Hi,
I just thought I'd give some tips for anyone who's new to subtitling and needs to create subtitles for their project. I work as a translator/subtitler in Germany and I'm trying to figure out how to use Vegas as a digital subtitle generator.
Spotting (choosing the right in-out points):
It's better to start your subtitle on a cut (first frame of a scene), and end it on a cut (last frame of a scene. Where this is not possible (or wanted) start your title at least 8 frames after the cut, or end it at least 8 frames before a cut.
The main thing is, don't start a subtitle, like, 2 frames after a cut - it ends up looking 'jumpy', and it adversely affects the viewer's ability to read your subtitles. 'Smooth' subtitles are produced if you stick to the cuts and the 8-frame rule.
Dialogue
While still paying attention to where the cuts are, you should try to start your titles exactly where the dialogue starts. Don't start a subtitle more that 2 frames before the dialogue starts, and don't fade out a subtitle until the speaker has stopped talking. Titles can 'hang' for about a second after the speaker has finished speaking.
You'll need to compromise between cuts/dialogue sometimes, but usually the cut should take priority.
Time between subtitles.
Never put subtitles one after the other with, let's say, one frame between each title. That looks really bad, and it's horrible to read. As a rule of thumb, keep 8 frames between each subtitle, and try to keep this consistent throughout your project. If you stick to this rule, your subtitles will have a comfortable 'rhythm' as they appear on the screen, and not that horrible, jerky, chinese-pirate-copy look (where subtitles often appear 3 seconds too late, under the wrong speaker.
Duration of subtitles.
there's an easy set of guidelines for this:
Minimum length for a subtitle: 1 second (18 frames, if you're really desperate)
Maximum length: 6-7 seconds. More time is unnecessary, plus it distracts you from watching the film - and that's not the point of subtitles.
Tabel for Timing (approximate guidelines)
Subtitle length Text length
1 second up to 10 characters
3 seconds up to 40 characters
6 seconds up to 80 characters
Readability
Subtitles are different from most texts since they are 'helping' texts which need to be taken in with other visual and audio information. So try to keep your subtitles short, just get the essence of the dialogue.
The most common mistake I come across is that people are too precious about the dialogue and try to fit it ALL into the subtitles. The result is, for example, a 1.5 second subtitle with
"About this much text, if not a lot more"
in it. Try reading that in 1.5 seconds, while concentrating on what's happening on the screen!
Better would be 1.5 seconds
"with a little text".
That's more readable.
Subtitles are a compromise, but if you want your film to be enjoyable, don't disragrad the viewer: keep it short.
Hope it is of use to someone out there.
alexz
I just thought I'd give some tips for anyone who's new to subtitling and needs to create subtitles for their project. I work as a translator/subtitler in Germany and I'm trying to figure out how to use Vegas as a digital subtitle generator.
Spotting (choosing the right in-out points):
It's better to start your subtitle on a cut (first frame of a scene), and end it on a cut (last frame of a scene. Where this is not possible (or wanted) start your title at least 8 frames after the cut, or end it at least 8 frames before a cut.
The main thing is, don't start a subtitle, like, 2 frames after a cut - it ends up looking 'jumpy', and it adversely affects the viewer's ability to read your subtitles. 'Smooth' subtitles are produced if you stick to the cuts and the 8-frame rule.
Dialogue
While still paying attention to where the cuts are, you should try to start your titles exactly where the dialogue starts. Don't start a subtitle more that 2 frames before the dialogue starts, and don't fade out a subtitle until the speaker has stopped talking. Titles can 'hang' for about a second after the speaker has finished speaking.
You'll need to compromise between cuts/dialogue sometimes, but usually the cut should take priority.
Time between subtitles.
Never put subtitles one after the other with, let's say, one frame between each title. That looks really bad, and it's horrible to read. As a rule of thumb, keep 8 frames between each subtitle, and try to keep this consistent throughout your project. If you stick to this rule, your subtitles will have a comfortable 'rhythm' as they appear on the screen, and not that horrible, jerky, chinese-pirate-copy look (where subtitles often appear 3 seconds too late, under the wrong speaker.
Duration of subtitles.
there's an easy set of guidelines for this:
Minimum length for a subtitle: 1 second (18 frames, if you're really desperate)
Maximum length: 6-7 seconds. More time is unnecessary, plus it distracts you from watching the film - and that's not the point of subtitles.
Tabel for Timing (approximate guidelines)
Subtitle length Text length
1 second up to 10 characters
3 seconds up to 40 characters
6 seconds up to 80 characters
Readability
Subtitles are different from most texts since they are 'helping' texts which need to be taken in with other visual and audio information. So try to keep your subtitles short, just get the essence of the dialogue.
The most common mistake I come across is that people are too precious about the dialogue and try to fit it ALL into the subtitles. The result is, for example, a 1.5 second subtitle with
"About this much text, if not a lot more"
in it. Try reading that in 1.5 seconds, while concentrating on what's happening on the screen!
Better would be 1.5 seconds
"with a little text".
That's more readable.
Subtitles are a compromise, but if you want your film to be enjoyable, don't disragrad the viewer: keep it short.
Hope it is of use to someone out there.
alexz