Subbing Tutorial
Hi, everyone! I thought it might be helpful to share a simple subbing tutorial based on my experience creating English subtitles in case anyone's interested! The entire process can be completed by a single person, although dividing it amongst a team can be lots of fun and can help lighten the workload as well! Here is an overview of the main parts:
OVERVIEW:
1. Raw Video
2. Translation
3. Timing
4. Typesetting, optional
5. Encoding (i.e. hardsubs), optional
6. Uploading
In my opinion, downloading the raw video file, encoding, and uploading can all be done quite easily, so these roles are well-suited for those that would love to contribute, but might not speak Japanese or aren't very tech savvy. And if you understand Japanese and can type, that's basically all that's needed to translate.
I also want to mention that you'll have a completed soft subtitle file (i.e. softsub) ready to be uploaded and shared after the timing stage, so typesetting and encoding (i.e. hardsub) are both optional. The translation, timing, and typesetting parts can technically be done at the same time, but I'm going to break them down individually just so everyone can have a more well-rounded understanding of all the parts. Let's get started!
1. RAW VIDEO
A raw video is just the original Japanese video without any subtitles or editing on it, and we need to first download the raw video in order to create subtitles for it. There are many ways to find raw videos, and from my experience, the best ones are provided by other members of the community. It's always best to check their rules and ask for permission before using, and of course to leave a big gesture of gratitude after. Also, the higher the quality of the video, the better!
Each subtitle file is programmed for a specific raw video file, so the reason why you might not be able to use the same softsub file on different videos is because the subtitles might've been programmed for a different video with different duration, aspect ratio, resolution, or other factors, that might not match the timing or placement of the subtitles.
2. TRANSLATION
This is probably the most straightforward step, which is to type out the translation script line by line into a text document. Here is an example of how the translation text document for English subtitles might look:
Narrator: The boys arrive at 9:00am.
Yamada: Should we go inside?
C: Famous Restaurant in Tokyo
Inoo: It looks so nice inside!
JUMP: Wow!
STEPS:
- Open up a text document for typing the translation script line by line
- Add labels at the beginning of every line, followed by a colon (e.g. "Narrator:" or "Yamada:" or "C:" for non-audible captions/on-screen graphics)
- Check for typos, grammatical errors, and delete extra spaces
- Make sure all labels are consistent because every spelling variation will be recognized as a separate speaker (e.g. "Yamada:, yamada:, Yama:, Ryo:, ryosuke:" should all be changed to "Yamada:" otherwise they will be recognized as 5 different speakers!)
- And the optional step is to save the translation document as a .TXT file, but save it however you like if you're not sure how. You can use TextEdit if you're on a Mac, and use the shortcut, Command-Shift-T to convert the file into a .TXT document (i.e. plain text file)
Like I mentioned before, it's totally possible to translate at the same time while timing and typesetting, especially if you're not sure how to save a .TXT file (i.e. plain text file), though I personally find it more efficient for my workflow to use a word processor first, then import the .TXT file into the subtitle editing application for timing and typesetting.
3. TIMING
Timing means that we'll be setting timeframes that determine when and for how long each line of the subtitle script will appear in the video. Timing and typesetting require a bit more work, but are actually fairly simple to do when you use a subtitle editing application like Aegisub, which is what I will be explaining. You'll have a completed softsub file (.ASS extension) at the end of the timing stage that you can turn on and off while playing the video. (Softsubs are also called "closed captions.")
STEPS:
- Download, install, and open Aegisub, and make sure your translation document is in a .TXT format
- Open the translation .TXT file from the File menu in Aegisub, and in the “Text Import Options” window, make sure a colon (:) is in the “Actor Separator” field and click “OK.” Your .TXT file will automatically be converted into an .ASS subtitle file (i.e. softsubs) at this point, and all speakers and captions will be listed in the "Actor" dropdown menu
- Open or drag and drop the raw video file into Aegisub, which will reveal the “Video Box” and “Audio Box,” then click "Save Subtitles as..." in the File menu, and save your project. Here's an example of what Aegisub looks like at this point:
We'll be working mainly in the "Audio Box" to time our translations, and using the visible audio waves as a guide.
