I’m one of the surviving Korean-English translator for the W LIVE, and I just wanted to say thank you for your patience when you have to wait for translations. I started in 2018 when V LIVE was getting popular, and I wanted to give you some information about how we work, my thoughts on V LIVE and W LIVE, and maybe even answer questions if you have any. At V LIVE, we worked under a “Freelancer Contract,” and our shifts were 10–7, 1–10, and 3–12. Why? Our roles were to translate VODs and provide live translations. We worked five days a week and earned one vacation day each following month. (I wrote it but decided to delete this part before posting about the current W. Maybe I can be more honest here when I quit the job haha) I get to work at home, so that’s probably the best thing about this job! I’ve also been able to travel while working, as long as the internet connection was good. Singers still ask during “spot lives,” “Is this AI or is there a person translating it?” Scheduled, set-based content (like comeback LIVEs for HYBE-related and SM-related singers) is done by us. For example, we handled all the LIVE translations for BTS when members were discharged (this was possible because these were scheduled in advance). These days, some singers mention that they see subtitles during “spot lives"?? I think those are AI-generated. (V LIVE = we could monitor and watch the show while translating live / now = we only see the right screen with doing our live translations with transmission, so we can’t read comments or see viewer counts, etc.) At V LIVE, we had up to 10 translators at one point, and we covered many more groups and influencers than we do now. V LIVE also had “Fan Sub,” which allowed fans to translate their favorite groups’ videos. I sort of miss this content too, though it had many issues. Now, the substitute for fans is uploading it using YouTube videos. Why does it take so long to upload? They prioritize BTS videos first, then HYBE, then the rest. The Korean team has to separate the timebars and write the script of the video first. Unfortunately, this can take 2–3 weeks, and if there are higher-priority videos, the wait can be even longer. (I got frustrated when I saw LE SSERAFIM videos from May earlier this month 😅 I think we caught up a lot though!). [We currently translate VODs of &TEAM, BOYNEXTDOOR, ENHYPEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, LE SSERAFIM, YOASOBI, and Comeback LIVE shows by the company] Just for fun. Some of my current favorites to translate (and why): WONWOO and GAM3 BO1 – I love his shows; he’s such an easy person to translate. (And SAKURA started playing games too!) MINGYU – He’s just a likeable guy and really fun to translate. WOONHAK – I like his positivity, and he shows growth every single time. YUNJIN – Her shows can get philosophical, which is sometimes difficult, but she usually switches to English for that. I like listening to her stories and how she shares her thoughts (even about books). JAKE – His Aussie accent makes 영>한 tricky sometimes, but he clearly enjoys talking to fans. I also like his music collection. (There are definitely singers I’ve had a hard time translating 영>한, haha.) Things I miss or think about: I miss the LieV 눕방 concept. W LIVE doesn’t have concept-themed LIVEs. (The recent NCT WISH LIVE was funny but could’ve been better 😛.) I do wish we provide translations for more singers. I miss “having days off.” We “request” days off every month, but I often end up working anyway. There’s no set start or end time. Sometimes, out of nowhere, they’ll say “no work today.” This can last 1–2 weeks, especially at the end or beginning of the year due to award shows, hiatuses, etc. I “sometimes” miss reading fans’ comments while doing LIVE shows — it made me feel like part of the show. This is one of the reasons I feel that I felt more like an employee of "V" than now (we're totally just 100% freelancers) Yes, my job can get crazy repetitive, but I enjoy keeping up with K-POP. I’ve been a fan since 1994, so I know a wide range of K-POP history. Growing up in the States, I’m happy to think I’m part of the K-POP industry in this unique way. Fans, please ask more creative and new questions! I see so many TMI, do a baby butt bread pose, do you like A vs. B, pick 5 artists vs. a 5-year-old artist… LOL (just kidding—thank you for showing your 팬심 to your favorite singers💜). I tried to make this post entertaining. I'll do my best with translation. I hope that you continue showing support for K-POP!! Lemme know if you have questions too~ :) submitted by /u/nadanenglish [link] [comments]
