| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Subtitling rates and application test: reasonable? Thread poster: Alexandre Chetrite
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Hello,
I have an offer for subtitling, but it's the first time I would do that and I wonder if the rates and volume below are "reasonable" or not at all.
Do I have to use a specific software? Do you believe an application test of 60 subtitles is too much? Usually how many words can I count in a one minute runtime?
Any advice welcome.
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"Thank you for sending us your CV and for completing our ... See more Hello,
I have an offer for subtitling, but it's the first time I would do that and I wonder if the rates and volume below are "reasonable" or not at all.
Do I have to use a specific software? Do you believe an application test of 60 subtitles is too much? Usually how many words can I count in a one minute runtime?
Any advice welcome.
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"Thank you for sending us your CV and for completing our application form. Your experience and qualifications certainly make you an ideal candidate for the freelance translator position available at XXXXX. We would like, therefore, to further process your application.
Below, you will find the rates we offer for the two most common tasks:
* Translation: USD 2.25 per minute runtime
* Proof: USD 0.400 per minute runtime
Please confirm if you accept the above rates. Please do state ‘I confirm acceptance of tariff’.
For the next step, we would like to invite you to take our Proficiency Test.
This test consists of approximately 60 subtitles for you to translate from English to your native language.
You will have four continuous hours to complete the test. You may begin the test at any time between your 8:00 and 13:00 hours, Monday to Friday.
We ask you to perform this test live, from home. The test is done in a Word document and will be sent to you as soon as we receive an email from you during the pre-decided time mentioned in the email. It is divided into three parts, each containing an excerpt from a feature film or from DVD bonus material to be translated into your target language. Each section is preceded by a short explanatory paragraph for context. While taking the test, you are permitted to consult any verb guide, dictionary or Internet resource that you would normally use while translating. There is no video to accompany this test.
Please note that this test is timed and unpaid, which means that you will not be paid for the time you take to complete the test nor for the translation. By proceeding with the test, you agree to this condition of the application process. The test is used solely to evaluate your translation skills in order to determine whether to include you in our translator pool.
""""" ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Subtitling industry | Feb 3, 2011 |
I have been contacted for subtitling many times but I rarely accepted the jobs due to badly low rate if compared with translation in general. Subtitling industry tries to reduce cost even among top rank countries e.g. USA, UK, Japan. I could not use CAT tools to raise job efficiency very much since subtitling is mostly in literature style contexts, not technical. I also needed special software to control edit timing of frames. If you want new experience, try it once for self-education, not for e... See more I have been contacted for subtitling many times but I rarely accepted the jobs due to badly low rate if compared with translation in general. Subtitling industry tries to reduce cost even among top rank countries e.g. USA, UK, Japan. I could not use CAT tools to raise job efficiency very much since subtitling is mostly in literature style contexts, not technical. I also needed special software to control edit timing of frames. If you want new experience, try it once for self-education, not for economic gain.
Soonthon Lupkitaro ▲ Collapse
| | | | Laurent KRAULAND (X) 
France
Local time: 18:51
French to German
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| Low-end rates | Feb 3, 2011 |
Hi Alexandre,
whether you take this test or not is your choice, however the rates offered by this company are on the low end - I have read about prices of 5 € per minute...
So I would go with Soonthon:
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.) wrote:
If you want new experience, try it once for self-education, not for economic gain.
and don't even think of discussing the fact that USD 2.25 / minute would be "acceptable" for beginners...
Furthermore, you will probably need some training on a special software - all for free and on your time.
| | | | haroula tsoutsia (X)
Greece
Local time: 19:51
English to Greek
+ ...
| it is a good tariff | Feb 3, 2011 |
Hi, I am translating subtitles from english to greek for almost 2 years now (translation and timing) and I can surely tell you that this tariff is one of the best you will get, especially this time around. I work in Greece and here subtitles translation is one of the worst paid all over the world. Imagine that I only gain 1 euro (including insurance and tax) per video minute and as I stated above I am doing translation+timing. The best you can get here is 1,35 euros/minute.
60 subtitles i... See more Hi, I am translating subtitles from english to greek for almost 2 years now (translation and timing) and I can surely tell you that this tariff is one of the best you will get, especially this time around. I work in Greece and here subtitles translation is one of the worst paid all over the world. Imagine that I only gain 1 euro (including insurance and tax) per video minute and as I stated above I am doing translation+timing. The best you can get here is 1,35 euros/minute.
60 subtitles is not much, it corresponds normally to almost 5 minutes of video
and 4 hours for that is enough even if you have never done subtitles before. That's what I was asked to do when I started working.
If they send it to you as a Word format I don't see why you need a special software.
I have used Subtitles Workshop and I am currently using VisualSubSync which is better on terms of timing.
