תרגום כאמנות וכעסק » Subtitling »
Style guide of subtitling
מפרסם התגובה: pedro2121
pedro2121
pedro2121
ברזיל
Local time: 11:05
מאנגלית לפורטוגזית
Oct 14

Netflix says there must be 17 characters per second, and each line must have a maximum of 42 characters. Is it a big mistake if I use 18, 19, or 20 characters per second? And what if I use 43 characters per line? Do they accept this type of “error”?

This is in Portuguese, but I’m open to responses from subtitlers in any language.
 
Novian Cahyadi
Novian Cahyadi  Identity Verified
אינדונזיה
Local time: 22:05
חבר (Apr 2024)
מאנגלית לאינדונזית
CPS and CPL Constraints Oct 15

I forgot where I read this, but you can have up to 10% of the total subtitle events to be 17.1 to 20.0 or 21.0 CPS (character per second). I'll look it up later.

As with the CPL (character per line) limit, it's a hard cap. For most Latin alphabet languages, I don't think I've seen an instance when each line of your subtitles is allowed to be any longer than 42 characters. That said, even if your subtitle is at or below 42 CPL, it's still going to be considered as an error if the tex... See more
I forgot where I read this, but you can have up to 10% of the total subtitle events to be 17.1 to 20.0 or 21.0 CPS (character per second). I'll look it up later.

As with the CPL (character per line) limit, it's a hard cap. For most Latin alphabet languages, I don't think I've seen an instance when each line of your subtitles is allowed to be any longer than 42 characters. That said, even if your subtitle is at or below 42 CPL, it's still going to be considered as an error if the text looks verbose.

[Edited at 2024-10-15 04:31 GMT] ▲ Collapse


Marie-France Phaneuf
 
Marie-France Phaneuf
Marie-France Phaneuf  Identity Verified
גרמניה
Local time: 16:05
חבר (2022)
מאנגלית לצרפתית
+ ...
Amazon VS Netflix Oct 15

Novian Cahyadi wrote:

I forgot where I read this, but you can have up to 10% of the total subtitle events to be 17.1 to 20.0 or 21.0 CPS (character per second).


I know this is the rule with Amazon, but it might also be with Netflix. 17 is the goal, but it's not always possible.
Until 20 CPS it's still comfortable to read.

No way you can have more than 42c per line or more than 2 lines.

As a subtitler, your role is to convey the essence of the text while making it easier to read (shorter). Don't be afraid to cut off all filling words and to rephrase. This is one of the reason why AI is not good at subtitling yet.
 
Novian Cahyadi
Novian Cahyadi  Identity Verified
אינדונזיה
Local time: 22:05
חבר (Apr 2024)
מאנגלית לאינדונזית
Couldn't Find It Oct 15

I skimmed through my archive, and I couldn't find the piece that would support my argument. It is 10:47 PM here, and I don't feel like staying up so late to check each document I have. Very unprofessional, I know. lul

The AVTpro certification program echoes this leniency, as you can see here. Although, 19.0 is the absolute maximum for Brazilian Portuguese.

IMHO, the most prudent thing to do is asking your project manager, whether you may go above 17.0. If that's not allowed, there are a few techniques you can try. Of course, most of these are only possible if you were not prohibited from modifying the master template.

Marie-France Phaneuf wrote:
Until 20 CPS it's still comfortable to read.


I would've agreed with you 2 years ago. But since I hang out with people over 60 nowadays (don't ask, please), I can't share the same opinion anymore. A lady told me that she was having a hard time trying to keep up with the subtitles. And those were supposed to be adhering to Netflix's so-called gold standards. I've been passively advocating several improvements on this matter. Heck, I even prodded Prof. Jorge about it. But I suppose I'm too much of a nobody to have my voice being heard. Oh, well…

[Edited at 2024-10-16 03:27 GMT]
 
pedro2121
pedro2121
ברזיל
Local time: 11:05
מאנגלית לפורטוגזית
TOPIC STARTER
. Oct 17

Thank you so much!
 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

מנהלי פורום זה
Maya Gorgoshidze[Call to this topic]
Özgür Salman[Call to this topic]
Andriy Bublikov[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Style guide of subtitling







Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »
Pastey
Your smart companion app

Pastey is an innovative desktop application that bridges the gap between human expertise and artificial intelligence. With intuitive keyboard shortcuts, Pastey transforms your source text into AI-powered draft translations.

Find out more »