Working As A Subtitle Translator for Netflix And My Career Journey

Summary

Sue shares her five-year journey as a subtitle translator, detailing her start in the field, the challenges of inconsistent pay and project availability, and the transition to working with major platforms like Netflix. She highlights the difficulties of freelance work, the stress of tight deadlines, and the disconnect between her significant experience and corporate job recognition. Sue's narrative offers insight into the realities of working in online translation and her decision to pursue further education over continuing in the industry.

Takeaways

• 😀 Sue has five years of experience as a subtitle translator and has worked with major channels.
• 🎬 She became interested in subtitle translation after watching movies and noticing discrepancies in translations.
• 🌐 Sue started her career in subtitle translation by volunteering at the World Youth Congress and was introduced to the field by a fellow volunteer.
• 🛠 She used the software 'Subtitle Workshop' to create subtitles and initially worked on lesser-known TV series.
• 💰 Early in her career, Sue struggled with the low pay and high workload of subtitle translation, which led her to quit for a time.
• 📚 She returned to translation work when a friend needed help with documentary episodes without scripts, which eventually led to paid work.
• 📺 Sue translated episodes for popular shows like 'The Office' and her work appeared on DVDs sold in stores, which was a rewarding experience.
• 🌐 She also worked on content for various channels including Sundance, Discovery, Travel, and Food Network, eventually translating dubbing scripts as well.
• 📈 Sue had the opportunity to work with Netflix, Turkey, translating a variety of shows including 'Gossip Girl' and 'RuPaul's Drag Race'.
• 💼 Despite the satisfaction of her work, Sue faced challenges with inconsistent pay, strict deadlines, and the freelance nature of the job affecting her personal life.
• 🏆 Working for BBC, Turkey was a highlight of her career, providing a sense of accomplishment and prestige.
• 🚫 The freelance nature of subtitle translation made it difficult for Sue to transition to full-time corporate jobs, as her experience was not always recognized.
• 📉 She decided to stop subtitle translating due to the inconsistent income, project availability, and the inability to maintain a regular schedule.
• 🔍 Netflix offers an online test for potential subtitle translators, which Sue took and scored well on, but it didn't guarantee work due to high competition.
• 🔗 For those interested, Sue recommends taking the Netflix test for subtitle translation work as a potential opportunity.

Q & A

What is the main topic of Sue's video?

The main topic of Sue's video is her five-year experience working as a subtitle translator online.

Why did Sue initially get interested in subtitle translation?

Sue initially got interested in subtitle translation because she was curious about the process of subtitling movies, especially after watching them in theaters.

What is the difference between 'notion' and 'word-for-word' translation according to Sue?

According to Sue, 'notion' translation is more about conveying the overall meaning of the original text, while 'word-for-word' translation focuses on translating each word directly, with subtitling falling into the category of 'notion' translation.

How did Sue get her start in the subtitle translation field?

Sue got her start in the subtitle translation field by volunteering at the World Youth Congress, where a fellow volunteer helped her join a popular Turkish platform as a subtitle translator.

What software did Sue use for her subtitle translation work?

Sue used the software 'Subtitle Workshop' for her subtitle translation work.

Why did Sue initially give up on subtitle translation work?

Sue initially gave up on subtitle translation work because it was too much work for not being paid.

What TV series did Sue translate and what was special about this experience?

Sue translated episodes of 'The Office' (US version with Steve Carell), and it was special because her work appeared on DVDs sold in stores, which was satisfying and fulfilling for her.

What challenges did Sue face while working as a subtitle translator?

Sue faced challenges such as inconsistent pay, strict deadlines, and the inability to have a proper schedule, which affected her personal life and health.

How did Sue's work with Netflix come about?

Sue's work with Netflix came about when a production company she was working for started receiving projects from Netflix, and she translated various shows including 'Gossip Girl' and 'Teen Wolf'.

What was the most demotivating aspect of Sue's subtitle translation work?

The most demotivating aspect of Sue's subtitle translation work was the realization of how much more the production companies profited from her work compared to her pay, and the lack of job security and benefits.

Why did Sue decide to stop working as a subtitle translator?

Sue decided to stop working as a subtitle translator due to inconsistent pay, lack of project opportunities, and the inability to maintain a proper life schedule.

