Now Offering Accurate and Affordable AI-powered Captioning & Transcription

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.

Do you ever wonder how international businesses keep their branches in different countries on the same page with the same goals, visions, and company outlook?  Well, there are many ways this is done, but one simple way is the use of corporate training videos ... subtitled in multiple languages.  This is a manageable and cost-effective way for companies across the globe to communicate selling techniques, company updates, new product releases, safety training, and company outlook and vision just to name a few.

Most multi-national corporations either have their own production department or outsource to post-production houses specializing in the creation of corporate training videos.  Usually, each post-production house specializes in a sector, for example, retail or construction.

Commonly, these post-productions companies will outsource to a subtitling company to create the translated subtitles for their corporate training videos.  Subtitling companies specialize in subtitling multiple languages, even exotic and not-so-common languages, which is often too much of a hassle for the post-production house to handle.

The complicated part about translating corporate training videos is, for one, the industry-specific jargon.  The translator will usually be provided with a company-specific lexicon for the given language.  For example, a product might have the name, "Super-duper AirTight Duffel" but in Japanese, there is no product name.  The multinational corporation will need to decide whether they want to keep product names in English or if they want the translator to create equivalent names in their respective language.  It is common for large multinational corporations to have teams of translators in multiple countries who, among other things, dedicate themselves to these types of issues.  In this case, the subtitling company will use the clients' translations to do the subtitling.

Creating DVD or Blu-ray Disc subtitles is not as simple as putting a translation into software and spitting out files.  It takes adaptation for subtitles, timing, and placement of the subtitles, as well as special subtitling software capable of exporting files for DVD or Blu-ray Disc, like specially formatted .stl files, .son files, .xml files, .txt files, .srt files to name a few.  These file types are often accompanied by .tif images.  These files are later ingested into the client's or post-production house's DVD or Blu-ray Disc authoring system and added to the DVD or Blu-ray Disc menu.

One thing I have learned from subtitling thousands of corporate training videos is that when we are handling the translation, to always, without fail, get the translation and the subtitles proofed by the client.  What we tell the company's international branches via translated subtitles is very crucial to the company's bottom line abroad, and making a mistake with one sentence or even one word could compromise the progress of the overall training.  Successful translation and subtitling of corporate training videos come down to having all the available lexicons from the client, a translator who specializes in the sector (retail, construction, hospitality, et cetera), a proofer who also specializes in the given sector, and a final client proof of the subtitles.

All in all, international companies have found the importance of creating videos for training employees abroad, and with these videos, the easiest and most cost-effective way to adapt the video for multiple countries at one time is by the addition of multi-language subtitles.

One of the number-one questions I get from prospective clients or even friends is the question: What is the difference between roll-up captioning, pop-on captioning, and subtitling?  Also, people often think that captioning is the same thing as subtitling, which it isn't. To take this question even further, I will explain in what cases each one is ideally used.*

Captioning VS. Subtitling

Captioning was created so deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers could read along to TV shows. A technology needed to be created that was accessible to the deaf viewer, but not obligatory for hearing viewers. So today, closed captioning is decoded by a decoder chip in the television and it must be activated to view.  Captions are white letters with a black background. The font looks similar to Courier New.

Subtitling, on the other hand, was originally created so viewers of programming in a language other than their own could read along in their own language. Unlike captions, subtitles cannot be turned on or off through a TV decoder chip. They are burned on the video. If you are watching subtitles on a DVD or Blu-ray Disc, they can be turned on or off through the menu. Subtitles can be different fonts or colors and usually do not have a black or transparent background.

Roll-up Captioning

What is it?

Roll-up captions scroll up the screen line by line usually two to three lines at a time. It is the most basic form of captioning, as it usually does not include extensive sound effect description nor speaker identification.

When is it used?

Roll-up captioning is mainly used for ALL live programming and for post-production broadcast programming that only has one speaker (not very common).

For an example of roll-up captioning, view the video on this page: roll-up video

Pop-On Captioning

What is it?

