How expert language and technical skills brought Czech history to a Romanian audience
When a cultural partnership resulted in a powerful historical documentary, the next step was making it accessible across borders. To reach Romanian viewers, the client turned to Skrivanek for end-to-end localization of the video’s Czech subtitles — a task that required both linguistic precision and technical expertise.
Project Background: Bridging Cultures Through Archaeology and Language
The educational documentary explores an archaeological investigation into the possible final resting place of a prominent Czech ruler. Designed to appeal to both general audiences and academic circles, the film strikes a careful balance between accessible storytelling and historical accuracy.
Our mission: translate and deliver Romanian subtitles that preserve this balance — with full linguistic fidelity, technical accuracy, and cultural sensitivity. The final subtitles had to be delivered in SRT format, ready for immediate integration into the video without any post-processing.
Key Challenges
Although the video was relatively short, the assignment presented several complex challenges:
- Uncommon language pair: Czech to Romanian is not a frequently requested combination, making it essential to source a linguist with the right expertise.
- Specialized subject matter: The content included terminology from archaeology, medieval history, and documentary filmmaking — demanding careful stylistic and factual treatment.
- Technical constraints: The translation had to be completed directly within an SRT file, requiring precision in timing, line length, structure, and synchronization.
- Consistency in terminology and tone: The subtitles needed to maintain a uniform professional tone appropriate for both historical experts and the general public.
Our Solution: Coordinated Effort Across Languages and Technical Teams
We assembled a bilingual project team based in both the Czech Republic and Romania to ensure the highest level of quality in both translation and file preparation.
🔹 Linguistic Expertise: Subtitling with Cultural and Historical Accuracy
- Native Romanian linguists with AV localization experience
Our subtitlers were hand-picked for their expertise in both subtitling and historical content, ensuring natural language flow and terminological accuracy. - Specialization in academic and cultural content
Translators with backgrounds in history and cultural heritage were selected to preserve nuances, context, and tone. - TEP workflow (Translate–Edit–Proof)
We used a three-step process with dedicated professionals at each stage, ensuring linguistic consistency and quality control. - Cost-effective, quality-focused delivery
Our streamlined process allowed us to deliver a professional result at a highly competitive price.
🔹 Technical Precision: Subtitling in SRT Format
- Preparation of the source SRT for CAT tools
Our Czech team adjusted the subtitle file for compatibility with Trados, maintaining segment integrity and time codes. - Final technical review
After translation, the output was thoroughly reviewed to ensure correct timing, line breaks, formatting, and overall synchronization with the video.
The Result: Flawless SRT Subtitles, Ready for Broadcast
The result was a clean, fully localized SRT file — linguistically accurate, stylistically appropriate, and technically perfect.
Thanks to this professional localization, the documentary:
- Became accessible to Romanian-speaking audiences
- Maintained integrity for both academic and general viewers
- Can now be reused or expanded upon with translation memory compatibility
Beyond the immediate success of this project, the subtitles contributed to broader cultural exchange and international collaboration, enabling historians and archaeologists across Europe to engage with the content.
Why This Project Mattered
We take pride in projects that connect people across languages, disciplines, and cultures. This was more than a translation job — it was a contribution to historical education and cross-border dialogue.
The ability to deliver subtitles that meet high standards of linguistic, technical, and thematic quality is exactly why cultural institutions trust Skrivanek time and again.
Summary: When Experience Makes a Difference
This case study proves that even niche language pairs and technically complex audiovisual projects can be handled efficiently and to a high standard — when backed by deep know-how.
By combining subject-matter expertise, subtitle-specific workflows, and precise project coordination, we delivered a final product that was ready for publication and capable of engaging a new international audience.
Subtitling is not just about words — it’s about knowing the format, respecting the subject matter, and adapting to the needs of each unique project. And that’s where Skrivanek excels.