What advice does Sue give to those interested in subtitle translation work?

Sue advises those interested in subtitle translation work to take the test provided by Netflix directly, as it offers a chance to work with them and potentially receive better pay.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to Subtitle Translation Career

Sue introduces her video channel and dives into her five-year experience as a subtitle translator. She discusses her initial interest in the field, sparked by her curiosity about movie translations and the challenges of 'notion to notion' translation. She explains the importance of translating for a diverse audience with varying language comprehension. Sue shares her journey starting as a volunteer at the World Youth Congress, where she was introduced to the profession by a fellow volunteer. She began her career using the software 'Subtitle Workshop' and eventually faced the reality of the demanding and often underpaid nature of the work.

05:01

📚 Advancing in Subtitle Translation and Challenges

The second paragraph details Sue's progression in the subtitle translation field, including her first paid projects translating documentaries without scripts. She mentions translating popular shows like 'The Office' and her work being featured on DVDs sold in stores. Sue also discusses the variety of her work, which ranged from independent movies on the Sundance Channel to content for Discovery, Travel, and Food Network channels. She highlights the transition from subtitling to translating dubbing scripts, which was less rewarding financially but necessary for income stability. Her favorite project was translating for 'Chopped' and 'Iron Chef' on the Food Network. The paragraph concludes with her work for a production company that collaborated with Netflix, marking a high point in her career.

10:03

🌐 The Reality of Freelance Subtitle Translation Work

In this paragraph, Sue addresses the harsh realities of working as a freelance subtitle translator. She talks about the inconsistent pay and project opportunities, which led to her decision to leave the field. She shares her experience with the stress and health implications of tight deadlines, including all-nighters and the impact on her personal life. Sue also reveals the financial disparity between what she was paid and what the production companies earned from her work. She discusses the lack of recognition for her freelance experience in the corporate world and the absence of benefits such as insurance and retirement plans, which were demotivating factors in her decision to pursue further education and leave the profession.

15:07

🔚 Reflections on the Subtitle Translation Journey

Sue concludes her story by reflecting on the entire experience of working in subtitle translation. She mentions the opportunity to take a test offered by Netflix for potential translators, which she took and scored well on, but it wasn't enough to secure work directly with Netflix due to high competition. She advises others interested in the field to take the test and considers working directly with streaming platforms like Netflix as a more lucrative opportunity. Sue expresses her gratitude for the insights gained from her career and the challenges faced, and she invites viewers to share their experiences in the comments. She ends the video with a reminder to like, share, and subscribe for more content and a light-hearted note about her demeanor during the video recording.

Keywords

💡Subtitle Translator

A subtitle translator is a professional who translates spoken dialogue from one language to another, creating text that appears on screen to convey the original meaning for viewers who may not understand the source language. In the video, the narrator discusses her five-year experience as a subtitle translator, highlighting the challenges and rewards of the profession.

💡Notion-to-Notion Translation

Notion-to-notion translation refers to the process of translating the overall meaning and concepts of the original text, rather than translating word-for-word. The video mentions this concept to explain the complexities of subtitling, where the translator must consider the audience's language comprehension and convey the essence of the dialogue.

💡World Youth Congress

The World Youth Congress is an event that brings together young people from around the world to discuss and address global issues. In the script, the narrator mentions volunteering at the World Youth Congress, which provided her with an opportunity to get into the field of subtitle translation through a connection with another volunteer.

💡Subtitle Workshop

Subtitle Workshop is a software tool used for creating and editing subtitles for video content. The narrator describes using this software to start her career in subtitle translation, emphasizing its ease of use and availability online.

💡Food Network

Food Network is a television channel that focuses on food and cooking shows. The video script mentions the narrator's experience translating content for the Food Network channel, which involved translating both subtitles and dubbing scripts for various programs.

💡Dubbing Scripts

Dubbing scripts are written translations used for replacing the original audio of a video with a new language version. The narrator discusses translating dubbing scripts for Food Network channel projects, noting that this work was more time-consuming and paid less than subtitle translation.

💡Netflix

Netflix is a global streaming service known for its diverse content offerings. The video describes the narrator's experience working with a production company that provided translation services for Netflix Turkey, including translating popular shows like 'Gossip Girl' and 'Teen Wolf'.

