Now Offering Accurate and Affordable AI-powered Captioning & Transcription

To see Jesus some people need a little boost, just like Zacchaeus. He was a short, little man and when Jesus came into town, Zacchaeus could only see him by climbing up a sycamore tree. What kind of “trees” do you need to plant to help your congregation see Jesus?

The first “tree to plant” is closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing members of your church.

Here’s one church’s story:

I cried all the way through the service today. It was the first day since 1993 that I had the opportunity to “hear” a sermon.

These are the words of a former music minister gone deaf. In the process of four days, the illness completely took his hearing and since then has missed every sermon… until now.

Church sermons are being “heard” by the deaf at Idlewild Baptist Church with the implementation of closed captioning.

Senior Pastor Ken Whitten of Idlewild Church realized that members of his congregation were sitting in silence. Pastor Whitten’s compassion for his special needs church members led him to search for a solution. Aberdeen Captioning stepped in to help.

Many churches have relied on using a sign language interpreter on stage during church services, in order to assist deaf members of the congregation. The issue with sign language alone is that it is typically only understood by those with a lifelong hearing impairment, leaving the rest of the deaf and hard of hearing community missing the message.

Since 2011, two Sunday morning services at Idlewild have been closed captioned. Jimmy Moore, Minister of Technical Ministries at Idlewild, discussed their ministry’s decision to implement closed captioning in addition to having a sign language interpreter. Moore notes, “There are some folks here that have adult onset of total hearing loss.  We have a Senior Pastor with a primary spiritual gift of mercy (he loves people). These people matter!”

After the initial service, Pastor Whitten had this message for Aberdeen Captioning: “Thanks Team for making yesterday memorable for so many. It's just the beginning, but it would have never launched without you and your heart and hard work. You're a blessing to labor with. I could have also talked about a lady who cried at 9:30 too. They are out there. One lady came to see me at the Pastor's reception and told me she's telling all her friends. Get ready. It's meeting a need.”

Closed captioning should not just be an afterthought. It is not just words on a screen to meet the federal mandate. It is another way of spreading the Word to the world. Implementing closed captioning should be a vital part of your ministry –it allows the Gospel to reach beyond the hearing public. There’s a great chance that people are sitting through your church service in a world of silence.

In addition to “planting” closed captioning in your church, another “tree to plant” is live Spanish interpretation.

Think about this: What about people who can hear, but can’t understand?  In today’s world, people speaking many different languages often join together at church.   Many congregations are implementing live Spanish interpretation services to meet the needs of their Spanish-speaking members.  The service Aberdeen offers is not your standard interpretation service requiring a receiving device for each member. With our service, it is simple—Spanish speakers are able to listen to a live audio feed using an internet connection through their mobile or any portable device while sitting in the regular church service.  This service can also be used at a home internet connection or even streamed at a separate section of the church for those who do not have their own portable or mobile devices.

There are many additional services you can implement to help provide access to all your church members. These two—closed captioning and live Spanish interpretation—are two great services to start out with. Not everyone has the same opportunity to see Jesus. Your church can answer the call of God by giving the deaf and hard of hearing and the Spanish speakers in your area the ability to know Jesus.

Aberdeen Captioning is known for its quality subtitles, multi-language translations, and fast turn-around times. A recent example of Aberdeen’s expertise in this field is our success with subtitling Saddleback Church’s Online Easter Service. Aberdeen managed to successfully subtitle their 80 minute Easter program in both Korean and Spanish in record time—the files came in on Friday morning and were completed by Saturday morning—24 hours!

This project was detailed and required a team of one English transcriber, one Spanish translator, one Spanish Subtitler, one Korean translator, and one Korean Subtitler. It also required the use of 3 time zones in 3 different countries –Europe, Korean, and the United States—to make it happen! Because of the time restraints, this project took some organized pre-planning to help the process move smoothly and enable it to be a success.  Aberdeen is proud to have helped Saddleback Church reach a broader worldwide audience with their Easter Service message.

Keep in mind that at Aberdeen, you do not have to sacrifice quality even if you need a quick turnaround time. We can make it happen!

Since the brand-new launch of Aberdeen’s Multilanguage subtitling and translation department in 2008, we have worked on many exciting projects, but the God of Wonders project has been one of our most adventurous feats yet! God of Wonders is a documentary by Eternal Productions that explores the wonders of creation, conscience, and the glory of God. Jim Tetlow, the executive producer of God of Wonders put his faith in Aberdeen’s AberLingo multilanguage and subtitling department not only to help translate and subtitle his documentary but to also do the entire authoring project!