STEPS, continued:
- Select a line from the script that you would like to time, and move to the Audio Box. You should see a red bracket, which sets the start time of the selected line, and a blue bracket that sets the end time. Click and drag the brackets to adjust the selection, and press the play button underneath to preview the audio (keyboard shortcut "s"). You can also type times in manually, and listen to the last portion of the selection by using the keyboard shortcut "d"
- Use the keyboard shortcut "g" to move on to the next line, and repeat (g, s, adjust start/end, d, and repeat… g, s, start/end, d, g, repeat...)
- Use the “f” and “a” keys to scroll back and forth along the Audio Box
- Splitting a long line into two or more lines can also improve readability, which you can do by right clicking the line that you’d like to divide, select “Insert (after)” to add a blank line, and cut and paste the portion of text into the new line. Then, assign the appropriate actor to your new line. Here's what that looks like:
STEPS, last:
- Use the video box as a guide when timing non-audible captions and on-screen graphics. I like to match the timing as close to the video as possible by clicking on the slider directly below the video, and using the right and left arrow keys to find the exact time
- Remember to save your work frequently, and you'll have a completed soft subtitle file (.ASS extension) that's ready to be uploaded and shared!
It's also important to note that different video applications and online video streaming platforms might not support .ASS files, so you may need to convert the .ASS subtitle file to an .SRT file for uploading on sites like YouTube, so double-check and see what file formats are supported depending on your use. Check out Aegisub's manual for more info!
4. TYPESETTING, optional
Typesetting is basically formatting the visual appearance of the subtitle script, which includes sizing, colors, fonts, placement, effects, and all kinds of other fun stuff. This is completely optional and if you do decide to take the time to typeset, all of the customizations will be saved on the softsub file.
STEPS:
- After opening the raw video and the translation .TXT file from the File menu in Aegisub, open the "Styles Manager" from the "Subtitle" menu. We can customize fonts, sizes, colors, and other typographic effects from here, and this is how the Styles Manager window from my computer looks like:
STEPS, continued:
- Click on "New" under the "Current Script" column to create a new style for an actor, and click "Edit" to customize the typesettings. It's customary to assign member colors to the corresponding JE member, and you can also save styles into the "Storage" column for future use. The rule of thumb for typesetting is choosing fonts and styles that you think will be easiest to read for the viewer, while remaining respectful to the original source. "Close" the Styles Manager when you're done
- Select the line of script you would like to typeset, make sure a timeframe is set, then choose a style from the Actor dropdown menu, and you should see your text effect applied on the subtitle. You can preview how the effect looks in the video, and make edits accordingly
- On-screen captions and graphics usually have more unique styles, so you may want to customize them individually by clicking the "Edit" button next to the Actor dropdown menu. Aegisub has different codes that you can add to the selected script line to customize its appearance, and you can use Aegisub's manual for more guidance. You might notice that the original video has a few repeating on-screen caption styles, so that's when you might want to add a new style into the Current Script in the Styles Manager, so you can have it on hand and just make minor adjustments when needed. Here are some style code examples:
DIFFERENT COLORED TEXT EXAMPLE:
{\c&H0000FF&\fs70}H{\c&H3399FF&}I{\c&H00CCCC&}G{\c&H00CC66&}H {\c&H009900&}J{\c&HFFCC66&}U{\c&HCC6600&}M{\c&HFF99CC&}P{\c&HCC99FF&}!
3-LINE STUDIO COMMENTARY EXAMPLE:
{\pos(1070,320)} The owners\Nare such\Nnice people!
TEXT FADE EFFECT EXAMPLE:
{\fad(500,500)} Itadaki High JUMP!
ON-SCREEN TEXT GRAPHIC/CAPTION EXAMPLE:
{\fad(200,0)\pos(925,460)\frz4.425\fs40\c&H1C35B1&\3c&HFFFFFF&\3a&H00&}Experienced Food Commentator!
STEPS, last:
- Remember to save your work frequently, and you'll have a completed soft subtitle file (.ASS extension) customized with typesettings that's ready to be uploaded and shared!
Subbing teams will often use the same fonts, colors, or add logos throughout all of their projects to set a standard look or style, so I'll usually start customizing a few of the typesettings for logos and actors before timing if that's the case. You'll also want to make sure the encoder has a copy of all of the font styles just to help make their process a bit easier.