💡BBC Turkey

BBC Turkey refers to the Turkish division of the British Broadcasting Corporation, which produces content in Turkish. The script mentions the narrator's satisfaction in translating projects for BBC Turkey, indicating a prestigious aspect of her work.

💡Freelance

Freelancing is a type of employment where a person works independently, often taking on short-term contracts or projects rather than working for a single company full-time. The narrator discusses the challenges of being a freelance subtitle translator, including inconsistent pay and the difficulty of establishing a regular work schedule.

💡Master's Degree

A master's degree is an academic degree that represents a higher level of education beyond a bachelor's degree. The narrator mentions starting her master's degree at Istanbul University, which contributed to her decision to stop working as a subtitle translator.

💡Inconsistent Pay

Inconsistent pay refers to a situation where earnings vary significantly from one period to another, often without a predictable pattern. The video script highlights the narrator's struggle with the unpredictable nature of payment in freelance subtitle translation work, which was a significant factor in her decision to leave the profession.

Highlights

Introduction to Sue's five-year experience as a subtitle translator.

Sue's interest in subtitle translation sparked by movie experiences.

Explanation of 'notion to notion' and 'word to word' translation in subtitling.

Sue's initial challenge of entering the subtitle translation field.

Opportunity to volunteer at World Youth Congress leading to Sue's start in subtitling.

Use of software 'Subtitle Workshop' for Sue's early subtitling work.

Sue's transition from volunteer to paid subtitle translator.

Translation of popular TV series 'The Office' and its impact on Sue.

Working with production companies and translating for various TV channels.

Sue's experience translating for Food Network and her favorite shows.

Challenges of inconsistent work and pay in freelance subtitling.

Sue's work for Netflix, Turkey, and the unique opportunities it presented.

The reality of low pay and high stress in subtitle translation work.

Sue's realization of the production company's profit margin on her work.

The difficulty of maintaining a work-life balance as a subtitle translator.

Sue's decision to leave subtitle translation due to its instability.

Advice for aspiring subtitle translators and information on Netflix's online test.

Sue's final thoughts on the subtitle translation profession and her future plans.

