Subtitles can be added to any video and film. We handle each view/slide carefully to match the narration and the images. Our team of experienced subtitling specialists will work with you to supply this service. Contact subtitling service Edinburgh Scotland today.

When creating subtitles, we adapt your text so that key words display at the same time as the images. In some cases, the translation may be longer than the source text, so we may have to make further alterations in order to display the appropriate subtitle text.

The length of text is very important. This is because an adult eye can only read a maximum of one sentence at a time in this context. If there is too much text, the viewer may miss some of the content and find the whole video too rushed and difficult to watch.

We have many years’ experience in subtitling and are therefore well equipped to guide you throughout the process. You can speak to your dedicated account manager at any time if you have any queries or concerns.

Get in touch with us today to discuss your specific subtitling needs. We will be delighted to help you with your project.

Subtitling process

We use professional subtitling software in order to create quality, ready-to-use files. In addition, before performing the translation, we create a template which includes cueing/timing/spotting, if the video has been sent without a template.

Spotting

We compile a spotting list ready for subtitles by analysing each video. This includes an analysis of both the dialogue and the scenes and transcribing every line spoken by an actor, as well as its exact location in the video (accurate to the frame). This is recorded as “in” and “out” points.

Another important consideration is the duration of each subtitle, which we meter carefully. This is to ensure that it doesn’t appear on the screen too briefly (making it difficult for the viewers to read) but that the subtitle does not stay too long, as this can distract the audience.

The subtitle may need adjusting if a scene has been cut while the dialogue is still running. In this case, we might alter the in- and out-points slightly to improve the readability of the subtitle.

Points to consider

In addition, each spotting list needs to contain several important pieces of information in order to deliver quality subtitles and translation:

• Subtitle number. This allows easy cross-referencing.
• In-point. This is the first frame of the subtitle. For film, we express in-points in feet and frames; for video, we show in-times in hours, minutes and seconds, as well as frames.
• Out-point. The last frame of the subtitle.
• Duration. This is the total number of feet and frames (or seconds and frames, for video) for which the subtitle will remain on the screen.
• Who-to-who. The who-to-who is a notation of who is speaking and to whom. It is very important that our translators have this information in order to make sure they use the proper gender and respect the informality/formality of the dialogue.
• Subtitle text. This is the text of the subtitle. Very often, due to the fact that people can speak much faster than we can read, it is not possible for subtitles to be a verbatim transcription of the dialogue. Therefore, we may edit the subtitle text carefully to reduce the word count (called abridging or truncating), all the while keeping intact the original tone and meaning.
• Annotations and lab notes. Annotations are brief explanations of unusual terms and phrases (including colloquialisms and idioms) used by translators. Lab notes are comments addressed to our technician who handles the subtitling of your video.

These steps are very important as they guarantee that the embedded subtitles are correct, the timing is appropriate, the tone has been respected and the content and general sense of the original dialogue are consistent.

The spotting list and template are only sent for translation once we are satisfied with them.

Final steps

Once the translation is complete, our specialist subtitling technicians will embed the subtitles using Spot Software or Final Cut Pro X software. When this is complete, the video with subtitles is sent to one of the translators that performed either the translation or the proofreading in order to perform a final check and verify that the subtitles are correctly placed. If any changes are necessary (long subtitles, spelling, etc.) this will be sent back to the subtitling team and amended accordingly. The file is then sent back for final approval to the translator who requested the changes. Only when we are fully satisfied with the project and its quality will the video be sent to you as a .srt or .stl file.

A few details will need to be agreed prior to undertaking a subtitling project, such as the type face, especially for languages like Greek, etc. This will ensure that you receive a product fulfilling your expectations and ready for immediate use.

Contact subtitling service Edinburgh Scotland today to discuss your subtitling requirements and for a no-obligation quote.