As you can imagine, as a closed-captioning and subtitling company, we work hand-in-hand with DVD authoring houses and individual DVD authoring people.  When we deliver our clients subtitle files for DVD Studio Pro (typically an .stl directory file with .tif images or a stand-alone .stl file), there are sometimes discrepancies with time code making DVD Studio Pro reject the .stl file.  Then our client calls us for help and we usually walk through the issue, and often we actually test out the files with their video in our authoring system to see where the problem is originating.  After going through this troubleshooting process with our clients time and time again, we have found a solution that pretty much does the trick every time.  

Are you ready for it?

1. Open your project in DVD Studio Pro without the video.  In other words, remove your video from the project.

2. Import the subtitle file (.stl for example)

3. Import your video

Now you have something you can work with.

Please feel free to leave your comments or your experiences.

If this trick doesn’t work, call Aberdeen Captioning at 800-688-6621and we’ll be able to give you a hand troubleshooting your issue.

Most multi-national corporations either have their own production department or they outsource to post-production houses specializing in the creation of corporate training videos.  Usually each post-production house specializes in a sector, for example, retail or construction.

Commonly, these post-productions companies will outsource to a subtitling company to create the translated subtitles for their corporate training videos.  Subtitling companies specialize in subtitling multiple languages, even exotic and not-so common languages, that is often too much of a hassle for the post-production house to handle.

The complicated part about translating corporate training videos is, for one, the industry-specific jargon.  The translator will usually be provided with a company-specific lexicon for the given language.  For example, a product might have the name, “Super-duper AirTight Duffel” but in Japanese there is no product name.  The multinational corporation will need to decide whether they want to keep product names in English or if they want the translator to create equivalent names in their respective language.  It is common for large multinational corporations to have teams of translators in multiple countries who, among other things, dedicate themselves to these types of issues.  In this case, the subtitling company will use the clients’ translations to do the subtitling.

Creating DVD or Blu-ray Disc subtitles is not as simple as putting a translation into a software and spitting out files.  It takes adaptation for subtitles, timing and placement of the subtitles, as well as special subtitling software capable of exporting files for DVD or Blu-ray Disc, like specially formatted .stl files, .son files, .xml files, .txt files, .srt files to name a few.  These file types are often accompanied by .tif images.  These files are later ingested into the client’s or post-production house’s DVD or Blu-ray Disc authoring system and added to the DVD or Blu-ray Disc menu.

One thing I have learned from subtitling thousands of corporate training videos, is that when we are handling the translation, to always, without fail, get the translation and the subtitles proofed by the client.  What we tell the company’s international branches via translated subtitles is very crucial to the company’s bottom line abroad, and making a mistake with one sentence or even one word could compromise the progress of the overall training.  Successful translation and subtitling of corporate training videos comes down to having all the available lexicons from the client, a translator who specializes in the sector (retail, construction, hospitality, et cetera), a proofer who also specializes in the given sector, and a final client proof of the subtitles.

All in all, international companies have found the importance of creating video for training employees abroad, and with these videos the easiest and most cost-effective way to adapt the video for multiple countries at one time is by the addition of multi-language subtitles.

First off, to get the record straight, Blu-ray does not support closed captioning.  This is for a very logical reason: Subtitles can be turned on and off through the disc’s menu (just like an SD DVD), therefore there is no need to add the closed captioning option.  Consequently, BD does not carry Line 21 due to its High-Definition Multimedia Interface specs (HDMI).  These specs were designed to displace the older digital and analog standards.

Converting SD captions to HD subtitles

You have a DVD or any other standard def video that you are putting on Blu-ray Disc.  The SD version already contains closed captioning and you don’t want to have to pay or take the time to get it subtitled all over again.  Don’t worry, there is a solution.  Your closed captioning company (like Aberdeen!) can convert your old caption files to Blu-ray compatible subtitles for your authoring system.  Depending on how it was captioned there may need to be some reformatting.

Some Cool “Blu-ray” Features

The really nifty thing about Blu-ray subtitles as opposed to normal SD subtitles is that multiple layers can be created.  SD subtitles must have the same font type, font size and color throughout the entire program.  With BD (and with the right service provider with this capability), you can add up to six different colors, fonts, and sizes.   For example, to subtitle on-screen signs, you can subtitle them in the same font, color, and size that is different from the dialogue.  Maybe you want each character to speak in a different font and/or color.  This could help in the area of speaker identification.  It’s now possible to have all your sound effects stand out from dialogue as well.  The options are endless.  If you want them to, HD subtitles can turn your boring subtitles from straight text on the screen, to an artful masterpiece.