Pop-on captions pop on and off the screen one caption at a time.  They typically look like a square box and each caption usually consists of two to three lines.  Pop-on captions should include sound effect descriptions as well as movement for speaker identification.

When is it used?

Pop-on captions should be used for pre-recorded broadcast programming with multiple speakers.

For an example of pop-on captioning view the video on this page: pop-on video

Subtitling

What is it?

Subtitles pop on and off the screen just like pop-on captions but they typically do not have a black background and can be any font and color.

When is it used?

Subtitles should always be used for DVD and Blu-ray Discs as they can be turned on and off through the menu.  They should also be used for broadcasts in countries where the programming is of a language other than the country's primary language.

For an example of subtitles view the video on this page: subtitling video

*Please note that this article's aim is to be a general explanation for the person that has no prior knowledge of the topic.  It does not go into depth on the technical differences between captioning and subtitling.  I specifically talk about captions for broadcasting and not other purposes like online video, et cetera. When I speak about captioning, I am referring to Line 21 (analog) captioning, not captioning for HD.

Since Blu-ray has largely become accepted as the new HD disc format standard, there have been many inquiries about closed captioning and subtitling for Blu-ray Discs (BD).

To set the record straight, Blu-ray does not support traditional closed captioning. This is for a practical reason: subtitles on Blu-ray can be easily turned on and off through the disc's menu, just like with standard DVDs. Consequently, BD does not support Line 21, the traditional format for analog closed captions, because it adheres to modern High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specifications. These specs were designed to replace older digital and analog standards.

Converting SD Captions to HD Subtitles

If you're looking to transfer a DVD or any other standard-definition video to Blu-ray Disc, you might be concerned about the need to recreate subtitles. Fortunately, your closed captioning company can convert your existing caption files into Blu-ray-compatible subtitles for your authoring system. This might require some reformatting depending on the original captioning method used.

Enhanced Features of Blu-ray Subtitles

Blu-ray subtitles offer several advanced features compared to standard SD subtitles. Unlike SD subtitles, which are limited to a single font type, size, and color, Blu-ray allows for much greater flexibility. With Blu-ray, it’s possible to create multiple layers of subtitles, incorporating up to six different colors, fonts, and sizes. This means you can vary the appearance of subtitles for on-screen signs or dialogue, enhancing speaker identification and enriching the viewer’s experience. It’s even possible to make sound effects stand out from dialogue, turning basic subtitles into a visually engaging component of your media.

File Types for Blu-ray Subtitling

The file type for Blu-ray subtitles is an XML-based textual format accompanied by images (JPEG) of each subtitle. This is similar to the system used in DVD authoring, where the XML file serves as a directory, dictating the placement and timing of each subtitle image on the screen.

It's an Art.

A first-rate translation requires the know-how that cannot be rated by a translation program or a computer-assisted translation tool.  Accuracy is not the only point of measurement. It's about immersing in another culture and offering words that wholly speak to the viewer.

What's fascinating about audio-visual translation is the creative authority the translator has.  You must adapt the original dialogue to another culture through language.  The translation turns into a new creation. This being said, the translator usually adheres to the original narration, but sometimes the translator will actually create their own dialogue to convey the same message in a better way.  This new creation communicates more effectively than if the text were translated literally.  If drastic changes are to be made, the translator will usually ensure to get authorization.  For audio-visual translators, they usually find enjoyment in conjuring up the best way to adapt a song, a pun, or a joke into another culture, and another language.

Many subtitle viewers often complain that portions are missing in subtitles. The truth is, everything cannot be translated as subtitles are limited to around 40 characters per line. It doesn't matter how much is written in the subtitles if the viewer doesn't have time to read them.  The subtitler's job is to shorten what is being said.  This creates some tough decisions.  They must decide which parts of the dialogue are important and which parts can be left out. If everything seems important, the extremely creative and challenging part is determining how to fit three ideas into one sentence.