Aberdeen has taken on basic, simple DVD authoring projects for years, but this was the first large project with this many languages that we have undertaken. Our main DVD author, Austin Bringard (who uses DVD Studio Pro) took on the challenge and assembled moving menus and authored 22 subtitled languages and 8 audio languages.

This new multi-language version includes these selectable languages:

Voice Dubbed: English, Arabic, Farsi, French, Hindi, Mandarin, Punjabi, and Spanish.

Subtitled: English, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, German, Gujarati, Hebrew, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese.

You can preview God of Wonders here: http://www.godofwondersvideo.org/chapters.htm

Translators deal with many obstacles when trying to translate colloquilisms and slang expressions. An additional difficulty occurs when dealing with taboo language. If the translator tries to omit the words, it may shift the meaning of the original content. Successful subtitles are ones that always accurately portray the intended meaning, without influencing the interpretation of the audience. This can be achieved by remaining neutral and not making the content either toned down or more explicit.

There are many strategies for dealing with sensitive language. To begin, it is important to note that politically incorrect statements and social taboos are part of everyday language. Translators need to be skilled and knowledgeable regarding slang expressions and taboo words. One benefit for translators is that when sensitive language is in a written form, is typically easier to endure than spoken spoken language. Poor translation (omitting the taboo term or using incorrect slang) can result in confusion and misunderstanding. Translators need to have exceptional comprehension of the native and target language so that puns, expressions, and wordplay are portrayed in a meaningful and accurate manner.

It is safe to say that most people who speak more than one language understand that there are certain idiosyncrasies inherent in each language. Sometimes it is difficult to accurately translate certain sayings and the end result can be comical.

In an Athens hotel there is a sign that reads: “Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 a.m. daily.” A sign for a Copenhagen airline reads: “We take your bags and send them in all directions.”

The most common errors in translation occur when attempting to translate idioms and sayings word for word. For example, “A quien madruga Dios le ayuda” would equate to the English expression “the early bird gets the worm,” but if translated word for word it would be “he who gets up early is helped by God.”

There also can be ambiguity with words. For example, an address can be a location or a speech. Many English words are homonyms, which can also lead to errors in translation. The word polish can be a verb meaning to make smooth or glossy, but it can also refer to the inhabitants of Poland or the Polish language.

Translators and subtitlers need to be aware of popular idioms and ambiguity of certain words in order to avoid an inaccurate translation. Here are a few humorous subtitling blunders that were found (information taken from Subtitling Worldwide).

In a subtitle "They sicked the dog on me" became "they caused the dog to be nauseated by me.”

In a subtitle where a man is sitting in a car someone said, "he cracked the window," meaning he opened it just a little bit. According to the subtitler, the man “smashed the window.”

“Wish him many happy returns for me.” This was translated as, "Wish him many more reincarnations."

A soldier was shot dead and another soldier closes his eyes and says, "Rest easy." The Dutch subtitle said: "Take a nice little break."

With a growing awareness of the importance of closed captions and subtitles, there is a need for universal consistency and standards of excellence. Here are a few key guidelines, proposed by Mary Carroll and Jan Ivarsson in their 1992 book, Subtitling, that Aberdeen implements to achieve quality subtitles.

Video Copy and Glossary: Subtitlers should indeed work from a video copy of the production. Providing a glossary of unusual words, names, and specialized terms ensures accuracy and consistency across the subtitles.

Compression of Dialogue: When dialogue must be compressed for subtitling, it's essential that the meaning remains clear and coherent.

Translating On-Screen Text: All critical on-screen text, like signs or notices, should be translated. It's also beneficial to include what might be considered "superfluous" information, such as off-screen voices and names, to assist hearing-impaired viewers.

Subtitling Songs: Songs should be subtitled when they are relevant to the content or contribute to the understanding of the narrative.

Timing of Subtitles: Subtitles should align closely with the rhythm of the dialogue, editing cuts, and sound bridges in the film. They should appear and disappear in sync with the audio to preserve the natural flow of conversation.

Emphasizing Key Elements in Subtitles: Subtitles should effectively convey elements of surprise or suspense without undermining them. This involves careful placement and timing relative to the visual and auditory cues in the content.

Reading Rhythm: The duration of subtitles should accommodate the average viewer's reading speed—generally not appearing for less than one second or more than seven seconds, except in the case of songs.

Synchronization: There should be a close correlation between what is spoken in the film and what is subtitled, with efforts made to synchronize the source and target languages as closely as possible.

Legibility of Subtitles: Subtitles must be easy to read, with clear lettering and a suitable font. Techniques like adding a drop shadow or background box can enhance readability.

