Subtitling rate Thread poster: Mello2 (X)
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Mello2 (X) 
Türkiye
Local time: 14:21
English to French
Hello everyone,
What about your subtitling rate, I would like to know more about it and also if you are using a special program?
| | | | Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 13:21
German to English
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| A common question | Aug 13, 2014 |
Hi, questions about subtititling rates and programs come up at least once a week, so there are lots of threads on the topic that should give you all the information you need.
For rates, go to Advanced Forum Search
--> put in "Subtitling" or "Subtitling rates" under "Keywords" at the top left of the search form
--> then find "Money Matters" under "Search specific forums"
Hit the "Search forums" button and then long list of "Search results" will appear undern... See more Hi, questions about subtititling rates and programs come up at least once a week, so there are lots of threads on the topic that should give you all the information you need.
For rates, go to Advanced Forum Search
--> put in "Subtitling" or "Subtitling rates" under "Keywords" at the top left of the search form
--> then find "Money Matters" under "Search specific forums"
Hit the "Search forums" button and then long list of "Search results" will appear underneath the search form.
I can't give you a link while I'm logged in, because that search is then connected to my personal profile, and you won't be able to see it, so that is why I'm posting detailed instructions on how to do this yourself. In addition, it's good practice for finding information on Proz in general, because translators are often too busy to browse the forums, find a question and then answer it until much later in the day, if they do it at all.
Another method is to do a search with Google, using "subtitling rates" as your key search words. I got 12,000 results doing that:
https://www.google.de/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHFX_deDE534DE534&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q="subtitling%20rates"
You can do the same using "subtitling programs" and a different forum search - many of the hits lead back to Proz in any case, so the Google option is probably faster. I don't do subtitling myself, and it's early, so this is to get you started in case no one turns up here for awhile.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I always wonder why | Aug 13, 2014 |
Woodstock wrote:
Hi, questions about subtitling rates and programs come up at least once a week, so there are lots of threads on the topic that should give you all the information you need.
It's all right if people are curious about subtitling. I explain what it is, mostly for clients, on this page.
Yet the frequent askers here don't seem at all interested in whether it requires any specific skills or training. AFAIK no subtitling software does Trados-like advertising to the tune of "if you are bilingual, after you buy our software, you'll be translating like a pro and making a bundle in no time".
So where does that come from?
They want to know which software they should buy to start immediately making a three-digit figure per hour on subtitling, just by owning it.
Quite frankly, I began translating video for dubbing in 1987, and I didn't touch translation for subtitling work until 2004. No, neither one is more 'difficult' than the other; yet each requires a somewhat different skills set.
For the record, it takes both training and practice. A colleague recently referred a subtitling job to me. Her words were that yes, she had taken a (good) subtitling course, however she felt too old to acquire practice now. From the record, she is only some 5 years senior to me, however I see her point: it may be too late to start getting practice with video work, especially on a complex job like the one she had.
So it puzzles me why people come here mostly to ask which software they should buy, and how much they should charge for using it, sort of equating what they call 'subtitling software' to a lawnmower.
Caveat: Nothing personal with this asker. This is all about the recurring question on subtitling software/rates on this forum, without any regard to whether doing the job itself requires learning any specific skills.
| | | | Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 13:21
German to English
+ ...
| I know you are a patient answerer of all things | Aug 13, 2014 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote: ... It's all right if people are curious about subtitling. I explain what it is, mostly for clients, on this page. ...
related to the ins and outs of subtitling, and I was hoping you would turn up. Greetings to Brazil from Germany! (PS. For the record, I'm not a big sports fan, so no ulterior message regarding football is intended!)
I was going to link to your subtitling info page as a reference, but didn't really have the time to go looking for it, so now I can bookmark it. Thank you.
You make an excellent point, and that is the feeling I get from a lot of the questions from people coming here with an interest in how to get started as a translator/interpreter/subtitler/whatever. Not directly related but tangentially so - I'm just proofreading a shockingly bad translation - bad in the sense that the work is extremely shoddy, even if the person has a good grasp of both languages. It makes me wonder what possesses people to enter into the profession at all if they don't care about the text they are translating or the quality of their work. Very sad, really.
