Our Chinese subtitling services include transcription, Chinese subtitle translation, SRT file creation, on-screen text, and graphics localization.
We produce all the Chinese subtitles in-house and our media studio is set up to work on a wide range of specifications and is able to take your original material and create an effective copy with Chinese subtitles ready to publish.
Included in Adelphi’s Chinese subtitling services is our capacity to localize motion graphics and animations, printed materials, Articulate Storyline e-learning projects, and any on-screen text in-house with no outsourcing. This makes Adelphi the full-service foreign language localization agency for all your Chinese subtitling requirements.
Click on the videos to watch
Tips for preparing your videos for subtitling
- Always check if the subject has already been translated into the language you require, as this might mean there are established ways to spell product names etc. Where possible, provide a glossary list of these, so we can inform our translators.
- Make sure the video you provide us with is final, as all the translated content and timings will have to be redone at an extra cost if they change in the middle of the project.
- It is always best to transcribe the video with time-codes in the original language first and only then translate, so only one set of time-coding needs to be done. If not, we then have to time-code each language individually, meaning extra costs and longer turnarounds.
- If you’re planning on shooting raw footage in a language you are unfamiliar with and editing it later, please ask your guide or interpreter if they can give you a written transcript of everything that was recorded.
Subtitle styles
These Chinese subtitles were ‘burnt on’ to the video (also called open captions) and because of the nature of the video we used white text with an outline or shadow. There are many styles of subtitles to display on your video. We can advise you on the best type for your video and produce samples for you to choose from. We can also help with the best Chinese fonts to use as well.
Click here to see some samples of subtitle styles
Burnt-on Chinese subtitles
One method of subtitling is called ‘burned on’ subtitles, which means they cannot be turned on or off and are always visible. These are also called ‘open’ captions and they are part of the video file itself. Using this method means that multiple languages cannot be shown using the same file, therefore it is necessary to produce multiple versions of the video with the different languages, these can be selected by the user.
Chinese subtitle translations – SRT file creation
For Chinese subtitle translation, we would use a Chinese audiovisual translator (SRT file translator) who will create translated subtitles in the target language directly from the video in the source language.
There are many subtitle file formats, such as SRT, STL, and VTT, etc. The file format depends on the platform used to display the subtitles, but SRT files are the most commonly supported. SRT files are time-coded documents that can be imported into the subtitling software, which then puts the correct subtitle in the correct sequence. After this, the SRT files just need a quick tidy-up to ensure the reading speed and subtitle presentation are optimal. These SRT files can then be used to create burnt-on Chinese subtitles.
SRT and STL files are also used to provide subtitles for YouTube, Vimeo, etc. By using these types of files, viewers have the option to switch on subtitles for different languages by clicking the 
button in the bottom right-hand corner. CC stands for “Closed Captions”.
If you require Closed Captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences please let us know, as there are specific rules that must be adhered to. For the US guidelines Click here For UK guidelines Click here
Chinese on-screen text localization
As well as producing the subtitles we can also localize any on-screen text, motion graphics, etc. into Chinese. Depending on the complexity and how the original text was produced we may require the data package it was made in.
Click here for more on on-screen text localization
Transcription services
Our transcription services provide time-coded scripts ready for translation. The length of many languages will expand when compared to the original and care must be taken in the translation to keep the true meaning of the original, while staying within the time frame allowed. There are two basic types of transcription, Verbatim which includes all the “hum” and “ah’s” etc., and then there is Readable which is cleaned up to eliminate all the unnecessary elements.
Chinese to English subtitling
As part of our subtitling services we also offer a Chinese to English Subtitling Service, including translation, transcription, SRT creation, and subtitling.
Articulate Storyline localization
Through our combination of technical expertise and quality translation provision, we are able to localize your Articulate Storyline courses and presentations in any language, allowing your content to inform and educate new audiences.
We can translate not just the text from your Articulate Storyline course itself but also localize all of the button and slider content too, we also add voice-overs and subtitles to any embedded videos using translated scripts and voice talents we can provide.
