Voices of the Bay: Ann Kathrin Weldy of Warren

From her RI base she translates for German film, literature, and advertising agencies

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This winter, if you happen to be glued to a German production with subtitles streaming on your television, there’s a good chance you’re reading the work of Ann Kathrin Weldy, a translator for German film, literature, and advertising agencies. Weldy spent the past two decades in Berlin and relocated to Warren in 2019 to be close to family in the East Bay. As a small child, she lived in Germany before her family moved to the US and South Africa. A graduate of Smith College with a degree in Political Science and German, Weldy returned to Germany to attend graduate school and received her Masters in Communications in Theatre, Film and Television studies from Freie Universität Berlin. The owner of a casting business, Weldy does a little bit of everything: directing, script continuity, creative producing, project managing, and editing. In addition to her translation work, she is available locally for creative content opportunities for websites, blogs, screenplays, and videos.

COMIC SANS:

I have always been interested in storytelling as a form of communication. I have a thing about words and I am attracted to topography. One of my first jobs was for a German publishing company which did comic books. I did comic lettering and translation. In traditional comics, everything you see in those blurbs
is handwritten.

G-RATED:

When I was a casting director I read scripts and started doing translation for different reasons. I worked on a Polaroid piece being shot around Berlin and had to follow the English speaking crew who wanted to make sure the graffiti on the buildings in the shots was not offensive.

DETAIL ORIENTED:

Before I begin an assignment, I supply a list of questions: Do they want American English or British English, why is it being translated, who is the target group, we agree on the deadline and a price. When I turn the project in, I include a detailed list of notes so the author will know why I made the changes, or I point out any inconsistencies. It can be pretty extensive. Lots of time I’m not just translating but also editing and doing script continuity. My favorite work is the creativity of a project when I know what they are trying to say and I have to convey it in
another language.

SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH:

I missed speaking English when I lived in Germany. I keep up with both languages; if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.

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