Advice for working with someone who is doing subtitles for me? at DVinfo.net

Noam Osband · October 23rd, 2011, 02:26 PM

So, I'm working on a project on FCP 7 with a lot of subtitles. I have someone who is willing to help me put subtitles in. This person, however, has absolutely no FCP experience.

What is the best way to utilize them?

I dont know of any other way to do this than opening up the project in FCP and teaching them how to insert text into tracks, having them do that, and then opeining their projects on the same computer at the same time that my project file is open and cutting/pasting their text insert.

Any other ideas? I dont know if subtitles can or should be done with another program or if there is an easier way to work with a newbie.

Battle Vaughan · October 24th, 2011, 07:58 PM

At the newspaper website I retired from, we had both and English edition and a Spanish one. So many of our videos had to have subtitles. This is a tricky business, as the translator has to accurately paraphrase the translations at the pace of the video --- and a lot of times, there are more words than a viewer can read at that pace. Takes a lot of doing. So we worked with reporters who had no video experience. All we could do is sit with them, and do multiple attempts until we got (1) an accurate sense of what was being said in (2) the time the clip was on the screen. Takes a lot of patience, but it works best when a video editor works with the translation talent....you know what you need as far as timing and presentation, and he/she knows how to say it. Needless to mention, there was a lot of second-guessing by other reporters and the process was not a fast one. Lots of luck!

Jon Braeley · October 24th, 2011, 09:03 PM

Use Subit - its free and easy to use and saves a lot of time.

Enter the subtitles in its own program while you look at a low-res of your original footage - Subit generates an xml file, which you then import into FCP and drop on to the timeline that has your interviews - the subtitles will appear properly formatted in the font, color, size etc.

SubIt at Adam Teale: News From Above

October 23rd, 2011, 02:26 PM	#1
Noam Osband Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Philadelphia, United States Posts: 163	Advice for working with someone who is doing subtitles for me? So, I'm working on a project on FCP 7 with a lot of subtitles. I have someone who is willing to help me put subtitles in. This person, however, has absolutely no FCP experience. What is the best way to utilize them? I dont know of any other way to do this than opening up the project in FCP and teaching them how to insert text into tracks, having them do that, and then opeining their projects on the same computer at the same time that my project file is open and cutting/pasting their text insert. Any other ideas? I dont know if subtitles can or should be done with another program or if there is an easier way to work with a newbie.

October 24th, 2011, 07:58 PM	#2
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	Re: Advice for working with someone who is doing subtitles for me? At the newspaper website I retired from, we had both and English edition and a Spanish one. So many of our videos had to have subtitles. This is a tricky business, as the translator has to accurately paraphrase the translations at the pace of the video --- and a lot of times, there are more words than a viewer can read at that pace. Takes a lot of doing. So we worked with reporters who had no video experience. All we could do is sit with them, and do multiple attempts until we got (1) an accurate sense of what was being said in (2) the time the clip was on the screen. Takes a lot of patience, but it works best when a video editor works with the translation talent....you know what you need as far as timing and presentation, and he/she knows how to say it. Needless to mention, there was a lot of second-guessing by other reporters and the process was not a fast one. Lots of luck!

October 24th, 2011, 09:03 PM	#3
Jon Braeley Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 528	Re: Advice for working with someone who is doing subtitles for me? Use Subit - its free and easy to use and saves a lot of time. Enter the subtitles in its own program while you look at a low-res of your original footage - Subit generates an xml file, which you then import into FCP and drop on to the timeline that has your interviews - the subtitles will appear properly formatted in the font, color, size etc. SubIt at Adam Teale: News From Above