Several questions about subtitling
Thread poster: Ivan Papic
Ivan Papic
Ivan Papic
Croatia
Sep 9, 2020

What is monthly salary for freelance translator, I don't have any experience but I speak english (and understand it) like my native (Croatian) language? How much time do I need for example to translate a 140min movie? It sounds way to easy when I watch movies or series from english (captions) and I kinda auto translate to Croatian already in my mind, I appreciate all your replies because I'm still a newbie in this kind of things...

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What is monthly salary for freelance translator, I don't have any experience but I speak english (and understand it) like my native (Croatian) language? How much time do I need for example to translate a 140min movie? It sounds way to easy when I watch movies or series from english (captions) and I kinda auto translate to Croatian already in my mind, I appreciate all your replies because I'm still a newbie in this kind of things...

I have copied the message I got as a reply...



Thank you for showing interest and considering joining the linguist team!

Please find the rates for the position below:
Origination Rate from English to Croatian: $6 per runtime minute.
QC Rate from English to Croatian: $3.6 per runtime minute.

*Please note that the application test and certification process are not paid jobs. The rates are for the work done after being officially onboard.

To move forward, please complete the test in the link below:

Make sure to check your spam folder if you don't receive it.

Please find the Netflix style guide for your language:
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Juan Jacob
Juan Jacob  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 16:03
French to Spanish
+ ...
Well Sep 10, 2020

as said many times, subtitling is a very special (and difficult) translation task in wich, as strange it could sound, you DON'T translate everything. It takes a lot of time (and only if you are good at it) to translate a motion picture from scratch (that is, by ear, and you'll need a special software to do it, free or not). Sometimes, the client gives you a "template" or "spotting list" (that is, a file with time codes and translation) you can overwrite... easier, but...
If you don't have
... See more
as said many times, subtitling is a very special (and difficult) translation task in wich, as strange it could sound, you DON'T translate everything. It takes a lot of time (and only if you are good at it) to translate a motion picture from scratch (that is, by ear, and you'll need a special software to do it, free or not). Sometimes, the client gives you a "template" or "spotting list" (that is, a file with time codes and translation) you can overwrite... easier, but...
If you don't have whatsoever experience in this field, I strongly recommend not to accept any job.
Luck.
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Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 23:03
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Income Sep 11, 2020

Hello Ivan,

first, there is no fixed monthly income for any freelance translator regardless of the type of service she or he offers. The income depends solely on how many projects you receive and the agreed upon rate, either per word, per hour, or per audio minute.

Translating something in your mind doesn't really give you an idea how long it will actually take you to translate one audio minute. The speed depends on several factors such as quality of both the video and
... See more
Hello Ivan,

first, there is no fixed monthly income for any freelance translator regardless of the type of service she or he offers. The income depends solely on how many projects you receive and the agreed upon rate, either per word, per hour, or per audio minute.

Translating something in your mind doesn't really give you an idea how long it will actually take you to translate one audio minute. The speed depends on several factors such as quality of both the video and the transcript, if there is one already, the number of characters per second to enable a comfortable reading experience for the viewer. Additionally you will also have to time the subtitles to start and end the moment the speaker starts or finishes. This can sometimes take quite a while.

Also, do keep in mind that you need to gain experience - lots of experience! - first before you can just "subtitle away" without any problems. And Netflix does have some strict guidelines.

Much success!

Best,
Thayenga

[Edited at 2020-09-11 08:09 GMT]
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Several questions about subtitling







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