Automatic Title/Subtitle Creation Survey

[Chris Poisson]

Well,

Your method sounds interesting, we use DH Subtitle, absolutely great tool.

Have a wonderful day.

[Matt Gerard]

Yes, that wouldinterest me, we are starting to do alot of translations for our videos, and are putting together some killer pricing on adding non-english subtitles to new and old videos. So anything to ease the workflow would be greatly appreciated. We currently have a workflow, but it is a bit arcane-

1. Drop markers into timeline to indicate start/stop of subtitles-
2. Export XML of sequence
3. Extract marker data with a a little application (can’t recall the name of it right now)
4. Paste the marker data (name, in and out TC’s) into an excel spreadsheet
5. Copy/Paste English text from script into corresponding cell in spreadsheet
6. send off to translator who fills in the cell next to the english with other language translation
7. Delete English column
8. Save as tab deliminated text file
9. Search/Replace with commas, save with .stl extension
10. Import compressed video (with embedded markers) into DVDSP
11. Import STL into track and see if subtitles line up with markers.
12. Repeat for next language.

Whew!! This is what I came up with without purchasing any other software, which I might just to ease my pain!!!!

I am open to suggestions with this workflow, but I am interested in yours and that might save me a couple of steps.

Matt

Its more fun to ride a slow motorcycle fast than a fast motorcycle slow…

[Brandt Krueger]

That’s an interesting one, Matt. Seems like there should be some way to streamline that up a bit. My current direction winds up with the titles being re-imported and rendered in FCP, while it sounds like you’re actually using the proper subtitle channels on the DVD.

Tell you what, though, when I’m done sorting out my own particular problems, I’ll put some thought into it.

Anyone else?

[Matt Gerard]

Yes, I am using the “Proper Subtitle” thingies in DVDSP. Its basically a cheaper way than having to do 8 voiceovers in different languages. It works pretty slick, because with the markers that get imported into dvdsp with the video, you can check to make sure that the subtitle start/end in the DVDSP timeline lines up with the markers, which came from FCP. Good way to ensure that everything is lining up before the final goes out.

I’d be interested in hearing your take on it, or anyone else’s. We are having big demand for this for several of our clients (especially with videos already completed!!) so, any way to make it easier for me (selfish, ain’t I?) the better!!!!

MAtt

Its more fun to ride a slow motorcycle fast than a fast motorcycle slow…

[Matt Gerard]

Just bumping this thread, I am starting my first big subtitle job here next week, will be english and Spanish audio track,s and 16 additional subtitled languages.

Just seeing if there was anything that came out of this discussion beyond what is here. I think that I have my workflow hammered out, so the hard work will be done by the translation company.

See my other post about how to change the marker type in batches. My sequnces will have lots of markers, and having to change each one manually to a dvd chapter marker will be painful. If there is another way to do it, I would like to know!!!

Thanks!

Matt

Its more fun to ride a slow motorcycle fast than a fast motorcycle slow…

[Caleb Torres]

I am new to macs and am desperately need to learn how to import excel subtitle files into DVD SP. I opened the file in “numbers” and in “pages” and saved them but was unable to import them into DVD SP. Can anyone help? I’ve read somewhere that the files need to be converted into .slt files. If so, which software can save as .slt?

Thanks for any help you can offer

Caleb

[Matt Gerard]

I hear you, but unfortunatly there doesn’t seem to be much out there for what we want to do. All the subtitlers out there either render your subtitles to the video track, or are setup for spotting titles, as in you have to manually type them in while you mark the ins and outs. Now, granted, I haven’t spent much time actually learning to use some other apps properly, but call me impatient, if I can’t figure out how to make the app do what I need it to after 2 hours of messing with it, I drop it. Especially if the documentation is scarce, which it always seems to be. I am using a modified version of the workflow that I posted above. Its a little trickey and has some gotcha’s in it if you do things out of order, so I’m reluctant to expound on it right now. I’m still looking for a better way to do it.

I would suggest to find a subtitle program that you can ‘spot” titles, and work with that and really take the time to figure it out, and use that.

FYI, an .stl file is just a text file with specific formatting. If you “SAVE AS” from numbers or excel a tab deliminated text file, (not a CSV, can’t recall why, but it doesn’t work), open it with a text editor and do a search and replace the TABS (double click and copy the tab from the document into the FIND field of the replace tool, if you just hit tab int he FIND field it will bump the cursor to the next field) with a SPACE then a COMMA then a SPACE (makes the formatting easier to read with the spaces) and replace all. –

Here is a copy/paste from one of my properly formatted stl files-

$FontName = Arial
$FontSize = 21
$Offset = -21

01:00:00;00 , 01:00:29;08 The TC indicates the start and stop of the subtitle
01:00:29;08 , 01:00:37;29 , ONSCREEN SUBTITLE TEXT HERE

Hope I haven’t confused you, good luck-

matt

Its more fun to ride a slow motorcycle fast than a fast motorcycle slow…

[Xi Mu]

“Extract marker data with a a little application (can’t recall the name of it right now) ”

Hi, I’m facing semilar sequence of workflow, but subtitles are created using title files in premiere, anyway to extract the time start and end points out? we’re generating the file manually, which I think is a wasting of time….

thanks in advance for any tips

[Antony Brand]

3. Extract marker data with a a little application (can’t recall the name of it right now)

Hi Matt

Could you rembember the name of the little application please. It could save me half a day I’m sure.

Antony

[Matt Gerard]

https://www.spherico.de/filmtools/readXML/index.html

It takes some working to get it to do what you want, but it worked great for me. But now that you can export sequence markers directly from FCP to a tab delimited text file now, I no longer need it. I opened up the app, but got a whole list of Applescript errors. I was running it fine on 10.5, but now on 10.6 I don’t think it will work properly. You can certainly give it a try, though.

Good luck! I’ve found other xml readers out there for extracting marker data as well, the other one, which is not free is call oxygen.

https://www.oxygenxml.com/

it will read the XML layout and present it in a table based display where you can then manipulate the data in a column/row environment. Worked pretty slick to prep some subtitles for web based flash player.

Matt

Its more fun to ride a slow motorcycle fast than a fast motorcycle slow…