5. ENCODING (i.e. hardsubs), optional
Encoding is completely optional, and is the process that permanently attaches the soft subtitle file (i.e. softsubs) onto the raw video, and becomes a hardcoded subtitle (i.e. hardsubbed) video. This means that the original pixels on the raw video are replaced by the subtitles, and you won't be able to view what's underneath the subtitles. If you want subtitles that you can turn on and off while keeping the original raw video in tact, you will just need the softsub file, which was completed during timing and typesetting (also optional) stages.
Encoding is probably the easiest step next to downloading the raw file, and great for beginners or volunteers looking for a more passive role. It takes about 30 seconds to make selections, and the encoding application will run the process to completion. I believe most PC users use Avidemux, but their font options were limited for Macs when I tried it years ago, so I found using a combination of MKVToolNix and HandBrake to be the best for my system, which I will be explaining next with lots of images for reference:
STEPS:
- Download MKVToolNix and HandBrake. Open MKVToolNix, and drag and drop your raw video file into the Input Source Files box:
MKVToolNix is a tool that allows you to edit and create MKV files, and what’s great about MKV files is that it’s a container that can bind videos with their audio, graphics, and most importantly subtitles, in one neat little package. That’s why when you play MKV videos, sometimes you have the option of turning on subtitles even when you didn’t download a separate subtitle file.
STEPS, continued:
- Next, drag and drop your soft subtitles file into the Input Source Files box. The "Adding or appending files" window will come up and select the first option “Add as new source files to the current multiplex settings”
- Click to select the subtitles track and the “General Options” sidebar will appear. Change the language to “English,” or whichever language your subtitles are in:
STEPS, continued:
- Select your file destination and click “Start multiplexing." You'll see an MKV file added to your file destination
- Next, open HandBrake and open the .MKV file, which you can also access by clicking on the “Open Source” button. We will be converting the .MKV file into an .MP4 format, so if the original raw video file is an .MP4, you may want to either choose a different file destination or change the file name just so that the new .MP4 won’t be confused with the original raw file
- There are lots of options you can change under the "Video" specs, but just to keep things simple, select “Constant Framerate” and select “Average Bitrate.” The Average Bitrate should match the original raw video’s bitrate, which you can find in the file details or if you open it in any media player’s video details. You can also just enter 3000kbps as a good comparable average for HD videos without compromising much of the quality:
HandBrake is a video transcoder, which means that you can use it to convert your video into different formats, alter the file size, edit the resolution, and a myriad of other superpowers that come in handy during encoding. So since we made an MKV file with an .ASS subtitle file attached to it in MKVToolNix, we can use HandBrake to burn the subs in permanently while compressing the file size at the same time!
STEPS, continued:
- Click on the Subtitles configurations, and select the subtitles track where you should see the English subtitles that we added to our .MKV file in the dropdown menu:
STEPS, last:
- Click on the Start button to start encoding! After about 15 minutes, the .MP4 file will save in the destination you chose with hardcoded subtitles, and if the file is too large, just tweak the video settings like lowering the average bitrate to 2500kbps to 1000kbps without compromising too much of the quality, which is a common standard for 720p videos. You can also consider changing the framerate to 29 fps, but this isn’t recommended because it can cause the video to seem choppy and can cause complications if you’re attaching multiple video files
And that's how hardsubbed videos are made!
6. UPLOADING
This might be pretty self-explanatory, but now that we have all of our subtitles made and video files ready, we just have to upload them for sharing! There are many file sharing options available out there, like Google Drive, MEGA, and MediaFire, which require opening an account to use their data storage services, and they'll provide a link for sharing that you can then post to the social media outlet of your choice. Data storage is usually limited for free accounts, so you might have to create a new free account or pay for extra storage space.
And that's pretty much all there is to it!
Everyone is welcome to copy and post all of the contents to your personal blogs and communities to use as you wish, no need to ask, credit, or thank (I actually prefer to not be credited!), and please don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions or feedback or resources that you'd like to contribute. I'd love to help out as much as I can, so just take it all and share it to your heart's content so that we can all help spread the awesomeness that is the wonderful world of Johnny's!