UK Subtitling Audiences and Reception Network
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: School of Modern Languages
Abstract
Rapid changes are taking place in the reach and use of subtitling in the UK. Subtitles in the UK were traditionally limited to arthouse cinemas and decoders for d/Deaf viewers, but recent studies show that most younger viewers now expect to watch media with subtitles. Subtitled foreign-language film and TV have been more available in the UK for some years. Legislation has made subtitles for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing much more widely available, though there are still gaps. Subtitles are becoming increasingly responsive and interactive and they are being used in environments, and by viewers, for which they were not necessarily designed. Subtitles are being adapted for new viewing environments such as videogames and virtual reality (360 degree subtitling). The technical parameters of subtitling have also changed rapidly; subtitles are longer and denser, and spectators are expected to read faster.
While many of these changes are positive, important questions remain about subtitling quality and user experience. Some researchers maintain that viewers can manage higher reading speeds than was previously thought. Other researchers feel that this is at the expense of actually taking in the fuller meaning of the audiovisual text. There is evidence that viewers are frustrated by issues including errors in subtitles; lack of availability of subtitles; restricted choice of language or mode of subtitling (descriptive subtitles for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing vs. subtitles for the hearing); limited scope for personalisation e.g. changing size, colour or font; perceived lack of correspondence between the original text and the subtitles. The number of evidence-based reception studies still falls far short of what is needed to understand how the quality of subtitles may affect the viewing experience. For the UK context, our knowledge is hampered by the fact that most research has been conducted on viewers of English-language content translated into other languages, which means that its relevance to exporting countries like the UK is limited. Research is often undertaken without the collaboration of industry actors including translation companies, distributors or exhibitors; it still has an emphasis on individual viewers, often language students, rather than broader audiences. The degree to which the historically-perceived 'resistance' of UK audiences to subtitles is a function of subtitling quality or other factors, and the extent to which that may change now that young adult viewers are choosing to watch so much of their content with subtitles, is largely unknown.
The network will bring together leading subtitling researchers, a prominent localisation company, subtitling practitioners, a film distributor, exhibitors, two professional subtitler associations and a high-profile producer to address key questions in this field and develop innovative methods for audience-focused research. The network will hold two workshops. The first will invite stakeholders to share their specific perspectives on, and understanding of, the needs and priorities of audiences for subtitled media. This will allow us to define a research agenda. That workshop will inform a pilot data collection exercise which will run for several months with the support of partner cinemas. The second workshop will present cutting-edge research from different disciplines on audiences and reception, and work to develop and discuss innovative methods for expanding 'viewer-oriented' research to include 'audience-oriented' research. The final network activity will be a series of screenings at the two partner cinemas which will show both traditionally- and innovatively-subtitled films. This will raise audience awareness of the challenges behind subtitling and allow us to better understand audience aspirations for subtitled media and the potential for innovative subtitling practices in the sector.
While many of these changes are positive, important questions remain about subtitling quality and user experience. Some researchers maintain that viewers can manage higher reading speeds than was previously thought. Other researchers feel that this is at the expense of actually taking in the fuller meaning of the audiovisual text. There is evidence that viewers are frustrated by issues including errors in subtitles; lack of availability of subtitles; restricted choice of language or mode of subtitling (descriptive subtitles for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing vs. subtitles for the hearing); limited scope for personalisation e.g. changing size, colour or font; perceived lack of correspondence between the original text and the subtitles. The number of evidence-based reception studies still falls far short of what is needed to understand how the quality of subtitles may affect the viewing experience. For the UK context, our knowledge is hampered by the fact that most research has been conducted on viewers of English-language content translated into other languages, which means that its relevance to exporting countries like the UK is limited. Research is often undertaken without the collaboration of industry actors including translation companies, distributors or exhibitors; it still has an emphasis on individual viewers, often language students, rather than broader audiences. The degree to which the historically-perceived 'resistance' of UK audiences to subtitles is a function of subtitling quality or other factors, and the extent to which that may change now that young adult viewers are choosing to watch so much of their content with subtitles, is largely unknown.
The network will bring together leading subtitling researchers, a prominent localisation company, subtitling practitioners, a film distributor, exhibitors, two professional subtitler associations and a high-profile producer to address key questions in this field and develop innovative methods for audience-focused research. The network will hold two workshops. The first will invite stakeholders to share their specific perspectives on, and understanding of, the needs and priorities of audiences for subtitled media. This will allow us to define a research agenda. That workshop will inform a pilot data collection exercise which will run for several months with the support of partner cinemas. The second workshop will present cutting-edge research from different disciplines on audiences and reception, and work to develop and discuss innovative methods for expanding 'viewer-oriented' research to include 'audience-oriented' research. The final network activity will be a series of screenings at the two partner cinemas which will show both traditionally- and innovatively-subtitled films. This will raise audience awareness of the challenges behind subtitling and allow us to better understand audience aspirations for subtitled media and the potential for innovative subtitling practices in the sector.