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Editing Existing Subtitle Files

Hal9000

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I'm on FCP7 and am interested in editing the existing subtitle files from my project's BluRay source to sync with my edit. Take my Star Wars Ep1 edit for example. I'd like to take the English subtitle track and edit it to match my edit, including typing new subtitles for the deleted scenes I used. After that's done, ideally it'd be possible to "reconnect media" to point my finished work toward an alternate language track. Suddenly I'd end up with a Spanish version of the subtitles synced to the edit, and merely need to translate and modify the deleted scenes.
Has anyone done this before, and could offer the procedure? I'm not willing to generate new subtitles for the films from scratch, let alone for multiple languages, but I'd be okay merely modifying existing subs and transferring my progress onto other languages.
 

Kal-El

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Subbed. Been looking for a great (preferably free) subtitler that doesn't take a math wiz to use...
Media Subtitler for Windows is awesome and super easy but a Mac Alternative seems non-exsistent.
 

Hal9000

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And a method for doing the bulk of the work for multiple languages at once would be the kilt feature.
 

Vultural

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The cheap and nasty technique.

Convert your best possible subs into an .srt file.
Open in Notepad - Control A - Copy
Paste into Google Translate -
Select output language.
Control A your translated text - Save to new Notepad.
Rename the .txt extension .srt.
Timings will be fine, though the translated dialogue is going to be off.
Very off.
A native speaker will have to go through your .srt line by line.

I have recently done this for S01 MOZU, and just finished S02 MOZU.

For tweaking timings, I prefer Subtitle Edit 3.3.4.
It is open source, free, and the preferred tool at Addic7ed.
It will also convert multiple formats.
 

Hal9000

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Makes sense. No way for an app to take one file with identical times as the original source and apply all changed made to it as well? Similar to "reconnect media" I FCP?
 

Vultural

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I think you will be able to add as many translated files as you want.
Probably convert the lot to SUB/IDX.
I have not done this myself, but I know there were a couple FE edits with multiple subtitles.
Cannot think of who off the top of my head, but I am sure someone will weigh in later.
 

Hal9000

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Hopefully. Thanks for the advice.
 

Kal-El

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[MENTION=17386]Vultural[/MENTION] timings would be fine for a full length feature, but how would you go around that after having finished your edit?
 

Hal9000

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I'm not sure what you're asking. What I'm wondering is whether I could take an existing subtitle file (English, straight from the bluray source), make time code changes to it, and then apply all those changes to a different subtitle file (another language track straight from blu ray.
 

Vultural

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I think you are fine.
The heavy work is the actual timing and initial subbing.
Once you have proper timestamps and subtitles that match, that's most of it.
Mind you, I do not like over-literal subtitles, nor do I like hearing impaired.
When I converted MOZU .ass subs to .srt, I was upfront about streamlining the dialogue.
Where a character actually said, "I will definitely be helping you," I trimmed to, "I will help you."

Below is an example of what I mentioned earlier, using translate Google.
Eight lines of dialogue. English - Spanish - French - German.
Apologies for the length.

English (translated from Japanese)

1
00:00:03,570 --> 00:00:06,570
What we're looking at,

2
00:00:06,570 --> 00:00:10,260
are fragments of the truth.

3
00:00:10,390 --> 00:00:13,990
What you've been told
is far from the truth.

4
00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:20,000
I only want to know
the absolute truth.

5
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,300
I've had enough and seen my limit of...

6
00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:27,400
the distorted truth.

7
00:00:30,140 --> 00:00:32,380
Two deceased persons were
found at Ground Zero.

8
00:00:32,380 --> 00:00:35,220
The first victim was Kuraki Chihiro,
35 years old, former PSB officer.

====================================

Translate (Spanish)

1
00: 00: 03,570 -> 00: 00: 06,570
Lo que estamos viendo,

2
00: 00: 06,570 -> 00: 00: 10,260
son fragmentos de la verdad.

3
00: 00: 10,390 -> 00: 00: 13,990
¿Qué le han dicho
está lejos de la verdad.

4
00: 00: 15,400 -> 00: 00: 20,000
Yo sólo quiero saber
la verdad absoluta.

5
00: 00: 22,200 -> 00: 00: 25,300
Ya he tenido suficiente y he visto mi límite de ...

6
00: 00: 25,720 -> 00: 00: 27,400
la verdad distorsionada.

7
00: 00: 30,140 -> 00: 00: 32,380
Dos personas fallecidas eran
encontrado en la Zona Cero.

8
00: 00: 32,380 -> 00: 00: 35,220
La primera víctima fue Kuraki Chihiro,
35 años de edad, ex oficial de PSB.

