Working conditions and collaborative practices in the translation of French film: subtitling banlieue cinema

Abstract

This article analyses questionnaire responses provided by a small group of well-established subtitlers working to translate a genre of French independent/auteur film into English. The subtitlers were asked open questions about their working practices and conditions. Their responses are analysed in relation to the commission, collaborative practices, and technical aspects of the subtitling process. The study compares the workflow and working conditions of these subtitlers with other published accounts of the subtitling process. One of the most striking findings of the analysis is the high degree of collaboration taking place among the agents involved in the subtitling of these films. On occasion, longer time frames allow for consultation with colleagues and experts, and in many cases the director and/or producers are also involved in the translation process, offering insight into the source text, and attending a simulation of the subtitled film in order to discuss and finalise the subtitles in collaboration with the translator. When working on these films, the translator often approaches the director with queries. In these relationships, a different power dynamic is suggested, and the collaboration that takes place is more subtitler-led than other published accounts of director-subtitler collaboration in cinema.