Comments on: Translation/Transcription Timeglut! Help? http://nonfictionmedia.com/blog/2008/06/12/translationtranscription-timeglut-help/ nonfiction media's documentary production diary :: Nepal Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:56:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: John Gyovai http://nonfictionmedia.com/blog/2008/06/12/translationtranscription-timeglut-help/comment-page-1/#comment-117 John Gyovai Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:03:10 +0000 http://nonfictionmedia.com/blog/?p=240#comment-117 Hi Guys. I have used a couple of different ways to approach this. The low budget way is to have someone sitting beside camera with a lapel mic that speaks the native language and record their translation after the person interviewed answers. It gets you close and you can actually edit pieces together with dubbed responses or weed through clips that at least have responses you are interested in using and get them translated (instead of using all of the interview). This works okay if the interview answers are short rather than long. A fellow filmmaking friend users a company in India that uses QT audio files for translation. It is not referenced with timecode, but he can create a system based on the wording in paragraphs (he logs what timecode starts at each paragraph or thought and that is close enough). I have not used them, but it is fairly inexpensive (I wonder why?) and he emails/FTP's clips and never leaves his office. I recently picked up a Matrox MXO and can now add the timecode stamp from FCP in real time with out any rendering (I feel your rendering pain!). So I hook up the MXO and build sequences with sound bites I like and lay off in real time to a DVD burner (MXO has the ability to lay off in SD in real time). I get a DVD window dub of the best interviews and review/log that. I have not worked on a foreign language film for a few years, so this works easy for English speaking interviews. The last foreign language film I used method one (low budget version) and got everything close and then had the client review the film and basically transcribed the foreign language interview parts so I could add subtitles accurately. I like your idea of the hard drive and think that was probably the best solution. Save the wear and tear on those tapes and now you have a back up - good move! John Hi Guys.
I have used a couple of different ways to approach this.

The low budget way is to have someone sitting beside camera with a lapel mic that speaks the native language and record their translation after the person interviewed answers. It gets you close and you can actually edit pieces together with dubbed responses or weed through clips that at least have responses you are interested in using and get them translated (instead of using all of the interview). This works okay if the interview answers are short rather than long.

A fellow filmmaking friend users a company in India that uses QT audio files for translation. It is not referenced with timecode, but he can create a system based on the wording in paragraphs (he logs what timecode starts at each paragraph or thought and that is close enough). I have not used them, but it is fairly inexpensive (I wonder why?) and he emails/FTP’s clips and never leaves his office.

I recently picked up a Matrox MXO and can now add the timecode stamp from FCP in real time with out any rendering (I feel your rendering pain!). So I hook up the MXO and build sequences with sound bites I like and lay off in real time to a DVD burner (MXO has the ability to lay off in SD in real time). I get a DVD window dub of the best interviews and review/log that.

I have not worked on a foreign language film for a few years, so this works easy for English speaking interviews. The last foreign language film I used method one (low budget version) and got everything close and then had the client review the film and basically transcribed the foreign language interview parts so I could add subtitles accurately.

I like your idea of the hard drive and think that was probably the best solution. Save the wear and tear on those tapes and now you have a back up – good move!

John

]]> By: Chris Boulton http://nonfictionmedia.com/blog/2008/06/12/translationtranscription-timeglut-help/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Chris Boulton Sun, 15 Jun 2008 05:19:26 +0000 http://nonfictionmedia.com/blog/?p=240#comment-116 "You’s a bunch of baddasses!" Ditto that. CB “You’s a bunch of baddasses!”

Ditto that.

CB

]]> By: Michael http://nonfictionmedia.com/blog/2008/06/12/translationtranscription-timeglut-help/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Michael Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:56:08 +0000 http://nonfictionmedia.com/blog/?p=240#comment-115 Well, all I can say is that you guys are the Bomb! I am just SO much enjoying reading of your exploits- The situations you are finding, the people you are meeting and just the WAY you two think about these things.... Man, it gives me freekin' goosbumps! I have to tell you that this is quite the vicarious thrill to read of his whole project- I gues I would love to do just what you are doing, but it sounds like it is just so much work! I am content to just sit here on the coast of Maine and try to run a busy taqueria whilst my wife is stuck in bed puking her guts out in gestational bliss (!!). It will be a long summer, here in Sargentville....... Anyway, you two keep up the insanely good work you are doing. I don't know if it is possible to demonstrate any more love or respect for anything you might try to document than what I see from you guys. I have not seen a second of film yet, and I can already feel the love that you have for these people that are making pictures of. Your blend of concern and interest for the tools, the trade and the concept is simply stunning. To say how proud I am of you both seems a bit trite, but I am just way over the top with admiration for you guys- You's a bunch of baddasses! Well, all I can say is that you guys are the Bomb! I am just SO much enjoying reading of your exploits- The situations you are finding, the people you are meeting and just the WAY you two think about these things…. Man, it gives me freekin’ goosbumps! I have to tell you that this is quite the vicarious thrill to read of his whole project- I gues I would love to do just what you are doing, but it sounds like it is just so much work! I am content to just sit here on the coast of Maine and try to run a busy taqueria whilst my wife is stuck in bed puking her guts out in gestational bliss (!!). It will be a long summer, here in Sargentville…….
Anyway, you two keep up the insanely good work you are doing. I don’t know if it is possible to demonstrate any more love or respect for anything you might try to document than what I see from you guys. I have not seen a second of film yet, and I can already feel the love that you have for these people that are making pictures of. Your blend of concern and interest for the tools, the trade and the concept is simply stunning. To say how proud I am of you both seems a bit trite, but I am just way over the top with admiration for you guys- You’s a bunch of baddasses!

]]> By: Jennie http://nonfictionmedia.com/blog/2008/06/12/translationtranscription-timeglut-help/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Jennie Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:56:14 +0000 http://nonfictionmedia.com/blog/?p=240#comment-113 Sounds like a frustrating problem. Can't help you with the time of encoding problem, but on a related note about time- I'm not sure this will work for you or that you need it, but I thought I'd pass along... The Amazing Slow Downer. http://www.ronimusic.com/ Remember when we were in your little cabin in J&P's backyard, and I was searching for a way to slow down audio files for ease of transcription? Well, this software lives up to its name. Slows down the audio as much as you want without changing the pitch and has made my life enormously easier (not that transcription isn't still a huge pain, but it's much much better). Is also has easy one-key commands to stop, start, go back, etc., another time saver. My audio files are mp4a, which is one file type the software reads, and I think is also a type of video file? My technical skills are quite limited here, and I have no idea if this could slow down video- audio (?) but just in case...or if you need it for slowing audio files in the future... It's only $49.95, and there's a free trial version. Love, Jennie Sounds like a frustrating problem. Can’t help you with the time of encoding problem, but on a related note about time- I’m not sure this will work for you or that you need it, but I thought I’d pass along… The Amazing Slow Downer.

http://www.ronimusic.com/

Remember when we were in your little cabin in J&P’s backyard, and I was searching for a way to slow down audio files for ease of transcription? Well, this software lives up to its name. Slows down the audio as much as you want without changing the pitch and has made my life enormously easier (not that transcription isn’t still a huge pain, but it’s much much better). Is also has easy one-key commands to stop, start, go back, etc., another time saver.

My audio files are mp4a, which is one file type the software reads, and I think is also a type of video file? My technical skills are quite limited here, and I have no idea if this could slow down video- audio (?) but just in case…or if you need it for slowing audio files in the future…

It’s only $49.95, and there’s a free trial version.

Love,
Jennie

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