Time for a couple more frequently asked questions! Two that I get often are about scripts for the anime shows/films that I translate.

When you do an anime do they send you a script or do they send you the episode?

The short answer to this one is “yes.” Or rather, yes, the licensor sends the video (hopefully final!), and if it’s available, they will send the script. However, scripts are not always available, so I have certainly translated episodes without scripts before.

I have heard of script-only translations, but I’ve never been asked to do one and I don’t believe in them.

Do you translate from the script or from the video?

Best practice is to translate from the video, using the script for reference. Wondering why? If you’ve ever read a screenplay for your favorite movie, you may have noticed that it didn’t quite match the movie you saw. What the audience sees is the final movie, and your job is to convey the final movie to the audience, not to convey a script that may or may not match.

Hope that makes sense!