Files Type for Subtitling for Blu-ray

The file type used for Blu-ray subtitles is an xml based textual format along with pictures (jpg) of each subtitle, similar to the type of files that are sent to DVD authoring systems.  The xml file is considered the directory file that tells each subtitle picture when and where to be placed.

Copyright notice: 

© Joanna Scavo & Aberdeen Captioning, Inc. 2009.

This article can be freely reproduced under the following conditions:

a) that no economic benefit be gained from the reproduction

b) that all citations and reproductions carry a reference to this original publication on [online] http://www.abercap.com/blog

Without a doubt it is a remarkable, touching documentary.

I was blessed with the opportunity to translate this powerful testimony and I am certain it will greatly impact the people that get to see it the way it impacted us (I shared it with my wife) while working on it.

It made us realize once again the power and grace of our Omnipotent Lord. We truly believe God gave the old Everett and his family the grace and strength to keep on going after so many setbacks.  He just took up the cross and followed while others (as me) just stand by and see in awe.

Best regards,

Enrico

Aberdeen was blessed to work on this project because James-Kirk Johnson, the Executive Producer of the film and Director of Operations for Strong Tower Ministries, contacted us after discovering our company through mutual contacts.  Before we got involved in the project I visited one of James’ projects in Tijuana, Mexico, The Purple Palace, and was moved by the orphanage they had built and by the hearts of the children.  By working on this project and seeing other things their ministry is doing helped me realize how much I can do to contribute, and the many opportunities there are right in my own backyard.  Find out how you can help by visiting: strongtowerministries.info or hearingeverett.com

Ask yourself some questions: Is the first frame of video the same timecode on all video versions?  Does the first spoken word start at the same time code?  Does the last frame of video end at the same time code? Am I authoring in drop, non-drop, FILM, et cetera?  Pick one and stick with it for the entire project.  The standard time code for authoring systems is drop (29.97 fps) and I recommend that you use this from the onset of the process.  Your editing system may have a different default time code than your authoring system, so make sure they are the same.  Have any edits been made from the initial video you gave your captioning company?  Minor edits will affect the captioning or subtitling in a major way.

You may be wondering what the big deal is and why it isn’t simple for the captioning company to adjust.  It’s just simple trying to coordinate changes, especially if we don’t know what is differences are between files.  Sometimes it is an easy re-ripple of time code or a conversion from drop to non-drop time code.  Sometimes, the final videos are so different that the time spent re-sending new captioning and subtitle files can be as laborious as actually creating them in the first place.  The time it takes for the authoring person to re-render and check new files over and over again is time taken away from the final delivery of the authored DVD or Blu-ray Disc.

The bottom line is this—send your captioning company the real deal the first time around.

Copyright notice: 

© Joanna Scavo & Aberdeen Captioning, Inc. 2009.

This article can be freely reproduced under the following conditions:

a) that no economic benefit be gained from the reproduction

b) that all citations and reproductions carry a reference to this original publication on [online] http://www.abercap.com/blog

Here are the steps to follow to import a .scc into DVD Studio Pro: 

• Select Outline tab > Tracks folder > Track1 > Select Other tab (in Inspection window) > Select Choose > locate .scc file > Select Okay.

NOTE: Either field 1 or field 2 will be populated, but most likely not both.

• DVD Studio Pro > Preferences > Encoding > MPEG-2 SD > Select desired timecode in the start TC field > Check or uncheck the Drop frame box accordingly.

NOTE: You must let your captioning company know if your project is in Drop, Non Drop, FILM, PAL, et cetera.  Most captioning companies’ default time code is Drop frame.

• Highlight the actual video content/track on the timeline > Right click the timecode directly to the right of the yellow playhead and purple chapter marker > Select Zero-Based Timecode or Asset-Based Timecode.

NOTE:  I strongly recommended that all timecode options (there are many) be changed to zero-based, so that the captioning company can create a file that corresponds to these settings.  The captioning company will probably need to have the exact timecode of the first word spoken on the video so they can match their caption file to your project.

To view captions from your computer using DVD player:

• Open DVD Player > Preferences > Features > Closed Captions > On.

NOTE: I strongly recommend that you burn a closed captioned DVD and play it out of a DVD player, viewing it on a TV.  Viewing the captions from your computer will sometimes not play roll-up captions nor pop-on captions accurately, if at all.