TICOM 2006 PAVIA

1. TICOM 2006PAVIA A post-graduate film translation course Chris Taylor University of Trieste

2. Syllabus • What is a Multimodal Text? • Graphic Advertising • Television Advertising – the Multimodal Transcription • Television Advertising – Phasal Analysis • Phasal analysis – drinks ads, music video • The Language of Film • The Non-verbal Language of Film • Film Translation • Dubbing Strategies • Dubbing Strategies – case studies • Subtitling Strategies • Subtitling Strategies – case studies • Television – comedy, soap opera • Documentaries and voiceover • Latest research – and where do we go from here?

3. What is a multimodal text? • A text consisting of more than one semiotic modality • eg. Signs • Clothing • Housing • Natural Environment • Weather • Etc. • Example film FAR FROM HEAVEN

4. Graphic Advertising ‘a soundbite’ • A magazine ‘ad’ is a semiotic unit, structured, not linguistically, but by principles of visual composition... verbal text becomes just one of the elements integrated by the codes of information value, salience and framing... reading is not necessarily linear, wholly or in part, but may go from centre to margin, or in circular fashion, or vertically,... (p 185)

6. Graphic Advertising (downloadable material) • The grammar of visual design: • ·in this case the superimposed verbal text blends in with the background; • ·the four lines add to the sense of perspective, the punchline being foregrounded – semantic hierarchy; • ·the (interested) reader gets the impression of being in the vehicle; • ·the promise – “get away from it all” with the letters of ‘So here I am’ of an exaggerated size; • ·a semiotic construct - the background is surreal (and therefore tempting) while the product is real (and therefore attainable); • ·two unequal halves – the picture and product are salient; • sharp division of two parts of text – promise/information (two different kinds of meaning)

7. Television Advertising Citroen video Analysis through multimodal transcription

10. Phasal analysis • drinks ads • Bundaberg Beer - video • music video • Californication

11. Bundaberg phases Three macro phases: • Man walking though outback Music/no speaking • Action with bottle “You can’t walk away from the truth”. “Naturally brewed from our family ownedcompany” • Attention on product “True Brew Ginger Beer”

12. Bundaberg phases 2 Macrophase 1 (microphases) 1. man walking away through grass slow drawn out musical sound 2. side shot of legs (mountain behind) rhythmic music starts 3. passes tree under red sky 4. back view of man base notes 5. walking through stream 6. emerging from stream familiar music starts 7. walking through undergrowth 8. climbing rock face 9. reaches summit

14. Television advertising • Phasal Analysis • Volkswagen video • (student practice)

15. The Language of Film • A complex semiotic event (first of a list of explanations) In everyday conversation, much language use is in fact formulaic in nature, and much ordinary talk is humdrum and banal, whereas the time and space constraints of films, and the need to relate interesting, exciting or engaging stories, leads to an excess of highly pertinent, dramatic or intriguing exchanges.

16. Filmese • Compare the language of film with a spoken corpus of English. • Bank of English

17. Spoken language • Use of large number of prefabricated fillers, both interactive and planning • (eg. so, well) • BROWN & YULE • Immediacy of context… is reflected in a high number of discourse markers • (eg. well, right) • McCARTHY

18. Comparison films/corpus

19. The Non-verbal Language of Film • Taxi Driver • Chat-up scene conducted largely through gesture. • Students encouraged to get background information on films.

21. Film Translationmultimodal text > film text > translation Discourse Design Production Distribution Interpretation (Kress & van Leeuwen (2001)

22. Dubbing Strategies • AIDAC • Associazione Italiana di doppiaggio e adattamento cinetelevisivi. • TRANSLATOR • ADAPTER (dialoghista) • Dubbing director • Actor

23. Potential Problems • geographical place names • measurements • names of institutions • food and drink • games and entertainment • proverbial language • language varieties • plays on word • speech defects • substandard speech • overlapping speech

24. Speech defects • (A FISH CALLED WANDA) • Otto: You really like animals, don’t you Ken? What’s the attraction? • Ken: (stuttering) Because you can t-t- t-trust them. And they don’t sh- sh-sh- • Otto: …shit on you? • Ken: …show off all the time.

25. Speech defects (cont) • (A FISH CALLED WANDA) • Otto: A te piacciono molto gli animali vero Ken? Cosa ci trovi? • Ken: (balbettando) Puoi fidarti di loro e poi ti ca-ca-ca- • Otto: …cagano adosso? • Ken: …calmano in nervi.

26. Dubbing Strategies – case studies • Eg. Notting Hill video

30. Subtitling Strategies • Subtitles/spontaneous conversation • Prepared not prepared • Written spoken • Additive original • Synchronous extempore • Transient ongoing • Polysemiotic multimodal

32. Technical aspects 3 SPOTTING – where to insert the subtitles. in cue out cue spotting list.

33. Gottlieb on Subtitling Written Additive Immediate Synchronous Polymedial TRANSFER EXPANSION CONDENSATION DECIMATION DELETION PARAPHRASE IMITATION TRANSCRIPTION DISLOCATION RESIGNATION

34. Decimation ‘Caro Diario’ Agenti di borsa, deputati, assessori, giormalisti,… Brokers, congressmen, journalists,…

36. Television – soap opera • Un posto al sole - video

37. Voiceover • Voice-over narration • “oral statements spoken by an unseen speaker situated in space and time other than that simultaneously being presented on the screen”.

38. Voice-over for documentaries • Difficulties • inadequate information provided; • length of text; • orality (foreign speakers); • culture-bound terms; • plays on words; • commissioner’s intervention eg. political, business.

39. Level of constraint

40. Level of constraint for voice-over