become acquainted with the original source.

In cinema translation the extra-linguistic context (video-line – відео-ряд) becomes of primary importance, which contributes to the translation adequacy. Still the auding problem remains the main one.

In foreign movies, especially in the Hollywood ones, every word of each actor is carefully weighted and thought over by the dialogue editor. Scenario is corrected subject to mass psychology, existing stereotypes and other essential factors. Popular expressions (catch-words – крилаті вирази) become the result of the dialogue editor’s good work. In cinema base www.imbd.com there is a section “Memorable Quotes”, and the best native movies, like “Brilliant arm”, “White sun of desert”, “Irony of fate”, have given us a great many catch-words. In translation they are often lost for objective reasons of lingual-cultural character.

One of the fundamental rules of cinema/video-TV translation says that the interpreter must understand and know what the case in point is about by himself. Modern interpreters mainly work with printed out “scripts”, when they don’t have to strain their ears to hear sound track, trying to catch an idiom, drowned out by firing. This kind of work provides maximum comfort for a professional. Still not infrequently the hero’s image, his character are lost in modern dubbing (obviously not that much expansive) put on the production line.