But yes I also think that you can do it in order to try and learn something new (translating for subtitles is pretty different from translating a text, you have to follow completely different rules such as a specific type of characters per line and a specific amount per subtitle corresponding to the time the subtitle stays on screen which sometimes unfortunately compromises the quality of your translation) but don't do it thinking that you can earn a lot of money out of it.
That's my opinion.
Hope I could help!
Good day! ▲ Collapse
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Joakim Braun
Sweden
Local time: 18:51
German to Swedish
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"Per minute" is meaningless until you know the details:
* What type of program is it? (much more work doing a talk-show than a thriller)
* Is a dialogue script provided? Or are you expected to work off the movie itself? (much more work in the latter case)
* Are you supposed to do the "spotting" (timing) yourself? That can add up to 2 or 3 times the running length of the program.
The minimum proofing time is 1:1 (60 minutes for a 60 minute show).
At 40 cents p... See more "Per minute" is meaningless until you know the details:
* What type of program is it? (much more work doing a talk-show than a thriller)
* Is a dialogue script provided? Or are you expected to work off the movie itself? (much more work in the latter case)
* Are you supposed to do the "spotting" (timing) yourself? That can add up to 2 or 3 times the running length of the program.
The minimum proofing time is 1:1 (60 minutes for a 60 minute show).
At 40 cents per minute, that's $24/hour *maximum*. If you spend half an hour editing it goes down to $16/hour.
A 20-25 minute episode might be 200-225 subtitles and 1800-1900 words.
So the $45 for 20 minutes add up to $0.025 per word.
And subtitling is *much* more time-consuming that translating a text of the same length.
I'd know what to do about that offer...
[Bearbeitet am 2011-02-03 12:18 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Edward Vreeburg
Netherlands
Local time: 18:51
Member (2008)
English to Dutch
+ ...
| same as Joakim... | Feb 3, 2011 |
...with some luck you'll be making 80 USD / day.
Especially if you have never subtitled and are not used to shortering whole phrases only keeping the esscence of a phrase and spotting this job will be very time consuming...
Especially because French is not one of the shorter and compact languages..
Can you say : "do you want fries with that?" - Yes? - I'd rather wear a funny hat and serve burgers.
Ed
Ed
| | | | Emese Polyák
Hungary
Local time: 18:51
English to Hungarian
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| My experience with subtitling | Feb 3, 2011 |
I do a lot of subtitling work for TV programs, here are some details.
One subtitle is normally between 2 and 7 seconds long, so the mentioned test of 60 subtitles is probably a 5-minute video.
The rate you mentioned seems to be normal to me (I work for 1.8 eur/minute), of course it is always sensible to negotiate if you can. Of course the more talking there is, the harder it is. Quiz shows are on the difficult side, while feature films can probably be translated much qu... See more I do a lot of subtitling work for TV programs, here are some details.
One subtitle is normally between 2 and 7 seconds long, so the mentioned test of 60 subtitles is probably a 5-minute video.
The rate you mentioned seems to be normal to me (I work for 1.8 eur/minute), of course it is always sensible to negotiate if you can. Of course the more talking there is, the harder it is. Quiz shows are on the difficult side, while feature films can probably be translated much quicker.
It may not be the best-paying form of translation, but it is interesting. I have used two subtitling softwares, and while they took some time adjusting to, it gets easier very quickly. There is one you can download for free legally: http://www.urusoft.net/products.php?cat=sw
So if it is the beginning of a long-term work relationship, if you are interested in expanding in this direction, if you are not giving up better-paying regular jobs to do it etc., I think it may be worth your while. If it is a one-time job it may not be worth the hassle of learning the tricks of the trade.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | kmtext
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:51
English
+ ...
| Rates seem low | Feb 3, 2011 |
Those rates seem very low, especially the proofing rate. I'd expect an absolute minimum of US$5 for translation and US$1.5 for proofing, and more if spotting/timing is involved.
As for the test, that's standard practice, to check your linguistic abilities, but I'm surprised that they're allowing four hours for such a short piece, unless it's very complicated.
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Bilanda Ban
Croatia
Local time: 18:51
English to Croatian
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| my four cents on this matter | Feb 3, 2011 |
Dear Alexandre,
I believe I know which agency this is. For my language pair (English>Croatian) I was offered approximately half of the price they are offering you, so I refused, because that's even lower than the average rates offered by some Croatian agencies.
If I am not mistaken about the agency, they will provide you with their own subtitling software, so you don't have to worry about that side of the job.
In my opinion, the rates you mention are low, but it's your c... See more Dear Alexandre,
I believe I know which agency this is. For my language pair (English>Croatian) I was offered approximately half of the price they are offering you, so I refused, because that's even lower than the average rates offered by some Croatian agencies.
If I am not mistaken about the agency, they will provide you with their own subtitling software, so you don't have to worry about that side of the job.
In my opinion, the rates you mention are low, but it's your call after all, and if you don't have experience with subtitling, it might be fun for you to at least give it a try and see what it's all about. Unless, of course, you have more important and better paid work waiting for you - in that case, don't waste your precious time.
