FILIPINO SUBTITLER

In DVD subtitling, the final phase is when you start authoring the DVD. But there is the issue of file format, when it does, then, file conversion is a must.

Uncompressed AVI is a common format when you render in an Editing Software. Read more…

A Step by Step Process

Cellular phone companies in the Philippines have long been expanding and improving their services. In addition to their cheap rates, they also added unlimited calling services. The three mobile phone giants, Smart, Globe, and Sun are competing to give the public the service they deserve.

One example is the new promo from Smart Communications, the SMARTalk – which enables you to call unlimited through the Smart Network. You just need to buy their SMARTalk Load which is available in 500 for 30 days and 100 for 5 days, and you can also charge it on top of your Monthly Plan which is also 500 for 30 days. 

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New iPhone 3G S

A friend texted me saying: Michael Jackson is dead. I immediately googled it. 

From the NEWS:

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson’s brother says it’s believed that the pop star died of cardiac arrest. Read more.

I have a friend from China who is also a translator, we’ve always used Subtitle Workshop as our translation software. But he wasn’t aware of the fact that you can preview video on Subtitle Workshop. For those of you who are like him, this tutorial can help you. Read more…

Part of a subtitler’s daily routine is translation. An average translator deals with 700 lines of translation everyday. That is about  thirty (30) minutes of the Total Running Time of a featured video.

In order to accomplish this task, you need a software that can handle the translation. Giving you a full view of the original text and can easily transfer to the translated text. We partially solved the problem before when we used Microscoft Excel to do the work, but we need more than just a two column translation format. There is also a need to watch the featured video running with the translated text simulating actual broadcast. In this case, we needed a new type of software that can do both, and that is Subtitle Workshop.

Subtitle Workshop Interface allows two column view

Subtitle Workshop is a software designed to give you a full two column view of the original and the translated text. Plus the capability to display the video together with the translated or the original text if needed. The good thing about Subtitle Workshop is that it’s compatible with Softni Subtitler Suite, another Subtitling software we use for spotting/time coding  subtitles.

Subtitle Workshop 4 v4.00

Currently, Subtitle Workshop has a new version available for download, although I’m perfectly comfortable when using the old version 2.51, the new  Subtitle Workshop 4 v4.00 Beta software features a three column interface that allows you to have a third column called an alternative column. Perfect if you have an optional translation of a specific line of text. It also supports video preview mode and other new features.

Translation Theory and Practice

A Step by Step Process

Since the release of the iPhone 3G, Apple just recently announced the new iPhone 3G S. Dubbed as the Fastest iPhone Ever. It features up to 32GB of storage, 2x the speed of the iPhone 3G, with a 3-megapixel camera, now able to shoot, edit and share videos. Also includes voice control and a digital compass to reorient maps to match the direction. They even designed a landscape keyboard to give more room for you.

You can check their website for more information on their new product.

Cellular Phone Plans

The Translation Seminar held last June 8, 2009 was very rewarding. Although we can humbly say we are knowledgeable in this field, yet there are some areas that we need to iron out. Yes, there is always enough room for improvement and to upgrade our knowledge.

We learned that basically, as translators, we need to be accurate in the sense that we need to deliver the message of the speaker without dropping anything. Thus, accuracy is a virtue every translator should have. And also, being natural and communicative is also part of the things we learned during the seminar. We should also be communicative, since we are now living in a world that becomes smaller everyday through modern technology, we need to adapt and communicate. We need to be understood by our target audience. Since we are dealing with international audience, we need to be as communicative as possible.

I can say It’s a very rewarding experience, I felt like I’m in my college days with all those group activities and workshops. I guess the real challenge now is applying what we’ve learned and making the most out this experience. I realized that we must always continue to grow and never stop learning.

Choosing a cellular phone plan can be tricky at times. You need to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages before you decide.

Cellular Plans

There are several types of cellular plans out there, prepaid and postpaid. If you hate contracts and monthly bills, and if you are the budget conscious type, go for prepaid. This type of subscription gives you the freedom to know exactly how much you spend. You control how much prepaid credits or load you get. This is a good plan for those who have no idea on how many minutes they spend or shall we say occasional users. No need to sign-up for a contract and there are no lock-in periods. Another thing is that you can easily change your number since prepaid SIM cards are easy to find and very affordable. You also need not to worry about over spending.

