| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Movies and Series in a Resume Thread poster: Sheila Rivaben
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Sheila Rivaben 
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Italian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I must have ended up in a political forum.. | Mar 16, 2016 |
My bad... I thought I was on a professional website, and that I had posted a simple question... Frankly, I really don't like losing my time answering comments and posts about the million different opinions about translation, and I really did not think my post was suggesting any, for that matter...
Thanks to all the people who answered to my honest and (I thought) simple question, which had nothing to do with Whom should we work for? How much should we ask? Are translation agencies t... See more My bad... I thought I was on a professional website, and that I had posted a simple question... Frankly, I really don't like losing my time answering comments and posts about the million different opinions about translation, and I really did not think my post was suggesting any, for that matter...
Thanks to all the people who answered to my honest and (I thought) simple question, which had nothing to do with Whom should we work for? How much should we ask? Are translation agencies the devil?
To all the others, I think there are a million posts, on this website alone, where you can wittily argue your points, with someone who's interested in talking about those arguments.
[Modificato alle 2016-03-16 18:32 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | You can't evade rates and service levels | Mar 16, 2016 |
Sheila Rivaben wrote:
My bad... I thought I was on a professional website, and that I had posted a simple question... Frankly, I really don't like losing my time answering comments and posts about the million different opinions about translation, and I really did not think my post was suggesting any, for that matter...
I'll try to give the picture in a nutshell...
I specialize in corporate video (usually training, institutional, product launch etc.). Been translating for dubbing since 1987, and doing any or all parts of the subtitling process. My typical clients in this area don't know squat about video, so it's usually an outsource production, so they don't have access to scripts, raw footage, M/E track... nothing but the final product in one language, which they want "made suitable" in another.
My shortest explanation of "corporate video" to my peers is "Disney-like quality with technical vocabulary".
Now and then I translate feature films and TV series for a few studios.
If they are domestic (Brazilian), I know that it's a one-night stand. They want one sample to dazzle a TV network, are willing to pay corporate video rates, to land a contract of maybe 300 movies/episodes, which they'll deliver with their usual translating team.
Now and then I work for a few (very few) US subtitling studios, on templates. We all know that it lends to worse quality, however it's the only cost-wise feasible way when they need a movie subtitled in umpteen languages for worldwide distribution. Of course, my rates drop to one-third, and I have found ways to treble my productivity.
Quite recently I discovered that one of these videos I had translated for one of these studios would be aired on the local (Brazilian) cable TV. I was curious whether MY subtitles would be there. The first five subtitles were nondescript; ANY translator would have translated them the same. However the sixth had such a glaringly unforgivable spelling mistake, and also another grammar mistake, that I was immediately assured that these were not mine.
Now try to imagine if YOU had translated that video, listed it on your CV, web page, whatever, and your prospect saw that very same video - obviously subtitled with someone else's translation - on Brazilian cable TV. It would have been the kiss of death for you.
So this situation calls for risk management.
My solution was to publish - as authorized by the respective clients - clips from some videos I translated on this page in my web site. Some are a bit old, and I'll be trying to put as many as I can get from YouTube, but they are not so easy to find, since most are confidential, and covered by NDAs.
[Edited at 2016-03-16 19:03 GMT]
| | | | Sheila Rivaben
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Italian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | @Josè Enrique | Mar 16, 2016 |
Thank you for taking the time to explain your personal situation with subtitling. From what you and other colleagues have correctly said, I gather that maybe it wouldn't be such a great idea to list the titles, as, by themselves, they have little meaning. I think what you're doing is a great idea, one that can really show the quality of your work.
To answer to your title, I know that our job is first and foremost rates and quality, I just think there are millions of posts about thes... See more Thank you for taking the time to explain your personal situation with subtitling. From what you and other colleagues have correctly said, I gather that maybe it wouldn't be such a great idea to list the titles, as, by themselves, they have little meaning. I think what you're doing is a great idea, one that can really show the quality of your work.