In any case, I wish you the best of luck!
Bilanda ▲ Collapse
| | | | taja609
Local time: 19:51
Romanian to English
+ ...
| I think it is ok | Feb 3, 2011 |
In my opinion the rates are fine and I myself have done subtitling without software. Good luck!
| | | | | very low rate | Feb 3, 2011 |
2,5USD per video minute is a dumping rate, especially if timing is involved. I wouldn't accept such a job.
I'd suggest you to read some other threads on the same topic. For example in this one http://www.proz.com/forum/subtitling/63966-prices_subtitling.html people say that in France subtitling rates are much higher, even 15-20EUR per video minute. The thre... See more 2,5USD per video minute is a dumping rate, especially if timing is involved. I wouldn't accept such a job.
I'd suggest you to read some other threads on the same topic. For example in this one http://www.proz.com/forum/subtitling/63966-prices_subtitling.html people say that in France subtitling rates are much higher, even 15-20EUR per video minute. The thread is from 2007, so things could be different now, but I don't think rates could decrease from 20EUR to 2,5USD in 3 years!!!
Subtitling may be interesting, but it is not an easy job. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Are you joking ? | Feb 4, 2011 |
The standard rate as far as I am concerned is somewhere between 10 and 20 EUR per minute of video, depending on how "dense" it is.
Are you aware that it will take you 5 to 8 minutes to create subtitles for each minute of video, depending on the quality/density ?
It might even take you longer if you are a beginner...
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| A bit low- depending on content | Feb 8, 2011 |
I've been subtitling for 6 years now. I started out at 3.50 USD per minute and later got a raise (yes, they exist in translating!) to 4.50 which I think is pretty fair - if you receive the English text and don't have to do timecodes.
It depends a lot on the content - a 2 hour long action movie contains less subtitles than a 45 min. police drama, so sometimes you make a lot per hour, sometimes less.
But 10-20 Euro per minute? Please give me the name of your employer ... See more I've been subtitling for 6 years now. I started out at 3.50 USD per minute and later got a raise (yes, they exist in translating!) to 4.50 which I think is pretty fair - if you receive the English text and don't have to do timecodes.
It depends a lot on the content - a 2 hour long action movie contains less subtitles than a 45 min. police drama, so sometimes you make a lot per hour, sometimes less.
But 10-20 Euro per minute? Please give me the name of your employer ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lau Wei Tsinn
Singapore
Local time: 00:51
Member (2011)
Chinese to English
+ ...
| content is most crucial | Mar 6, 2011 |
I agree with Joakim on getting the details and requirements of the job... if possible, get a copy of the script and video before agreeing to take on the job... the content can make a huge difference
Just to share a little on my experience with subtitling. I accepted a subtitling job last year as my very first translation job. It was for a Chinese drama series and I took on 5 of the episodes that in sequence. As the job was very urgent, the client was not able to provide me with the ... See more I agree with Joakim on getting the details and requirements of the job... if possible, get a copy of the script and video before agreeing to take on the job... the content can make a huge difference
Just to share a little on my experience with subtitling. I accepted a subtitling job last year as my very first translation job. It was for a Chinese drama series and I took on 5 of the episodes that in sequence. As the job was very urgent, the client was not able to provide me with the video. So all I did was basically to insert the subtitles without needing cue it. The title was an action packed kungfu drama that seemed to revolve around fights, revenge and the like. So it was relatively easy to manage.
Now, I was approached by the same client for another Chinese drama series later on, and expecting the job to be pretty similar, I accepted it without asking for a much higher rate, other than a little extra to cover for doing the timing this time round. It was a big mistake. The drama this time round was a much more serious period drama that touched on a lot of historical events. I had to do a lot of research to get my translation accurate. And also, because the drama seemed to revolve around ancient leaders plotting and strategising against each other most of the time, the number of words to translate was twice that of previous one. So it took much more than twice the length of time to complete, after adding in the time spent on research and also timing it. And also, the client was not able to provide me with the series in sequence and that in itself made the job very difficult due to the lack of coherence and continuity.
Well, I've stopped taking on more work from this client because it does not pay well enough for all the work done. That said, I enjoyed my experience with video subtitling because it is fun really, and I'll be glad to take it on if one that pays reasonably well comes along. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sylvano
Local time: 18:51
English to French
| 'Video subtitling'... without a video ?! | Mar 7, 2011 |
Wei Tsinn Lau wrote:
As the job was very urgent, the client was not able to provide me with the video. So all I did was basically to insert the subtitles without needing cue it.
(...)
And also, the client was not able to provide me with the series in sequence and that in itself made the job very difficult due to the lack of coherence and continuity.
No offence, but what you describe has nothing to do with subtitling. How can you translate a program without even watching it ? Beats me. It not only makes the job harder, it's just nonsense.
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