Transcripts

hey everybody and welcome to my channel

again it's sue here and we'll be talking

about a very popular topic called

working online as a subtitle translator

so keep on watching like you weren't

actually watching if I didn't tell you

this but you have to know because I told

you to keep on watching and don't forget

to subscribe before you actually start

watching this video because the time you

spend here is definitely worth it and

that is this to guarantee and so let's

start rolling so today I'll be talking

about the five-year experience I had

working as a subtitle translator the how

I started the steps how I ended and why

I ended it actually and to be honest and

I I just cannot believe that I did this

job for five years although I took

breaks in between I five years is such a

long time and I had the opportunity to

work with such big channels that always

kept me going

so I actually always was interested in

subtitle translation because when I went

to the movies I after some time I just

started to get curious about the process

of subtitling those movies that I went

to hear because and I said a few times

in my other videos I'm from Turkey

actually and it it was like really

interesting for me especially there is

two versions of translation in the

translation field which is which are

called the notion two notion and two

word two word translation and subtitling

is in the category of notion two notion

translation and this makes so many of

the audience that knows the original

language of the movies that they watch

just go nuts and they cannot believe

that the translations are kind of boys

wrong in their eyes I was among those

people too until I actually started to

work as a professional in this field and

let me tell you

it there is one main reason that the

things are done that way and you have to

think about it like this those movies

and TV series that people watch the

audience of that movies and tv series

don't always have the same grasp as you

have to the language that is originally

using in the movies and the TV series to

watch so we actually translated to an

audience that has no comprehension of

the language and even though it's

sometimes looks as it is wrong in your

eyes when you compare the meaning and

the sentence that you have in your mind

when you watch these pieces it isn't it

isn't done that way so I really wanted

to start working as a subtitle

translator but I didn't know how to get

into the field because it is it is not

the same way now but back in the day it

was a really closed profession there

wasn't that many things to be translated

and you couldn't find a job online when

you wanted to find the vacancy ad for a

subtitle translator but in 2010 I had

the opportunity to volunteer at World

Youth Congress and one of the volunteers

in our team was actually a volunteering

subtitle translator on the platform in

Turkey that was the most popular one and

he was actually translating skins if I

don't recall it wrong which was a

popular TV series at the time when we

started chatting he said that he can

help me get in because they had already

closed the subtitle translator volunteer

translators subscriptions to the website

but he could get

my name from within and he could help me

out so he actually helped me start to

make my first couple of very unpopular

and unheard-of TV series episodes and I

don't even remember what the names were

and I started doing this job with using

the software subtitle workshop which you

can find online is easily found online

and it's very easy to learn to use - and

I started that way

and after some time I just gave up cuz

it was too much work for not being paid

and in one or two years the same friend

that helped me get into this website was

looking for someone to help him

translate a couple of documentary

episodes which didn't have their script

in the ready let alone their English

subtitles ready to be translated into

Turkish directly and it was too much

work but if someone started that person

would be paid and I said maybe if I take

this from here I might advance in the

area and maybe I might even see my own

subtitles being spotted on the movies

that would appear in the theaters

although I couldn't get to that point in

this five year profession that I had I

actually ended on a very good and very

motivating note which was really great

to end on but it's - I trusted this

couple of documentary episodes and they

were very pleased with my work and from

there we had a few other works and I

remember I started translating episodes

and the cutscenes from the very popular

and my most favorite TV series the

office the US the Steve Carrell version

and

it was 2011 my work actually appeared on

the DVDs that were pressed by these

companies that were actually selling

these in the big book and movie and

music stores which was a really

satisfying and fulfilling job for me

because knowing that people will buy

these things and my work will be in them

was a great thing to know actually and

after that I remember we both started at

another production company and I

remember although I took some breaks in

between I work for there for two years

in these years I translated some

independent movies that aired on

Sundance Channel I translated a couple

of episodes for Discovery Channel and

Travel Channel and then for a whole year

I worked exclusively on Food Network

channel content and that was actually

really nice after some time we couldn't

get that many subtitle pieces to

translate so we started to translate

dubbing scripts and for this whole year

Food Network channel projects I worked

exclusively on dubbing script

translations which actually took much

more time and sadly were paid a little

less it was kind of demotivating but I

didn't want to be left without an income

so I kept on going I remember that my

personal favorite that I translated

among all the Food Network channel

content was definitely chopped I loved

seeing the mystery items in the boxes

and I'm of course I'm also talking about

the Iron Chef those episodes and those

two shows were really fun to both watch

and chest ate into and after that I

remember I started another company

production company for which I

translated a whole bunch of undersea and

oceans and

seasoned like aquatic documentaries for

and I also translated a few episodes of

a cartoon that was made out of Legos I

don't actually remember the name after

that I started to put subtitles which is

sparring is the term used for us taking

the script the translated scripts and

formatting them into subtitles I made a

few movies a few movie subtitles for a

TV channel again that I don't actually

know off because I I mean you don't

actually care that much about the

channel that you work for because it's a

job in the end you just look at it as an

income source and after a few minutes

after that I had the best opportunity in

this five year profession that I had

