he purpose of this paper is to analyze the relational dynamics and the organizational practices of one of the most important Italian Fansubbing Communities: ItalianSubsAddicted. The research adopts a Case Study Methodology based on a Mixed Method approach, that is combining qualitative and quantitative techniques in data collection and analysis. Specifically, analysis was conducted through content analysis of official documents about the Community, in-depth interviews to 15 Community members, netnography for the analysis of the Community forum. Despite its voluntary and non-profit nature, the Community relies on a well-defined organization chart, where each individual is allocated with specific tasks, roles and responsibilities. This structure is effective for the Community and it is also supported by a strict initial selection and specific assessments regulating the transition from one level to another in the hierarchy. However, the binding force of the Community is the passion. In fact, data analysis puts in evidence the centrality of passion: the members of the Community, named fansubbers, work very hard and they are sustained by their great passions towards TV-Series, films, and media products in general. They love so much media products that they want all the other people to be allowed to know and enjoy them in the best possible way. In fact, one of the most important fansubbers’goal is to preserve the media product in its original form, avoiding the cross-cultural contamination biases which often occur with the official dubbing. Furthermore, fansubbers like the idea of being part of a “real” virtual Community, i.e. a group which interacts also outside the cyber space as well. Fansubbing is not only a social activity: it develops an in-depth knowledge of foreign language and culture (mainly, the Anglo Saxon one), and it favors the development of interpersonal skills, like collaborative problem solving and conflict management skills. In conclusion, Fansubbing could be considered one of the best example of collective intelligence in practice, but also an effective field of professionalization and skills acquisition; in fact, data results show also that Fansubbing make the Community members to be more competitive on the labor market

1. COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE IN ACTION
A CASE STUDY OF AN ITALIAN
FANSUBBING COMMUNITY
Università degli Studi di Salerno, Salerno, Italy
Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Sociali e della Comunicazione
Felice Addeo
Assistant Professor - Researcher
Università degli Studi di Salerno, Salerno, Italy,
faddeo@unisa.it
Maria Esposito
PhD Student
Università degli Studi di Salerno, Salerno, Italy,
maria.esposito86@gmail.com

2. INTRODUCTION
 According to the Convergence Culture paradigm (Jenkins, 2006),
nowadays participatory cultures are spreading. They are voluntary and
temporary forms of aggregation, based on knowledge exchange and
collaborative problem solving between people.
 They are the result of the dynamics of collective intelligence:
a shared intelligence that arises from the cooperation between
many people (Levy, 1996)
 Contemporary Television Series are prime example of participatory and
collective dynamics, as they are a type of audiovisual product which tries
to establish a direct and strict connection between the product and its
audience (Innocenti, Maestri, 2010).

3. INTRODUCTION
 In the American television, especially from Nineties, a lot of TV-series
became real objects of worship for fans: for this reason, in Media
Studies they are referred as cult-series (Hills, 2002).
 Cult series encourage the foundation of fan Communities, whose
members, like textual performers (Lancaster, 2001), are engaged in
producing media materials connected to the source text.
 A paradigmatic example of this engagement is represented by
Fansubbing, the practice of translating and subtitling foreign media
products - mostly television series - performed by fans.

4. FANSUBBING
 In many European Countries the diffusion of Fansubbing led to the
development of online Communities, specialized in translating and
subtitling American Television Series.
 Fansubbers’ work is directed to all people who want to enjoy the
product in its original language: the goal of this practice, in fact, is to
avoid the cross cultural contaminations and the adaption choices
which often occur with the official dubbing.
 Thanks to fansubbers’ effort, the series in their original version
become available to everybody, also to people who do not understand
(or have many difficulties) with the source language.

5. METHODOLOGY
 The purpose of the research is to analyze the relational dynamics
and the organizational practices of the Italian Fansubbing
Communities.
 The research adopts a Case Study Methodology, which is an ideal
approach when a holistic analysis is required (Feagin, Orum,
Sjoberg, 1991).
 Our methodology relied on a Mixed Method approach, that is
combining qualitative and quantitative techniques in data collection
and analysis.

6. RESEARCH DESIGN
Purpose of the research Analyze the relational dynamics and
the organizational practices of the
Italian Fansubbing Communities.
Approach Explorative Case Study
Case ItalianSubsAddicted
(Itasa)
Data collection and analysis
techniques
 Analysis of official documents
produced by Community;
 Press review of articles and videos
about the Community;
 Netnography for the analysis of the
Community forum;
 In-depth interviews to 15 Itasa
members
Sampling Snowball sampling

7. Fansubbing
The Community
Internal
Organization
Creative processes
The Fansubbers
Motivations Professionalization
We used a concept map to identify the main research dimensions:
RESEARCH DESIGN

8. THE COMMUNITY
Itasa is the most important Italian Community
From 140 users in 2005 to more than 300.000 users today
Itasa mission is to produce accurate subtitles, as much as
close to the original version, avoiding the adaptation choices
which often occur with the official dubbing
Over the time, Itasa improved the quality of its production
The Community has achieved awareness among official
media, establishing partnerships with many broadcasting
channels

