📝 Scripting Success (and Challenges)

The journey of screenplay translation

The Latin American film and TV market is Flamin’ hot 🌶! It was about time we were seeing more and more diverse voices across different media (film, TV, podcasts!). And as networks and studios aim to satisfy the needs of their diverse audiences, they look beyond their borders for content.

Juana la virgen & Jane the Virgin

📲 Argentina has entered the international chat.

In many an occasion, local producers need their content adapted for the American market. This means that they need their projects translated into English, which oftentimes include screenplays. Last year, for example, one of my clients had their scripts translated into English so they could sell their series to India (spoiler alert: they did!).

Now, this may sound like your regular translation assignment, but it sure is not. Translating screenplays poses a distinct set of challenges, which I will tackle on this article, based on my experience. Join me as we venture into the world of screenwriting and discover the various hurdles translators encounter in their pursuit of bridging the language gap between the script and the screen.

• Cultural Nuances: Screenplays often contain cultural references, humor, or idiomatic expressions that may not directly translate between Spanish and English. This is where localization comes in: to the process of adapting content to a specific market. I must then find expressions that will resonate with the target audience while preserving the intended meaning and tone. These may not be the direct equivalent, but will elicit the same reaction from audiences.

• Cultural References and Traditions: To translate or not to translate, that is the question. There are rituals and ways of doing things that can be hard to translate on the page, so it is essential to have the knowledge and understanding of both cultures so as to be able to transfer the concepts and the emotion so that the target audience may understand it.

• The Format: In America, screenplays follow a slightly different formatting style than in Argentina, but the one rule all scripts share is that one page roughly equals one minute of film. When translating texts into English, texts become a roughly 30% shorter, so, what to do in this scenario? It’s up to the magic that the translator does 😉.

Screenplay format

• Character Names and Wordplay: Character names often carry subtle meanings or wordplay that might not translate well. The translator must consider the significance of these names and find suitable alternatives if necessary.

• The Technical Aspects: Knowing the ins and out the film world is essential. Numbers and scene changes, cuts, director’s notes, and camera angles have a precise terminology that only the trained eye can work with smoothly.

As the final credits roll on my exploration of screenplay translation, I hope I have conveyed that it is far more than mere transcription. It is a labor of love, a harmonious symphony where language and emotion intertwine to craft an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Just like screenwriters skillfully adapt their visions to the silver screen, translators, like me, adapt and fine-tune the script to suit the sensibilities of their target audience. We embody the spirit of creativity and precision, meticulously working to ensure that every translated line resonates with the same passion and impact as the original.

🎥 Lights dim, cameras fade, but the magic of screenplay translation shines on!

For more on translating scripts, go to:

• https://bloguionistas.com/2016/02/09/cuatro-claves-para-traducir-un-guion/ (in Spanish)

• https://www.jostrans.org/issue12/rev_diaz_cintas.pdf

Do you need you screenplay translated into Spanish, French or Portuguese?

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