Consistency in Positioning: The placement of subtitles should be consistent throughout the production, aiding in viewer comprehension and minimizing distraction.

Character Limit: The number of characters per line should be compatible with the subtitling system and should be legible on any screen size.

YouTube and Google now index video content based on text in closed captions and subtitles, enhancing the discoverability and SEO ranking of videos that include them. This capability means that closed captions help your video appear in search results for keywords contained within the captions, potentially driving more views and engagements.

Mark Robertson authored an article on his website titled "In-Depth Look at YouTube Closed Captions, SEO, and YouTube Indexing," where his insights reveal that closed captions not only boost accessibility but also expand your video's global reach through multi-language subtitles. This broadens the appeal of your content to a global audience, including those with hearing impairments and non-native speakers of the video's language​.

Beyond viewer accessibility, the strategic use of closed captions contributes significantly to SEO. Captions allow Google’s algorithms to understand better and index the video’s content, which can enhance the video’s visibility in search results. This approach to SEO is not just about improving accessibility but also about maximizing content discoverability and engagement on digital platforms. Properly implemented, closed captions can increase viewer retention, reduce bounce rates, and expand the global reach of videos by making them accessible to non-native speakers and those in sound-sensitive environments​.

Furthermore, closed captions can significantly influence user engagement metrics, such as watch time and interaction rates, which are crucial for boosting SEO rankings on YouTube. By providing a text version of the video's audio, you cater to a wider range of user needs and preferences, which improves the overall user experience and could lead to higher rankings in search results and recommendations​.

To implement closed captions effectively, it’s important to use recognized subtitle file formats like SRT or VTT, which are readable and indexable by search engines. Also, consider updating your captions regularly to include new keywords and to enhance SEO impact. Engaging professional transcription services can ensure the accuracy, readability, and SEO optimization of your subtitles​.

In summary, adding closed captions to your YouTube videos is a straightforward yet powerful tool to enhance video accessibility, viewer engagement, and SEO performance. For more details on captioning your web or YouTube video, please visit our page on YouTube-Ready Captions.

Aberdeen Captioning has been qualified as a “YouTube Ready” vendor by DCMP. As a DCMP “Approved Captioning Service Vendor,” Aberdeen is committed to providing quality captioning in multimedia formats, now including your YouTube videos. This allows your YouTube video to be captioned according to DCMP guidelines and with a customer satisfaction guarantee. Aberdeen offers different choices for your YouTube video and will work closely to establish a package that is right for you.

Need multi-language translation for your YouTube video? No problem! Aberdeen will provide a professional and experienced translator to ensure that your message is understood globally. All you need is a YouTube account.

To learn more about DCMP's "YouTube Ready" qualification visit: http://youtubeready.dcmp.org/

Also, watch Aberdeen’s YouTube video for more information on our captioning and subtitling services for your YouTube video at: https://aberdeen.io/abercap/youtube-ready-captioning/

From the time of the Great Commission until now, Christians have been evangelizing the world through various traditional and modern methods: missionary work, preaching, tracts, music, films, television, crusades, books, street-corner preaching, door knocking, church planting, and now, through the Internet.

While traditional evangelism definitely has its place, there is no better way than the Internet to reach millions of people across the world with the least amount of effort.  Many ministries are using Internet-based evangelism by setting up virtual church campuses where members in remote areas without access to a physical church can attend.  These virtual churches have opened up the opportunity for millions of people who otherwise may not have been able to hear the Gospel or attend a good local Christian church.

ADDRESSING THE LANGUAGE GAP

When a cyber-church hopes to open its ‘virtual doors” to an international community they should first think of how they will communicate to a non-English-speaking community.

Providing multi-language subtitles is the most efficient and cost-effective method to localizing your webcasts in multiple languages.  Subtitles can be combined with just about any player: Flash, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, YouTube, RealPlayer, etc.  If you want your message to be understood by a multi-lingual audience, there is no way around localizing your programming for various languages.  This article summarizes the main ways to tackle subtitling.

COST AND QUALITY CHOICES

The Automated Translator

The cheapest option to subtitle your English video is automatic translation.  Google offers this as a free service for YouTube videos.  The main problem, however, is inaccuracy.

Here is an actual example of one such English to Spanish translation:

The original English subtitle: “The history of the Flood is precise. The history from Abraham on is precise. Everything else is precise. There's precision in the Law and the history books. There's precision in the Psalms and the books of literature that we call poetry. And there is precision in the prophets.”