9. ORGANIZATION CHART
Admin
Senior
Publisher
Translator
User
Translator
on probation
Revisor on
probation
 Itasa is based on a well-defined
organization chart, where each individual
is allocated with specific tasks, roles,
responsibilities
 There is recruiting process for new
subbers: a person who wants to become
a translator has to pass a linguistic skills
test, aimed at evaluating both Italian and
English
 All the progressions are based on a
merit system, rewarding the translation
quality and the regular contribution to
the Community activities (cf. Barra,
Guarnaccia, 2008)
 Another important Itasa key success is
the strong Community identity, based on
a deep-seated sense of belonging and on
the practice of value sharing

10. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
FansubRevisor
Translator
Translator
Translator
Translator
Resyncher Imagineer
Blogger Moderator
 The high quality of translations is
guaranteed by the development of
a creation process where every
subtitle, before being published, is
rigorously checked (cf. Barra and
Guarnaccia, 2008)
 Subtitles production is based on
a complex human resources
management process: each Revisor
organizes a team, selecting its
members
 Each team has the responsibility
to translate and subtitle a TV-
series for an entire season. The
Revisor’ s role is fundamental: he
corrects, manages, organizes and
uniforms his team work
 Itasa has developed many
activities alongside the translation
process, considering specific tasks
for the website design and the
multichannel communications
management
“Revisors can be Publishers or Senior. A Revisor
translates, organizes his team work, verifies the final
product and uploads the subtitles on the website.”
(Piwie1, Publisher).
[

11. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
 Collaborative problem solving
permeates the entire creative
process: even if each subber has
a specific part of episode to
translate, every problem,
hesitation, difficulty during the
translation process is discussed
with other members and all the
subbers cooperate to find shared
solutions
 Collaborative problem solving
is supported by the Community
structure itself: Itasa is
organized so that the
communication flows follow, with
the same fluency and speed,
both horizontal and vertical
directions
Solution
Senior
Translator
Translator
Publisher
“A Translator is never alone. There is always someone he
can count on. Collaborative problem solving permeates
the Community organization. A Translator can share his
doubts with other translators o with the Revisors. If a
subber has some problems during the translation, there is
always someone ready to help him” (Potomac, Publisher)

12. Passion
Improving English
Being appreciated
by other
Being part of a
group
“If you like a series, you could spend hours on end, even just
talking with people who share the same passion. You never get
tired of it. Comedies, for example, are full of references to
books, movies or other series. I would be ready to spend a lot
of time to read up about them” (Arissia, ex Translator)
“Itasa experience has been very useful for my work…but also
for my life. It is like, you know, going in Erasmus. You learn the
language, but you also become an expert of the country
culture” (Arissia, ex Translator, now Imagineer)
MOTIVATIONS
“Why do I translate? Because I enjoy myself with other
members, but also because I get a great satisfaction,
especially when the series is very famous. Receiving
compliments, obtaining other people thankfulness…it is great”
(Uffanna, Translator)
“Well…Itasa is not just a Community… it is much more… some
of us are friends in the real life, we often go out together, we
keep in touch. Moreover, we all meet during the Community
meeting. There is a friendly atmosphere that transcends the
tv- series. Itasa is a real surprise for me” (Kaoss, Publisher)

13. SKILLS
Linguistic skills
Technical skills
Interpersonal
skills
“I attend an international doctorate where it is necessary to speak
English. Itasa experience has revolutionized my language knowledge [..]
I learn spoken English, the common language, English I use every day
for my work “ (Uffanna, Translator)
“The pictures I make for the Community have to be high quality. For this
reason, during the years, I have learnt to use Photoshop and others
graphics programs very well. I’ve done my best [..] I’ve done everything
as ‘autodidact’, observing other expert people and trying to figure out all
their secrets” (BabyJenks, Imagineer and Moderator)
“Our activities are a paradigmatic example of collaborative problem
solving: when one of us has doubts, problems, he can ask the
community for help. Everyone expresses an opinion and the initial idea
is gradually smooth and refined. The inside jokes are a good example of
thinking out of the box [..] To be a Revisor, it is indispensable to have
charisma. You have to manage a team, you must have organization and
coordination abilities. When I started being a subber, I didn’t have any
job experience. Thanks to Itasa, I have understood what ‘taking on
your own responsibilities’ really means“ (Potomac, Publisher)

14. CONCLUSIONS
 Despite the voluntary nature of this phenomenon, Fansubbing can be
considered an effective field of professionalization, that gives to people the
possibility of experimenting business organizational forms and acquiring
specific skills
 Adding the Community experience to the curriculum vitae favorably impresses
human resource managers: working for the Community without financial
rewards is interpreted as synonymous of determination, motivation and civic
engagement.
 Fansubbing gives to people, totally different for personal and social features,
the possibility to interact, share opinions and confront each other. Passion for
TV-series works as trait d’union which overcomes every geographic, social and
cultural barrier.
“There are no differences between North and South. You can live this type of
experience wherever you are. There aren’t barriers or discriminations. You get in
touch with a totally different reality. Every day you meet a lot of people,
completely different from you. Some of us are students, doctors, lawyers, or
teachers: we live different lives and we can have different opinions...but when we
interact, we respect each other, we try to understand others point of view.
Fansubbing make you richer, make you grown up” (Arissia, Imagineer)