I talk to people often about what kind of work I do.  The general public has no idea what translation subtitles are all about.  Typically, they say something like, "Isn't that for free" or "I thought that just happened by the TV or a computer." The people behind them (if they are good subtitlers like Aberdeen Captioning's team), are highly educated and markedly cultured individuals.  They are usually people who have parents from two different countries or who have grown up in two or more countries.  In addition to being multi-cultural, they are linguistic superstars.  They have not only been brought up in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual environment, but they are extremely gifted and highly trained in writing.  Take if from me, a person who bilingual in Spanish and English, but is not a translator: It takes much more than knowing a language to create a subtitled masterpiece.

Many companies in need of translation usually do not understand what they need.  Given this ignorance, they may come up with the idea of getting translations done automatically by a computer software.  Once this is tried and tested for the first time, it is usually the last time, because the translation does not serve its original purpose: to communicate effectively with its target audience.

Consider the following before you decide to purchase an automated translation software:

I will give you the example of Spanish, as this is a language that I am fluent in. Think first about the register the language is using.  In Spanish, there are two ways of addressing people, formal and informal. In English, there is only one. Not only do pronouns change depending upon the register being used, but verbs and other words change too. The software does not know what kind of register the people are using, and therefore poorly communicates entire sentences.

Then there is the word choice from the software. Imagine a newscaster. The language and the choice of words would be completely different than if the same words were being used while a father speaks to his son. This is because the software does not recognize who the speaker is, who he is addressing, if there is a difference in rank, social status, or the like.  Think of English.  Imagine kids playing soccer in the street in a low-class neighborhood.  These children would not use the same vocabulary as a headmaster would who is addressing a teacher. All this is not taken into consideration by software that translates word-by-word.

Think of grammar differences between languages. In English the second person of the personal pronoun takes the same form for singular and plural: "you." In Spanish, there are  four forms, two for singular (formal and informal) and two for plural (formal and informal). The software does not recognize this difference, making the conjugation of the verb that accompany the pronoun incorrect, because the verb in English almost always remains the same. Automated software does not know these nuances.

Your audience will most likely be from a given region of the target language. For example, in South America each country uses a different variant of Spanish. The nouns vary completely from one country to another. Just think of the differences between Australian, Canadian, British, and American English. Even though you still understand each other, every country has its own linguistic nuances.

Try it for yourself.  Go to a website in a different language and copy some text.  Go to Google translate.  Paste the foreign language text and translate into English.  Read the translation, and you will see my point exactly. 

A good translation depends completely on the translator's ability to capture the essence of the text by using creativity--something only the human brain can achieve. Translating is an art.  Software just puts words together, leaving much to be desired.

No peer pressure, but producers and broadcasters alike are seeing the importance of Spanish captioning to reach a broader audience.

Why all the hype?

Think of the statistics in the U.S.:  Spanish is the second most common language in the United States after English, and the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. is growing each year.  As of 2007, according to the United States Census Bureau, Spanish is the primary language spoken at home by over 34 million people.  An unbelievable fact is that the United States, with 45 million Hispanics, is the world's second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the entire world! Mexico is the first, but the U.S. has more Spanish-speaking people than Spain, Argentina, and Colombia!  Why would you want to miss out on such a huge market?  No matter what the content of your programming is, I can assume one of your main goals is to reach as many viewers as possible, and with Spanish captioning, your viewership will automatically be on the rise.

English Programming with Spanish Captions

If you are broadcasting in English, you already must broadcast your content with English captions.  So you are probably wondering how you can also broadcast with Spanish captions.  English captions are usually decoded through CC1 and Spanish captions are typically decoded on CC2.  On your TV menu, you can select CC1 or CC2.  If the viewer is used to watching TV with Spanish captions, they probably always have CC2 selected.  With this option, you are reaching the Spanish-speaking community in your broadcast area.  If you are debating if captioning your English programming in Spanish is worth it, do an online search for the number of Spanish speakers there are in the area that you broadcast.