The automated translation: “La historia de la inundación es preciso. La historia de Abraham en es preciso. Todo lo demás es preciso. No hay precisión en la Ley y en los libros de historia. No hay precisión en los Salmos y los libros de la literatura que llamamos poesía. Y no hay precisión en los profetas.”

But there are two serious problems with this translation. First, it doesn’t use the proper term for the Flood.  It is like calling the Flood “the inundation” in English. Second, it says that the Bible ISN’T precise in many instances, which exactly the opposite of what the speaker intended.

The main point is that automated translation will often distort, add or subtract from the Word of God, while a good human translator relies on the translations of the Bible into Spanish that have been diligently compared to the original Bible manuscripts. Therefore they do not need to do their own translation of the Bible.  Finally, good Christian translators rely on the Lord to give them the proper words, something a computer could never do.

The Volunteer Translator

If you have volunteer translators in your church, this can be an excellent way to go.  The translation will be free, but you will most likely have to team up with a subtitling company to create the needed subtitle file. Nevertheless your cost will be significantly lower.

One of the main advantages to using volunteers is that the translator will most likely be familiar with the speaker’s style and message as well as have a heart for what they are translating.

Nevertheless, there are two points to be aware of when dealing with volunteers.  First, just because they “know” another language, doesn’t mean they will be able to properly translate into that language in a Christian context.  Be sure they are native speakers of the target language, as well as having attended Christian church or listened to Christian teaching in their native language.  Also, as with all volunteers, you must be sure they can meet your production deadline week after week.  Be sure to have a back-up plan.

The Non-Christian/Amateur Translator

If you search for the cheapest subtitling package cost, you may end up with a “non-Christian” or “amateur” translation.  With a non-Christian translator or inexperienced translator you may find a cheaper rate, but you will run into problems similar to what you find with automatic translation. The terminology used is often of secular nature, or worse yet, that of another religion when referring to Christian matters. For example, in Japan, where less than one percent are reported Christians, it is very difficult to find a Japanese-speaker able to properly translate the word “atonement,” as this concept does not exist in Japan’s main religions, Buddhism and Shinto.

Another example that had me chuckling for hours was in an interpreted church service from English to Spanish when the interpreter referred to the Holy Ghost as the “Fantasma Sagrado,” instead of the correct Spanish term, “Espíritu Santo.”  For a Spanish-speaker this is like calling the Holy Ghost something similar to the Sacred Phantom. It doesn’t quite work.

The Experienced Christian Translator

Of course, this is the best option, but not always the most affordable.  The experienced Christian translator is a Christian with a heart for the message and also with the training and tools to localize your message properly to the target audience.  When searching for a full-package subtitling service, be sure to ask the company about the translators they use.  Do they have experience translating Christian material?  How many years of experience do they have?  What other Christian material have they translated?  Ask to see their resumes.  In addition to a good Christian translator, if you are willing to pay top dollar, also be sure there is an additional proof of the translation before the subtitles go live, so that any errors are caught.  If you have people available in your ministry to do a proof of the final translations, this option can bring your cost down significantly.

THE BOTTOM LINE

All and all, when translating your message for multi-language subtitles, be sure to allow feedback on the translation from the viewers.  This can be a simple box below the video where the viewer can input their feedback.  You never know, you may even get viewers across the world willing to translate your message for free.  Are you getting the number of viewers you desired in each country?  If not, it may be that the subtitles are so poor that the viewer gives up.

Although there are many service options out there at many different costs, the important thing is that you know exactly what you are getting and you evaluate what will work best for your ministry.  From years of experience, the old saying still rings true: You get what you pay for.

If you found this article, you are probably a DVD authorer at your wit's end trying to figure out why the subtitle file will not import into your authoring system. We have a little tip that might just do the trick.

As you can imagine, as a closed-captioning and subtitling company, we work hand-in-hand with DVD authoring houses and individual DVD authoring people. When we deliver our clients subtitle files for DVD Studio Pro (typically a .stl directory file with .tif images or a stand-alone .stl file), there are sometimes discrepancies with time code making DVD Studio Pro reject the .stl file. Then our client calls us for help and we usually walk through the issue, and often we actually test out the files with their video in our authoring system to see where the problem is originating. After going through this troubleshooting process with our clients time and time again, we have found a solution that pretty much does the trick every time.

Are you ready for it?

1. Open your project in DVD Studio Pro without the video. In other words, remove your video from the project.
2. Import the subtitle file (.stl for example)
3. Import your video

Now you have something you can work with.

If this trick doesn't work, call Aberdeen Captioning at 800-688-6621 and we'll be able to give you a hand troubleshooting your issue.