90 min Film translation time estimate and rates and subtitle software search Thread poster: consuelo werner
|
|---|
Hello,
I am new to film translation. I have a person who would like to have me translate a 90 min film. she doesn't have transcripts yet so I asked for those.
How long it would take to do? I'm not sure how many words would a 90 min film have. I can do on average 1500-2000 words a day of translation.
Translation is from English to Spanish. Also she wants me to use software to place subtitles on the film.
If you know of any software it will be a... See more Hello,
I am new to film translation. I have a person who would like to have me translate a 90 min film. she doesn't have transcripts yet so I asked for those.
How long it would take to do? I'm not sure how many words would a 90 min film have. I can do on average 1500-2000 words a day of translation.
Translation is from English to Spanish. Also she wants me to use software to place subtitles on the film.
If you know of any software it will be appreciated. and lastly, how much do you charge?
Thanks,
Consuelo ▲ Collapse
| | | | Juan Jacob 
Mexico
Local time: 01:42
French to Spanish
+ ...
1.- You say "you are new". So, don't do it. It takes a long time to be a good subtitler and you need a mentor or a master...
2.- Without script, you must do it "be ear"... very difficult. If you are VERY good, 10 minutes = 1 hour work.
3.- No idea about fees: Where is the company based, where are you, want kind of material is it, etc.?
Good luck though.
[Editado a las 2015-05-07 18:28 GMT]
| | | | Juan Jacob
Mexico
Local time: 01:42
French to Spanish
+ ...
You ask, I answer.
No answer.
What's the point of your question?
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 09:42
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| It all depends | May 11, 2015 |
consuelo werner wrote:
How long it would take to do? I'm not sure how many words would a 90 min film have. I can do on average 1500-2000 words a day of translation.
Without a script it will take you much longer than if you had one, either in a document or on screen. The number of words per audio minute varies greatly. You can have 2 - 3 words in 1 AM or 200, if there are several characters speaking at the same time...which you have to figure out as well.
Be careful to use your avarage number of translated words as a basis for subtitling translation. There are many factors you need to consider before you can estimate how many words you can/could subtitle/translate per hour or day, e. g. is only one person speaking at a time? Do they speak slang? Are you familiar with the setting, the age group and its specific terminology?
If you have no experience with subtitling software, I'd recommend that you familiarize yourself with it first. You could take any film on the web and watch it while you're translating the dialogues or V. O.'s. Even a 5-minute sample suffices to give you an idea how many words you can translate, then add the time to burn the subtitles.
[Edited at 2015-05-11 17:53 GMT]
| | |
|
|
|
| Driving school with a Ferrari? | May 11, 2015 |
Consuelo, apparently it will be the first time ever you'll be doing something like this.
I have been translating video for dubbing since 1987, and for subtitling since 2004.
Statistically, after having accrued all this experience:
- It would take me 9 solid hours of work to translate it.
- Likewise, it would take me 2.5 ~ 3.0 solid hours of work to proofread, review, and time-spot.
- Burning the subtitles may vary a lot, depending on the hardware, software, a... See more Consuelo, apparently it will be the first time ever you'll be doing something like this.
I have been translating video for dubbing since 1987, and for subtitling since 2004.
Statistically, after having accrued all this experience:
- It would take me 9 solid hours of work to translate it.
- Likewise, it would take me 2.5 ~ 3.0 solid hours of work to proofread, review, and time-spot.
- Burning the subtitles may vary a lot, depending on the hardware, software, and picture size in pixels. Anyway, I can leave the computer doing it on its own overnight.
Wouldn't it be more sensible to get some practice with a 5 ~10 minutes video first?
Actually, a two-minute video will show you sooner what you are doing wrong, if anything. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Juan Jacob
Mexico
Local time: 01:42
French to Spanish
+ ...
| Right, but... | May 12, 2015 |
[/quote]
Without a script it will take you much longer than if you had one, either in a document or on screen. The number of words per audio minute varies greatly. You can have 2 - 3 words in 1 AM or 200, if there are several characters speaking at the same time...which you have to figure out as well.