However, there are also advantages if you get postpaid plans. Postpaid plans offer cheaper call rates than prepaid, they also give you free minutes every billing cycle. On top of that, you only pay once a month depending on your plan choice. They also have credit limits that let you call and text on top of you service fee. This is good for those emergency situations when you need to call for longer periods. Another good thing about postpaid is they offer discounted handsets. You can even change your handset model every year if you want to.

Now if you already know what to choose between prepaid and postpaid, ask yourself, what type of subscriber you are?

If you are a talk type person, you may choose a plan that have more free airtime minutes. Some companies like Globe and Smart offer consumable plans that lets you spend your monthly service fee the way you want it. There is also what they call Group Plans which offer a discounted monthly service fee and a special call circle rate. If you are a text addict, you can take advantage of unlimited text offers. Some providers give unlimited text for as low as 20 Pesos. There is also call and text combo offers for prepaid subscribers.

Lastly, consider your location, there are areas where certain providers have poor reception. It’s useless having a cheap cellular plan but always having to get out to make your calls.

We are all excited this coming Monday, June 8, 2009 for the upcoming Translation Seminar to be held in Pampanga, Philippines. Translators and writers all over  different  departments are invited for this seminar. Participants from every department will also have a chance to meet and exchange ideas and new techniques to better strengthen the whole team.

Our department is expected to attend this seminar, since we are tasked for subtitling. We are psyched about this seminar because of the fact that we ought to wear things we don’t usually wear. Since we mainly focus on translation, we don’t have a dress code or uniform. But for this particular event we are required to wear formal wear. I was thinking if I would look like James Bond with his suit on. Well, I’m not the hero type person. Since we are used to wearing our normal casual clothes, we need to embark on this new journey of style and fashion. Of course you are not there because you can show off  your taste concerning clothes, you are there for the very purpose on improving your craft.

 Since the topic is focused mainly on translations, we expect  workshops for better sentence construction, choice of words and common errors. Sometimes, this common errors can pull you down and degrade the quality of your work. So being aware of your weakness and strength is a must.

I always remember that  you should always think that there is always room for improvement. There are new things out there that with proper research and application will help you with your task.

We went back to Morong Beach last April. Our staff arrived filled with excitement, although it was a tiring 2 hour drive from Pampanga. We had everything planned the day before, and everything is set. Since we arrived late, nothing is left to do but to eat dinner and rest.  Although the ladies took a quick dip, but we’re too exhausted to do so.

Early morning the next day, I woke up and prepared breakfast for everyone. We had noodles and eggs with some tocino and longganisa. While enjoying our cup of coffee, we were thinking on what to do next. Aside from cooling ourselves on the beach, there was a suggestion that we go on a boat ride. “A good idea.” Normally, the boat ride is just a 1 hour trip in the coral reef area. There you get to jump in the open waters and enjoy the view of the corals. A little boring I guess, since you only spend an our on the open waters. So we asked the boatman to take us somewhere else, and there it is, far away from the busy streets, we stumbled upon this hidden sanctuary.

 It ‘s a 30 minute boat ride from Morong Star Beach, often ignored because of raging currents, but it’s all worth it. Some people call it “Tora-tora,” because its like an airplane’s tail. But we have no idea where we really are. A friend told me that it’s part of Bagac, Bataan. We enjoyed walking on its white sand, and explored a bit. It has this cave, filled with shells and other stuff. We enjoyed sitting back and took some shells and played with hermit crabs. Good thing I have my camera with me and took some shots of the place. I can say nature is the best.

It was all fun, you get enjoy the view plus the added benefits of nature. I was wondering about the benefits of negative ions that time. Since our work is mainly with computers, we are exposed to lots of positive ions. You often sit for 8 hours or more during translation, so it’s better if you can relax.

Well, we did had a good time, the pictures speak for themselves.