Spanish-language Programming with Spanish Captions

Broadcasting your Spanish-language programming with Spanish captions is now being mandated by the FCC: In the United States, all Spanish-language programming that was first shown after January 1, 1998, must be captioned by 2010.  I know it may seem like another burden, but the good thing is, by captioning your Spanish-language programming, you will reach the Hispanic deaf and hard of hearing community, and once again, broadening your viewership. As you can imagine, the deaf and hard of hearing community is not limited to the English language--there is a considerable number of deaf and hard of hearing in the U.S. Hispanic community that want access to your programming.

Spanish Subtitles for DVD and Blu-ray

If you are putting out a DVD or Blu-ray Disc for distribution, you can reach your target audience with Spanish subtitles, as opposed to captions.  Subtitles are burned on the video and can be turned on and off through the viewer's DVD menu, so they don't need to be decoded through a decoder chip in their TV.  You should choose subtitles instead of captioning when authoring your disc because they look much nicer and are easier to read.

I usually don’t write about specific projects we work on, but the “Hearing Everett” project was particularly moving. One of the most unique aspects of the film for me, working for a closed-captioning company, is that the film illustrates a family helping the deaf in Mexico. Throughout the closed captioning and the subtitling of the project we worked through five different phases: transcription, caption editing, translation, subtitle editing, and quality assurance. Each person involved in creating the “words” for the film was extremely moved to say the least. While I was reviewing the subtitling, I caught myself reaching for the tissue box to wipe the tears from my cheeks pretty much throughout the entire review process.  See what our Spanish translator, Enrico, had to say about his experience with the film:

Without a doubt, it is a remarkable, touching documentary.

I was blessed with the opportunity to translate this powerful testimony and I am certain it will greatly impact the people that get to see it the way it impacted us (I shared it with my wife) while working on it.

It made us realize once again the power and grace of our Omnipotent Lord. We truly believe God gave the old Everett and his family the grace and strength to keep on going after so many setbacks. He just took up the cross and followed while others (as me) just stand by and see in awe.

Best regards,

Enrico

Aberdeen was blessed to work on this project because James-Kirk Johnson, the Executive Producer of the film and Director of Operations for Strong Tower Ministries, contacted us after discovering our company through mutual contacts. Before we got involved in the project I visited one of James’ projects in Tijuana, Mexico, The Purple Palace, and was moved by the orphanage they had built and by the hearts of the children. Working on this project and seeing other things their ministry is doing helped me realize how much I can do to contribute, and the many opportunities there are right in my own backyard. Find out how you can help by visiting: strongtowerministries.info or hearingeverett.com

This past week, I felt how important time code was when authoring captions and subtitles to DVD and Blu-ray Disc authoring systems. Consistency is the name of the game. As a producer, editor, DVD authoring person, et cetera, you must be sure that the video your captioning company receives from the onset of the project, has the final time code.

Ask yourself some questions: Is the first frame of the video the same timecode on all video versions? Does the first spoken word start at the same time code? Does the last frame of the video end at the same time code? Am I authoring in drop, non-drop, FILM, et cetera? Pick one and stick with it for the entire project. The standard time code for authoring systems is drop (29.97 fps) and I recommend that you use this from the onset of the process. Your editing system may have a different default time code than your authoring system, so make sure they are the same.  Have any edits been made from the initial video you gave your captioning company? Minor edits will affect the captioning or subtitling in a major way.

You may be wondering what the big deal is and why it isn’t simple for the captioning company to adjust. It’s just simply trying to coordinate changes, especially if we don’t know what is differences are between files. Sometimes it is an easy re-ripple of time code or a conversion from drop to non-drop time code. Sometimes, the final videos are so different that the time spent re-sending new captioning and subtitle files can be as laborious as actually creating them in the first place. The time it takes for the authoring person to re-render and check new files over and over again is time taken away from the final delivery of the authored DVD or Blu-ray Disc. The bottom line is this—send your captioning company the real deal the first time around.