subtitling

[Michael Raine]

Hello Graham, welcome to the newsgroup. I'm also a Warwick Film/Lit graduate
(1987)! I'd better reply to this since I seem to be one of the (only?)
people making subtitles...

I just showed a copy of "Janken musume" (featuring Eri Chiemi's "Usukudara"
song, by the way) in class yesterday. I projected the video using one
projector and the subtitles using another! It was actually less difficult
than it seems. The main problem was timing the subtitles and comprehending
the Kyoto accent parts. It's even easier if you have a Japanese DVD: then
you just need a computer with DVD playback capability and one projector with
a VGA input. No code-breaking, video editing, or re-encoding necessary. In
case anyone is interested in showing these films to groups, here's how it
works:

For DVD you need:
A Japanese film on DVD (not many available: Nikkatsu is best, unless you
like Shochiku's Otoko wa tsurai yo. A few recent festival films have also
made it to DVD.)
A fast computer with software DVD playback or a slower computer with
hardware DVD playback.
A free subtitle overlay program such as SubViewer or SubMagic. This is for
the PC: I don't know if there is any MAC software available.
A script of subtitles and times.
A video projector with 15-pin VGA input or a computer monitor.
	Use the computer to play back the DVD and the inlay software to
superimpose the subtitles.

For VHS you need:
A Japanese film on VHS tape. Hundreds are available in Japan, though they're
sometimes expensive ($100).
Any PC (all you're doing is playing back the subtitles).
A subtitle overlay program.
A script of subtitles and times.
Two video projectors, one attached to a VCR and one connected to the
computer via a 15-pin VGA input. (You could try doing this on one projector
or monitor, using a computer equipped with a video-in port, but it would
look terrible).
	Play back the film on one projector and the subtitles on the other. It's
best to align the subtitles with the top of the second screen and tilt the
projector (a small digital projector is easiest!) so that the titles are
just visible at the bottom of the main screen. Turn the brightness down and
the contrast up to create the least interference with the original image.

Some other points:
You can use the software to fine-tune the synchronization of the subtitles
with the dialogue - if you don't they slip 1 or 2 seconds over the course of
a film. Of course, it helps to be able to understand the dialogue (but then
you wouldn't need the subtitles...) though it's usually easy to tell from
context whether the lines are getting slightly ahead or behind of where the
should be.

Region codes on almost all DVD drives can be reset to accommodate Region 2
DVDs.

Computer playback of DVD, scaled by a high quality video card and projected
through a high quality projector, gives the best image short of a good 16mm
print. Shame there are so few available.

It's been pointed out that superimposing subtitles over a film creates a
"derivative work" that may be covered by the original copyright. I don't
suppose it's any worse than showing "home viewing only" tapes and DVDs in a
classroom anyway...

This isn't as convenient as a "fan sub" but the image quality is higher and,
the previous statement notwithstanding, the copyright issues are possibly
less fraught.

Subtitles can be corrected easily, and different versions can be created for
different occasions: "literal" vs "easy reading" vs "abusive" (Markus!) for
example.

I'm planning on subtitling Buta to gunkan next, since the print is no longer
available. After that I'd like to try something easier, like a silent film
(just the intertitles, not the benshi narration!). Are there Japanese laser
discs of Ozu films? Are they relatively good quality? Does anyone have an
Ozu film that they'd particularly like to have subtitled?

Would anyone else like to make some subtitles?

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
[mailto:owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu]On Behalf Of Graham
Steward
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 9:17 AM
To: kinejapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Self Introduction


Hello,

I have to admit, I?e been lurking on the fringes of the KineJapan mailing
list for a few months now, but I?e only just started to find the time to
become a more active participant. So, as is customary, I?l now spill the
beans about myself.

I currently live in Bristol in the U.K.. I studied Film & Lit. at Warwick
University (also in the U.K.), graduating in July 1997. Thereafter I lived
in Japan until July 1998, which was great because I was able to buy copies
of several Ozu films that I couldn? get my hands on in the U.K. (there
isn? much available here in the U.K.).

I saw the KineJapan site a few months ago and was particularly interested by
the idea of subtitling Japanese films and distributing them to reciprocating
group members ?simply because there? a dearth of available material in the
west (especially in the U.K.!!).  What has happened about this lately ?  Has
anyone actually made any DVDs ?  If so, what methods did they use and how
good were the results ?  I? especially interested in this subject because
I? about to embark on an MSc in Computer Science and eventually want to
become involved in DVD production.  I remember someone commenting on the
improved image quality DVD provides, which prompted me to wonder what the
source of the imagery was going to be. Surely if they?e dubbing from VHS,
the DVD image can never better VHS ?  I'd love to get involved in this, but
my Japanese skills are rudimentary.  What can I do to help, if anything ?

In response to Janet? queries about locating a copy of ?n Inn in Tokyo??
have you tried the Bfi ?  They have a screening facility where you can watch
films on a Steenbeck.  You have to change the reels yourself and it? a bit
noisy, but it? better than nothing.  I wonder if they?l have this film
though, because it? rather early in his oeuvre, and Ozu didn? become
trendy in the west until the 1950?. The following URL shows that Shochiku
do sell an unsubtitled NTSC copy of it (at least I think it? Tokyo no yado
!):
http://www.shochiku.co.jp/video/v30s/sb0234.html
I hope this is of some use to you. I don't know if they sell online yet, or
whether they ever will.  Shochiku isn't the most forward looking studio in
the world, but you never know.

I look forward to actively participating in KineJapan in future.

Cheers,
Graham

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