Rachel Jones

Subtitle template files are subtitle files containing the transcription of the audio and any translatable on-screen text. The subtitle file can then be used as a "pivot" to translate into many different languages.

An accurate and well-timed subtitle template speeds up your subtitling process, as your subtitle translators can focus on translating the dialogue and text, rather than the timings. 

This is useful if your linguists are not trained in the technical side of subtitling, for example in very specialist areas like medical or technical videos.

Scroll down your newsfeed and you will see captions on every video you come across. 

Your audience on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok or YouTube may not be able to access or understand the dialogue. They might be commuting or English might not be their first language.

I provide frame-accurate and readable English captions according to the video type and the needs of your audience. For example, vertical videos are not as wide, so your subtitles should have fewer characters per line.

Did you know? Closed captions are captions that can be switched on or off. Open captions are hardcoded onto the video image.

I deliver the caption file in your desired format, so you can choose to simply upload your subtitle file to your platform or have your media team hardcode the subtitles onto the video image.

Subtitles for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing audiences (SDH) have additional requirements to make the audio accessible, such as sound effects, speaker IDs and colour identification.

SDH must also adhere to country standards outlined by regulatory bodies like Ofcom, which ensures they are readable and suitable for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing audiences.

I can follow these standards or your own specifications to provide SDH in a of range file formats.

Just like monolingual captions, subtitle translations have time and space constraints that require creative translation strategies to ensure your subtitle text can be read comfortably in the allotted time. These  rules include:

-Reading speed limits

-Character per line limits

-Minimum gaps between subtitles

-Timings around shot changes

-Maximum and minimum subtitle durations

Subtitles should also be presented in a way that's easy to read, with neat line breaks, segmentation and simple punctuation.

But you don't need to worry about all those rules. I always follow industry standards for US and UK English if you don't have your own preferences.

I can work with subtitle templates, which are French or German transcriptions in subtitle format, or I can subtitle directly from the French or German audio.

I work with professional subtitling software OOONA for accurate shot change processing and QA checks to ensure your videos are just as enjoyable to watch with subtitles as they are without.

See my Specialisms page for the type of content I can help you with.

A final check of your subtitle file is essential to ensure the subtitles are synchronised, well-formatted, accurate and free of surface errors like typos. A second pair of eyes will spot errors that may not be apparent to the linguist who worked on your project first.

I offer either in-depth proofreading or a quick final check of your monolingual or interlingual subtitles. I look out for both linguistic and technical errors, so you can publish your subtitled videos with confidence.

Adding translated voice-over to your video or dubbing the original French or German dialogue into English offers a more immersive experience for your audience.

For lip-synced voice-over or dubbing, creative solutions are needed to take into account the rhythm of speech, syllables, the available time and lip movements. Even non-timed voice-over translations must respect the spoken quality of speech. The translator must read the translated dialogue out loud and consider the voice artist's needs.

As a former project manager for voice-over projects, I understand the issues that can arise in the recording process from poorly translated voice-over scripts. Together, we can work together to ensure everything is in place for a successful recording. 

If you want to grow your brand in the UK or US, you need to speak your customer's language.

I help brands effectively communicate with their target audience by translating their websites, printed documents and social media posts into English.

I ensure your communication style, tone of voice and values are conveyed in English for a consistent brand image across all languages.

See my Specialisms page for the type of content I translate.

You have invested in translation but you don't want to publish it without a second opinion. You need an editor to check the accuracy, consistency and style. I can provide my suggestions using track changes and comments, so you can review them yourself.

I also provide a final proofreading service to check for surface errors like grammar, spelling and formatting before your translation is published. This is a vital step to ensure your content is absolutely perfect.

Machine translation may be more fluent than ever, but it doesn't replace human translators when it comes to accuracy, creativity and style. Rather than perceiving MT as the enemy, we can use it to boost productivity.

With the SDL Post-Editing certification under my belt, I am able to anticipate the type of errors that machine translations are likely to make, thus increasing efficiency and accuracy.