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How to calculate words for subtitling project
Thread poster: Anai Betancourt
Anai Betancourt
Anai Betancourt  Identity Verified
Guatemala
Local time: 15:31
English to Spanish
Nov 4, 2013

I am new to this, so probably my question has been repeatedly coming up in this forum, so please, bear with me: a client is asking me for a quote to translate audiovisuals from his website through the use of subtitles.

My question is, how do I calculate the number of words to be translated in an audiovisual? Is there a standard number of words per minute of audiovisual? Please help!
 
Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 23:31
Spanish to English
+ ...
No standard number Nov 5, 2013

But subtitles are usually calculated in minutes, anyway. You need to preview some footage.
 
Sylvano
Sylvano
Local time: 23:31
English to French
How do I get paid for a job I don't know how to do? Nov 5, 2013

Anai Betancourt wrote:
My question is, how do I calculate the number of words to be translated in an audiovisual? Is there a standard number of words per minute of audiovisual? Please help!


If you were a trained translator for the audiovisual, you wouldn't ask such a question... Of course, there is no answer to that, it all depends on what you are translating : corporate stuff, fiction, interviews, documentaries, etc. Moreover, a subtitle can contain one word to two full sentences.
My advice : don't take the job if you have no clue how to rate (and do) it. It will probably take you too much time to deliver the file for the job to be lucrative.
 
Monica Paolillo
Monica Paolillo
Italy
Local time: 23:31
English to Italian
+ ...
I have to agree with Sylvano. Nov 5, 2013

Anyway, we've discussed this a number of times. You can check just an example of a recent similar post http://www.proz.com/forum/subtitling/257983-subtitles_in_srt_files_productivity_and_word_rate.html

See my reply named "My two cents". That's what I would reply to you as well.

Ciao
 


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How to calculate words for subtitling project







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