TRANSCRIPTION - SUBTITLING - AUTHORING

World Voice Center can add subtitles or closed captioning text to any video

TRANSCRIPTION:

Transcription is listening to an audio or video file and writing down what is being spoken and written on the screen. If requested, time codes can be added to each paragraph. Different speakers or certain subjects can be identified in the transcribed files.

TRANSLATION FROM AUDIO:

Any audio or video file can be translated directly into any language without transcribing the original content first.

TRANSLATION OF SUBTITLES:

In order to be able to read a subtitle during the time it can be seen on the video, the spoken text may have to be shortened significantly. This will ensure that the video can be watched and the text read at the same time. Experienced subtitling professionals are available to translate your video.

SCREEN TEXT:

The screen text or graphics on your video will be identified as such when transcribing or subtitling the video. The subtitle of the screen text might be identified in a different color and, if not enough room on the bottom of the screen, might be placed on the upper part of the video. Great care is being taken not to cover up faces or other important information.

CLOSED CAPTIONING VERSUS SUBTITLING:

Closed Captioning files are always written in capital letters and include all sounds, e.g. [phone rings], [dog barks], [car starts], whereas subtitle files appear in mixed case and contain only the spoken content. Videos with subtitle files can be viewed on any DVD player or computer, videos with Closed Captioning files, however, can very often only be viewed on television sets.

BURNED IN CAPTIONS/SUBTITLES:

A video master (Beta, digital Beta, DVCam, mini DV) can be used to create subtitles. Once a master has been received, the subtitles will be created and encoded to a video master. The subtitled video will then be encoded as mp4. One separate file needs to be created for each language. Time codes can be generated by World Voice Center.

VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS FOR SUBTITLING:

1/2", 3/4" NTSC & PAL Tapes

• Visible time code window (VITC burn in)
• Audio: Mixed on channel 1 (mixed on 1 and 2 ok)

DVD

• Visible time code window (VITC burn in)
• Audio: standard Red Book specs
• Accurate running time must be listed on tape or disc

E-Files:

MPEG-1

• Visible time code window (VITC burn in)
• Audio: Mixed on channel 1 (mixed on 1 and 2 ok)

Quick Time

WMV
Subtitle files can be delivered for Sonic, Sonic Scenarist, stl formats, Adobe, etc, always together with the edit list. Example extensions of edit files: .son, .sst, .stl, stj, .uyc, .scc etc.

World Voice Center will work with you to determine the best format.

Example of subtitle files

EXAMPLE: SONIC FILE FORMAT EDIT LIST, extension: .sst

st_format 2
TV_Type NTSC
Tape_Type NON_DROP
################################################# Index    RGB
# 1    (0 0 0)    Black
# 2    (255 0 0)    Red
# 3    (0 255 0)    Green
# 4    (255 255 0)    Yellow
# 5    (0 0 255)    Blue
# 6    (255 0 255)    Pink
# 7    (0 255 255)    Cyan
# 8    (255 255 255)    White
# 9    Unused
# 10   Unused
# 11   Unused
################################################
Display_Start    non_forced
Pixel_Area (2 479)
Display_Area (0 2 719 479)
Color (1 8 5 2)
Contrast (0 15 15 15)
E2    (255 0 0  = = = )
E1    (0 0 255  = = = )
PA    (255 255 255  = = = )
BG    (0 0 0  = = = )
Directory
################################################
SP_NUMBER      START                        END                        FILE_NAME
Color (1 8 5 2)
1                             00:00:00:24              00:00:04:17                sp10001.tif
2                             00:00:04:20              00:00:07:27                sp10002.tif

Examples of actual subtitles matching above .sst file would be named:
sp10001.tif
sp10002.tif
   

POSITIONING OF SUBTITLES:

Subtitles are placed on the bottom of the screen as seen above, normally only using two lines. If screen text already exists on the video where the subtitles would normally be placed, the subtitles are repositioned around the screen text to avoid covering faces or important parts of the video.  

AUTHORING VIDEO OR DVD:

DVD authoring is the process of taking the video files and organizing them together with menus, links and buttons to allow a user to interactively navigate to the desired portions of the DVD for viewing. Another part of authoring is the process of importing and organizing the different language audios and different language screen texts so an individual can watch any one particular track in any one language.  This requires a different button for every track, in every language and a method of returning to the selection menu if a selection mistake is made or a viewing has reached the end.

ENCODED VIDEO SAMPLES:

CONVERSION TO PAL:

Authored DVD Masters or Beta SP can be converted to PAL.