To answer to your title, I know that our job is first and foremost rates and quality, I just think there are millions of posts about these matters and that my question did not directly imply that I'm pro or against anything.
I really like subtitle translation, and I've been trying to expand my experience and my business in this field; while it would be really great to work for direct clients, or small companies, I'm finding it difficult to find any. ▲ Collapse
| | | | MK2010
United States
Local time: 16:53
French to English
+ ...
| An alternative option | Mar 16, 2016 |
Hi Sheila,
If listing titles is problematic for a variety reasons, you could also go with the genre approach, which personally I like a lot. For example:
"I have experience in film and TV subtitles in a wide variety of genres. Some of my recent projects include:
-an educational science series for children
-an award-winning feature-length documentary
-several made-for-TV films adapted from novels by bestselling author XXXX
-director commen... See more Hi Sheila,
If listing titles is problematic for a variety reasons, you could also go with the genre approach, which personally I like a lot. For example:
"I have experience in film and TV subtitles in a wide variety of genres. Some of my recent projects include:
-an educational science series for children
-an award-winning feature-length documentary
-several made-for-TV films adapted from novels by bestselling author XXXX
-director commentaries for DVD release
-a popular sitcom
-a series of maritime documentaries
-a series on skiing and snowboarding around the world
I have worked with several different post-production studios on content distributed by major film studios and television networks."
Or something to that effect. Good luck!
[Edited at 2016-03-17 00:40 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Sheila Rivaben
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Italian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks for the suggestion.
Yes, after all, I think going with the genres would be the best option.
Have a nice day!
| | | | Sylvano
Local time: 22:53
English to French
| Political/professional | Mar 17, 2016 |
Sheila Rivaben wrote: I thought I was on a professional website
You are. And professionals want to be paid accordingly to their skills, they want to produce quality for reliable and decent clients, and everything you do in your field (such as promoting yourself or the rates you offer) should aim towards that. That's what makes you a professional. I don't get what's 'political' here.
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Sylvano wrote: Sheila Rivaben wrote: I thought I was on a professional website You are. And professionals want to be paid accordingly to their skills, they want to produce quality for reliable and decent clients, and everything you do in your field (such as promoting yourself or the rates you offer) should aim towards that. That's what makes you a professional. I don't get what's 'political' here.
Sylvano, I agree with you on this one and on everything you've been writing on Proz.com for years for that matter, but being a professional is not just about rates. In your case for example, I've always wondered what your real name and surname is, what your background and experience are and I've found absolutely nothing on your profile, so I think if this truly is a professional forum the first thing you should do before teaching anybody a lesson about professionalism should be INTRODUCING YOURSELF… I've already asked you once years ago but you simply disappeared. Now how professional is that?
[Edited at 2016-03-17 11:07 GMT]
| | | | Sylvano
Local time: 22:53
English to French
| Nothing to hide, really | Mar 17, 2016 |
Monica Paolillo wrote: Sylvano wrote: Sheila Rivaben wrote: I thought I was on a professional website You are. And professionals want to be paid accordingly to their skills, they want to produce quality for reliable and decent clients, and everything you do in your field (such as promoting yourself or the rates you offer) should aim towards that. That's what makes you a professional. I don't get what's 'political' here. Sylvano, I agree with you on this one and on everything you've been writing on Proz.com for years for that matter, but being a professional is not just about rates. In your case for example, I've always wondered what your real name and surname is, what your background and experience are and I've found absolutely nothing on your profile, so I think if this truly is a professional forum the first thing you should do before teaching anybody a lesson about professionalism should be INTRODUCING YOURSELF… I've already asked you once years ago but you simply disappeared. Now how professional is that? [Edited at 2016-03-17 11:07 GMT]
Over the years, I've been writing here and there in this forum about being French, working for 16 years now in the voice-over for documentaries business and subtitling fictions and corporate videos for French clients only. And that I am a(n early) member of ATAA, one of the French audiovisual translators professional associations. If I don't promote my name and activities here, it's because I'm not a Proz user (except for this forum) and never once looked for work through the Proz platform. My name is Sylvain Gourgeon : now you can google me all you want.
