Professional Realities of the Subtitling Industry: The Subtitlers’ Perspective

Abstract

In the past, the working conditions of audiovisual translators in general, and subtitlers in particular, have tended to be veiled in mystery, with very few works written on the topic. In the case of subtitling, this is mainly because the majority of subtitlers tend to work on a freelance basis. Since contractors work alone, independently and very frequently in isolation, it is difficult for outsiders to gain an understanding of their profession and working conditions. This has also restricted the circulation of information among the professionals themselves. In order to present a clearer picture of the working environment in which subtitlers operate, as well as an overview of the realities defining the interlingual subtitling industry, an online survey was distributed among subtitlers across the world.