Floating texts and accessible captions: The creative turn in audiovisual genres

Abstract

In accordance with Jakobson’s tripartite classification of translation as “rewording”, “translation proper” and “transmutation”, audiovisual (translation) practices can be understood as sites of creativity that, by virtue of the complementarity of the multiple oral and visual layers, contribute to strengthening the social and cultural dimensions of marked artifacts. In line with this belief, this study investigates the shape and role of (sub)titles (i.e., integrated titles, pop-ups, captions, and subtitles) within the same language and when translating across languages. To this end, a selected heterogeneous corpus of text bites encapsulated in small windows on screen within documentaries and accessible stage in English has been compiled. Different perspectives have been adopted in relation to the practice of creativity in translational and non-strictly translation settings (e.g., authorial contexts), where creativity has been considered to be a constitutional component and a vital resource for transcreation.The scrutiny of the various (sub)titling activities, as instantiated in the selected corpus, serves to interrogate the potential of audiovisual (translation) modes as harbingers of creativity, as well as to foreground the role of these innovative practices in the fostering of greater accessibility of audiovisual productions for different types of audience and for domesticating purposes. Final thoughts will aim to articulate the concept of creativity within translation and non-strictly translation frameworks (i.e., (sub)titling), highlighting its value as an aesthetic and artistic instrument that can reinforce and improve practices of localisation and accessibility. These practices will encourage forms of activism as participation and solidarity, as well as unconventional communicative ways of transferring content in the form of (sub)titles as integrated texts that offer novel aesthetic and narrative modes of interpretation.