================================

Translate (French)

1
00: 00: 03 570 -> 00: 00: 06 570
Ce que nous cherchons à,

2
00: 00: 06 570 -> 00: 00: 10 260
sont des fragments de la vérité.

3
00: 00: 10 390 -> 00: 00: 13 990
Qu'est-ce que vous avez été dit
est loin de la vérité.

4
00: 00: 15 400 -> 00: 00: 20 000
Je veux seulement savoir
la vérité absolue.

5
00: 00: 22 200 -> 00: 00: 25 300
J'ai eu assez et j'ai vu ma limite de ...

6
00: 00: 25 720 -> 00: 00: 27 400
la vérité déformée.

7
00: 00: 30 140 -> 00: 00: 32 380
Deux personnes décédées étaient
trouvé à Ground Zero.

8
00: 00: 32 380 -> 00: 00: 35 220
La première victime était Kuraki Chihiro,
35 ans, ancien agent du PSB.

==================================

Translate (German)

1
00: 00: 03570 -> 00: 00: 06570
Was wir auf der Suche,

2
00: 00: 06570 -> 00: 00: 10.260
Fragmente der Wahrheit.

3
00: 00: 10.390 -> 00: 00: 13.990
Was Sie gesagt haben,
ist weit von der Wahrheit.

4
00: 00: 15.400 -> 00: 00: 20.000
Ich möchte nur wissen,
die absolute Wahrheit.

5
00: 00: 22200 -> 00: 00: 25.300
Ich habe genug gesehen und mein Limit von ...

6
00: 00: 25.720 -> 00: 00: 27.400
die verzerrte Wahrheit.

7
00: 00: 30140 -> 00: 00: 32.380
Zwei verstorbenen Personen waren
am Ground Zero gefunden.

8
00: 00: 32.380 -> 00: 00: 35.220
Das erste Opfer war Kuraki Chihiro,
35 Jahre alt, ehemaliger PSB-Offizier.
 

Hal9000

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I understand what you're saying. What I'm wondering is if I can apply my work to the English subs to the existing alternate language subs, so I don't end up with a sketchy translation.
 

Vultural

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For actual translating, native speakers would be best.

Translate Google does a half-assed job, but it does translate and keeps timings.
A native speaker could smooth out errors.
Typical problems I find are tense and syntax.

Are you wanting to provide subtitles for the entire film or just specific scenes?
 

TV's Frink

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Vultural said:
Apologies for the length.

Perfect time to use spoiler tags.

JEDIT: Also, that's what he said.
 

Kal-El

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[MENTION=8536]Hal9000[/MENTION] [MENTION=17386]Vultural[/MENTION] but what about timestamps? If you have a subtitle file taken from the Blu-Ray and simply translate that, then you're fine. But if you take them off, then translate them, because you intend to use them for your fanedit, then how would you change the timestamps? Would you rely on timestamps in your NLE? Doesn't sound like a fit.

That was my follow-up question on OP's.
 

Hal9000

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Sounds like Vultural was suggesting syncing the English subs to your finished edit, then translating that. The downside is less than stellar alternate language subs.
 

Vultural

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Alas, I don't know of any software that will automatically create timestamps for you.
The editor has to do that line by line. I believe Agent 9 did so for his Prometheus cut.
There are French speakers here (TMBTM?), and I recall INH5 gave a shout for German help.
Going through an .srt line by line - best guess - will take about an hour, fixing problems.

FAQ on Sub-Edit.net (the forum for Addic7ed) on how to create/edit subs.
http://www.sub-talk.net/forum/13-faq-tutorials/
 

ssj

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Hal9000 said:
I'm not sure what you're asking. What I'm wondering is whether I could take an existing subtitle file (English, straight from the bluray source), make time code changes to it, and then apply all those changes to a different subtitle file (another language track straight from blu ray.

i think i understand what you're asking. it will involve some manual labor; i don't know of any way to automate the process.

first of all, make changes to your english .srt/.ssa/.ass file (whatever format you're using), which will likely involve deletions and other rearrangements down to the precise frame or centisecond—which you should keep precise track of while editing the rest of the movie; i recommend a spreadsheet for this task. for example, if you delete 2.34 seconds of video from a scene, you should also time shift the subs by 2.34 seconds in the appropriate spot in the subtitle file.

then you can do one of two things:
1) using your precise cut list, manually make the same time-coded deletions/adjustments to the other languages' subtitle files, or
2) duplicate the english subtitle file, and import the non-english subs one by one to replace the english subs.

the latter method seems to be the more labor-intensive, so i'd go with the former method.

hope this kind of/sort of answers your Q, dude.
 

Hal9000

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Yeah, I follow you. I'm probably not going to do that, but that will likely be helpful to someone who wants to try.
 
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