I don't think I've been lecturing anybody here (what's not obvious to a pro in what I wrote?), but definitely reacting to the "I thought I was on a professional website" and "I must have ended up in a political forum" parts. And I confess I cannot but react to things I read sometimes around here from people thinking they can do AV translating by just snapping their fingers or people claiming to be pros and working for peanuts (yes, it has consequences for all of us globally) and/or obviously with little care for quality.
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Sheila Rivaben
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Italian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Nobody wants something just snapping fingers | Mar 17, 2016 |
If I recall correctly, I never said I was a guru of subtitling, I just said I'd like to expand my experience and work in this field, and asked for advice, because I think I'm at least entitled to do so, and I don't expect the subtitling industry to fall at my feet for sending a resume, or making a website, or anything. I'm just trying to find a way to promote myself and my work, in order to become better in a field I really like and in which I would enjoy working more.
About your "... See more If I recall correctly, I never said I was a guru of subtitling, I just said I'd like to expand my experience and work in this field, and asked for advice, because I think I'm at least entitled to do so, and I don't expect the subtitling industry to fall at my feet for sending a resume, or making a website, or anything. I'm just trying to find a way to promote myself and my work, in order to become better in a field I really like and in which I would enjoy working more.
About your "political" comment, I think that my post, as many others in this forum, are often battle grounds where people pour over their comments and idea about translation, often down right insulting other colleagues. This is why I compared it to politics. I think that before spitting sentences left and right, may they be correct or not, one should respect his/her colleagues, no matter what their opinion is. I don't recall ever judging the quality of someone else's work by something he/she wrote in a forum, and I hope I never will. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Thank you :) | Mar 18, 2016 |
Thanks for replying, Sylvain!
Now I know what I've literally been wondering for years. It feels better. On a general note, I must admit I didn't have the impression Sheila was snapping her fingers, but anyway…
Have a good weekend everyone.
Sylvano wrote: Monica Paolillo wrote: Sylvano wrote: Sheila Rivaben wrote: I thought I was on a professional website You are. And professionals want to be paid accordingly to their skills, they want to produce quality for reliable and decent clients, and everything you do in your field (such as promoting yourself or the rates you offer) should aim towards that. That's what makes you a professional. I don't get what's 'political' here. Sylvano, I agree with you on this one and on everything you've been writing on Proz.com for years for that matter, but being a professional is not just about rates. In your case for example, I've always wondered what your real name and surname is, what your background and experience are and I've found absolutely nothing on your profile, so I think if this truly is a professional forum the first thing you should do before teaching anybody a lesson about professionalism should be INTRODUCING YOURSELF… I've already asked you once years ago but you simply disappeared. Now how professional is that? [Edited at 2016-03-17 11:07 GMT] Over the years, I've been writing here and there in this forum about being French, working for 16 years now in the voice-over for documentaries business and subtitling fictions and corporate videos for French clients only. And that I am a(n early) member of ATAA, one of the French audiovisual translators professional associations. If I don't promote my name and activities here, it's because I'm not a Proz user (except for this forum) and never once looked for work through the Proz platform. My name is Sylvain Gourgeon : now you can google me all you want. I don't think I've been lecturing anybody here (what's not obvious to a pro in what I wrote?), but definitely reacting to the "I thought I was on a professional website" and "I must have ended up in a political forum" parts. And I confess I cannot but react to things I read sometimes around here from people thinking they can do AV translating by just snapping their fingers or people claiming to be pros and working for peanuts (yes, it has consequences for all of us globally) and/or obviously with little care for quality.
[Edited at 2016-03-18 14:02 GMT]
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