which was working for a production

company that was working for Netflix

Turkey the Netflix had just came in to

Turkey and of course they had great

content they paid us more and they were

much more loose on the deadlines of our

work so it was an amazing experience I

started with a Korean drama like teen

drama series I translated a couple

independent looking things and then I

started translating a few episodes of

Gossip Girl

a few more than a few it's like maybe 10

or 15 episodes of Teen Wolf I translated

a few episodes of the yu-gi-oh zexal and

I translated a few episodes of RuPaul's

Drag Race which I didn't know about

before and it was really fun to work on

it and it was all in all a great

experience but the problem with that is

after some time the production company

that I personally worked for was not

able to get as many

Netflix projects as they used to in the

beginning so because as Netflix turkey

Netflix divided these distributed these

education projects in between a few

production companies and didn't hand it

out

all to one production company in

particular if you didn't have a

connection in the other companies that

were getting these works for Netflix you

wouldn't be able to find these

opportunities again and you would have

to be waiting for a long time before

another project comes in and you start

to work again at the very last point of

me translating dubbing scripts and

subtitles I had the opportunity of

translating a few projects for BBC

Turkey too and that was also really

satisfying and fulfilling knowing that I

work on projects for BBC Turkey was

really cool and hip for me and that was

the end because I was just about to

start my master's degree in Istanbul

University and I didn't want to both

juggle between the project translation

projects and my master's classes the

biggest problem with this type of job is

as it's totally freelance you don't get

to be seen as someone that works in a

corporate environment your experience

doesn't amount to anything when you

apply to full-time and full-time jobs

that take place in corporate

environments and that is really

demotivating I had a few job interviews

and so many of the people in these

interviews said that if I got the job

that they were interviewing me for it

that would be my first official job

because those five years didn't mean

anything for them because it wasn't in a

proper work and business environment it

was all from home and also they don't

sure you you don't have any insurance

you can it doesn't have it doesn't

amount to anything regarding your

retirement plan so five years down the

drain and then also the biggest problem

with that was I just couldn't make my

own schedule and it adhere to it at the

first four years deadlines were so

strict I had so many problems with

sleeping I would sometimes I I guess I

pulled an all-nighter for like five or

six days in my whole life and just one

or two of them were related with exams

and studying in the last night and so I

started working for Netflix the pay was

really low as well it was like a piece

of work that took at least four hours of

my time would come up to like 10 or $15

when exchanged in the rate that was

really low cuz it's not like your

machine that can do these things all day

I had a few of my friends start and try

this and all of them quit because it

isn't a type of job that everyone can

pull off it is very stressful and very

low pay for very much work and so yeah

and one of the most demotivating things

was I later learned how much the

production company is made off of my

work it was like if they paid me $10 for

a piece of work they actually gained $70

and 10 was given to me to the person

that did all the work and was stressed

was put under stress was they would even

call me in the morning like a few times

if I was late on a deadline for a couple

hours maybe and it it was really hard in

that sense

it never felt like my work and did it

was like I was working 24/7 every time

someone asked to hang out I said I have

work to do every time a family gathering

was taking place most of the times I

couldn't attend because it was like it

had sensitive timing and deadlines and I

didn't want to put these production

companies in any problem so it was

really hard actually the greatest thing

is this is the type of job for those who

want to work from home especially with

the time that we are now I recently

learned that Netflix actually offers you

a test for you to take online to see if

you can score high for them to call you

and they provide you the opportunity to

maybe be able to join them in the

language that you know to translate

projects for them the weird thing is

although I did this job for a very long

time I took the test directly from

Netflix is a hermits

website I scored like 84 out of 100 and

they said that 84 isn't the minimum

point to take when it comes to turkish

translations so i see that there is a

crazy high competition and even then

you're not guaranteed to take work take

work from Netflix but it at least

provides you to have the slightest

chance to and that is very exciting

actually working for districts directly

will also be great in the sense that

they will pay you a great amount of

money because it's nice voice in the end

and they will directly work with you

rather than making someone give you the

job and them taking a huge cut from the

work that you did for them so if you can

I would definitely recommend

taking the test for Netflix's subtitle

translation work and I will definitely

link it down below in the description

bar for you to see and if you ever if

you're actually watching this video and

you're actually working directly with

Netflix I would love to read your

comments down below because that would

be very insightful I have no one doing

that that's it for me

as I said the reason that I personally

don't go on with this rule anymore is

the inconsistent pay and the

inconsistent opportunity of getting

projects from the companies and the fact

that I cannot put my life on a proper

schedule when I have this job so I

finished that story of my life thank you

so much for watching I really hope it

was insightful and if you have any

questions definitely comment down below

I would love to get back to you and

don't forget to Like share and subscribe

cuz we'll be making other contents here

that will hopefully be insightful or at

least entertaining for you and thank you

so much again take care bye why was I so

hippy happy girly mushy in this video I

I don't understand it but and sorry I

checked a couple times like this because

I have a mirror behind the camera and I

see if it is recording or not it stops

like an idiot in every 10 minutes and it

cuts me off and I don't know where I

last stopped so I am stopping now

[Music]

and change Oh Anna I won't change bye

mommy

hey my stuff tomorrow but I'm on my way

tonight well that's real only together

oops didn't see you there