subtitling movies

[Sybil Thornton]

I am certainly interested, but it is end of semester and I've only just
finished grading.
In any case, I think this has to be thought out and organized.  Is there any
possibility of doing this in conjunction with a foundation (Japan,
Kawakita)?  Perhaps we should just start out with a script translation
projuct and then move on to funding the tech aspect.  If we were to place
this within a context of a Japanese Film History course, we might have a good
chance for funding.
SAT

Aaron Gerow wrote:

> Thanks to Gavin for voicing some of the issues involved in the subtitling
> consortium.
>
> As he says, the main one is the problem of actually doing the subtitles.
> Since I am not an expert on this, I will let others speak about the
> specific technology, but members of the consortium would of course work
> on exchanging information on how to do the subtitling.  Gavin mentions
> some of the costs involved in doing it on computer, but I do want to add
> that one could also do it using a regular character generator on a
> non-computer video editing machine.  Those of you at universities can ask
> your university AV lab if they have such editing facilities.
> Universities may also have non-linear computer editing equipment for use
> by faculty.
>
> The next issue is image quality.  Since prewar films will be the focus at
> the start, we will already be working with images that are rough and
> scratchy.  The subtitling process should be done so that not too many
> generations are created.  Using a video editing machine, I figure one
> would have to use the master tape to create a tape with titles which will
> then serve as the master for dubbing copies for members.  The tapes
> members get will then be copies of copies.  This may not produce the best
> image quality, but that's part of what we will have to deal with.
>
> Copy protection will be a problem in some cases, but few of the prewar
> films are so valuable that the commercial videos available have copy
> guard.
>
> Knowing which films are in copyright is not so difficult: technically it
> is 50 years after release.  Knowing what has been subtitled is a problem,
> especially since there's a difference between subtitled films readily
> available (on film, video, or DVD), and those that are subtitled, but
> resting in some archive where few people can use it.  Ideally, we should
> be subtitling films that have never been done before, but in some cases
> we will probably have to so some films that have been subtitling films
> for which subtitles already exist, but are unavailable.  We do need to
> make a list of what is commercially available (Markus's list of 16mm
> films is a start).
>
> Deciding which films to do is largely up to the person doing it, but to
> coordinate efforts, it would probably make sense for members to announce
> on a list (perhaps one made solely for the consortium) which films they
> are interested in doing and getting opinions from the others.  That way
> the films could be decided by all before anyone actually starts.
>
> Another issue people addressed is finding screenplays.  Again, the best
> source is Tanikawa's _Shinario bunken_ (which will refer you to where
> scripts are published), but those in Japan can also reference Waseda's
> huge script collection.
>
> So far, the reaction to the consortium proposal has been somewhat
> disappointing: only four people have announced their interest.  Anyone
> else out there?
>
> Aaron Gerow
> Yokohama National University
> KineJapan list owner
> For list commands: send "information kinejapan" to
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--
S.A. Thornton
History, ASU
480-965-5778
fax:480-965-0310