What Is Fan Translation or Fanslation?

Fan Translation

Fan translation is a translation that is not officially recognised, but is used for the translating of both written and multimedia products. The translators are called fans and unlike certified translation services professionals, have not received any formal education in the art of translating. They often volunteer to translate such things as television series, movies and other audiovisual products.

Fansubbing is the name given to translating movie and TV subtitles. The most common fansubbing is turning English into other languages mostly for Hollywood movies, and US TV drama programmes. When it comes to using English in subtitles entertainment from East Asia is most commonly translated.

Fan translation for video games has risen recently, focusing mainly on the older versions of 1990s games. Scanlation is the translating of comics where the fans go about scanning the comics ad transforming them into images on their computers. They then translate the words placed on the pictures. These translations normally stay in electronic format and are distributed to viewers and buyers. Groups of fans also act as Fandubbers which is when movies, TV programs, and video games are dubbed. This is an area of translation that is unlikely to see the work of a NAATI-certified translator. Fan translation also takes place for the translating of written fiction, normally short stories.

The fan translation of audiovisual materials, such as anime, first started in the 1980s when fans were offering to provide better translations than ones that at the time were being used in their dubbed form on TV networks located outside Japan.

The earliest fandubbing and fansubbing attempts concerned the manipulating of VHS tapes which was often expensive and took up a lot of time. The first ever reported fansub was the film, Lupin III, that took place in the U.S. in the 1980s. This translation task needed one hundred hours of work just for a single episode!

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NAATI

NAATI certification is the official accreditation for translators in Australia, issued by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. It is required as most Australian government departments only accept translations completed by NAATI-certified professionals to ensure accuracy, authenticity, and compliance with official standards.

ATC

This certification confirms that our translation services have been independently audited and approved by the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) to meet the ISO 17100:2015 international quality standard. It guarantees that we work with qualified translators, follow strict quality assurance processes, and deliver accurate, reliable translations in line with globally recognised best practices.

MAV

The Municipal Association of Victoria’s Procurement program helps councils source trusted suppliers that meet high standards for quality, compliance, and value. As a certified supplier, we are approved to provide professional translation services to local governments across Victoria.