There’s no easier way to help viewers understand a video without sound than adding subtitles so they can catch the video’s main idea. There are several essential steps required to get the best results when localizing videos for other languages.
Here’s a quick look at some of these steps, from transcription to final review.
Transcribing
STT (speech-to-text) transcription takes information from audio to written format and matches the source file script.
First, we complete an automated transcription using our platform to get a first draft. Then this rough transcription is proofread by our linguists in the source language. Time codes are then inserted to align with the times when each subtitle will appear on-screen.
Creating subtitles in SRT or VTT format
The subtitling step also includes several phases. The script is saved in SRT or VTT format, which are the file types used to display text in a video.
We then do a complete review to check the number of characters per line to make sure they fit standards for comfortable reading (according to the CSA charter).
We adapt the font, size and color of the text to match the chosen standard or the company’s internal brand guidelines.
Finally, we check the position of the subtitles. In general, they are centered at the bottom of the screen, but they can be placed in different locations if they get in the way of the video.
For some alphabets, such as Japanese, characters are placed to be read vertically.
Choosing the subtitle display method
There are two options for displaying subtitles:
- Opening the file or SRT when the video starts. This is how it’s done with DVDs where the viewer can choose the language of the subtitles.
- Hardcoding subtitles into the video (also called “burning”) so that the video is focused on a single target language.
Delivering a ready-to-use video file
A final review step is essential to make sure that every step described above has been correctly rendered in the final localized, subtitled video. GusTAV and our team take special care to give you impeccable, ready-to-use videos.
