Sessions on audiovisual topics
Distinguished Speaker: Joel Snyder
Dr. Joel Snyder is known internationally as one of the world’s first “audio describers,” a pioneer in the field of audio description–translating visual images to vivid language primarily for the benefit of people who are blind or have low vision. Since 1981, he has introduced audio description techniques in over 40 states and 64 countries, and has made thousands of live events, media projects, and museums accessible. In 2014, the American Council of the Blind published his book, The Visual Made Verbal: A Comprehensive Training Manual and Guide to the History and Applications of Audio Description.
Session: Audio Description: Apps and Accessibility (005)
Abstract: The future of audio description (AD) and audiovisual localization is best considered by reviewing the past and the present techniques for AD delivery. At the conclusion of this session, attendees will know/experience how to use hardware and software to provide AD, why it’s important to educate theater staff, how delivery systems are changing via the use of apps domestically and internationally, and their use as an audio modulation and equalization tool. Implications for the delivery of captions, subtitles, dubs and sign language, and ownership/licensing considerations will also be discussed. Attendees will be able to use the apps during a demonstration.
Session: Translating Audio Description from a Pivot English Script (075)
For over 20 years, audio description (AD) has been embraced by the audiovisual translation community as a kind of translation–images are “translated” into the spoken word principally for the benefit of people who are blind or have low vision. At the conclusion of this session, attendees will know/experience how AD scripts for film can be effectively translated from English as a pivot language. They will also gain a better understanding of when and what to truncate to allow for distinctions between English and a target language, how subtitling is (or is not) helpful, and how to provide quality control for an AD script.
Katrina Leonoudakis
Katrina Leonoudakis is a Japanese to English localization specialist focused on audiovisual media. Her translation work has been featured on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Crunchyroll. As a localization coordinator for SEGA of America, she has worked on numerous video game titles, including Persona 5 Royal, Sonic Colors Ultimate, and Shin Megami Tensei. She has an MA in translation from Kent State University.
Session: Getting Unstuck: Using Translation Theory to Get Out of Tough Situations in Media Localization (033)
Britta Noack was born and raised in Northern Germany and studied linguistics, literature, and media in Hamburg and Osnabrück. After receiving her MA, she discovered her love for translation and became a state certified translator. She moved to San Diego, California in 2002 and started working as a game localization specialist at Sony Online Entertainment. After many years, she decided to give subtitling her full attention. Her portfolio includes shows such as The Magicians, Chicago PD, Star Trek Voyager, Ray Donovan, and movies such as Shine a Light and Diary of a Lost Girl.
Nanette Gobel, CT and Britta Noack
Nanette Gobel, CT earned her MA studying in Berlin and at the Sorbonne in Paris. Today, she is an established interpreter and ATA-certified English to German and French to English translator in Los Angeles, California. From live broadcast interpreting for E! Entertainment to dialect coaching on set for Eva Longoria and Nastassja Kinski, she enjoys lending her linguistic expertise to creative endeavors. She has subtitled many TV shows, including This Is Us and 911, as well as music videos (e.g., Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo), movies (No Sudden Move, Best Foreign Language Oscar winner The Counterfeiters), documentaries, and standup comedies.
Tiina Kinnunen
Tiina Kinnunen is a Finnish professional audiovisual translator with over 30 years of experience. Her specializations include U.S. politics, documentaries, and project management (accessibility and translation in international projects). Her jobs range from translating the script of a children’s movie to subtitling the Oscar Gala. A co-author of the Translator’s Guide to the Industry, she believes in sharing, giving back, and spreading the word about best professional practices. She is a frequent presenter at translation conferences and a guest lecturer to translation students at universities.
Session: Automation Tools for Independent Subtitlers (131)
Angélica Ramírez
Angélica Ramírez has been an English to Spanish and French to Spanish dubbing and subtitling translator for over 25 years. She has worked for miniseries, movies, and documentaries broadcast on Mexican TV and pay TV channels in Latin America. She currently subtitles educational, cultural, and training videos for universities and private companies. She has a PhD in translation and interpreting from the Universidad de Alicante.
Session: Today’s Professional Subtitling: A Combination of Human Intervention and Artificial Intelligence (137)
Sijin Xian, CT
Sijin Xian, CT is an ATA-certified English to Chinese translator and the owner of Translaxian LLC. She specializes in research report translation for non-governmental organizations. She discovered a new professional obsession when she branched out into audiovisual translation in 2018. Working with a vendor that supplies talent for a major streaming platform, she now has over 500 files under her belt.