Subtitles

Subtitling

So, you’ve got your closed captioning (or maybe you don’t – in which case, go here). Now, instead of just accessibility for native speakers, you need to reach a global audience. Talking Type puts the world at your fingertips, so if you’re putting your film or television show on DVD or streaming and need alternate languages, or have a global workforce you need to reach with training videos, we can help!

Why subtitle with Talking Type?

Subtitling is a different type of translation that demands a greater skill level. It requires the translator to be concise, in order to stay within the confines of character limits, line length limits, and time limits. It requires the translator to interpret and translate not only the actual words, but the very spirit of each person or character speaking.

With those considerations in mind, we staff skilled, native-speaking translators with years of experience in their field to make our subtitles natural, accurate portrayals of the original.

Our Translators

We work with “mother tongue” translators from across the globe to provide the most accurate, natural translations and subtitles for your work. Each of our translators is thoroughly vetted before being hired to work for Talking Type. Our translators are specialized in the creation of subtitles, meaning that they have the skill to translate concisely in a way that maximizes readability for the viewer.

Annotations

In an effort to create the best possible subtitles, we offer annotation services for our subtitle clients as well. Our skilled English editors analyze the script for any non-literal language, such as metaphors, puns, idioms and colloquialisms, historical/cultural references, slang, contractions, portmanteaus — essentially reducing the language down to the bare bones and explaining it.

Subtitling Samples

Talking Type's Subtitling Workflow

Audio Description, AD in short, works by inserting an additional audio track in the film, TV show, or any visual media. It narrates scene changes, actions, and important visual elements conveyed through dialogues or sound effects. It might include details about the characters, settings, and actions taking place on the screen. AD is a boon for the visually impaired or blind people as it provides an inclusive experience for them to enjoy the content.

1. Ensuring Quality and Efficiency

We will first QC the English stl file that you will send

2. Efficient Subtitle Export

We export a time code and subtitle file. This file has the English subtitles with time codes.

3. Excel File Generation

We create an excel file with this exported text that has time code in, time code out, and the two lines of subtitles in individual columns.

4. Streamlined Translation Service

These are sent to our vetted translators who add the translations along the English text in a separate column. The time codes are maintained throughout.

5. Perfect Time-Coded Import Process

We receive this translation and after inspection, import it into our captioning software. Since these subtitles have used exactly the same time codes in the English text, all the time codes are perfect.

6. Proxy Video Review

We create a proxy video with subtitles and send it either to our client to check (if that’s we’re asked to do) or to another editor who watches the subtitled video and makes corrections to the excel file that we have received from the first translator.

7. Incorporating Changes

We incorporate the changes to the imported subtitle file.

8. Final Subtitle Integration

After the final QC, we export the final deliverable subtile file and send it off to the client.

Subtitling Movies and Video

Subtitling movies wouldn’t be necessary if everyone spoke only one language! (And that would be so horrible!)

Languages make our world so much more dynamic. Each language has its own beauty and unique expression. Even though reading subtitles is a bit of pain in the ass, and it takes your eyes off the character to the subtitles below on the screen, they open up a world of different languages and cultures, enriching our human experience.

We work only with certified translators in over 20 languages.

20 languages may not sound like much but we did not want to spread ourselves too thin. When you work with the best translators in the world, it can get very difficult to find and retain them.

So our strategy was to work with fewer languages but the best translators. And it has paid off over the years looking at our very satisfied clients.

Our Main Languages

Our association with over 30 language specialists that are best in their language combination has resulted in our creating some of the best translations for hundreds of television shows, operas, musical and movies. All our translators go through a very vigorous vetting program and only the best, the very best and very few make it to our hallowed list of translators whom we use for our clients’ subtitling jobs.

English → Spanish LAS

English → SpanishEU

English → Italian

English → German

English → French

English → Canadian French

English → Mandarin (simplified)

English → Mandarin (traditional)

English → Japanese

English → Thai

English → Tagalog

English → Russian

English → Korean

English → Portuguese