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Creating international textless elements
Hello,
I have always wondered about the logic and procedures behind the creation of “international” versions of programs, particularly when it comes to providing a broadcaster with a “textless” show (in other words a show where all of the titles and graphics have been removed so that the international broadcaster can put in their own titles or graphics in their own language). Perhaps someone here is familiar with the process and can shed some light on the subject for me.
First, Im wondering how anyone who has does this goes about assembling the textless elements at the end of the tape? How much footage (handles) to give them? Is one second on either side of a graphic enough? What if there are dissolves in and out of the shot that has a graphic? Will the editor on the other end be match cutting the textless footage back into the show? It seems like a lot of work. Wouldnt it be simpler to just give them the whole show without any graphics?
Are there any standards here or is each broadcaster unique?
Hopefully someone here has been through this process and can answer my questions.
Thanks,
Sterling
Sterling Noren
Owner/Writer/Producer/Editor
WideWorld HD Productions
Seattle, WA -
5 Replies
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Sterling,
You are absolutely correct… a complete “textless” version is, in my opinion, a much more logical, efficient process.
Most of the delivery requirements that I see ask for a completely separate tape… however some distributors still want “textless elements” at end. I think this method is very “old school”, carried over from the days where shows were mostly “cuts” and you could just insert in and out the few chyrons needed. Today, we’ve done shows where it’s nearly impossible to find a “clean cut” anywhere.
Therefore, the “entire tape textless” makes much more sense.
If your project is highly complex graphically, then I’d suggest you speak with your international distributor and suggest the “entire tape” method.
While you’re at it, get a clear definition on how they want to handle the “aspect ratio” conversions. This can really impact your graphics.
Good luck.
Mark
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When I have to do textless shots at the end I do Zero frame handles. Handles in this case will only confuse or slow down someone who has to drop those clips back in cut to cut. And unless you blow off an effect or a color correction there will be no video mismatch what so ever. When dissolves are involved the clip I extract is from the first frame after the dissolve in to first frame after the next dissolve. This is the best place to hide a discrepancy if there was one.
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I too prefer full textless for delivery but I guess what I like isn’t the important thing!
Check with the network you’re delivering to … many already specify that they require a full clean textless version, not textless elements, and you could fail QC due to supplying the wrong deliverables.
If and when creating textless elements always find the closest cut in vision before and after the texted element. Never just cut into or out of a shot halfway through, always find a clean cut. -
All the textless versions of shows we’ve delivered are the exact same show, just with the text elements removed. There’s no difference other than that and these are delivered as a separate master, not on the same tape as the full master.
All I do is duplicate the timeline, strip off all the graphics and lay off to tape.
Some broadcasters don’t require the textless masters and those that do have all the specs listed in their technical documents. You’ll need that because it doesn’t matter what we suggest up here on the forums, you must deliver exactly what their specs tell you no matter how arcane it might sound.
We had one international network insist that we deliver all audio to peak at no higher than -16db. That was insanely low and my audio designer couldn’t believe it, but that’s what they wanted so we delivered it.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!
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>We had one international network insist that we deliver all audio to peak at no higher than -16db.
Yep, and bizarrely 2 years on that same network is still asking for delivery at -16db … strange but true. I had a couple of beers with the transmission manager recently and he agreed wholeheartedly that it was stupid. Inertia 🙁
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