Edited to add a missing word.
[Edited at 2014-08-13 10:14 GMT]
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| An interesting comparison | Aug 13, 2014 |
Woodstock wrote: related to the ins and outs of subtitling, and I was hoping you would turn up. Greetings to Brazil from Germany! (PS. For the record, I'm not a big sports fan, so no ulterior message regarding football is intended!)
I'm not a big sports fan either, however I watched the World Cup. Germany had a superb TEAM. As Franz Beckenbauer very aptly commented yesterday on the leading Brazilian newspaper, Brazil had a few stars and a bunch of other guys playing ball. Germany earned a well-deserved cup.
Schweinsteiger and Neuer had such a great time here outside the stadiums, that I don't think it was the last time we saw them in Brazil.
I was a small boy when Brazil won the World Cup for the first time, in 1958. I was in the crowd, and saw the whole Brazilian TEAM parading down the street, on a fire brigade truck. Pelé, then 17 years old, was sitting on the cabin rooftop, clutching the Cup, smiling to everybody. They were young, perhaps inexperienced, but definitely a TEAM.
Anyway, my point here is that I've been saying that for many years now Brazil has had much better and more excellent dubbers (voice artists) than soccer players. Unfortunately, there is no World Cup for video translation. Of course, to do the wonderful job they do, they need a good, metrics-caring translation.
Woodstock wrote:
You make an excellent point, and that is the feeling I get from a lot of the questions from people coming here with an interest in how to get started as a translator/interpreter/subtitler/whatever. Not directly related but tangentially so - I'm just proofreading a shockingly bad translation - bad in the sense that the work is extremely shoddy, even if the person has a good grasp of both languages. It makes me wonder what possesses people to enter into the profession at all if they don't care about the text they are translating or the quality of their work. Very sad, really.
Another point is that translation on itself requires a whole array of skills, not merely "being bilingual". Many prospective beginners tend to overlook that.
And then there are supplemental, peripheral, or associated services, whatever you'd like to name them.
Some translators won't touch a PDF file. Others will get it converted to Word (definitely not a DTP app), and burn the midnight oil for free, spend hours working hard in attempts to fix complex layout issues created by text swelling/shrinkage during translation. This is not translation, it's DTP, a different line of work... though there is nothing to prevent someone from doing both.
Likewise, some people are eager to translate video, because they think this will entitle them to be the first to watch a new movie/TV series, before it is launched in their language. However before they accrue the experience to become the professional experts studios select to translate that award-winning film, they'll have to translate LOTS of disgusting junk, B-movies, etc.
Before anyone thinks I am an almighty translator, because I do DTP, video subtitling & translation for dubbing, I won't touch Flash presentations, web sites, and several other things I don't know, as well as some specific translation areas like medicine, biology, accounting, finance, or sports.
As Socrates said, "We don't know what we don't know." I've already made some choices on things that I don't know, and am not willing to learn. At least I've learned that buying the 'right' software (whatever that means) and knowing how much to charge for that kind of work is definitely not a good start in any endeavor.
[Edited at 2014-08-13 12:59 GMT]
| | | | | Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Empty post. | | Couldn't agree more... | Aug 14, 2014 |
@ Woodstock and José
especially when I spot more than 10 mistakes in 5 basic sentences.
And btw, I haven't seen any trace of disrespect. Just two people airing their opinions really.
| | | | Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 13:21
German to English
+ ...
| There was none intended | Aug 14, 2014 |
Christophe Delaunay wrote:
@ Woodstock and José
especially when I spot more than 10 mistakes in 5 basic sentences.
And btw, I haven't seen any trace of disrespect. Just two people airing their opinions really.
It is unfortunate that our discussion was apparently misunderstood. But yes, honesty is best. As José pointed out, knowing your strengths and using them is at least half of the game; the other half is being realistic about what you can or can't do. A very good command of two (or more) languages is the bare minimum requirement from which to even start thinking about building a career as a language services professional.
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