Best method to translate subtitle
Thread poster: prox2me
prox2me
prox2me
Canada
May 15, 2016

I have an English show and I wanted to know what would be the best method to subtitle and whether method 1 is adequate?

1. Use the provided English subtitles and then do a translation into Dutch or Turkish with the timed subtitles?
2. Listen to the show and write Dutch or Turkish in a document and then use a subtitling software to time the subtitles?

I understand that the first method will finish the show faster as the subtitles are already timed so no need to tim
... See more
I have an English show and I wanted to know what would be the best method to subtitle and whether method 1 is adequate?

1. Use the provided English subtitles and then do a translation into Dutch or Turkish with the timed subtitles?
2. Listen to the show and write Dutch or Turkish in a document and then use a subtitling software to time the subtitles?

I understand that the first method will finish the show faster as the subtitles are already timed so no need to time or create the individual subtitles. However, is it possible to get accurate subtitles? Since you only have that many characters within that subtitle to write an effective translation.

​Which method is preferred by translators? Would method 1. provide adequate results?
Collapse


 
Max Deryagin
Max Deryagin  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 07:19
Member (2013)
English to Russian
- May 15, 2016

prox2me wrote:

I have an English show



Do you want to translate the show or to have it translated?

[Edited at 2016-05-15 17:00 GMT]


 
prox2me
prox2me
Canada
TOPIC STARTER
translate May 15, 2016

Max Deryagin wrote:
Do you want to translate the show or to have it translated?

[Edited at 2016-05-15 17:00 GMT]


I want to get it translated. However, I can transcribe and time the show myself. And I want to lower the workload and cost as a result for the translator. So, I was wondering whether it would be suitable to do the English subtitles myself and then get those translated. This way the translator only need to translate the subtitles, and no timings or SRT creation is needed to be done by the translator.


 
Max Deryagin
Max Deryagin  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 07:19
Member (2013)
English to Russian
- May 16, 2016

prox2me wrote:

Max Deryagin wrote:
Do you want to translate the show or to have it translated?

[Edited at 2016-05-15 17:00 GMT]


I want to get it translated. However, I can transcribe and time the show myself. And I want to lower the workload and cost as a result for the translator. So, I was wondering whether it would be suitable to do the English subtitles myself and then get those translated. This way the translator only need to translate the subtitles, and no timings or SRT creation is needed to be done by the translator.


Subtitle segmentation and subtitle condensation are language-specific, so if you create a subtitle template for your translators, they'll need to re-segment your subs. So, if you want good results, you can go with creating an English subtitle file for them (which, of course, is the cheaper option), but make sure they know the ropes in subtitling.


 
jbjb
jbjb  Identity Verified
Estonia
Local time: 04:19
Estonian to English
+ ...
pro May 16, 2016

If you use professional subtitle translators, it doesn't matter much. They can do their own timecoding or modify the provided English subtitles as needed. There will be very little difference in price.

Making your own English subtitles would make sense when you translate into several languages.
Also when you intend to use just translators who have little experience with subtitling or who dont have their own subtitling sofware.

In any case you need a lot of free ti
... See more
If you use professional subtitle translators, it doesn't matter much. They can do their own timecoding or modify the provided English subtitles as needed. There will be very little difference in price.

Making your own English subtitles would make sense when you translate into several languages.
Also when you intend to use just translators who have little experience with subtitling or who dont have their own subtitling sofware.

In any case you need a lot of free time to create the English subtitles. Financially it would not make sense to create your own English file, as the price difference for translation+timecoding and just translation is not that big. For 2 languages it also might not make financial sense but it you have at least 3 languages to translate into, then creating the English template would be a good idea.

In any case you need to have a very clear idea about subtitle templates, timings, reading speed and other factors. If it's the first time you intend to do this, you can calculate at least 10 times the length of the original material and the result would probably be amateurish.
Collapse


 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Best method to translate subtitle







Trados Business Manager Lite
Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio

Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.

More info »
TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »