TV Shows: what have you watched this summer?
TV Shows: what have you watched this summer?
In summer, we love to bask in front of our favorite TV shows. With a resounding success, this audiovisual format responds to large audiences and themes. Thanks to streaming platforms, we are more likely to watch TV Shows, especially with subtitles. With two main reasons: to follow the plot when one is hearing-impaired, to hear the voice of our favorite actor and to learn a new language while watching a show. Thus, the subtitle is of a great importance in the consumer experience. VOST vs VF, we unveil the secrets of this summer TV Shows before going back to work or school!
The TV Shows: a whole story
For starters, it is worth noting that today TV channels and video platforms around the world have adopted the « TV shows”. This unique format is indeed very popular, and can be used infinitely declining to infinity. These are audiovisual works that take place in several parts, called episodes. The link between the episodes can be chronological, or simply related to the characters and theme of the TV shows. In France, TV shows are usually broadcast on television in the evening. With the advent of online platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, the relationship to TV shows has increased. Because we can watch from now on as much as we want and at any time of the day as well on our television, our computer, our tablet or even on our smartphone … In fact, television shows, broadcast initially by hundreds of channels around the world have fascinated viewers over several generations – as with Zorro, Dallas, Mac Gyver – and have popularized this format, now so common. Indeed, the TV shows is a category particularly adapted to television and which retains the public. A TV show includes a rhythm of diffusion (daily, weekly …) which keeps the spectator in suspense and incites him to continue to watch the TV shows.
The TV Shows: an international success
In addition, the TV shows has this strength that it responds to different kind of genres: comedy, drama, police, judicial, medical, political, action, adventure, fantasy and science fiction, historical. Which means that there is something for everyone. From the simple screen of the show at the beginning, the format of tv shows has quickly freed itself with DVDs and platforms for streaming and online videos. In 2019, Netflix exceeded 5 million subscribers in France. Moreover, according to comarketing-news.fr, in 2018, « 92% of French people say they watch tv shows, the most regularly on television channels (67%). However, platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, CanalPlay or the replay sites of TV channels are particularly popular with people under 35 years – 64% say they regularly use this medium against 37% on average and 21% for 50 years and more « . These data highlight the evolution of uses and consumption around TV shows.
The TV Shows: a large panel subtitled
From now on, the way we consume and watch TV shows has changed a lot. Indeed, today with the major technology of incrustation, new audiences are attracted by TV shows that generally include subtitles more easily. In fact, many shows are now in English, we import a lot, including American Tv shows. A well translated text is a source of education in a foreign language. Hence the importance of good subtitling. Thus in France one can choose to watch in VO subtitled or VOSTFR. In VOSTFR, the TV show will be in original version with subtitles in French. This is opposed to the term VOST which means that the subtitling is done in the original language. And in VF, it’s the audio that is directly translated. Which involves both technical and linguistic issues for your summer and favorite TV shows! According to a recent study by AlloCiné, a dozen shows caught the attention of experts and the public in the summer of 2019: Orange is the new Black, The Handmaid’s Tale, Euphoria, Family Business, Pose, Little Big Lies, Succession , The Boys, The Rookie, Tthe Casa del Papel … but there are so many others today!
We also played the game, to see which TV shows (s) had (s) coast at Authôt and here is our top 5:
1. Game of Thrones
2. Stranger Things
3. The Handmaid’s Tale
4. Black Mirror
5. Casa del Papel
TV shows: the challenge of subtitle quality
Finally, the quality of subtitles is at the heart of the challenges of the platforms for fans of TV shows. Indeed, while some will look in VOST, other VOSTFR … a large majority will enjoy the action and dialogues. However, translations and dubbing are not always perfect. With its rates pulled down, Netflix is particularly in the sights of professionals in translation. Which ruins the TV shows that are available. In addition, it should be indicated that American teens, even those who are not hard of hearing, are increasingly watching their TV shows in closed captioning. Almost constantly managing several tasks at the same time, young people have understood that thanks to subtitles, they can, with a simple glance, catch up. This is much more convenient than having to pause and go back! Subtitles improve their concentration.
Authôt takes into account these issues, needs and specificities related to TV shows and subtitling in general. We manually work each subtitle in order to calibrate it correctly to the video and deliver it in the format of your choice: .srt, vtt or .ass. In case it may be interesting to customize the video with a particular formatting subtitles, our expertise in inlay is all indicated. Fonts, colors, sizes … every detail has its importance to stand out an audiovisual work without it spoiling the quality of the original video! Which is much more complex than it seems.
Finally, by combining our technical know-how with our translation team, your audiovisual productions will benefit from a professional quality. We hope that this article will have enlightened you on the possibilities of subtitling today, its close link with the many TV shows you watched during the summer and that you will continue to eagerly follow in September! At Authôt, we are delighted to insert our services into current and popular themes.
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