Subtitles are not just an auxiliary means for providing information but now one of the independent components of a program. As their uses and types are becoming diversified, they are currently being used in a variety of broadcast genres inclusively. In fact, these days, viewers regard subtitles as one of the visual components, not merely as a combination of letters. Along with this, alteration in broadcast environment and technological development have led to the mass-production of broadcast contents and change in recognition about the formats of broadcast program. Nowadays, broadcasting stations in different counties consider the importation of overseas program formats positively. China is one of the countries that are importing the formats of broadcast programs most aggressively. Presently, both the East and the West are active about importing popular programs. With the importation of overseas program formats, subtitles’ roles and areas are also becoming extended. Even if the same program format is used, how to use subtitles differs by the characteristics of a country. There, this study is going to compare the organization of subtitles used in Korea’s and China’s and analyze how approaches to the use of subtitles have been changed up to now. The results of this study can be summed up as follows. First, according to the results of examining and analyzing literatures on the types and functions of subtitles, this author has found that the numbers and frequencies of broadcast subtitles are higher in Korea than in China. This should be because China using Chinese characters has to give enough time for the viewers to read and interpret subtitles. Second, the types of subtitles are found to be similar in Korea and China in general. However, as they are entertainment programs, description on the personality of the cast or situations to give information for better understanding is found much in both countries. In more detailed numbers, however, China’s indicates higher numbers. About the detailed numbers of subtitles quoting what the cast says just as it is, more of those are used in Korea. This result implies that compared to Korea, China tends to use subtitles to explain the situations more faithfully than just to quote what the cast says plainly. This can be analyzed as a change attributed to the characteristics of the culture using the ideograms of Chinese characters. Third, the visual composition of subtitles differs very much between Korea and China. In Korea, the basic type, the text type, is found mostly. Meanwhile, in China, text and image-mixed subtitles are found mostly. This result implies that China is trying the use of images very positively to help the viewers to understand information found in entertainment programs insightfully. Fourth, about the movement of subtitles, compared to Korea, China is using moving subtitles more. This result implies that the liveliness and visual simulation of subtitles as a component on screen are higher in China. In Korea, in consideration of the direction or editing of the picture, the ratio of static subtitles is rather high, which leads to low liveliness whereas in acquiring information, less movement allows the viewers to read more subtitles. Therefore, this study is significant in that it has found even if entertainment program formats are the same, counties have to consider the culture, language style, and reception of information for the place where the broadcast is on and also change in recognition over that leads to a lot of difference in using subtitles. It is expected that this study will provide support and grounds profoundly for organizing more efficient and appropriate broadcast program subtitles corresponding to changes by time.
방송 프로그램에서 자막은 정보를 전달하는 중요한 구성요소이다. 초기 방송 프로그램에서 자막은 기본적인 출연자의 정보나 들리지 않는 소리를 보완하는 보조적인 측면에서 정보 전달의 역할을 하였다. 이후 방송 프로그램의 세분화에 따라 등장한 오락, 예능 프로그램의 등장은 자막의 새로운 가능성을 보여주었다. 이제 자막은 단순한 보조 정보 제공의 수단이 아니라 독자적인 프로그램 구성요소로 자리 잡았으며 그 쓰임새와 종류가 다양해져 여러 방송 장르에 포괄적으로 사용되고 있다. 이러한 자막의 변화는 시청자에게 단순히 문자라는 형태 이상의 시각적 구성 요소 중 하나로서 지칭되는 인식의 변화를 가져왔다. 이와 동시에 방송 환경의 변화와 기술 발전에 따른 다양한 방송 콘텐츠의 양산은 방송 프로그램 포맷 인식에 대한 변화를 초래했으며 이에 각 나라의 방송국은 이러한 해외 프로그램 포맷 수입을 긍정적으로 바라보고 있다. 중국은 이러한 방송 프로그램 포맷의 수입이 가장 활발하게 이루어지는 나라이며 현재 동서양을 막론하고 인기 있는 프로그램을 적극적으로 수입하고 있다. 이러한 해외 프로그램 포맷의 수입에 따라 자막의 역할과 영역 또한 확대되고 있으며, 이러한 변화는 같은 프로그램 포맷임에도 불구하고 국가별 특성에 따라 자막의 활용 양상이 달라졌다. 이에 본 연구는 한국과 중국의 예능 프로그램에서 사용되는 자막의 구성을 비교하여 그간 자막 활용에 대한 접근방법이 어떻게 변화했는지 분석해 보고자 하였다.