Are templates killing the subtitling principles? Subtitlers’ views on the impact of templates on the media localisation industry

The subtitling industry has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, driven by the upsurge in streaming content. To streamline the subtitling process, international streaming companies turned to using subtitling templates in their multilingual workflows. However, the introduction of templates has brought about a new set of challenges, affecting the skills required of subtitlers and the quality of the resulting translations. In this study, we use semi-structured interviews with professional subtitlers to gauge their perspective on working with contemporary template-based workflows and assess the impact of templates on the translation process and the quality of the final product. We were particularly interested in how templates influence translation, aligning with our central research question, whether templates kill fundamental subtitling principles. The findings reveal that subtitlers do not inherently oppose templates but emphasise the necessity for high-quality templates and annotations, especially for pivot workflows. Key concerns include issues with quality, tight deadlines, and inadequate compensation, along with the way in which template-based workflows are implemented. The study shows the importance of a collective commitment from all industry stakeholders to ensure high-quality outcomes and to position templates as valuable tools in the subtitling industry. The insights gained from the study are relevant to enhancing the visibility of subtitlers within the industry, as well as for evaluating the current state of the industry and establishing the foundation for identifying best practices.