[Edited at 2015-05-11 17:53 GMT] [/quote]
Having a 200 pages script or more, that is, the whole dialogue + shots + description + bla, bla, doesn't help in an... See more [/quote]
Without a script it will take you much longer than if you had one, either in a document or on screen. The number of words per audio minute varies greatly. You can have 2 - 3 words in 1 AM or 200, if there are several characters speaking at the same time...which you have to figure out as well.
[Edited at 2015-05-11 17:53 GMT] [/quote]
Having a 200 pages script or more, that is, the whole dialogue + shots + description + bla, bla, doesn't help in any way! I never look at them!
A well done spotting list... that's very usefull!
Script and spotting list are not the same thing, beware.
But, well... consuelo [sic] doesn't seem to be interested in our help. I'm out. Frustrating. ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Juan Jacob wrote:
Having a 200 pages script or more, that is, the whole dialogue + shots + description + bla, bla, doesn't help in any way! I never look at them!
I'd consider them helpful, and you too, if we had to subtitle this segment.
Juan Jacob wrote:
But, well... consuelo [sic] doesn't seem to be interested in our help. I'm out. Frustrating.
Giving her the benefit of the doubt, maybe she has by now discovered that subtitling is not so much fun as every outsider seems to think. It's hard work! Most of these outsiders wouldn't believe how many boring, lousy, disgusting, dreadful or otherwise unpleasant videos also require subtitling. They fail to consider that we do it on movies clients hire us to do, not only the ones we'd like to watch.
| | | |
I apologize for the late reply. I was overseas, couldn't get a hold of a computer.
I should had been more specific. I have been a translator for 10 years. My expertise is medical and the nutrition field/science so I am well experienced with the language utilized in the video. In fact, my second job, is mainly what all the interviewers in the film will be talking about .
I have done a few translations on videos but they were all short (about 7 mins each) and mostly of... See more I apologize for the late reply. I was overseas, couldn't get a hold of a computer.
I should had been more specific. I have been a translator for 10 years. My expertise is medical and the nutrition field/science so I am well experienced with the language utilized in the video. In fact, my second job, is mainly what all the interviewers in the film will be talking about .
I have done a few translations on videos but they were all short (about 7 mins each) and mostly off the scripts/transcripts.
The filmaker just let me know that he only has access to captions. So I am considering using this to translate the film. My only concern was just time. I know I have to get it done in about 2 weeks, so if 10 min would take about an hour , knowing I'm already experienced with the terminology then this gives me peace of mind.
I've already translated an entire book, so I'm not looking at it from the boring side of it.
Again, thank you for your kind responses. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
| Nobody challenged your ability to translate | May 13, 2015 |
Did you notice this?
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
I have been translating video for dubbing since 1987, and for subtitling since 2004.
Ever wonder what kept me in one segment of the video translation market for almost 18 years without trespassing on the other?
No, IMO neither one is "more difficult" than the other, however both require deliberate learning. The toolkit is similar as far as translation goes, however the frame of mind required is quite different.
Since you'll be time-spotting and burning subtitles, for the technical part of it, you'll find much more answers than you need upon searching on http://www.videohelp.com . Quite frankly, that's where I learned half of what I know about the technical side of digital video; the other half came from experimenting with what I learned there.
Your safety net is having your filmmaker manually place the subtitles one by one on the video. I still can't believe it, but that's what some of my video producing clients do, when they ask me for the translation only. It's unanimous: all these clients use FinalCut on a Mac. As I use a PC, I wouldn't know what's the subtitle burning automation problem on a Mac.
Good luck!
| | | | | Again, this was all helpful | May 13, 2015 |
Looks like I won't be using software to place subtitles. Just using captions to translate. Thanks again for your answers. Fin of the thread.
| | | | Juan Jacob
Mexico
Local time: 01:42
French to Spanish
+ ...
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote: I'd consider them helpful, and you too, if we had to subtitle this segment.
Well, yes! Grzegorz Brzęczyszczykiewicz.
Good luck.
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » 90 min Film translation time estimate and rates and subtitle software search | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
| | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
