Interview of the month – Alexandra Karanikolou

Interview of the month – Alexandra Karanikolou 

(Translator-visual media translator)

Y: Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you decide to take up subtitling and what do you do today?

Α.Κ.: I went into subtitling 20 years ago, as an amateur. I had never studied translation or subtitling. My degree was in Chemistry and I was teaching Chemistry classes at schools. However, I approached one of the biggest subtitling companies in Greece and they agreed to let me do a try out. I passed the test and started working. Within a few months I was among the company’s permanent freelance collaborators.

Y: What is the biggest challenge in subtitling (process, language, tools, etc)?

Α.Κ.: Subtitling involves a number of challenges, which may come as a surprise to those who consider it a very easy job that can be done by anyone who speaks languages to a satisfactory level. First of all, you must have excellent knowledge of both the foreign language and Greek. The pitiful or rather funny mistakes we often spot when reading subtitles are mainly due to the fact that clearly it is not so easy for anyone to understand what is being said and to translate it in a way that makes sense in Greek.

The second challenge is that of time; subtitling professionals rarely have many days to finish a subtitling job. But even if they had the time, the fees are so low that it doesn’t make sense for anyone to spend many days in subtitling a movie. As for the tools, the biggest foreign companies offer their own private software to their collaborators, so there is no problem there. However, if someone wants to buy their own subtitling software, usually the prices are extremely high.

Y: How would you describe the situation in the subtitling industry today?

Α.Κ.: The situation today is not very encouraging. In an effort to reduce their costs, subtitling companies have dropped their pay to very low levels. Some companies even closed down shortly after they opened and never paid their collaborators, because they figured they could take advantage of the very cheap (and in the end, unpaid) work of amateurs.

Y: What advice would you give to the young professionals in the industry?

Α.Κ.: I would advise them to be as well-prepared as possible before they decide to go into subtitling. It is not an easy job, nor a mere hobby. They should not underestimate themselves or their work by agreeing to humiliating fees. They should consult their more experienced colleagues in translator forums and ask for their help. And finally, a piece of advice that is useful to all translators: remember that nobody knows everything and that the Internet is our best friend.