Subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH) is a tool of digital accessibility. SDH subtitles allows viewers with hearing loss enjoy watching films in the fullest way possible: subtitles identify a speaker and describe sound effects in the film. Over the past six months, our Subtitling dep. has prepared SDH for 15 TV series and 30 films.
Sound effects play a crucial role in films and enhance the viewer experience. For example, music provides emotionality of scenes. It shows a mental state of a character or prepares a viewer to upcoming events. In scenes without dialogue, background sounds are more important: they create a necessary atmosphere.
There are many sounds in films: from household appliance noises to specially created effects. However, subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing should transmit only those that develop the plot. For this, the subtitles’ translator should provide only essential information and not overload viewers with unnecessary details.